The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 4, 1853.

LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS.

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

ment. But ho hoped the Court of Directors were not

Shr.l

RAILWAYS. 1

Leasing
Compans.

jlosing Price
this day.

Business
this day.

A special general Court of the East India Company,
was held, by adjournment, at their house in Leadenhall-
street, yesterday, for the purpose of considering a mo-
tion submitted to the Court on Friday last—viz, " That
this Court concur in the views and opinions expressed
the Court of Directors in their minute of the 29th of
July, regarding the Bill for the Future Government of
India ;" Mr. R. Ellice in the chair.
The CHAIRDIAN said, before he requested the minute
to be read, or called upon Mr. Mackenzie, who was in
possession of the Court, to proceed, he wished to state
that, in answer to a question put to him by Mr. Sulli-
van at the last Court, whether the minute referred to in
the motion was carried unanimously, instead of saying
that it was so, he ought to have stated that it was
carried nemine contradicente.
Mr. HOLT MACKENZIE said, when he last addressed
the Court he expressed almost sufficiently the general
opinions he held with respect to the bill that had just
passed the House of Commons, and certainly his objec-
tions to the bill remained as strong as ever. He
could, however, scarcely expect, in the face of the
decision which had already been come to by the Court,
that any attention would be given to his opinion, op-
posed as it was to that which the Court entertained.
He could not adopt the language used by an hon.
baronet at the last general meeting, and say that
the bill continued the government of India in
the hands of the East India Company. It, hi the
first place took away from the Government of the
East India Company that position which it had held as
an independent body, unconnected either by personal
obligation or by party ties with the Administration of
the day ; and it further took from the Court of Proprie-
tors the power of election of all the directors. It reduced
the number of directors from 24 to 18, and then proposed
that one-third of that reduced number should be ap-
pointed by the Crown. That being the case, he could
not accept the language of the resolution proposed by
the chairman. Besides, he had the strongest objections
to the mode in which the Legislature proposed to con-
stitute their body—namely, that a body consisting of 30
gentlemen should exclude 15 of their number. He con-
tended that it belonged to the proprietors, and not to
the Court of Directors, to choose who should remain in
direction. No doubt many of the present directors
would voluntarily retire. It was true it was not easy
for a man to persuade himself that he was past work.
He remembered only one example—Sir William Grant,
when Master of the Rolls, who, at the age of 70, retired,
amid the general lamentation of the bar and the public.
He believed many of the present directors would follow
that honourable example. Another question was the
intrusion of nominees into the Court. To that he
very strongly objected, because he thought it would
be fatal to the independence of the whole body, and
would give rise to a great deal of unpleasant feeling in
the discussion of matters whenever the Court was called
upon to resist the course of the Minister of the Crown,
because those gentlemen nominated by the Crown could
not act with the same independence as those who were
elected by the proprietors. They were to be nominated
for short periods, but to be eligible for re-election. How
could they expect gentlemen so appointed to act as a
barrier to the encroachments of the Crown ? If there
were to be nominees, it was quite indispensable that they
should be appointed for a fixed period, and should not
be open to re-election. Upon these two points, there-
fore, he was quite at issue with the Court of Directors.
He felt strongly the importance of a numerous Court of
Directors, and he was astonished to see the reasons
assigned by Sir C. Wood for limiting the number to 18.
This was done by the mere motion of the Government,
without any inquiry or any reference to the test of ex-
perience. There was no recommendation of any com-
mittee of either house to sanction it. It was a notion
adopted by the Minister of the day without that delibe-
rate consideration and discussion which so important
a measure ought to have received. Sir C. Wood
in his last letter expressed his surprise that any
person should recommend so large a number as 24,
considering the Court of Directors in the only light in
which it could now be viewed, that of an executive
council of government. Now he (Mr. Mackenzie) did
not know what was the meaning of "executive council."
If it meant the Board of Control he would admit that 24
was an extravagant number, but if Sir C. Wood meant
a council, or a senate appointed to advise on the affitirs
of a vast empire, the question took quite another shape.
He should say 24 in the latter case was not only not too
large, but was in fact too small. Since he left India they
had acquired two great kingdoms, and were likely soon
to acquire another. When he looked at the duties of
their different departments, which had been well summed
up by Colonel Sykes in his late speech, he could see
work for six separate committees, and for more than 24
directors, and he should rejoice to see their number ex-
tended, that both in and out of Parliament they might
form a barrier to protect the President of the Board
against popular folly, or the power of self-will,
or the subserviency of political friends, and, to be
able to do it, it was important the Court should
possess the weight which numbers gave. When
speaking of the magnitude of the business to be trans-
acted by the Court of Directors, they should consider
how vastly India had been increased since the last char-
ter, both in extent of territory and in number of popu-
lation, as well as in the amount of business arising from
new elements having been introduced. They were just
commencing a system of railways, projecting large
public works, beginning the great task of educating the
