The Press.
London, England, 1858-11-27 00:00:00

jbt

No. 291.—V01. VI.

fittraturt.

in Historical Sketch. By the Rev.
George Trevor, M.A., Canon of York ; late

Chaplain in the Madras Establishment.

London : The Religious Tract Society.
I,I:EAT merit is due to any one at the present
moment who, fit for the task, will produce a
little Indian "Book for the Million " at home.
It would be acquainting a few millions with the
savings, doings, characters, the past and the
future. of many millions—swarthy millions—
only just subjected, for weal or for woe, to the
direct sovereign sway of her who is now Queen
of both, the few and the many millions. How
shall be governed these two hundred millions, at
more than ten thousand miles distance from the
seat of Government, is a question of fearful mag-
nitude, regard being had to the true end of
Government. Exactly tivelve months ago—at
',east within a few days of it—on the 27th of last
November, the London public was astonished by
a confident announcement of the Times news-
paper, that it had been determined to put an end
to the administration of India by the East India
Company, and vest it in the Crown. Sure
enough the head of the late Government rose on
the ensuing 12th February to verify that an-
nouncement : but scarcely bad he done so, than
his own Government was blown into the air ; that
of his rivals unexpectedly succeeded ; and after
a long series of stormy debates, the great fact was
accomsilished on the 2nd of August last, by the
'tatute (21 and 22 Vic., chap. 106) entitled, with
:Teat significance, "An Act for the better govern-
ment of India." Thus suddenly came to an end
:hatof the renowned corporation which for so long
a series of years had reflected splendour on itself
and the country of which it constituted a most
remarkable institution. For let us say, in passing,
:hat the sense of all parties in both Houses of
Parliament pronounced those to be guilty of
stolid ingratitude and ignorance, who hesitated
place on the bier of the defunct Company, the
garland of a nation's acknowledgments.
The Legislature, then, has determined that
India ought to be, and can be, and shall be,
batter governed henceforth than heretofore; and
12-1 spent the session in constructing the
suchine T for effecting that object, by means of
tifth Secretary of State, exercising in her
Majesty's name all the powers which had till
then been vested in the great Company or the
Board of Control. He is to sit in one of the
Houses of Parliament, but has for his Council
!hose who cannot. Here, then, we have the
functions of Indian Government exercised under
direct responsibility to Parliament ; one of the
members of which, wielding vast powers, and
gTeater every day, is in the House of Commons,
!lected by the people. Of what moment, then,
put that people, for the purpose of electing
utung representatives, in possession of accurate
and, easily accessible information on the subject
L, Adis! The million will not wade through
aau of blue-books, nor the seventeen octavo
,`,l)l,unses of Mill, Elphinstone, and Thornton
ill 8 vols., Thornton 7 vols., Elphinstone
t vols.), in
spuddering quest of enlightenment, but stands
on the margin of that slough of
oolpond which alone, in its eyes, they constitute.