The Press. — London, England, 1858-02-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS, FFBRITAItY 13, 1858. was in receipt of a large salary from the office he held under the Government, and that no doubt things would be soon made all right. The Judge (J. G. Smith, Esq.) here interrupted Mr. Smith, hut Mr. Smith assured his Honour that what he had said be was prepared to bear out on oath. Nevertheless his Honour, with the consent of Mr. Miller, adjourned the case, for the purpose of allowing Mr. Wilson to be present to rebut the statements made. The adjourned hearing will probably not be heard at Westbury, but at Chippenham or Swindon. —Plymouth Journal. LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS. DEFENCE OF ARRAN. The Earl of DERBY wished to repair an omission in the last vote of thanks by calling attention to the eminent skill and gallantry displayed by Mr. Wake, a civil servant of the Company, in conducting the defence of a small and ill-fortified bilngalow at Arrah, Earl GRANVILLE acknowledged the eminent services performed by Mr. Wake on that occasion. The omission of special mention of his achievementarose solely from the very large number of persons, both civil and military, who had displayed the most exalted heroism during the late mutiny in India. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. Lord BROUGHAM, in moving for some returns, commented upon the existing state of the law of creditor and debtor, and enforced the expediency of totally abolishing the penalty of imprisonment for debt except in cases of proved fraud. After some conversation the motion was agreed to, and their lordships adjourned. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Whatever is intended for insertion muetbe authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publica• Jim, but as a guarantee of his good faith. trio lt)rtxig+ LONDON,SATURDA.Y,FEBRUA.RY 13,1858. POSTSCRIPT. MADRID, Feb. O. The Senate has voted the Address in reply to the Speech from the Throne, by a majority of 91 to 16. A POLITICAL "ECONOMIST." A REMARKABLE example of the application of the principles of political economy to electioneering necessities has recently come to light in the West bury County Court. Mr. James Wilson, one of the Secretaries of the Treasury, brought an action on the 14th of last month against one Henry Bolwell, a miller of Westbury Leigh Mill, for 241. 10s., rent due for the two years 18524. The defendant denied the debt, pleading as a set-off a positive promise from Mr. Wilson in 1852 that for value received—i. e., his vote—he (the defendant) should have seven acres of arable laud rent-free. Mr. Wilson, it would appear, evidently forgot his obligations at the end of the first year, and put in a claim for rent, and at the end of two years not only pressed his claim for a yearly rent at 355. an acre for the seven acres let rent-free to the friendly miller, but to have served him with a notice of ejectment, and now, four years after the event, and when be had shaken off the dust from his shoes in the face of his Westbury friends, brought the present action against the miller for two years' rent. The chief witness examined was Mr. Wilson's steward, who, after much hesita tion and many non mi ricordos, was brought to the point and forced to admit that the defendant, upon every application for rent since Michaelmas, '33, when the first year's rent became due, had re-asserted that Mr. Wilson bad made him a positive promise that "he should never he asked for one penny rent if he would vote for him," and that he did vote for him, and farmed the seven acres upon that under standing. After the examination of the steward, Mr. Smith, an attorney of Melkshan, addressed the court for the defendant, observing that in July, 1852, a general election took place. The candidates for West bury were Mr. James Wilson and Sir Massey Lopes, Bart. A severe contest took place for the representa tion of the borough, when Mr. Wilson's majority over his opponent was about three votes. Each party made the most active canvass, in fact,:from the month of March to about the middle of June, Mr. Wilson continually—sometimes two or three times a week—called on this poor unfortunate client., to solicit his vote, when Mr. Bolwell told him that his trade and customers were principally amongst the other party ; that he held his mill under the other party ; and that it would, most likely, do him much injury to vote against his customers and friends. But the more this was urged, tip more earnest became Mr. Wilson in his entreaties, sometimes sitting down crying and sobbing most piteously to Mrs. Bolwell, imploring her to intercede with her husband for him. Thus Mr. Wilson, after many and oft-repeated promises that James Wilson would never be the man to allow any person who voted for him to sustain one farthing injury through so doing —that he would find