tain alone excluded from the honourable list of competitors? Is it that policy and duty in our case are irreconcileable, however blended in that of others? The conviction is most humiliating that the British Government is the only European power in India that tolerates the practice of burning widows alive on the funeral pile!!" Page 16, 17. To the same effect is the following brief extract from the article in "The Friend of India," No. iii. (quar. ser.) before noticed." The Mosulmans who never protected the unhappy natives from foreign invasion, or from internal commotion, checked this practice in many cases, and in some provinces abolished it altogether. Will it be too much for us while we dispense blessings with one hand, with the other to snatch the helpless victim from the flames? There is no instance on historic record in which acts of humanity have ever roused public indignation. Massacre, confiscation, and injustice are the elements from which revolutions are created, not humanity, justice, and equity; the mere supposition is a novelty in political science."* In "An Account of the York Meeting to petition Parliament for the abolition of the immolation of Hindoo widows in British India," the reader may be furnished with much information upon the subject under consideration. In the preface of this pamphlet is the following statement relative to the views of the late Marquis of Hastings, Governor-General of India, on the abolition of Suttees :"The importance of petitioning Parliament will be duly appreciated when it is understood that the late Marquis of Hastings said, he would at once have put down the atrocious practice, if he could have relied upon the popular feeling being in his favour in our own country, and that the danger was felt not in India, but only in England!!"O when shall every town and city in Britain and Ireland say, "This blood shall not rest on us! Let no more widows perish!" Before the Marquis left India, in 1823, the following "Supplicatory Lines" were addressed to him in the public Papers : "Ere thy benignant power retires From India, bless'd beneath thy care, Then o'er the sea, The orphan's blessing and the widow's prayer O ne'er to man has pitying Heaven A power so blest, so glorious given, Say but a single word and save Ten thousand mothers from a flaming grave, Hastings, her lord and judge, presents her plaint to thee." Britain speak. "Plead for the widow!" Let petitions pour into Parliament from every quarter, which, like the streams of the sanc* Par. Papers, No. iv. p. 24-26. V hair was smeared with ghee and other greasy substances, and decorated with flowers and gaudy ornamented paper: round her neck was a large rope nearly as thick as my wrist, and one or two smaller ones: thus attired, she looked the picture of all that is degraded and wretched. Before her stood one of Satan's high priests with two paltry pictures of Juggernaut, which he was very anxious she should look upon continually. Altogether, I never saw any thing so infernal. The barbarous indifference of the multitude to every feeling of humanity-the thoughts of an awful eternity-the idea that the poor creature before me would soon rush, thus polluted with Idolatry, into the presence of an awful God, who hates sin and abominates Idolatry-the multitude who evinced so savage a pleasure in the bloody work-and the malicious countenances of the principal actors in this wretched scene, rendered more horrible than ever by the interruption, altogether so pressed upon my mind that the feeling beggars description. But what could be done! something must be attempted. We bid the people stop. I got off my horse, and the two Europeans came near with their elephant; I made my way to the woman, and found she was quite intoxicated; there was a strange wildness in her appearance. I looked at her eyes, turned up the eyelids and found them very bloodshot and heavy: the woman could not utter a syllable distinctly, all that could be understood was, 'Juggernaut,' and 'koosee,' meaning, I suppose, Juggernaut is my pleasure. A thrill of horror ran through my veins: her youth-her destitute condition, for she had not a friend even to give her fire,' viz., light the pile-her total insensibility-and the general horror of the scene, induced the mutual feeling that she was about to be cruelly murdered. We thought the law protected us under such circumstances, and determined to rescue her. The people looked at us amazed; the crowd soon thickened upon us, and assumed rather a formidable appearance; but there was no time for parley, we put on a determined aspect, and insisted on her being taken back, urging that she was quite intoxicated: this many of them admitted, but still retained their hold of the hoop by which she was enclosed, and urged that it was her wish to burn, and that it was Juggernaut's pleasure; we however insisted upon her being taken back till she was sensible. Captain G. and Lieutenant M. behaved nobly, they charged a few servants in their employ to keep off the people; they soon gave way without making any further resistance, and left us, in charge of the woman and the principal actors. I should observe that the Daroga (head policeofficer) was absent. I then mounted my horse and rode before, the road was made through the crowd by the servants and a few idle seapoys who attended as lookers on, the officers followed the woman on their elephant till they saw all was safe, and then returned to the pile. I rode before the crowd and the woman towards the police officer's place of confinement: in my way I met with brother B. and surprised him with what was done : he accompanied me to the prison, and delivered the woman into the charge of the Daroga, who was much surprised and disconcerted at what was done, but was obliged to attend to Captain G.'s orders to secure the woman. All seemed consternation. I am sure that I wondered at our success, Bampton seemed to wondermore; the people seemed thunderstruck, and exclaimed, Now you have done something!' others said, 'This is merciful!' and indeed among the thousands of spectators not a sound of disapprobation was