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

TEE SUN,

aericultural improvement. In the north-west of Indie,
where Mr Bien's settlement was established in 1842,
the system had worked so well and bad proved so bene-
ficial to the country, that the Bombay Government
were now ititroduciles it into their own presidency.—
' (Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Youghal bad also
laid great stre.is unon the abject poverty and distress
of the natives of India under British rule; but he
(Mr. llardioge) must say, from what he had observed
in that country, that brejotgegoourgehtotdt.he Hog,hltalaembbeere'ns
and had travelled in Cashmere
Indi
and other countries under- native rule, and, in his opi-
nion the natives of those countries exhibited a strong
contrast as compared with the natives of those who en-
joyed British rule. Much misconception had arisen,
and many statements had been made, as regarded our
system of taxation in India, particularly with reference
to the salt tax—or, as the Hon. Member had termed it,
the salt monopoly. But the salt tax was nor, a monopoly
in the sense iu which the Hon, Member had presented it
to the House. for within a period of five years the Go-
vernment had reduced the tax 15 per cent., and this mea-
sure had led to an annual increase in the consuwptiou to
the extent of 18,000 tone; whilst the price of raft had
been so much reduced to the consumer by the large
portations, not only from Cheshire, but from Bombay,
tundras, and the Ceylon coast, as fully to answer the ex-
pectations of the promoters or the reduction of the duty.
—(heas.) It had been suggested elsewhere that en ad-
dition of royal troops should be made to the present
forces in India. That was a subject which would re-
quire the most grave and mature consideration ; but of
one thing he was certain, that as long as they paid re-
peel to the religious feelings and prejudices of the eepoy,
and to his ideas of caste, they may rely upon his filelity,
and upon the zeal and services of the native army. He
hoped the House would not sanction any radical changes
iu the management of Indian affairs, unless such changes
were imperatively called for.
Mr. HUME was glad that he had given way to the
Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, on account of
the practical knowledge he had shown on the subject.
With respect to the proposed inquiry, he wished to ex-
press his satisfaction at it. At the same time he must
urge on the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who had pro-
posed the amendment to withdraw it, as it was utterly
impracticable. The 100 millions of whice the popula-
tion of India was composed consisted of tribes and races
of such diversity that, if' they sent out a Commission to
India, they should send a Commission to every distinct
tribe, and where could they find persons to conduct such
a multitarious inquiry. They should have recourse to
the servants of the East India Company, than whom no
persons were more capable of performing the duties de-
volved upon them; the beat proof of which was, that no
emergency had over occurred without men being found
who were capable of meeting it. They would be much
better able to get at truth by an inquiry conducted at
home, where they could have the services of some of the
ablest men connected with India. With respect to the
exemptions to which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
had referred, as having been made by Government, he re-
collected more absurd regulations being made in this
country than had ever been made with respect to the im-
portation of salt in India. The real thing to be con-
sidered was the principle upon which the inquiry was
to be conducted. He was pleased to find the Govern-
ment had not determined on making any change which
would have the effect of removing the Court of Direc-
tors from the wenagement of Indian affairs. No policy
could be more fatal than such a removal of the superin-
tendence of the Court of Directors. With respect to the
alleged poverty of India it was only comparative. ['here
was poverty in England and Ireland as well us in India;
but the ryots on the Company's lands were more com-
fortable than those in any of the native principalities. A
comparison between ledist and England was not a just one.
Let them rather make a comparison between our colonies
in different part, of the world and India as a c deny, and
they would find that India was far superior iu the com-
fort and satisfaction of her people than any other colony.
Ile trusted that the Government would see fit to enlarge
the powers and authority of the Court of Directors. In
matters of peace and war they were utterly power-
less. They knew nothing of the Affghan war until it
was at an end. It was heguu and ended by the
President of the Board of Control, without their con-
sent or knowledge. He hoped, too, that the commer-
cial policy which had been carried out in this
country would be extended to India, where it was cal-
culated to develop the resources of the country. If there
was any complaint to be made against the Court of Di-
Factors, it was that they had not paid sufficient attention
to the subject of public works, particularly roads and
railata)s; and great improvement, toe, might be made
by putting taxation on a better footing. He would
strongly advise the Han. and Learned Gentleman to
withdraw his amendment.
Sir J. W. HOGG had no wish to prolong the discus-
sion, which he concurred in thinking would be much
better postponed until the `Committee had made their
inquiry, and the House was in possession of the result.