them a house to live in, free of expens3—that he would get Bolwell a situation as foreman in the new mills erecting in London, the proprietors of which he was most intimately ac quainted with, which would be much better for him than remaining in Westbury—that he would let him have land, either arable or pasture, and finally, in June, 1852, came to a definite conclusion to let him have seven acres of arable land, for which he would never ask him for a penny of rent. This settled down the mind of Bolwell and got the vote. At the ex piration of a year, Mr. Wilson's agent, Richards, applied for rent ; Bolwell at once refused payment, and referred to Mr. Wilson's promises to him. At the end of another year, rent was again asked for, and again refused, and Mr. Wilson's promises again reiterated, and Bolwell declared positively he would pay no rent at all. Three or four years more were allowed to elapse, and in the intervals—through changes in property in the borough and other sircamstances—Mr. Wilson seeing his chances of re-election too small to depend upon, managed to get into the snug little Government pocket borough of Devonport, and now he turned round on his lite friends at Westbury, and shook the dust off his feet in their faces; but in addition to these special promises there was also a printed handbill sent round to tell the voters if any of them should sustain any injury whatever through voting for Mr. Wilson, all would be made good on application to Mr. Stephen Brown Clift. Now his client did apply, and what reply did he get? Why, that Mr. Wilson HOUSE OF COMMONS. PUBLIC-HOUSES. In reply to Mr. Hardy, Sir GEORGE GREY stated that he hoped in the course of the present session to bring in a bill for the regulation of public-houses. BRIBERY AT Lord PAL3fERBTON, in answer to Mr. H. Berkeley, said that he intended to move for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the operation of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act. CORPORATION BILL. On the motion of Sir G. GREY the City of London Corporation Bill was read a second time. :NT BILL. Lord PALMERSTON moved for leave to bring in a bill for the better government of India. The mea sure, be observed, was prompted by no hostility to the East India Company. A most anomalous posi tion of affairs had, however, grown up in India, by which a merely commercial company had gradually assumed important political functions. This pro gressive change had not occurred without attracting notice from the Legislature. As long since as 1784 Parliament had interposed a modified degree of con trol over the Company in its administrative capacity; and in 1853 by another act their commercial mono poly was abrogated. The East India Company had consequently become a phantom of its former self, and a state of things had arisen which, as he believed, was equally unreal and cumbrous. The nominal governors of India, the members of the Court of Directors, were elected by a constituency who pos sessed no personal connection with that empire ; while the responsible administration was rendered an almost evanescent quantity by the complicated distribution of authority between the Board of Con trol, the Leadenhall•street Court, and the Governor- General. After explaining some of the practical evils arising from this anomalous organisation, the noble lord submitted that the system of check and counter-check had been car ried too :fer. The cumbrous machine required simplification. Her Majesty's Ministers should be endowed with a complete control over those adminis trative proceedings for which they were held respon sible to Parliament. The bill he proposed to introduce affected only the home system of Inuian government. With the functionaries in Hindostan of every rank he had no intention of interfering. So far as they were concerned, the only change would be in the signature of the despatches they received, and the address of those they transmitted to England. In conducting the government of India, and in nego tiating with native princes, he thought that the name of the Sovereign must prove far more effective than than that of a trading company. Lord Palmerston then proceeded to give an outline of the bill. He proposed to abolish the present Court of Direc tors, theaßoard of Control, and the Secret Committee, and substitute a President and Council for the administration of affairs in India. The President would be a member of the Govern ment of the day, and under the fullest responsi bility to Parliament. The Council was to consist of eight members, nominated by the Crown for a period of eight years, but two of whom would retire by rotation every second year. These Councillors must have been Directors of the Company, or resident in India fur a certain time. They would receive sala ries of 1,0001. per annum, but not be eligible for seats in the House of Commons. The President would have