Mss Eur F213/24, p223

[Refers to Hobhouse's letter of 7 July]; batta question; criticizes Ellenborough, and defends his actions in dealing with property taken as prize or booty, and property confiscated to the use of the Company, and his distinction between them, as being in accordance with precedent; complains at being rebuked in Secret Committee Despatch for giving medal; Chattur has not fled – Hobhouse should not believe what he reads in Indian newspapers; Punjab Board is working well; Lawrence is sick again – if he eventually goes home, Dalhousie can adopt his preferred arrangement of a single commissioner; but not while Lawrence is present 'for I will not trust that great revenue system and its settlement to him'; Napier's violent criticisms of Punjab Board; he hates all civil officers generally and seems to hate Henry Lawrence in particular; believes everything should be done as in Sind 'where everything was essentially different' from the Punjab; Dalhousie's only chance of keeping things smooth is to make civil and military matters as distinct as possible; believes Napier, who does not like 'playing second fiddle' [in the Punjab ?], will go home soon; his own relations with him remain good; apology from Bethune; rains have been good including in Punjab where they will do more to keep things quiet than 20,000 troops.

PS. Refers to article in Times; if Hobhouse thinks Sher Singh would be safer in England, latter would like to be sent there; thinks of sending Duleep Singh to Fatehgarh - 'the Lawences, of course, violently oppose his removal'.