The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-08 00:00:00

3,091,775
Be was aware that the deficiency was somewhat large, but
it chiefly arose from a cause with respect to which the peo-
ple of this country could net find fault, viz , the large
amount expended upon public works. He did not think
that the House of Commons could complain of tbis expen-
diture, for no subject had been me re frequently and perti-
naciously pressed than the necessity for the undertaking
of those works. His right hon. friend (Sir C. Wood) in
bringing this subject before the house last year, had, while
he lamented the deficiency which then appeared, frankly
confessed that he had but little haope of its being made
good. He (Ur. V. Smith) wished! to deal with the com-
mittee as openly as his right hon.. friend, and he would
therefore advert briefly to some of the items seriatim.
The first subject for consideration was the question of
land revenue. Now, it would be impossible to increase
the amount raised from that so arca of revenue by in-
creasing the tax ; that was admitted on all hands ; but
it was hoped that by following the contrary system, viz.,
by lowering the rate, a larger gross return might be ob-
tained. This was not a crude notion of his own. A re-
port had been made by Mr. Caulfield on the subject,
who, after carefully. examining and maturely considering
the facts, stated that by decreasing the rate much land at
present unoccupied would be brought into cultivation, and
the gross revenue from this head increased. By this means
a twofold object would be gained--the relief of the tax-
payers and the increase of revenue.. The next item was the
duty on opium. In this a large decrease was experienced,
but that might be expected, as the consumption of that ar-
ticle was a mere matter of fashion., and as such liable to
great fluctuation. It might be hoped that when the present
troubles in China were at an end the revenue from this
source would rise to its old level. With regard to the next
item, the revenue from salt, under that head a slight in-
crease was exhibited. He might mention to the committee
that an endeavour had been made to place the collection of
this branch of revenue upon a better footing, but some
little difficulty had been found in the matter. In the cus-
toms there had been a small falling-off. Ho was inclined to
think that it would he for the advantage of India if ex-
port duties were abolished, if that could be done with-
out injury to the revenue. Various schemes had been laid
before them, and one of the substitutes proposed was an
addition to the tax on salt—a proposal which of course he
could not agree to. It was difficult to carry out free-trade
principles its regard to this point, in a country in which no
such substitute could be found for them like the income tai
in this country. It would be dangerous, in his opinion, to
try other experiments in India at present. Though there
• had been a falling off in the whole revenue of India, he did
not entertain the least fear with regard to it; as he thought
the revenue would rather go on to increase than diminish
after the public works for developing the resources of the
country were completed.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to knowthe total amount
of the revenue of last year.
Mr. V. SMITH said it was 20,337,2711. Let them look
at the expenditure. The great item in the expenditure
was, of course, the army. He believed no one would pro-
pose to reduce the army at the present moment. It was
something to say that they had an army in India of
320,000, upon whom, if recruiting failed in this country,
they could rely, and that it comprehended a cavalry, the
irregular horse, who might be of great use at the Cape and
in the Crimea. It would not be wise, therefore, to reduce
the Indian army. The expenditure for public works was
not made till it,was needed, and for that expenditure the
House of Commons was responsible. The reduction of the
interest on the debt had not been carried out as his right
hon. friend anticipated. The reduction had been checked
by the loan which it was found necessary to raise in March
last. He did not intend to enter into the defence of that
loan. All the papers connected with it had been pro-
duced, and were before the house. The Court of Direc-
tors had taken steps at the commencement of the year to
meet the difficulties of a deficiency of funds, and had pre-
vented an increase of drafts on India. It would have
been unjustifiable if his right bon, friend had done other-
wise than take advantage of the opportunity to reduce the
interest of the debt. His only doubt was whether he had
sufficiently appreciated the increased demands arising
from public works. Every means had been considered for
the reduction of the expenditure. It was worth consider-
ing whether the cash balance of 8.000,0001. was not too
large a one to be kept in India. The directors and Board
cf Control were not insensible to tho necessity for economy,
and in a despatch sent out on June 27, 1855, a revision of
salaries was recommended. Lord W. Bentinck had suc-
ceeded in reducing the expenditure from 3,155,1341. to
927,1671. in two years, but no such reduction c old now be
made, because the chief part of that reduction had been in
the expenditure for the army. The money expended on
public works was not to be considered as lost, bat as pro-
fitably invested. He came now to what he must call the
brilliant political prospects of India. The most perfect
tranquillity and peace prevailed throughout India at.pre-
sent. The Governor-General had entered into a treaty with
Ava, and a treaty, a very valuable one, had been entered'
into with Cabul. By the latter treaty the western frontier
would be secured. With regard to Persia, the British
Minister had to cope with the• diplomacy of Russia, and
the exaggerated promises which Russia held out to the
Shah ; but at present there were no difficulties with that
power. They had heard much of Russian influence in
every part of the East. By the report of the commissioner
Of that country, it was gratifying to know that iu the
countries bordering on Shiva, so far from the Russian
army being threatening, it had been reduced by the war in
Europe, and was unusually weak and inactive. It was ab-
surd to suppose that the war against Russia in Europe was
continued from any fear of her aggression in the East. The
Indian navy was in a state of so great improvement, that
his right hon. friend might soon bo able to withdraw
British vessels of war from those seas. Besides the roads
and canals that were in progress, the electric telegraph had
been established, and many hundreds of miles of railway
completed. These internal improvements had cost a large
arm, and he believed if more attention had been paid at
first to centralisation of companies and uniformity of ac-
tion some expense would have been saved. But it was
too late for that now. The electric telegraph had been
completed mainly through the exertions of Dr. Shaugh-
nessy, and a proposal had been submitted by another gen-
tleman for the establishment of the electric telegraphbbe-
tween India and this country by way of Egypt. His right
hon. friend had not been able to produce the bill which he
had promised on civil and criminal prooedure, bat ho had
been able to introduce a bill for the establishment of a re-
sident instead of an itinerant judge in the strait settlements.
He must not omit the question of justice and police. and,
above all, the commission as to torture. (Hear, hear.)
This was a painful topic. It was impossible to deny that
there had existed in Madras Presidency a practice of ad-
ministering torture for the purpose of compelling payment
of taxes or extorting confession of crime. (Hear, hear.)
The only consolation was that no European appeared to
have been personally implicated in the infliction of such
tortures. No doubt the European officials were nearly as
culpable for overlooking such a system—(hear, hear)—as if
they had been concerned in it. (Hear.) And the system
was utterly abhorrent to English feeling. (Hear.) The
governor of the presidency had done all in his power to
suppress it when it had been brought to light, and hail
passed an act for the purpose ' • and he (Mr. V. Smith)
assured the house that it should not be allowed to sleep;
but that the system should be entirely abolished. (Hear.)
With regard to the great question of administrative reform,
it had actually been carried out by an act of Parliament in
01f8527; fielnapoprcioinngtmaeculutse.ruegpaornd
htoismcoerimlinginintthe ooffidiesetrhiben(tsi
ler!
V. Smith) had taken great pains in appointing a board of
examiners. Not leas than 113 candidates wore examined,
and it appeared that 32 came from Cambridge, 19 from
Oxford, 14 from Trinity College, Dublin, 15 from the
Acotch universities, several from the Irish colleges, and a