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

India to establish local agencies in the interior of the
country, 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
tha Indian Government to grant a secure and permanent
tenure of land, upon definite and equitable terms, to any
proposed purchaser; and the absence of any effective law
for the enforcement of contracts, on the faith of which
large sums are often advanced on the security of a stipu-
lated crop, and for the evasion or violation of which no re-
dress can be obtained under the existing law. That it is
superflou.s to adluce 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 confirmation by the Home Govern-
ment. That, by a minute of Lord Canning, in accordance
-with a plan previously approved by Lord Stanley, as Secre-
tary of State for India, the Government of India did, in
1861, adopt and 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-

anent, would afford a great iniutement to bona fide pur-

chasers of land to settle in the country, and would sufft-

ciently 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 ailowed to depart with the distinct

. .
understanding that it had the approbation of the Govern-
ment of this country, and that it did in fact remain in
force—and contracts for the sale of land were made in

accordance therewith daring 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suspended and practically rescinded by the Secretary for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 beard 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-
tisement, &c.) will prove entirely ineffectual and illusory.
That your memorialists altogether disapprove of the condi-
tions in clause 98, which provides that the purchaser of
lands "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 last two years several proposals have been made
and discussed by the Council in India for the amendment of
the law of contracts 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
proposed measures have been stifled or disallowed by the
express disapprobation of the Home Government ; and that
no measure for that purpose is now, so far as your memo-
rialists are informed, under the consideration of the Govern-
ment. That your memorialists cannot omit to point to the
discredit thrown upon the Indian Government, not only by
the eases shove-mentioned, but by the re,rersel of their re-
peated decisions, after mature deliberation, on the claims of
the 'My so re princes ; by the refusal to sanction the expendi •
Lure on public works, as well as the increased educational
grant as proposed in the Indian 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
or controlling the details of administration in India by a
board or council sitting in this country, acting frequently
on imperfect information, and probably influenced by old
habits and prejudices 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 subjact 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. ASHWORTH, having stated that the depu-
tation had 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 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 not
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 expected to give any opinion, as he should like
to
hear what could be said on the other side. As to
the governmentt the
of India, the deputation appeared
to wish h
eofficials in that country should be
left entirely to themselves, and that the home Go-
vernment should
way. Ho
mightay
snot interfere with them in any
that if such was the opinion
of the chamber, it had
never at any time been
shared, so far as ho
was
aware, by parliament or
the country generally,
Mr. BAZLEY said he
begged to disabuse his lord-
ship's mind of the erroneous impression he had
formed as to the wishes or :us
ouggestions of the depu-
tation on this point, their nly
d besire being that thee
management of details should
confided to the
officials resident in Innis, the exercise of the govern-
ing
power in all matters of state
policy being
still
retained in England.
Lord PALMERSTON said he admitted thata
the old •resiiine The management of petty details con-
under
riveted with the aclminiAration of r ff.s had
been Si tended with he greatest possible inconve'
once and dis dvantantage ; but, of course, that ay:::
in a great degree from the fact of the East India
Company being a commercial body, and conducting
their business on mercantile piinciplcs. These
een
sourcessources of complaint had, however, b
iurthermuc c
nished, and he had no doubt that h hange
in the same direction would be attended with ad-
vantage. He confessed that it appeared strange to
him, that although in Manchester they were calling
out for supplies of cotton from India, the spinners
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,