The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

the same envelope, that brought the paper of the 14th of
April, from which he quoted, brought the number of the
same paper of the 21st ; and there, under an article simi-
larly headed-the consumption of salt—the editor wrote,
" It has been pointed out to us that our returns of last
week on the consumption of salt contain a mistake so
serious as to vitiate all the conclusions we draw from them.
(Hear, and laughter.) Yet such were the foundations on
which' the hon. member for Manchester founded his speech.
The next point raised by the hon. gentleman he would not
dwell upon, as they would have a discussion embracing the
revenue raised from opium—the manner in which it was
raised—the cultivation of the poppy—and the morality of
the opium trade. They had already had a report on that
subject, and they gathered from that document the fact
that a very large revenue was drawn from the cultivation
and export of opium, and their belief that the same amount
could not be drawn from a less objectionable source. It
was reported that the cultivation was about to be legalised
in China ; and should that report turn out to be true, it
must affect the finances of India considerably. This ought
to be considered before they talked of transferring India
wholly over to the Crown, because when that was done
they would have to take upon themselves all the debts, the
guarantees, and other liabilities for which the India Com-
pany are now liable. He apprehended that, should that
event take place, and the revenue from the export of opium
cease, there would be but little chance of proceeding very
rapidly with public works and improvements. He did not
know if the hon. member for Manchester saw the papers
laid on the table at the period of the Chinese war. If he
had he would have found the question of political economy
touched upon—amongst others by Commissioner Lin; who
pointed out the impropriety of the Chinese importing opium
while so many districts of China were suited to its cultiva-
tion. Much had been said with respect to public works, and
he would, therefore, state briefly the result of what had been
done. There was the great public trunk road from Cal-
cutta to Peshawur, 1,423 miles in length, and costing
1,0001. a mile. There was a trunk road to Agra, and there
was the road from Madras to Bombay, which cost half a
million. In all there were 3,159 miles, the estimated cost
of which was 2,166,0001., and the estimated repairs 90,0001.
A great deal of all this had already been made, and the rest
was in progress. Of canals there was the East and West
Jumna, 580 miles, and the Ganges, 810 miles, which had
cost upwards of a million and a half, of which 780,0001.
had already been expended. There was likewise another
canal 480 miles long, which cost half a million. In Madras
there were works of irrigation on the only rivers to which
they could be applied, the Godavero, the Govery, and the
Keishna. In 1850 the works on the two former rivers were
nearly completed, and for those upon the third the expen-
diture of 150,0001. had been sanctioned. Now, when these
works were mentioned by his right hon. friend the Presi-
dent of the Board of Control, the hon. member for Man-
chester expressed no satisfaction, nor would he give the
company the least credit for what they had done. He
went back to his favourite date of 1792, and stated that
some of these works had been recommended by a report
issued in that year.
An HON. MEMBER (in a stentorian voice)—Hear, hear.
(Loud laughter.)
Sir J. W. HOGG dared say that the hon. gentleman
who had just been aroused' from his slumbers—(great
laughter)—would join the hon. member for Manchester in
holding the Government of 1853 responsible for the omis-
sions of 1792. [The hon. member—hear, hear.] (Great
laughter.) Certainly, the hon. member could not be ac-
cused of want of candour. (Laughter.) It would not
much strengthen his (Sir J. W. Hogg's) statement to refer
to what had been done in the times of the Mahomedan
dynasties ; for he did not think there was much weight in
" tu-quoque" arguments. But if he were to tell the house
the details of Mahomedan rule, he should perfectly appal
every hon. gentleman that heard him with the recital of
the miseries which had been endured by the people of
India. The Mahomedan rulers certainly had occasionally
indulged in public works, but they were only such as
would gratify their own vanity or minister to their own
luxury. If they made a road, it was only because there was
about to be some royal progress, or because it would lead to
some royal hunting ground ; when that progress had
ceased, and that hunt was over, then those works fell into
decay. (Cheers.) There were temples, and tombs, and
mausoleums and palaces constructed enough, but there were
no works of public utility. (Hear, hear.) If the house
asked him for his 'authority, he would refer them to the
book of Sir Henry Elliott, wherein it was shown that these
Mahomedan works of which they had heard so much wore
perfectly fabulous. (Hear.) The next question to which
he (Sir J. W. Hogg) would advert was one upon which the
hon. member for Leominster had most dwelt, namely, the
administration of justice in India, and the employment of
natives in that capacity. Now the fact was that the na-
tives of India aecided 99 per cent. of all the original civil
suits, and reckoning even appeals, 96 per cent. (Cheers.)
