The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-24 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON ON INDIAN
AFFAIRS.

On Thursday a deputation from the Manchester
Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Mr. H. Ash-
worth, Vat) president, Mr. T. Bazley, M.P., Mr. A.
Cas.els, Mr. John Slagg, and Mr. Hugh Fleming,
the secretary, waited upon Lord Palmerston, at
Cambridge-house, for the purpose of presenting a
memo:jai on Indian affairs.

Mr. H. FLEMING, read the following memorial:—
" To the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount Palmerston, K ,G.,
G.C.8., dec., First Lord of her Majesty's Treasury.
" The Memorial of the Directors of the Manchester
Chamber of Commerce, 'ay their chairman, humbly showeth,
that for many years, past your memorialists have made re-
peated representeetions to the Government of this country
on the subject, of the measures and course of policy which
should be 'Adopted in the government of India, in order to
improve the condition of its people, to develop its enor-
mous "resources, and to extend the commercial intercourse
of the two countries for their mutual advantage. That, for
these purposes, it has long been evident that the direct ap-
plication of European enterprise and capital, not only to the
cultivation of the land, but for the creation of the means of
Conveyance of the produce of that country, and the esta-
blishment of the necessary agency for its collection and
transport, was absolutely essential. That the chief obstacles
to the settlement of Europeans in 'lndia, and to the many
efforts 'chat have been made by mercantile firms resident in.
ludiie to establish local agencies in the interior of the
coelutry, for the purpose of introducing direct commercial
relations with the producers of raw materials of every kind,
have chiefly
arisen from two causes, viz.:---The refusal of
the Indian Governracent to grant a secure and permanent
tenure of land, u'eion definite and equitable terms, to any
proposed ptircbeaeer • and the absence of any effective law
for the enf'ecement of contracts, on the faith of which
large suree are often advanced on the security of a stipu-
lated reeep, and for the evasion or violation of which no
i re-
dres:d can be obtained under the existing law. That tis
sieperflous to adduce any arguments or instances in sup-
port of this assertion, as the facts are notorious and uni-
versally admitted. That remedial measures have been pro-
posed against both of these defects by able and experienced
officers of the Indian Government, and have been adopted
and recommended by the Governor-General in Council, and
even in one case acted upon for a considerable time, but
have failed to receive confireeation by the Home Govern-
ment. That, by a minute of Lord Canning, in aecordance
'with a plan previous/1 approved by Lord Stanley, as Secre-
tary of State for India, the Government of India did, in
1861, adopt areri promulgate a detailed scheme for the dis-
posal of the, waste or unoccupied lands in India, upon such
terms as Would secure an adequate return to the Govern-
ment, Would afford a great iniucement to bona fide pur-
s-eers of land to settle in the country, and would suffi-
tleently protect the interests of any native occupants or
claimants of rights over such lands as might be sold under
that authority. That the said minute was received with
general satisfaction, and that your memorialists had an
opportunity, in an interview with the Secretary of State
for India, of expressing their entire and warm approba-
tion of the measure, then, as they supposed, finally
adopted, and were allowed to depart with the distinct
understanding 'vat it had the approbation of the Govern-
ment of this country, and that it did in fact remain in
force---8.74d contracts for the sale of land were made in
accordance therewith during a period of not less than
nine months. That the said minute was, notwithstanding
suspended and practically rescinded by the Secretary for
India, and the said contracts have been, as your memo-
rialists are informed and believe, repudiated by an arbitrary
construction. of the law ; and the prospect thus opened for
the introduction of European energy and capital has been
again closed. That your memorialists have never received
or heard any valid or reasonable explanation for the rejec-
tion of that measure, and they are fully convinced that the
terms and conditions laid down for the disposal of waste
lands by the subsequent despatch of the Secretary of State
for India (which require a preliminary survey at the expense
of the intending purchaser, and a sale by auction after adve-
fiseeient, Sec.) will prove entirely ineffectual and illusory.
That your memorialists altogether disapprove of the condi-
tions Fee clause 98, which provides that the purchaser of
lards "shall be liable to any claim, whether of the Govern-
ment or otherwise, that may have been or may hereafter be
established in any court of competent jurisdiction." That
within the let two years several proposals have been made
and discussed by the Council in India for the amendment of
the law of contrasts and their practical enforcement, with-
cut which it is vain to expect that any local European
agencies can be established to the displacement of the
ruinous system under which the ryot is oppressed and
plundered by the native dealers or middlemen ; but all such
propreeed measures have been stifled or disallowed by the
express disapprobation of the Houle Government ; and that
no measure for that purpose is now, so far as your ammo-
lutists are informed, under the consideration of the Govern-
ment. That your memorialists cannot omit to point to the
diaeredit thrown upon. the Indian Uoverunient, not only be,
the cases above-mentioned, but by the reversal of their re-
peated decisions, after mature deliberation, on the claims of
the Mysore princes ; by the refusal to sanction the expendie
ture on public works, as well as the increased educational
grant as proposed in the ludian budget ; and by the public
and premature, and, as your memorialists are firmly con-
vinced, utterly unmerited reproof of an able and successful
public officer, without affording him time or opportunity for
explanation in his own defence. That the vexatious
interference thus exercised by the Secretary of State
for India in Council is calculated to produce, and
has, in fact given rise to much annoyance and
complaint in India as well as at home, and
weakens the public reliance upon the power of the Indian
Government to carry out its own policy, and even on the
honour and good faith of Great Britain. That on the whole,
therefore, experience has shown the impolicy of conducting
°r Controlling the details of administration in India by a
board or council sitting in this country, acting frequently
en imperfect information, and probably influenced by old
habits and prejadices arising from former experience, in op.•
position to the views and measures of those who, being on
the spot, are more capable of comprehending their whole
bearing, and of legislating with a more exclusive regard to
the advantage of India and its inhabitants: That for these
reasons your memorialists pray your lordship to take into
your early and most serious consideration the defects of the
present system of government for India, and to bring the
whole subject in the ensuing session again before the houses
of parliament, with such recommendations as to your lord-
ship shall seem expedient for the adoption of a bolder and
more liberal policy towards India, and especially for limit-
ing to the broad and general principles of government the
control and interference now injuriously exercised by the
home government over the Governor-General and Council
in India."

