Page:The Marquess of Dalhousie.djvu/107

Rh mined that the Chiefs and Fief-holders of the Punjab should be effectively deprived of the power of doing mischief. Most of these men had been in arms against us; almost all of them held their lands from the previous Sikh Government on condition of rendering military service. From either point of view they had small claims for tenderness on the part of a Power which they had fought to the bitter end, by means of the resources placed by the native government at their disposal. Lord Dalhousie resolved, while liberally rewarding individual cases of loyalty, to destroy the status of the class.

John Lawrence heartily agreed with the Governor-General. Sir Henry Lawrence also accepted the policy laid down, but desired so to modify it in practice as to take the pith out of it. Lord Dalhousie frankly told him that he could not permit this. He would give the revolted Fief-holders 'their lives and their subsistence,' but that was all. 'Nothing,' he said to Sir Henry, 'is granted to them but maintenance. The amount of that is open to discussion, but their property of every kind will be confiscated to the State... In the interim, let them be placed somewhere under surveillance; but attach their property till their destination is decided. If they run away, our contract is void. If they are caught, I will imprison them. And if they raise tumult again I will hang them, as sure as they now live, and I live then.'