And yet it was said that the Court of Directors had not
honestly carried out the act of 1834. (Hear, hear.) Then
again, with respect to the revenues, there were deputy-col-
lectors, and deputy-magistrates extensively employed at
high salaries • whereas, previous to 1834, there were scarcely
any natives holding situations of that kind. (Hear, hear.)
The fact was the act of 1834 had been carried out cautiously
and therefore successfully, because if they had prematurely
forced natives into situations for which they were unfitted,
all the benevolent intentions of the Legislature would have
been entirely frustrated. (Hoar, hear.) . Then, what was
it to which the hon. gentleman referred ? The hon. gen-
tleman meant the covenanted service. (Hear, hear.)
Every situation in India was open to natives, and as far
as they were fit for any office they had been and would
be advanced to it. (Oh, oh.) But the covenanted ser-
vants consisted of those young men who had been edu-
cated at Haileybury and sent out to India; and because no
natives hail gone through that n:ocess, and had been intro-
duced into the covenanted senZce, that was made a ground
of complaint. But perhaps the house would see that there
might be grave considerations connected with this subject.
If they introduced natives into the civil covenanted service,
then the question would come, why should they not be in-
troduced also into the covenanted military service ?
And then the question would arise how far natives should
be intrusted with the command of our armies in India!
(Loud cheers.) He (Sir J. W. Hogg) thought the house
and the country would consider that this was a question
which was best left in the hands of the Government.
(Hear.) The first statesmen that this country produced
were sent out to India, and it was far better when such
questions arose that they should be left to the Governor-
General, who is as as anxious to do justice to India as any
gentleman that sat in that house. (Cheers.) Hon gen-
tlemen had spoken much of British misrule, but they had
passed by the great social reforms which had been effected
under our sway. Thuggism abolished, dacoitship, suttee,
infanticide, slavery—all abolished. He wished he had time
to refer to the labours of men far away from their homes, and
in unhealty climates, to establish civilisation on the ruins of
barbarism and superstitiOn. The bon. member for Leomin-
ster shook his head, and, therefore, he (Sir J. W. Hogg)
would state some of the names and places ; and he hoped
that, after then, the hon. member would rise after he (Sir
J. W. Hogg) had sat down, and would admit that his im-
pression had been erroneous. The first case to which he
would refer was Meerwalla, and the papers of Colonel
Dickson. That was an unhealthy, mountainous jungle,
inhabited by fierce and bloodthirsty people, whom the
native rulers in their day had attempted to hunt down like
wild beasts, but without success. They were a race whose
hands were against every man, and every man's hand
against them ; and yet they had been brought into a state
of civilisation by the exertions of Colonel Dickson. (Hear,
hear.) A similar result had been brought about in a dis-
trict in Khandeish, inhabited by the Bhils. A third in-
stance was the district of Goodzoor inhabited by the
Khools, who had been discovered by accident by Lieut.-
Colonel Macpherson—a tribe that indulged in human
sacrifices and worshipped their divinities with blood. The
labours of Lieut. Macpherson and Col. Campbell we're
crowned with success ; these gallant officers were able to
reside among those tribes, and they induced them to give
up their human sacrifices. (Hear, hear.) These were
men who perhaps were never heard of in this country ;
while men who distinguished themselves in storming the
fort, in the foremost of the battle, were heard of ; their
deeds reached this land. But here were men labouring in
deadly jungles in the cause of humanity—(cheers)--with
no reward but the consciousness that they were diff6harg-
jug their duty to their God and to their country. (Cheers.)