heard, or the least confusion excited. The woman herself kept saying, as well as we could understand, 'This is well done! you have broken my purposes:' she was however quite stupified. What may be the result we know not, or whether we shall be able to save her is quite uncertain; we know, however, it might be done with the most trifling interference on the part of the Magistrate. Her husband's corpse is already consumed." He adds,-"On Tuesday the Judge, much to his credit and honour, determined that the woman should not burn. May God overrule it to promote his own glory, and for the putting out for ever these flames which hell itself has kindled. O that this circumstance may be the harbinger of this happy consummation! How easily might it be done! Only think, that three individuals, at the very worst place in all India, without authority, and without the least disturbance, and without giving offence to any except three or four individuals immediately concerned, have succeeded in saving this wretched woman from the devouring flames!" If so much satisfaction is felt by humane minds in the rescue of a single individual, how would humanity-how would Christianity hail the merciful suppression of all those barbarities! The opinion of J. H. Harington, Esq, officiating chief Judge in the Nizamut Adawlut, Calcutta, relative to the expediency of abolishing the Suttee, has been given. The second Judge, C. Smith, Esq., says: "The practice of Suttee OUGHT TO BE ABOLISHED, and it may be abolished with PERFECT SAFETY." The third Judge, J. T. Shakespear, Esq., likewise states: "I am prepared to concur in a recommendation to Government, that a regulation be promulgated prohibiting Suttees throughout the country." The fifth Judge, W. B. Martin, Esq., at the same time stated: "The toleration of the practice by our Government, and its disposition to interfere no further than was necessary to guard it from abuse, has been misconstrued into a tacit recognition of the principle of an usage, the legality of which within certain limits, it has formerly acknowledged." The minute of the officiating Judge, J. Ahmuty, Esq., relative the documents from which the above extracts are taken, is as follows: -"I feel satisfied that it would be far preferable to enact a regulation prohibiting the practice of Suttees at once, and rendering it punishable by law, than having recourse to any partial or indirect means to repress it gradually, if even such a result could be reasonably expected to ensue."* The Governor General in Council, Lord Amherst, evidently anticipates the final abolition of Suttee, as appears from the observations upon the statement of the number of widows who were burned in 1823. His words are:-"His Lordship in Council is unwilling to abandon the hope, that the abolition of the practice may, at a future period, be found safe and expedient; and he has already had occasion to remark, that the more general dissemination of knowledge and the discussions of the question among the better informed Hindoos themselves, may be expected to have some effect in gradually preparing the minds of the natives for such a measure.t (Jud. Depart., Dec., 1824.) Humanity, in her tears, asks, why delay to rescue the unhappy widow? "The argument that we may ultimately look for the cure of this evil in the gradual increase of intelligence which is beginning to develope itself in India, might have some weight, if the progress of intelligence were of a more accelerated character than circumstances allow us to suppose, or if the immediate abolition of the rite were not proved to be both safe and practicable. But this fact, once satisfactorily established, to delay the enjoyment of an acknowledged good, because at some future, yet more remote time, you anticipate its attainment by the operation of other causes,-what is this but to procrastinate a happiness already within your reach, and to be justly responsible for all the misery of the intervening period of a long and criminal delay?"+ The authorities for the propriety and safety of the immediate abolition of Suttee are numerous and decisive. This has appeared from the various references which have been made to the Parliamentary Papers upon the subject, and they may be increased from various other sources. The Magistrate of Poona, under the Bombay Presidency, (Captain * Par. Papers, No. iv. p. 148, 149. + Page 153. See Grimshawe's Appeal to British Humanity in behalf of Hindoo widows, p. 26-28. V has in ✓ this p by so. ble a It is s vate i the w the fo ing w ed "N to col found as wel from it of this indisp cordin is evid lish tra work. this su unable then g which. and decorated with flowers and ne nearly as thick as my wrist, At the icture of all that is degradnests with two paltry pictures Les non continually. Altogethmuference of the multitude to he idea that the poor crea to the presence of an awe who evinced so savage ences of the principal actors in ne interruption, altogether so But what could be done! got off my horse, and the e ny way to the woman, and ze winess in her appearance. I una zem very bloodshot and heavy : cat cu be understood was, 'Jug at any ieasure. A thrill of site ondition, for she had not a friend sensibility and the general horHe was went de cuelly murdered. stances, ani ietermined to rescue her. ched upon us, and assumed rathor artey, we put on a determined at she was quite intoxicated: this The hoop by which she was enSavas nggernant's pleasure; we senshie. Captain G. and Lieuseir employ to keep off the tersstance, and left us in charge serve that the Daroga (head policeTate efore, the road was made through tended as lookers on, the officers awal was safe, and then returned to rwards the police officer's place of 3. sed him with what was done : w into the charge of the Daro It was done, but was obliged to at eemed consternation. I am sure tha more; the people seemed thunder. rear others said, 'This is merciful sound of disapprobation was hear merset sent saying, as well as we could at the very worst place in all Indi taction is felt by humane alah, how would humanity-hov epic of J. H. Harington, Esq. |