The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-15 00:00:00

351

South-eastern Europe, a subject of the strong-
est religious and philosophical interest at the
present time.

Life linft Correspondence if Henry St. George
Tucker, late Ackmuntant-General of India, and
Chairman of the East India Company. By
John William Kaye, Author of " History
of the Witt. in Afghanistan." London :

Bentley.
Ma. KAYE is not entirely free from the prevail-
ing fault of biographers. He makes too much
of his subject. Any one who should read this
book, having no other knowledge of Indian
history than that which it afforded, would
imagine that " Henry St. George Tucker" had
tilled a larger space in Asiatic annals than
Cornwallis, Malcolm, Muuro, or Elphiustone.
Such, certainly, is not the fact. The hero of
Mr. Kaye's unbounded eulogy was a laborious,
prudent, and clearsighted individual, who,
thrown ou his own resources in early years,
got on in the world solely by personal merit,
and retained a sound body and mind up to the
age of fourscore. It is well that the biography
of such a character should be written, since it
may operate as uu encouragement to others
similarly endowed and circumstanced, and be
all the more useful as proving that eminent
success can be obtained by industry and
perseverance, without extraordinary genius.
But we protest against six hundred octavo
pages being devoted to the history of a single
life, where the subject of that history has nut
filled a very large space in the eyes of his
contemporaries. All the real contents of this
work might have been compressed into the
limits of an article in the Calcutta Review ;
and, to say truth, some such condensation is
wanted. Let it not be thought that in these
remarks we disparage the well-earned credit
of the late " Chairman of the East India Com-
pany." He was, doubtless, an able official—a
self-made man—a good financier and adminis-
trator—one who left undischarged no duty
that fell to his share—and who in the midst of
public turmoil and overwhelming business
cherished the relations of domestic life.
England, we trust, has many such. They are
of a class which belongs peculiarly to this
country and age. Still, all honour to them
where they appear. We pay a willing tribute
of praise, where we protest against exaggerated
panegyric.
Mr. Tucker's father held high office in
Bermuda ; and in that remote island the tion's
early years were passed. The youth was
destined for law ; a profession which the
vigorous animal spirits of his boyhood made
peculiarly distasteful. Sent to England for
education, he readily grasped at the offer of a
female relative to ship him as a midshipman
for India. The resolution was taken without
his family's consent or knowledge, and was by
them naturally resented. But their regrets
came too late ; the sailor was already on his
way. The voyage was rough, tedious, and
disagreeable ; a useful though unwelcome
seasoning for one who had to make his way in
the world. Arrived at Calcutta, and lodged in
the house of an uncle there resident, he aban-
doned with little regret the profession on
which he had entered inconsiderately. But
his novitiate of hardship proved useful. He
found himself, in 1756, at the age of fifteen,
without money, almost without friends, a
simple adventurer holding no recognised posi-
tion, and separated from his family by a
distance of half the globe. During fifteen
years he remained comparatively poor, and,
except at rare intervals, in debt. His income
did not exceed 00 rupees monthly (721. per
annum), a sum on which few Europeans
could maintain existence in such a climate
and society as that of Calcutta. His lodging,
a miserable hovel, was infested with rats,
which disturbed his sleep at nights, and left
him neither peace nor comfort. On the other
annoyances of his position ill-health super-
vened. A fever laid his strength prostrate,
and compelled him to remove to a more
healthy station inland. Six years after his
landing in India, at the age of twenty-two, be
was already grey-haired, and his sight seemed
in danger of failing. Nothing in him promised

the long life, The noel success, the pecuniary
Opulence, which in the end became his lot.
Of his early years of trial we have few re-
cords. It is a pity, for these years form the
most interesting part of every man's life. We
know that he studied diligently the native lan-
guages, and that at the tie of eighteen he
wrote a financial paper (being then a clerk in
the " uncovenanted service ") which was ap-
proved and adopted by his superiors. But
it was in 1790 that his prospect of advance
ment first became bright. Under the patron-
age of Sir W. Jones he received employment
and pay. An office in the Indian Board of
Trade was soon afterwards conferred upon
him. From the two appointments his income
rose to 700/. ; and he even procured for one of
his brothers a commission in the army. His
prosperity, however, was not without vicissi-
tudes. Impatient of small profits, he joined
a house of business, and, though still under
age, engaged in speculation. The house failed
—he was again thrown back—a heavy load of
debt fell upon him—ten years elapsed before
it was finally cleared off—and in the interim
anxiety and privation had well-nigh cost him
his life. This seems to have been the turning-
point of his career; for in the next year he
gained admission to the covenanted civil ser-
vice, and Lord Wellesley's quick eye discerning
his talent gave room and scope for its exercise.
His path, if not easy, was now plain before
him. In 1801 he became Accountant-General,
with the charge of Indian finances generally,
and the salary of an English Secretary of
State. It is singular that two years after this
great advancement we find him seeking to
retire from office, and enter a mercantile house.
This, indeed, for a time he did ; but in 1805
returned to the career which he probably felt
he had done unwisely in quitting. Serving
under Barlow at a critical period, he shared
in much undeserved obloquy, the natural re-
ward of a reforming financier. Health failed
him shortly afterwards, and in 1810, after
twenty-five years of Indian servitude, he took
the decisive step of returning to England. An
agreeable chapter of domestic life follows.
There is scarcely a situation more enviable
than that of the successful Indian official who,
still comparatively young, revisits the country
of his birth. All to him seems so new, yet so
familiar. He has old ties to reunite, new ones
to form. Rest has been earned by previous
labour, and experience has matured judgment
without impairing the power to enjoy. These
pleasures Mr. Tucker enjoyed to the utmost.
He rejoined all that was left of his family
after so long an interval : he married, and per
haps thought of abandoning public life. But
such resolutions seldom last long. In 1812
the new-married couple were on their way
again to Calcutta, which they did not finally
quit until 1815. A nine years' interval of in-
action ensued, partly filled up by the disa-
greeable incidents of a canvass for the direc-
torship.
In 1824, though not without a close contest,
the object of his ambition was gained. He
became a director, and in time succeeded to
the chair. Henceforth he took an active
though unobtrusive part in Indian politics,
and recorded many useless but judicious pro-
tests against the policy of Sir John Hobhouse.
He opposed the Afghan war; he opposed the
Scinde war; he dissented from the resump-
tion of rent-free tenures ; and pleaded the
cause of native princes, not rightly appre-
ciating the " manifest destiny " which absolves
England from keeping treaties contracted in
Asia. Twice chairman of the Company, he
died in harness. His last official minute was
written in May, 'sl, and within three weeks its
author had ceased to live, being then in his
eighty-first year. To a life so laborious and
useful—for his official services extended over
sixty years—it is impossible to deny our ap
plause. In the second rank of our Indian
statesmen—for men like Clive, Hasting,s, and
Wellesley stand apart—few names stand higher
than his. He loved literature, read much,
studied hard, and even wrote verses and tra-
gedies, which are judiciously suppressed.
Liberal of his hard-earned fortune, attached to
his many friends, and kind to all, his private
merits enhanced his public reputation. In a
word, he left behind an example of deserved