He would now ask the attention of the house to the state
of education in India. Much had been done ; but he
freely admitted that much remained to be done. He did
not venture to say that all had been done that could or
ought to be done. No man or body of men united for
any purpose would assert that. Since 1833, a vast deal
had been done in the cause of education in India. There
were in Bengal—English and mixed schools, 37 natives,
104 ; in the northwestern provinces, 7 English and
mixed schools ; in Madras, 1 English and mixed ; in
Bombay, 14 English and mixed, and 233 native
schools. The number of scholars was 26,000, and the sum
annually expended 66,000/. He admitted that a great deal
more ought to be expended, and no doubt would be in time.
But let the house consider how slow physical and moral
improvement had been in this country, where there were
no obstacles comparatively ; he might instance the im-
provement in gaols and the administration of justice.
What was the sum of money expended-on education a few
years ago, even in this unhappy country ? In 1833 it was
10,0001. ; last year it was 266,0001. In like manner the in-
crease in India had been gradual, where there were different
races, creeds, and languages. Here we had difficulties,
where we spoke the same language, and worshipped the
same God ; how immeasurably greater were the difficulties
of India ? (Hear, hear.) But they had been partially sur-
mounted ; he trusted that ultimately they would be entirely
so. He had no vague fears as to the consequences. He
did not entertain the apprehensions which had been
somewhere expressed. (Hear, hear.) Whatever might be
the result of education, it was our great mission to educate
and improve the people, irrespective of • results, and he
agreed with Mr. Bright that it would be the most glorious
monument to our memory if ever we lost that country, that
we had advanced the people in education and knowledge,
and had rendered them fit for self-government. (Cheers.)
The best evidence he could give to the house anti the coun-
try of what the Court of Directors had done to carry out
the act of 1834, was to read the instructions which they
sent out to the local government when that act passed.
They called attention to clause 87 of the act, and directed
that every possible facility should be given to the natives
for fitting them to aspire to office. These instructions
were honest and distinct, and they were honestly carried
into execution by the Government of India. The last
subject to which he would allude was the ecclesiastical
establishments, and he would mention generally their
increase. In 1834 there were 64 churches ; in 1852 there
were 115. In 1834 the Church Establishment cost
81,954/. ; the Scotch Kirk, 6,253/. ; the Roman Catholics,
1,6091. (hear, hear)—total, 89,9061. In 1852, the Church
Establishment had increased to 107,7001. ; the Scotch Kirk
to 6,500/. ; and the Roman Catholics to 5,400/. In 1830
there were 116 missionary stations ;in 1850, 403. The ad-
vance in the Roman Catholic churches was the most
marked. In every station, where there was a European re-
giment, there was a payment to a Roman Catholic priest.
The bishop was not paid as a bishop ; but he received 250
rupees a month for attending to the registry of baptisms
and marriages, and so on, amongst the Roman Catholics.
Within the last few hours he had seen a book publi'Ahed. in
India called the Missionan/ Intelligencer, which steued that,
looking at the country politically, there was a remarkable
opening for ministers of the gospel ; there was nothing to
deter any prudent faithful man from travel' ing about in
all parts, or settling in any place, and preaching the
gospel. It stated that the government of the country
had done much to establish this state of things ; the go-
verning board were well known for their high principles,
and their spirit and example pervaded all the officers
of the government, who seemed to have been selected
for their talents, habits of business, and uprightness of
principle. The rapidity of improvement in the country was
really most wonderful ; a few years had done the work
of ages in the Pmajaub ; and the people were released from
all petty oppression. Men of talent and rank were all in-
tent upon their work, and all alive and progressing onward,
sparing no labour of either body or mind. They seemed to
have their eyes open to everything going on in the old
country, making roads, building bridges, and planting trees.
(Hear, hear.) This extract coming from such authority
was valuable as to the state of moral religious feeling in
the country, bearing incidental testimony-to the energy and
capacity of the servants of the company, more particularly