CAPTURE OF LUCKNOW
House of Commons, 13th April.
(Tuesday night.)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer with his humble duty to your Majesty.
The night tranquil and interesting—Lord Bury, with much intelligence, introduced the subject of the Straits Settlements;22 the speech of Sir J. Elphinstone,23 master of the subject, and full of striking details, produced a great effect. His vindication of the convict population of Singapore, as the moral element of that strange society, might have been considered as the richest humour, had it not been for its unmistakable simplicity.
His inquiry of the Governor's lady, who never hired any servant but a convict, whether she employed in her nursery "Thieves or Murderers?"—and the answer, "Always murderers," was very effective....
The Secretary of State having sent down to the Chancellor of the Exchequer the telegram of the fall of Lucknow,24 the Chancellor of the Exchequer read it to the House, having previously in private shown it to Lord Palmerston and others of the late Government.
After this a spirited Debate on the conduct of Members of Parliament corruptly exercising their influence, in which the view recommended by the Government, through Mr Secretary Walpole, was adopted by the House.
Footnote 22: These detached provinces were at this time under the control of the Governor-General of India; but in 1867 they were formed into a Crown Colony.
Footnote 23: Sir J. D. H. Elphinstone, Conservative member for Portsmouth, afterwards a Lord of the Treasury.