The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-13 00:00:00

lONIAN ISLANDS.

Mr. ROEBUCK moved an address for copies of memo-
rials presented by Sir George Marcoras and Sir Typaldo
:hydras on Sept. 16,1862, to hii Excellency Major-General
Sir Henry Storks, her Majesty's Lord High Commissioner
in the lonian Islands.

Mr. F 3RTESCUE entered at length into an explana•
tion of the rejection of the memorial of the judges referred
to, and justified the course adopted ; and said he had no
objection to the production of the papers.
General PEEL, from official knowledge of Sir Henry
Storks, bore testimony to his high character. He was the
la•t man, he said, who would be guilty of an unconstitu •
tional or a harsh action.
Lord STANLEY thought the question should not be
looked at as one personally affecting Sir H. Storks. Upon
the face of the case, it appeared to be a wrong inflicted upon
these two gentlemen, and Mr. Fortescue had made no
answer to this case other than by showing, what was not
denied, that the act was legal by the Constitution. All that
Mr. Roebuck said was that these two gentlemen, in being
dismissed without cause, had been placed in a posi.ion most
unfair to them.

Mr. EVANS likewise considered the answer of Mr. For-
tescue to be unsatisfactory, and that these two gentlemen
hod cause of complaint. _ _

Mr, COCHRANE agreed with Lord Stanley that these
gentlemen had been placed in a most unfair position.

. -
Mr. HENLEY observed that the question in this case
was not of power, but of discretion and of practice, and he
could not gather from Mr. Fortescue why these gentlemen
should not have been reappointed axotding to the almost
uniform practice.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reminded
the house of the peculiar position of the lonian Islands to-
wards this country, and the difficulties attending their
Government. He described from his own personal obser-
vation the political condition of the islands and the state of
parties there, the party of " Friends of the Protection"
looking to the retention of office in their hands. It was not
for him to say in what degree these two gentlemen were
connected with parties ; but the Senate of the lonian
Islands, at once a legislative and an executive body,in order
to convince the lonian people of their intention to establish
honestly a free government, thought it their duty not to re-
appoint these two gentlemen. All that Sir H. Storks could
do was to put a veto on the act. The lonian authorities
were not amenable to that house, which was not called upon
to pronounce an opinion upon the merits of the act ; he
thought it a wise and just act.

