Proposed Withdrawal of British Troops from Morar and Gwalior [‎94v] (6/32)

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retention in force of sucii positions
throughout the country. So far from
such places being objectionable, they are
most useful if properly held. They only
become objectionable when not held in
sufficient strength. Gwalior is eminently
one of these places which ought to be
held in strength by us. Whether it is now
held quite as strongly as it ought to be,
may be doubtful. But still it is held in
some sort of strength; at all events, our
representatives there could certainly hold
their own till reinforcements arrived.
5. Sindiah now wishes us to abandon
the fortress for the sake of his dignity,
though apparently he does not object
to our retaining the cantonment of Moran
But as the cantonment cannot be held with
out the fortress, His Highness’s request
really amounts to this—that we should
withdraw British forces from Gwalior
altogether. Now, considering our past
relations with the house of Sindiah, the
obligations which the present Sindiah
lies under towards us, the circumstances
of 1857-58, the fact that we had to take
Gwalior when it had been lost to him
as well as to us, the restoration of ( Sindiah
by British arms to his authority over his
rebellious troops and subjects,—I say
that we have perfect right to consult
British interests when considering His
Highness’s request, that now, after fourteen
years’ subsequent military occupation, we
should abandon Gwalior.
6. I am sorry to see it urged that we
are, in some way, under a ^^'-obliga
tion to abandon the fortress. It is true
that in 1861 a declaration was made to
Sindiah which might be regarded as tan
tamount to a promise to withdraw from
the fortress at a convenient opportunity,
But, in 1864, the question was further
considered. We were ready to strictly
fulfil the declaration which had been made.
We however offered Sindiah an alternative
in lieu of fulfilment. He accepted that
alternative, and of his own free-will
agreed that we should keep our garrison
in the fort. The British Government
henceforth stood acquitted and discharged
from all and any obligation arising out of
the declaration of 1861.
7. We are, therefore, free to consider
whether it is good for British interests that
we should abandon Gwalior. I say that
it is bad for those great interests that we
should, after fourteen years’ occupation,
abandon such a possession. The political