the apanages of a Secretary of State, and be assisted by an Under. Secretary, sitting in that house. In Council the opinion of the President was to be paiamount and final, except on questions involving revenue, upon which he must obtain the concurrence of at least four other members. Respecting p a t ron . age the noble lord entered into various details, stating as the ultimate result of the proposed arrangements there would be no additional privilege of this description lodged in the hands of the new President or his colleagues in the Executive Ad. ministration. He concluded by replying, in antici. pation, to sundry objections that might be urged against the measure which he asked leave to in troduce. Mr. T. BARING moved an amendment, setting forth the opinion that it was not expedient at present to legislate for the government of India. The hon. member, in support of his motion, adverted in detail to the existing exigencies of the country as pro duced by the still pending revolt, and contended that the present moment was altogether unfit for the accomplishment of change so extensive as those which the proposed bill would inaugurate. Sir E. PARRY maintained that the bill was excel lent in principle and not ill-timed. It ought, in his opinion, to have been brought forward long since. The extinction of the East India Company had for years been a much-needed reform. The system had been useless, cumbrous, and effete. Mr. MONCKT , iN AIILNES controverted the assertion that the " double government " degerved abolition. The present time was, at any rate, most inexpedient for legislation on the subject. Mr. VANSITTART also contended that the East India Company were unjustly and hastily con demned. The evils arising from the present system were enormously exaggerated. Before attempting to pass new Acts of Parliament, they ought to inquire into the causes of the pending mutiny and the authors of the late disastrous policy of annexation. Mr. AYRTON, from a long residence in India, had derived experience which convinced him that our Eastern empire ought not to be left under the administration of a trading company. In support of this conclusion he appealed to various passages in the past history of the British rule in India. Mr. ELPHINSTONE defended the East India Com pany, under whose administration the Indian empire had been successfully gained and governed. The blunders that might have been committed were in his opinion traceable to the interference of the Home Government. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed that two positions were assumed by the advocates of the Company. It was said that they had conquered India, and had established there a model adminis trative organisation. Both of these assumptions he denied. Almost every conquest of territory was actually effected against the positive injunction of the Directors, by their ambitious and disobedient servants on the spot. The foundations of our Eastern empire were laid by Clive and Hastings in direct antagonism to the avowed policy of the Company ; and our practical sovereignty over the whole of Hindostan was accomplished through the system of subsidiary treaties with native princes, which had been in augurated by Lord Wellesley, au officer of the Crown. Respecting the claim to good govern. ment, the right hon. member referred to nume rous debates in Parliament, and reports of coin mittees, showing, as he maintained, that the ad. ministration of the Company from the battle of Plassy to 1784 was the most corrupt, perfidicus, and rapa cious of any civilised State. All that was creditable in their history dated from the establishment of the Board of Control, by which the Minister of the Crown obtained the power of interfering in the government of India. Tracing the course of recent changes, Sit G. C. Lewis argued that the Company had by successive steps lost their trading monopolies and dwindled into a subordinate and almost fictitious position as a political power. The system had be come a delusion and ought to be abolished. It was now requisite that some one should be responsible for Indian government; but when Parliament wished to exact responsibility, they must concentrate power. On that principle the proposed measure bad been founded. Mr. It. MANGLES controverted some of the his torical deductions advanced by Sir G. C. Lewis, and vindicated the policy of the East India Company both in the past and present century. On the motion of Mr. ROELUCK the debate was then adjourned. The house rose at half-past twelve o'clock. REIGATE.—At the Clore of the poll on Saturday the numbers were :—For Sir Henry Rawlinson, 212 ; Mr. Doulton, 116 ; Mr. Monson, 95. The returning officer (Mr. T. Martin) declared that Sir H. Bowfin son was duly elected. SOUTH NORTHAIIPTONSHIHE.—The nomination is fixed for Monday, the 15th inst., and tho election for the following Thursday, the 18th.