Lord Derby hopes that your Majesty will excuse a very hasty sketch of a very large subject.
Footnote 31: The Earl of Derby to Lord Lyons.
12th May 1858.
Send on the following message to Lord Canning by the Indian mail.
The publication of the Secret Despatch of 19th April has been disapproved. Lord Ellenborough has resigned office. His successor has not been appointed. Nevertheless the policy indicated in the above despatch is approved by Her Majesty's Government. Confiscation of property of private individuals (Talookdars and others) ought to be the exception and not the rule. It ought to be held out as a penalty on those who do not come in by a given day. From your amended Proclamation it is hoped that such is your intention. Let it be clearly understood that it is so. You were quite right in issuing no Proclamation till after a signal success. That once obtained, the more generous the terms, the better. A broad distinction must be drawn between the Talookdars of Oudh and the Sepoys who have been in our service. Confidence is felt in your judgment. You will not err if you lean to the side of humanity, especially as to nations of Oudh.
No private letters have been received from you since the change of Government.
Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby.
14th May 1858.
The Queen returns the extracts Lord Derby has sent to her. Lord Ellenborough's despatch,32 now before her for the first time, is very good and just in principle. But the Queen would be much surprised if it did not entirely coincide with the views of Lord Canning, at least as far as he has hitherto expressed any in his letters. So are also the sentiments written by Sir J. Lawrence; they contain almost the very expressions frequently used by Lord Canning.