The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-15 00:00:00

THE PRESS

services to offer to Government; and, latterly,
our readers may have remarked there have
been indications of a desire on the part of
Lord JOHN RUSSiLL inerthe Ministry to make
terms with those who ire really the represen-
tatives of the gavacy in the British House of
tomuionll.‘,
On Tuesday last the consideration for the
new.compact hid to be paid, and Sir Joffx
Youso hid the disgusting task imposed upon
him of diselaimingbills of which he had himself
proposed the second reading, and which two
Cabinet Ministers had declared to be Govern-
ment bills in the House of Lords. Inadver-
tently he disclosed the motive* of this tgno-
minious proceeding. " lie had been _waited
" upon by certain members who honoured
" the Government with their confidence." At
the instance, then, of the Brigade and the
obstructives, this question, on the point of
settlement, a settlement so important to the
interest of all well-disposed persons in Ireland;
is abandoned in •ord.er that agitation may
be continued, and other Keoghs and Sadleirs
receive " the wages of their apostacy." Mr.
NAPIER justly remonstrated against the man-
ner in which he had been treated. But we
desire our readers to consider the illustration
which this disgraceful affair affords of the
power which a small clique may exercise upon
the present Ministry, and of the pernicious
effect which their influence may produce upon
the best interests of the country.

TRIUMPH OF THE " BRIGADE."
IN the debate in the Commons on land tenures
at Madras the Ministry only escaped defeat
by the narrow majority of five. Mr. BLACK-
Err's motion went too far; and that, probably,
had more to do with their escape than any
arguments employed on the Government side.
If carried it would quoad hoc have superseded
the functions of both the Madras and the
Supreme Government in India; and this,
whatever might be the opinion of the House
regarding the evils that Mr. BLACKETT de-
picted, was farther than the House could be
expected to go. The debate, however, has
been of considerable service in showing the
extent to which abuses in India are carried,
and the boldness with which men like Sir JAMES
WEIR HOGG defend them. The use of torture
in judicial investigations was admitted ; the
employment of it to enforce payment of rent
was denied; but the balance of testimony
seemed to us to incline the other way. Other
facts, moreover, were established of such a
nature as to compel Sir CHARLES WOOD to
promise an inquiry. In short, he was content
to seek safety in one of those compromises
for which the present Cabinet has become
famous.
As regards the chief points at issue between
the supporters of the motion in the House
and Sir CHARLES WOOD, there can be no doubt
whatever that the former were right and the
latter wrong. Not only is the position of the
ryot in Madras disgraceful, but the only true
remedy lies in the enfranchisement of the
land. We do not mean the surrender without
equivalent of the land tax, as it is called, or
the rent of the land, which it really is ; for, of
course, no Government can be carried on
without revenues, and the chief revenue of the
Government of India is derived from land.
But it would be very easy, and very safe, and
very politic, to allow this rent to be commuted,
and thus enable the renter to convert his
tenant-at-will holding into a freehold if he
chose, by the payment into the treasury of the
number of years' purchase of the rental.
What the Company lost in annual revenue by
this plan it would save in annual interest on
, its debt, and the amount of the present ex-
penses of collection would be all clear gain.
Capital would then find its way to land, and
India's resources would be rapidly developed ;
employment would arise which would make
agricultural labour remunerative ; and, above
all, a race of landowners would spring up on
every side, the strongest supporters of our
rule,—their interests being entirely bound up
with that of the nation from whom they had
,purehased their estates.

SATURDAY,

Sir JAMES HOOO, to be sure, tells us that the
natives are unfitted, by their ignorance and
barbarism, to be landlords—a statement which,
if true, would be most damuatory to the Com-
pany's
,rule; for the native codes for the de-
velopment of agriculture, which every one
acquainte4 with ' Mahomedan and Hindoo
literature must have read—their magnificent
monuments; which every one who has ever
been in India must have seen—their stu•
p'endous works for irrigation, which under our
Government have nearly all been allowed to fall
to ruin—show that if the natives of India are
now so sunk the Indian Government is charge-
able with their degradation. But the fact is, we -
need not alarm ourselves with having anything
so frightful to answer for. When it suits the
purpose of the India house the natives are
described as models of intelligence ;—they only
cease to be so when they show spirit to com-
plain of the intolerable grievances to which
they are subjected, and claim the privilege of
interesting themselves in the administration
of an empire which their fathers ruled.

CANADIAN AFFAIRS.
CANADA is again in one of its periodical ex
citements, which appear to become chronic.
The contrast between the frigidity of its
climate and the fervid temperature of its
politics is very remarkable. One would not
have anticipated to find the epidemic and
sudden fury of the populations of Southern
Europe in a cold region, not densely popu-
lated, where the occupiers are attached te
industrial pursuits. But, owing to a variety
of causes,—race, religion, proximity to the
States, and the recollection of old quarrels,—
the Canadian public is one of the most pecu-
liarly inflammable in the globe.
The causes of the present discontents are,
less political than personal. The Hincks
Ministry had combined against it every
variety of opinion. Its chief, Mr. HINCHB, is a
man of considerable abilities, without conci-
liatory manners. He is one of those public
characters who are apt to sow the seeds of
rivalry, even while performing public services.
Enterprising in his designs, and energetic in
their execution, he possesses many qualities
for a colonial Minister. But his self esteem
is either too active, or not sufficiently con-
cealed, for one with the difficult post of ruling
amidst the wrangling natures of a Canadian
Legislature. With many good qualities, Mr.
Hthexs was deficient in some of those
pleasing, though small, acts which disarm ad-
versaries and attach friends. For want of
possessing them he has fallen under the com-
bined assault of the old Tories, the ultra-
Liberals, and the French Canadians—a com-
bination that a Canadian Walpole could not
withstand.
Hitherto Lord ELGIN'S course has been aim-
paratively easy. But he will now have to
exercise considerable firmness and discrimi-
nation. His abilities will be drawn upon to an
extent not previously required. He will have
to study both " men and measures," for we
may doubt whether a change of Ministers
would satisfy the variously-raised clamours
before which the Hineks Ministry has fallen.

RAILROADS IN INDIA.
Ix would seem that the Government of India
is at last exerting itself in the matter of rail-
roads. A despatch, dated in August of last
year, and addressed by the Court of Directors
to the Governor-General in Council, not only
accepts the conclusions of the latter function-
ary as to the expediency of commencing
operations with vigour, but even' urges the
necessity of prompt action and predicts finan-
cial success. The Directors advise " that a
" general system of railways, connecting the
" various Presidencies, be sanctioned and exe-
" cuted without delay." Coming to details, they
explain that this system includes, (1) the com-
pletion of the line from Calcutta to Delhi, and its
L extension westward to the Punjab ; (2) a branch