Mr. H. ASEWORTH, having stated that the depu
tation bad sought an interview with his lordship in
consequence of the urgent and alarming pressure of
the distress in the cotton manufacturing districts of
Lancashire, owing to what might fairly be called
the " cotton famine," enlarged
l on the various points
contained in the memorial.
Other members of the deputation having spoken
on the same subject,
Lord PALMERSTON said that there could be no
doubt that both the memorial which had been read
to him and the speeches he had heard were neither
more nor less than a bill of indictment against
Sir C. Wood. He must, however, say, not-
withstanding what he had heard, that he had
every confidence in Sir Charles. He would net
enter into any discussion as to the several cases of
alleged grievances which had been quoted to him,
as he was not acquainted with the details; but he
felt assured that Sir C. Wood would be enabled to
give a satisfactory answer to the statements which
had been made. He (Lord Palmerston) could not
be e-4Pected to give any opinion, as he should like
to hear what could be said on the other side. As to
the
government of India, the deputation appeared
left entirelythatto t
the officials in that country should be
vernmepbemselves, and that the home Go-
way. lle nt thee
might u
enot interfere with them in any
of the chamber, it had
that if such was the opinion
had never at any time been
shared, so far as h,
the country generailwas aware, by parliament or
y
Mr. BAZLEY said he begged to disabuse his lord-
ship's mind of the - erroneous
impression he had
formed as to the wishes ors
nulggestions of the depu-
tation on this point, their
eeeire being that the
management of details shouldd b
confided to the
officials resident in India, the exercise ?f the ing govern-
policy being still power in all
retained in Englandmatters of state .
Lord PALMERSTON said he admitted that under
t s e
the old regime the management of petty details
on-
fleeted with the administration of Indian affairsi
been attended with the greatest possible inconveni-
ence and disadvantantage ; but, of course, that arose
in a great degree from the fact of the East
India
Companybeing a commercial body, and conducting
their business on mercantile pribneceipn much hes
eles. These
sources of complaint had, however,
dimi-
nished, end he had no doubt that further
with chan
ad-
in the same direction would he attended
vantage. He confessed 00 it appeorpri strange to
him, that, although in Afanchester they
4; the spinners
were calling
out for supplies of cotton from InL=.ll,
would not use that cotton when it arrived, but
allowed it to be exported to France and other
countries.
Mr. BAZLEY, in reply, showed his lordship that,
owing to the war in America, England had become,
for the time being, the cotton market of the world,