After a few words from Mr. CONINOHAM and a reply by
Mr. Roebuck, the motion was agreed to.
WASTE LANDS IN INDIA.
Mr. H. SEYMOUR moved a resolution, "That the oc-
cupation of waste lands in India by settlers, and the re-
demption of a portion of the land tax of India, are desirable
objects, especially with a view to the present state of the
cotton industry of this country; and that it is expedient
that her Majesty's Government take further steps to carry
them out." He argued that the land tax of India was a
heavy charge upon the soil; that such a joint ownership
between the State and proprietor checked the accumulation
of capital, restricted its flow, and interfered with improve-
ment ; that if the land tax were done away the large expen-
diture upon public works, which was attended with evils,
would be unnecessary, and that a larger amount would be
expended by the owners of the soil. He fortified his argu-
ment by the testimony of Indian officers, who were of opi-
nion that the measure would, moreover, have a tendency to
ameliorate the condition of the agricultural classes, and be
attended by indirect moral advantages to the native popula-
tion. He referred to the despatch of Lord Stanley in 1858,
recommending the measure ; to the general concurrence it
had met with in India, and to the proclamation of Lord
Canning to the same effect. He then subjected to a severe
criticism the despatch of Sir C. Wood of July, 1862, can-
celling, he said, that of Lord Stanley—a despatch which he
thought must have been written by an old East Indian
director. He condemned the rules which Sir C. Wood had
substituted for those prescribed by Lord Canning for the
sale of waste lands, especially the auction system and the
imperfection of the tenure; and inferred, from a case which
he cited, that Sir Charles Wood had infused an illiberal
spirit into the employes of the Irdian Government. He
adverted to the vast quantities of waste land, of the most
fertile character, in various parts of India, particularly in
the Terai, a tract at the foot of the Himalayas, where
are the remains of the cultivation of former periods ;
and he insisted, therefore, that there was enough of this
land for any number of European settlers, whom the rules
of Sir C. Wood were, he said, calculated to deter. In a
great cotton-growing empire like India the supply of cotton,
which had increased in other countries, had rather decreased,
the Government having denied to this culture the encou-
ragement given in one of our colonies. His object in this
motion was, he said, n,,t to prefer an indictment against Sir
C. Wood; but he could not shut his eyes to a state of things
in India which was not satisfactory.
Mr. SMOLLETT viewed the policy of Sir C. Wood in a
different light from that in which it had been placed by Mr.
Seymour. He thought the alterations of Lord Canning's
proclamation made by Sir Charles were founded in a just
and liberal spirit, not departing from, but confirming, the
principle of the proclamation. The outcry raised against
the amended rules for the sale of waste lands came, he said,
from a set of land jobbers ; they had given the utmost satis-
faction to the natives of India. On the subject of the sale of
waste lands he thought the proposed measure was a faulty
one ;;that in the plains, as regarded the settlement of Euro-
peans, it would be inoperative; and with regard to the re-
demption of the land tax he believed it was utterly impos-
sible, in the present state of India, to be carried out.
Mr. BUXTON defended the amended rules for the sale
of waste lands, and gave credit to Sir C. Wood for having
ratified the scheme, though he dissented from his views as
to the redemption of the land tax.

Mr. VANSITTART made some remarks upon the state
of the law of contract in India, approving the modifications
of the rules for the sale of waste lands.

Lord STANLEY expressed his regret that the two sub-
jects embraced in the resolution—namely, the redemption
of the land tax and the sale of waste lands, were not sepa-
rately presented for discussion. With regard to the for-
mer he had been, and still remained, of opinion that a
very considerabla number would not avail themselves
of the opportunity to redeem the tax, yet that it was most
important to offer encouragement to that step. He com-
pared his own plan and that of Sir C. Wood for dealing
with the land-tax, and stated his reasons for still preferring
his own. As to the other subject, the sale of waste lands,
he believed the quantity of these lands was practically un-
limited, and the question was how best to open them to
Europeans or natives, and whether it was best done by Lord
Canning or Sir C, Wood. He did not blame the latter for
expressing hie opinion of the rules promulgated by Lord
Canning ; but he thought Sir C. Wood was wrong in de-
laying his revision of them. If a change was to be made,
the very earliest notice ought to have been given. He then
explained wherein he agreed with, and in what respect he
differed from the modifications:made by Sir C. Wood in the
rules laid down by Lord Canning, and his reasons for so
doing.

Colonel SYKES said, though without certain boundaries
there was much vacant land in India, within them the
quantity was much more limited than was supposed.
Mr. J. B. SMITH suggested some modifications of the
rules derived from the practice of the American Government.

