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Salamanca, Vittoria, Orthes, the Pyrenees, and Toulouse. He was at Washington and at New Orleans, and finally he was at Waterloo. What a series of noble services, and how rejoiced I am that there should be an opportunity, through this new and signal victory, of bringing before the gladdened eyes of a grateful country a long life of military exertion, and an unbroken series of military honours. After he had achieved that success for which we are about to give him our special thanks-after he had driven back the enemy across the Sutlej, he instantly returned to rejoin his commanding officer, Sir Hugh Gough. He arrived on the 8th, two days before the decisive victory gained by the forces under Sir Hugh Gough and Sir Henry Hardinge. But for his services in the victory of the 28th of January, I propose that there should be a distinct and separate vote-distinct and separate from that which I shall recommend for that not more glorious, though perhaps more important achievement accomplished at a later date by the whole British army. There is much to adorn and nothing to sully our victory, and I do hope that now it has been achieved, it will give lasting peace to India; that a general conviction will be felt of our power-a —a conviction of the superiority of British arms that will ensure a long enjoyment of tranquillity to that country, and the application of all our efforts for the improvement of its natural resources. I trust that this may be our last battle, and that hereafter we shall have nothing to do but to direct our attention to the amelioration of the condition of our Indian fellow-subjects. In that anticipation I am sure the House will permit me to refer to some events and some circumstances which may well fill our hearts with joy and exultation. The two leaders of our victorious army, the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief, have throughout these operations set an example of cordial concert and communion-an utter forgetfulness of themselves—to which the happy result is greatly to be attributed. All matters of punctillio were sacrificed, and Sir Henry Hardinge consented to serve as second in command. On the other hand, there was not

a suggestion offered by Sir Henry Hardinge which was not thankfully accepted by Sir Hugh Gough.

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I will now refer to a document, not of a public character, that has been put into my hand since I entered the House this evening-it is a letter from Sir Hugh Gough, which was never intended to meet the public eye, but it does him so much honour that I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of reading it.*

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I am sure the House will permit me, among expressions of gratitude to the surviving conquerors, to mingle some of deep regret at the loss we have sustained. On this occasion I have to deplore the loss of several officers of the highest reputation; and the first I shall name, is Sir Robert Dick. He entered the service in 1800. He embarked with the 78th Regiment for Sicily in 1806, and was wounded in battle. He accompanied the expedition to Egypt, and was present at the taking of Alexandria. He embarked with the 42nd Regiment in 1829, and was again wounded at Fuentes d'Onor. He commanded the second battalion of the 42nd Regiment at Ciudad Rodrigo. He was at the battle of Salamanca, at the storming of St. Michel, and was present during the siege of Burgos. In 1815 he was severely wounded, and, after a life of honour, he at last fell in the battle, for the happy result of which we are about to make our grateful acknowledgments. On the day which deprived us for ever of the services of Sir Robert Dick, there also fell Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, of the 29th Regiment. When the father of this gallant officer was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 20th Light Dragoons, he lost his life in the Peninsula. The father fell at Vimiera-the son met an equally glorious death in India, and thus did those heroic men establish an hereditary and double claim to the gratitude of the country. Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. Taylor commanded the light company of the 30th Foot, in the expedition against Khalapore, in 1827-8; served on the frontier during the

* The document here referred to will be found in full at page 137.

Canadian rebellion, where, in the successful attack of a village occupied by the rebels, he rendered an important service; commanded a brigade of infantry in the actions of the 18th, 21st, and 22nd of December, 1845, wherein he was wounded; the troops sent to keep up the communication between Sir Harry Smith and the main army, whilst the former was engaged in the operations which led to the battle of Aliwal; and a brigade of infantry at the battle of Sobraon, where he fell.

