INDIAN AFFAIRS
Drayton Manor, 31st October 1843.
Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs leave to return to your Majesty the accompanying communication from Lord Ellenborough, and a letter which your Majesty proposes to send to Lord Ellenborough.
In compliance with your Majesty's desire that Sir Robert Peel should inform your Majesty whether he sees anything objectionable in that letter, Sir Robert Peel humbly represents to your Majesty that he does not think it would be advisable for your Majesty personally to express to the Governor-General of India your Majesty's opinion with regard either to the policy of retaining Scinde,84 as being of the greatest importance to the security of the Indian Empire, or as to the completeness of the defence of Sir Charles Napier from the accusations brought against him.
He humbly and most respectfully takes the liberty of submitting to your Majesty, that these being matters of important public concern, the regular and constitutional channel for conveying the opinion of your Majesty with respect to them would be through your Majesty's servants.
In the particular case, indeed, of India, instructions do not proceed from your Majesty's servants, directly signifying your Majesty's pleasure, but are conveyed in despatches to the Governor-General, signed by the three members of the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors.
The Secret Court of Directors—that is, the whole Court acting in secret—have come to a Resolution (in Sir Robert Peel's opinion very unwisely and precipitately) expressing the gravest doubt, on their part, as to the policy and justice of the recent transactions in Scinde.85
The Court is aware that your Majesty's servants disapprove of this proceeding on their part, and that they have declined to transmit officially to Lord Ellenborough, through the Secret Committee, the condemnatory Resolution of the Court. One of the grounds on which they deprecated the Resolution was the passing of it in the absence of full and complete information from India, in respect to the policy and to the events which led to the occupation of Scinde.
Under these circumstances, as well on the general Constitutional ground, as with reference to the present state of the public correspondence in regard to Scinde, and the particular relation of the Governor-General to the East India Company, and the Court of Directors, Sir Robert Peel humbly advises your Majesty to forbear from expressing an opinion, in a private communication to the Governor-General, with regard to events in Scinde or to the policy hereafter to be pursued in respect to that country. Sir Robert Peel begs to add that in a private letter by the last mail to Lord Ripon, Lord Ellenborough observes that he is going on very harmoniously with the Members of Council at Calcutta.
Footnote 84: Earlier in the year Lord Ellenborough had appointed Sir Charles Napier Governor of Scinde, and had by Proclamation applied the Slave Trade and Slavery Abolition Acts to Scinde.