In the letter from Government dated the 25th of August, 1831,
referring to this advice, the Resident is told that by treaty we are
bound to give the aid of troops to quell internal resistance, as well
as to keep off external enemies, but by the same treaty the Oude
Government is bound to establish a good system of administration, and
to conform to our advice in this respect; that, finding it impossible
to procure the establishment of such an improved system, and seeing
that our troops were liable to be made the instruments of violence,
and vindictive and party proceedings, it was determined to withhold
the aid of troops except after investigation into the cause which
might lead to the application for them; that, by recent orders from
the Court of Directors, the Government would be authorised in
withholding them altogether, in the hope that the necessities of the
Oude Government might compel a reform such as we might deem
satisfactory; that matters had not, however, been brought to such an
issue, for the Oude Government having been deprived of the services
of British troops to execute its purposes, has entertained a body
stated at sixty thousand men, cavalry, infantry, and artillery,
whereof forty-five thousand are stationed in the interior for the
special purpose of reducing refractory zumeendars without British
aid. Government urges the necessity of reducing this number, and
states that if British troops be employed to enforce submission, it
seems impossible to avoid becoming parties to the terms of
submission, and guarantees of their observance afterwards on both
sides, in which case we should become mixed up in every detail of the
administration; it is therefore required that each case shall be
investigated and submitted for the specific orders of the Governor-
General.
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