The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-20 00:00:00

Sir It. H. INOLIS laid the last speaker had contrihatee
some very valuable facts end arguments in support of the
original motion. No subject of greater importance thou
this to the domestic interests of England, and at an imps.
rid could be brought before the house ; and r.
et
so true was still the remark of Mr. Burke abut our apathy
respecting Indian affairs, that at one time there had b,„:6
scarcely forty members prevent. Considering that a popu-
Wiese of 120,000,000 were placed in a manner at the dis-
posal of the legislature, he hoped the committee to be
pointed would be duly senedele of the vast responsibility
resting upon them ; for he hesitated not to say that the
empire of India had been entrusted to this country by Pre.
videace for wise purposes, and was not the tenth of mere
military or political skill. lie would support the meta,
of the right hon. gentleman. (Hear, beer.)
Lord J. RUSSELL said that there was an general a eon-
currence on the part of the house in the motion of the right
hon. gentleman, that he slid not mean to offer more then a
few remarks upon it. Ile rose, indeed, principally to state
what appeared to him to be the object for which the com-
mittee was to be appointed. He wished to mate his impel-
shin on this point more particularly, because, from some
expressions which had fallen from the right hon. me -
man, it might be supposed that the committee was to .1. eide
on the future government of India. lie did not thine
that was the meaning of the right hon. gentleman, or the
meaning of the house, in resenting to the proposition,
The meaning be thought must he that her Majesty's Reverie
meet were to retain in their own hands the power of divid-
ing on the proposals they would submit to tli • lamse at,,,
the committee had reported, and the house would neer. et
its hands the power of deciding on such proposals when ,ul-
mitted to them. Whilst he considered the appointment of
such a committee would be useful, he thought it would le
useful rather in the way of collecting information and
making suggestions for the guidance of the gevernwent,
than in deciding on the vast subject of the future lee. M.
meet of India. lie said the. the more 61,U, ,11
his own mind—and what he could gather from
the right bass. gentleman, it was his impression elm,
he had no doubt as to the general nature of the future g;
vertu:neat of India. Ito was eatisfied by the esperiesec
winch they hat had from 1833 to the present time with the
operation of the act of parliament now about to expire.
He would not speak of the manner in which their poser in
India had been acquired. His hon. friend (Sir It. luelio
said that divine providence had made them the rulers of
the vast empire and the vast population submitted to their
controul. Be that se it might, they now found thr melee
invested with the vast responsibility of providing a porern-
ment for that great empire and that vast population. (Bear.)
Their great care should be to provide the best possible
vernment for the millions who were subject to their sway.
In the first place they should endeavour to guard and se,
them from those wars and ravages which were formerly a
source of so much misery to the people of India. (Wm.,
hear.) In the next place, with the knowledge they ',s-
eemed of the true principles of justice, they should give the
people of India an able and an impartial administration of
justice. (Hear.) In the next place they should giee the fa
men who would be able to conduct the political administre-
don of India with ability and benefit to the ileop'e.
la the next place, they ought to enable them to penile
Ifor that which was, perhaps, the moat essential of ell—
namely, the education and improvement of the people of
India by inculcating those principles of justice, and these
rules of
_political morality, which ought to govern a ea-
tion. (Rear, bear.) He believed that in all thee. re-pests,
if they had not fully and completely niece, del, they
had in a great degree, under the act which was now ands[
consideration, performed their duty to the reap!, of India.
(Hear, hear.) Under our sway there were not those wan
between small states and princes which, though they
might end to the advantage of one of the parties, brought
degradation and affliction on the people. Under our
sway the ai:ministration of justice was tourer and more im-
partial than was ever known before in that country.
(Hear, hear.) Under our sway, men of great experience
and ability had been sent from this country to govern India,
and even the subordinate situations had keen filled by such
men as my bon. friend alluded to—Sir T. Mimeos: and Mr.
Elphinstone. (Hear, bear.) Under our away, there wen
lately introduced those improved methods of instruction,
and that practical employment of the arts of government,
from which the people of India were at the present time
deriving great advantage. (Hear, hear) Bat the advan-
tages which they at present derived were small in compari-
son with what ho hoped they would hereafter derive.
(Hear, hear.) If they had dune all this, and dune it with-
out interfering with the religiousfeelings of the people,
whilst they had taken care to provide the mettle of spiri-
tual instruction for the Europeans who lived in ludia, he
thought they had done much—whatever might be the
origin of their power—to justify themselves in maintain-
ing their rule over that country. (Heat, hear.) When he
compared their rule to the rule that prevailed in the East,
to the rule that existed in Turkey, or to that which existed
in Persia, it was impossible to deny that India was free
from the abuses, the corruptions of government, the wan
and rebellions in these eastern countries, and that the
people were so far better off. (Hear, hear.) With re-
gard, therefore, to the act of 1833, although improvements
might be suggested in its detail, and in some of its provi-
sions, yet he believed that that act ought, in its main fea-
tures and great outlines, to be maintained. (Hear, hear )
Then, with regard to the constitution of the East India
Company, although a form of government which had been
originated by converting a great company into the admi-
nistrators of a country with 160,000,000 of inhabitants,
might in theory be liable to great objection, yet he must
say that in point of fact, and with the experience they had
had of its working, it was a government which had been
useful to the people of India. (Hear, hear.) His hon.