Speaking for himself and the great Company which he
had then the honour to represent, be could only say their
sole and anxious desire was that the must full and ample
information should be laid before the House and the
country, and as regarded the result of any inquiry which
might no made, they bad only one wish in common with
every man in that House, and that was that the result
of the deliberations in that House might be such as to
tend to the weltare of India and the advancement and
prosperity of its countless inhabitants. He did not feel
disposed to follow the Han. and Learned Gentleman
into all the subjects to which he had referred; but he
mu-,t say he had listened with absolute amazement (in
which he was sure every gentleman conversant with
Indtan affairs must have shared) to the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman as he referred to every imaginable topic and
subjects and he (Sir J. Hogg) should not have noticed,
his remarks at all if it were not for his concluding ob-
servations. Nu Member of that House was justified in
making atatemeuts and charges without having full and
ample information upon the subject on which ho ad-
dressed the House. What, then, were they to think of
the statements of the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman with respect to the case of Colonel
Outram, denouncing as he did almost all the
authorities in India and at home, accusing them
indirectly of the basest acts, and imputing to them the
basest motives? The Hon. and Learned Gentleman had
been a short time since told from the Treasury bench
that the papers respecting Colonel Outram's ease had
not yet reached this country, and yet the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman made those accusations and charges
without informing the House on what authority ho based
them. Ha had alluded to a circular sent out by the
Bombay Government. What was the fact? There
were rumours prevalent that there were cer-
tain indirect influences supposed to be at work
in Bombay at the presidency which could produce
certain results. It designing natives could only
induce a general belief of that kind, they would
be able to extort money from the native princes
and courts, under the impression that money could be
applied at the Presidency to useful purposes, thereby
intimating that it might find its way into the
hands of members of the Government. Such a report
was calculated to have a most injurious effect; but whe-
ther or not, the Banabay Government had sent out a cir-
cular to its agents desiring them to probe the rumour
to the bottom, and expose the authors of the rumour.
Amongst the men who lent a ready and willing ear to
that object was Colonel Outram. There were few men
who had rendered butter service to India than Colonel
Outram. He entered into the inquiry with his whole
heart and soul, and with reference to the case of the
wretched widow to whom the Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman had alluded, Colonel Outram probed to the bot-
tom the infamous conduct to which she had been sub-
jected, and thoroughly exposed it, and Colonel Outram's
conduct in the matter had been fully approved of by the
Government. With regard to the subsequent proceed-
ings, they had not yet got the papers. The Government
had directed an inquiry to be made at Baroda, and it
was made there in open court, and from the notes taken
on that occasion the information must have been derived
which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had partially
doled out to the House. If the Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman were now present he should have asked him
whether he was there as the adiocate of Colonel
Outram, and whether he had derived his informa-
tion from the Gill tot Officer. What he apprehended
was the Hon. and Learned G?ntlemsn'a taking up a
naked statement so injurious to the Government and to
individuals, when the facts and the whole case wore not
before the House. As to the manner in which the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman spoke of the Court of Directors,
the question was too momentous—the interests involved
were of too great weight, too solemn to permit of his
indulging
le in recrimination; but the result of the inquiry
would show whether the Conrt of Directors had pro-
rsl
iydt
o,d)riysbaelinh,.ndatrhagoaet fard India,otheir h
stewardship. The papers laid on
the tab
would show that the population of the British
ter1)17697:h e
Rightfrwtoimet hberienf provinces
egrennoese to the square mile,
urgpoluvseronferdevebryluenantoivme
aanidiatthoefpy:raizw,lizheon. Gentleman (Ur. Hurries) had read
productive powers
was a surplus of revenue,
rre 0;1 down to the Affghan war. The
land revenue w„
provinces the cultivator ra
, not with reference to the
crop, but to the
of the land. In many
the proprietor. A minute
allotteedrtatoinewdtii
been almost converted into
sandefft
rights of all interested were ascertained,
the cultivating
taiookpdraor:
effected—the
the
net rents 20 per cent. w
pro-
p or tenant, la
-- s
per cent.
the or middle-man, and 62 per cent. to
to the
Government.ottedTi to
Govern-
ment ; and in those cases where
no middle-man 30 per cent. was
the tenant, and 70 per cent. to the
m‘iihat
system was begun in the southern division of the
istrietn.
war were
rattas, and was being extended to the northern cl" • -
All matters of peace and
Directors, but
the Court of to the Secret
her Majesty's Government,. who forwarded their
patches, not to
Committee, consisting of the chairman, deputy chair-
man, and senior member, and
The whole esponsibi-
mit them immediately to lndia.
r
it was their duty to trans-
Majesty's Govern-
ment, and not with the Court 0
lay rested in that respect with
in matters judi-
general administration of the country,
hf
erDirectors. But the
Directors.
Mal, financial, and fiscal, was vested by law in the East
India Company, and was conducted by the
All the papers and dispatches from India, as well as for
they bad the
India, came before the Court of Directors;
inception of the latter, which ware framed by the execu-
tive of the court, who then submitted them to the com-
mittee, which had the charge of that department, for the
court was divided into committees; and thus the dis-
patches had to undergo this first ordeal. If they wero
approved of, well and good; if not, then the chairs were
summoned, and the question was settled by them. The
dispatch was afterwards laid on the table for a week,
and subsequently discussed by the board. After this it
WaS sent to the Board of Control, where it was
adopted or rejected. But, nevertheless, the law pro-
vided in this case for what the courtesy of the various
presidents of that board had rendered unnecessary,
it gave a right of remonstrance to the Board of
Dirtat9rs is east the lOW oI "tre4 mule 111 Y sItall"