How many there are who have lost their sons and relatives in this conflict I need not say; but I have been thrown into intercourse I could not avoid with one, the life of whose gallant son has been sacrificed in this encounter; it has been my duty, my painful duty in some respects, to hold constant communication with Lord Fitzroy Somerset, whose brave offspring, had he survived, would have supported the honour of his family, and the military glory of his father. Lord Fitzroy Somerset himself has run an illustrious career. He accompanied the Duke of Wellington throughout all the battles of the Peninsula, but his pleasure in awarding honour to the living and the dead is now clouded by the loss of his son, who, had his life been spared, would have added to his own and to his country's reputation. Although the rank of Major Somerset hardly entitles him to special notice, yet recollecting the services of his father and the long connexion between him and his illustrious chief, the House will perhaps permit me to offer this poor consolation to the sorrows of a parent. I wish I could do justice to my own feelings by naming many others scarcely less distinguished or less lamented; but the list is so numerous of those entitled to grateful remembrance that I trust it will not be imputed to any want of a due sense of their claims and merits.

Sir Robert Peel then moved the votes of thanks, a copy of which is given under the report of the House of Lords. The motion was seconded by Sir John Cam Hobhouse, and, after a few words from other hon. members, the resolutions were put and severally agreed to nem. con.

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY.

On the same day, a Special General Court of the Proprietors of Stock was held at the East India House, for the purpose of passing a vote of thanks to Major-General Sir Harry Smith, for his victory at Aliwal, over the Sikh army; and to General Sir Henry Hardinge, and General Sir Hugh Gough, and to the European and native troops who were engaged in the war of the Sutlej.

Sir Henry Willock, the Chairman, again presided, and proposed the two separate resolutions which we have already given, under the report of the proceedings of the Houses of Lords and Commons. They were seconded by J. W. Hogg, Esq., M.P., and unanimously adopted.

THE COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

At a Special Court of the Court of Common Council of the City of London, the thanks and congratulations of the Court were awarded, together with the freedom of the City in gold boxes of the value of 100 guineas, to Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., G.C.B., and Major-General Sir Harry Smith, K.C.B., for the valour, judgment, and ability displayed by them in the recent battles of Aliwal and Sobraon. Also the thanks of the Court to the other officers, European and native, for the intrepidity, perseverance, and discipline evinced by them upon both of these memorable

occasions.

Her Majesty has since been graciously pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of Viscount to Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., that of a Baron to General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., G.C.B., as well as to confer the dignity of a Baronet upon Major-General Sir Harry Smith, G.C.B.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

May 4, 1846.

The order of the day for going into committee of the whole House, to consider Her Most Gracious Majesty's messages having been read

Sir ROBERT PEEL moved that in accordance with that message, the annual sum of £.3,000 be granted to Viscount Hardinge, and £.2,000 to Lord Gough, and the two next heirs male of their bodies.

The motion having been seconded by Lord John Russell, was immediately adopted.

In the course of his speech Sir Robert Peel announced that, in the event of the East India Company conferring a pension upon these two illustrious individuals during their lives, the Government grants would be confined to their successors.

Mr. HOGG subsequently announced that, at a Court of Directors of that Honourable Company, he had the honour of proposing, what had been unanimously adopted, that a pension of £.5,000 per annum be granted to Viscount Hardinge during his lifetime, in addition to his salary as Governor-General of India; and that a pension of £.2,000 per annum be likewise granted to Lord Gough-both to commence from the period when our troops arrived under the walls of Lahore. Mr. Hogg remarked, this was the first instance of the Company granting a pension to a Commander-in-Chief.

We extract also from Sir Robert Peel's speech the following testimony to the SERVICES OF THESE DISTINGUISHED OFFICERS :

"It is now forty-eight years since my gallant friend, Lord Hardinge, entered the British army. During his long military service it has been the good fortune of my gallant friend to be present at numerous actions in the Peninsula,-at Roleia, at Vimiera (where he was wounded), and, under the command of that most gallant, distinguished, and lamented officer, Sir John Moore, during the retreat to Corunna, and at the battle of Corunna. At the battle of Corunna, at an early period of his life, Captain Hardinge was near Sir John Moore when that gallant officer received his death-wound upon the field. Of Lord Hardinge it is said by the eloquent historian of the Peninsula campaign,