friend the mambo.. for Montrose' speaking with that weight
which properly belonged to what fell from him, said that
whilst he approved of the mode of governing tho affairs of
India, he thought some alteration should be made with re.
sleet to the power of declaring peace and war. With re-
gard to that be must say, without adverting to any parti-
cular instances, and without saying whether in one parti-
cular instance this power had been wisely exercised or
not, that this ought not to be considered an
Indian question, but ought to be viewed in con-
nexion with our interests in Europe. He thought it
better that this should be done by the advice of the Minister
of the Crown than that it should be left to the discretion of
the company. (Hear, hear.) But whilst he said this he
did not mean to convey that the general administration of
the country should originate with the President of the
Board of Control or a member of the government, but
should emanate from the East India Company ; that, with
regard to measures of finance, legislation, and justice, they
should give their suggestions and frame their instructions;
and that only our approbation or the contrary should form
part of the control over them. He thought this was the
only way of avoiding a clashing and conflict of opinions.
With regard to the patronage of India, that question
involved another problem which was to be solved,
for it affected not merely the government of India,
but likewise the constitution of this country. (Hear, hear.)
He agreed with his hon. friend (Sir It. Inglis) that if the
Minister of the Crown should happen to have the entire
patronage of India at his disposal, it might be attended with
serious danger to the constitution of this country. (Hear,
hear.) In this respect he thought it was most fortunate
that a mode was found out by which, whilst they ruled
Over India and had no lack of able men to conduct its ad-
ministration, they were able to effect this without eudan-
, geeing the working of their constitutional and parliamentary
government. (Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances he
should lament if the right hon. gentleman, by himself or
by the agency of a select committee, was to propose any
I rest in the government of India. (Hear, hear.)
Theytsltht alter some of its details without serious
evil, bat a was convinecd they could not alter as
pelaciple for the better. lie thought that the appointment,
et the Governor-General, who had to exercise such cot
pewees, and to decide upon many questions before Meru-
them weld reach him, he was persuaded, both by cape-
time and the nature of things, that he must be left a large
aleasetica in the exercise of those powers. He was glad to
asburwiwlge that under the present Governor-General
Uwe had been as many successes and triumphs as was ever
known in the government of India. (Hear, hear.) He was
glad that the principle of the present system was to be
I maintained in its main features. (Hear, hear.)
I Mr. GOULBURN noticed an omission in the speech of
Mr. Herries of one branch of the inquiry—namelv, the
rash of the system introduced in 1833, for the religious
instruct:km of the people of India ; whether the measure
reunion of Christianity. India, he considered, had bra
baelpaleal:adandtahtot favourable rat b
had l e r
beene s ttlt whicham.made
i hadsu umhztaal
given to us upon the solemn condition of taking all WHO
that prudence would sanction to extend over that continent
the knowledge of truths which we believed essential to our
own happiness.
an officer to examine and report on matters of finance.
Mr. MANGLES concurred with Mr. Uoulburn in his
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY suggested the appointment of
wish to extend to our Indian fellow-subjects the blessings
of Christianity, but believed, if it were attempted as port
of our system of government, the object in view would ho
retarded. antic"
Col. THOMPSON postponed his motion wi "th regard to gold
auTdh m 1
the
cam:m.oT ?meat wasen negatived without a division.
toth
until the 27th inst.
PASSENGERS ACT AMENDMENT BILL
The house then went into committee on this bill.
On Clause 1,
bill was founded on there port of a select committee
sat last year on the working of the passenger act o
It applied principally to the passage of the Irish emigra:n,
Mr. S. HERBERT said the house was aware thawti2l
from Great Britain and Ireland to the United States; .se
in order that the bill, when it became law, should be fall[
carried into operation, it was necessary that
they
ol t
of uthde
have an action in the same direction on the par
United States u well as of our own government.
er
existing passengrr net of the United States wasiOatad,
_ll9
more stringent m its enactments than the English
.0.11!!
therefore, when the particular clause in the Americus
act
was Rare stringent than our own, no inconvenic ‘T"..
dame inn bin
dled out, we had a guars.
shoed
by tia won it was provided that provision+
be wed eat twice a week for the passengers to cook inc`e
Wm% which of course was impossible as the OkeT,
the accommodows;
beams when the vessel arrived, and thetAmense:
wma too sick to be able to cook, and
NM pi to cook it. They eat it in an uncooked s,t
at
Mad dysentery and other disorders. We coal
woo small that if they were personally
yivcr
geed see that provision was put on board in a coek
but we had no security whatever unless we c0u1d,,.,f:
United States to co-operate with us, that dft' tat t'i7n
Liverpool and before arriving in America the ITO
sws did
would not be infringed. What ho should yrolxoc
regulation complete; and he thought there was
to. 111.°1;",,
In them to do it, as they ware intent sk
able. t
la arriving healthy, and capable at once 01 ars
the United States should so alter their law as to ern
hateeywceicha