The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

INDIAN FINANCE.

Mr. V. SMITH brought forward the Indian budget
on Monday, reading the various items of income and
expenditure, the re,alt of which was that the expen-
diture exceeded the income by somewhat over three
millions for the year 1854 5. The previous year had
shown a balance of income over expenditure of
421,457/. The difference was partly due to an in-
creased expenditure in publio works. He went
through the various items of revenue—the land tax,
the opium trade, and the salt duty—in all of which
he thought an increase might be obtained, but de-
pended mainly ott the development of Indian re-
sources by the opening of railroads and other means
of communication. As for the expenditure, the army
could not be reduced—judicial expenses were in-
mased—and he could not anticipate much from the
reduction of interest. He thought however, there
was no need for the large balances kept in the tree
suries, which might be reduced. If, however, the
financial prospects of the country were not pleasant,
its political prospects were quite brilliant. A treaty
had just been concluded with Cabul—satisfactory as
Surances were received from Nepanl—though Persia
Was neutral, nothing was to be apprehended from her
=-while roads, canals, and improvements were spring-
ing up in all directions. He 'was obliged to allude
to the proofs of torture in the collection of revenue
produced by a document just laid upon the table,
the only palliation being that it was done entirely by
the natives, though that did not entirely acquit the
European superintendentof connivance.
Mr. BRIGHT, who had given notice of a resolution
mommencling that the Indian accounts should
in future be made up to the 30th April instead
of the' 30th of October—that Parliament might
have an earlier oppor.unity of considering them
—entered into long details on the state of finan-
cial matters in India, accusing the Indian Go-
vernment of having maintained a Sethi:ins surplus
in 1853, thereby effecting a loan on lower terms than
w is warranted by circumstances, and entailing grievous
asters on the public. He found besides fault with the
loan—that it was stated to be a public-works loan,
while in reality it was nothing of the kind. The
accounts were enveloped in confusion and secrecies
highly objectionable. After declaiming against the
war, the opium trade, the salt tax, and the torture
practices of India, he urged the adoption of his reso-
lution the objections to which, on the ground of the
difficulties it would cause in the making up of Indian
amounts, were altogether nugatory.
Sir J. W. HOOO defended the Indian Government
from the charge of complicity in the practice of tor-
ture. The practice existed, like other crimes, but it
was not widely spread; and every exertion was made
by the European authorities to put it down, in which
they had to a great extent been successful. The
natives of India were fully aware that the practice
was entirely due to their own countrymen. He then
touched upon matters of finance, explaining that the
necessity of keel ing balances in so vast a number of
treasuries rendered necessary a total balance of so
large an amount.
Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE adduced many instances of
the 'barbarities and cruelty of the torture practised
upon supposed defaulters in the revenue. The sys.
tem of criminal justice in India was, moreover, dis-
graceful to a civilised nation. He was followed by
blr. OTWAY, who spoke in the same tone, denouncing,
besides the torture, the lust of territorial aggrandise
ment which still prevailed.
Mr. HENLEY, observing that a mere accident re-
vealed the existence of torture to the English public,
commented on the ignorance of Indian officials on
the matters of their own administration, as shown by
the small knowledge they seemed to have of the ex-
tent of these proceedings.
Sir C. WOOD explained some financial statement
he had made while President of the Board of Con-
Col, and which had been controverted.
Mr. WHITESIDE complained that Irishmen were
excluded from Indian judgeships.
Mr. MANGLES observed that in England no idea
could be firmed of the difficulty of obtaining infor-
mation in India, and instanced Thnggee, which has
existed for centuries.

Mr. D. SEYMOUR thought that the Government
had not been sufficiently active in repressing torture.
The report introduced by Mr. V. Smith was then
agreed to, as were Mr. Bright's resolutions, with some
amendments.