I% r. AYRTON denied that the ownership of the land in
India was in the Government; on the contrary, he asserted
that the native occupiers of the land were the owners of the
fee simple of the land they occupied. He was satisfied with
the despatch which Sir C. Wood had sent out to India.
Sir C. WOOD began by vindicating himself and the
Indian Government from the charge of neglecting to en-
courage the growth of cotton in India, appealing to docu-
ments before the house, to which Mr. Seymour had ab-
stained from referring, which proved the contrary. With
regard to the sale of waste lands he had approved, ho said,
the whole of Lord Canning's resolutions, with only two es-
thlileL
dealing with waste lands it y
ceptions, and he justified his overruling an act of the
wrong,l n d ian
had
Governmentactedinin xwehiceehss
of eythe adr authority. beengal
was to be remembered, he
and
observed, that there was three descriptions of lands
ca
directed to be
and he defended the regulations hadhe
called waste, to which different incidents attached ;
the description and
entering into very full details respecting
observed in their disposal— surveys and sale by auction,
quality of the lands sold, and the prices obtained for them.
Large quantities of land, he observed, lay waste or uncul-
tivated which the Government had no power to sell, it being
the property of a zemindar or a village community. The
love of the people of India for their land was inconceivable.
If there was anything more than another that would alie-
nate them it would be a feeling that we were trifling with
their rights of property. With respect to the redemption of
land-tax, he agreed with Lord Stanley that up to a certain
point there was a difference between them. He certainly
objected to the sacrifice of a large portion of the land-tax--
a tax which had existed in India from time immemorial, and
was acquiesced in by the whole population. There was, he
observed, at present a mode of virtually redeeming- the tax.
Mr. SEYJIOUR withdrew his motion.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Mr. W. E WART obtained leave to bring in a bill for
decimalising our existing system of weights and measures,
and for establishing an accordance between them and those
of foreign countries.
LEASES AND SETTLED ESTATES ACT AMEND-
MENT BILL.
Mr. COX obtained leave to introduce a bill to amend the
Leases and Sales of Settled Estates Act, 1865.
MALTA NEW DOCK.

Capt. TALBOT moved for a copy of all official correspon-
dence and reports of the late Admiral Commander-in-chief
of the Mediterranean station, and of the late Admiral Su•

perintendent of Malta Dockyard, relating to the proposed
new dock at Malta, and all other official correspondence
bearing on the subject. He said that the cost of these works
would greatly exceed the amount of the estimates, while
the site selected was wholly unsuitable. The Admiralty had
decided upon the plans against the protest of the admiral on
the sta' ion and other authorities on the subject.
Lord C. PAGET said there was a difference of opinion
with regard to the construction of the dock, but the Go-
vernment had already the ground, and were prepared to
commence the works at once. According to the report of a
very eminent engineer who had been out to Malta—Mr.
Scamp—(laughter)—they would be completed for £50,000,
the amount of the estimate, of which the Maltese Govern •
ment would contribute £lO,OOO. They could not commence
the dock in the French creek till they had bought a great
number of buildings which surrounded it. Sir Fred. Grey,
the senior of the Admiralty, and Mr. Whitbread had been
sent out to inquire into the proposed works, and when they
came back they reported in their favour. He objected to pro-
duce those confidential reports, as to do so would be to esta-
blish a very inconvenient precedent, and he hoped the hon.
and gallant member would withdraw the motion.

Col. TALBOT said as they had to vote the money fcr the
works they ought to have the documents,

Lord P LME RSTON said the papers would not supply
all the information as to the state of the case. Sir Fredk.
Grey and Mr. Whitbread had made a verbal report to the
Admiralty at variance with the opinion of the local autho•
rities at Malta, and this report would not be found among
the papers.
After a few words from Mr. WHITESIDE the motion was
agreed to without a division.
HOLYHEAD HARBOUR.

The order of the day having been read for resuming the
adjourned debate on the motion for the appointment of a
select committee to inquire into the state of this harbour,
Colonel DUNNE said, as the information he had received
confirmed the statements he had made respecting the works,
he must press the motion for a committee.
Lord C. PAGET said the Government were now con-
structing a pier at Holyhead which would add greatly to
the safety of passengers and shipping, and as they possessed
all the information in regard to the works which a com-
mittee could possibly obtain, he hoped the hon. and gallant
gentleman would withdraw his motion.
Mr. CONOLLY supported the motion, and expressed a
hope that some pressure would be put on the Government.
Mr. F. PEEL opposed the motion.

After some further discussion the house divided, when
the numbers were :

For the motion ....
Against it ....
Majority... —26
The announcement was received with opposition cheers.

CUSTOMS AND INLAND REVENUE BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.