people, and of establishing a new judicial system. In
Lahore, in Berar, at Benares, and even in Bombay Pro-
per, there were different races, different languages, and
different religions which required attention and manage-
ment to save those countries from being thrown into
a state of disturbance. Sir Charles Wood referred to
what he called experience derived from similar cases,
but he (Mr. Mackenzie) knew of no such similar
case in existence. There was no instance of any
other empire consisting of a series of great kingdoms.
Our British colonies were in an entirely different posi-
tion. Referring again to the constitution of the Court
of Directors, the hon. gentleman contended that it ought
to consist of a considerable number of men entirely inde-
pendent ; but he did not think it necessary or desirable
that they should be all working men. There ought to
be some men of leisure, but of sufficient knowledge, so as
to be able to give advice as to what ought to be done by
the working men. The chief defect of the Indian Go-
vernment arose from its members being perpetually at
work, so, that, in fact, there was no time for deliberation
as to any particular acts, still less for those large and
general views by which alone a system could be safely
and advantageously worked. The great increase in the
public press of India demanded the strict attention of
the Court of Directors. They saw already what had
been the effect of the press. (A Proprietor—" The salt
duty.") It would require to be watched ; but not merely
with a view to its suppression ; it must be looked to for
instruction as well as warning. In what he had said he
had confined himself to the questioni of the home Go-
vernment, which ought to be settled before they entered
upon the discussion of the Indian. Government. With re-
gard to the appointment of an Executive Council, that
ought to be introduced with great care. He could wish
that the wisdom of the House of Lords would refrain
from legislating on that point at present, and confine
themselves to that which was most urgent—the home
Government—leaving all that related to India to a
future measure, when the Government and Parlia-
ment could have advice from the Court of Directors or
from some other court, if it were possible to find such a
body equally worthy of confidence. With regard to the
resolutions he had formerly submitted to the Court, lie
begged to say it was not his intention to propose them
for adoption. But he thought i would be premature for
the Court to declare any opinion upon e bill in its
present stage, especially an opinpoLti in favour of it, when
their wish and hope was that the bill would obtain very
considerable modification in the House of Lords. He
should not be able to take any further part in
some these direso-
s-
cussions ; he therefore had thrown together
lutions, which he proposed to, substitute for those which
he read on a former occasion.. The hon. gentleman then
read the following resolutions
" That the consideration of the question now submitted
to this Court by the Court of Directors be postponed until
the bill shall have finally passed through both Houses of
Parliament. That the Court of Directors be requested im-
mediately- to prepare and present to the House of Lords a
petition submitting to their Lordships the views of this
Court on the following points :
" 1. The arbitrary reduction of the number of directors.
" 2. The objectionable mode of effecting that reduction.
" 3. The intrusion into the direction of persons not chosen
by this Court, to the extent of on of the whole
body.
" 4. The denial to the Secret Committee of any right
to advise the Ministers of the Crown on matters belonging
to the secret department, and the omission of any efficient
check to the power of the President of the Board of Con-
trol in that department.
" That this Court is clearly of opinion that the number
of directors elected by the proprietors or other popular
constituency should not be less than the present number
of 24.
" That, if it be thought advisable to discontinue the
present system, under which six directors retire annually
and to appoint the directors for a term of years, with the
privilege of immediate re-election, the choice of their 21
directors ought to remain with the proprietors.
" That this Court cannot admit that it is open to the
charge of being wanting in a due appreciation of public
servants connected with the East, but, aware of the diffi-
culties of a canvass of so large and scattered a consti-
tuency, and, in deference to the opinion of the House of
Commons, they have no desire to object to the addition of
new means to facilitate the admission of retired public
servants into the direction of Indian affairs, by the addi-
tion of six persons not chosen by the general body of pro-
prietors, provided that such persons be chosen by some
agency independent of the Minister of the Crown.
" That the selection of directors by the Minister of the
Crown is rendered peculiarly open to objection by the
shortness of the term for which some aro to be appointed,
and by their being rendered re-eligible after the expiration
of that term.
" That all Parliamentary provision relative to the Go-
vernment abroad be postponed until the whole subject of
legislation for India shall have been maturely considered
with the aid of the home Government, fully organised in
such manner as Parliament shall see fit to determine."
Those were the resolutions lie would now submit to the
Court. He had left them very general, because he be-
lieved the details had better to be left to the Court of
Directors.
Sir T. COLEBROOKE seconded the resolutions, and he
did so in order to express his strong opinion as to the
objectionable character of the bill. He should prefer,
rather than attempt to legislate in the spirit of that mea-
sure,
that the Court should altogetherecline the task
imposed upon them by undertaking the government of
India. They might retain the government of India in
form, but most certainly they would not do so in sub-
stance. The moment it was passed the government
of India would gradually escape from their hands, and
fall into those of the Crown. Although entertaining
this strong opinion of the measure, he thought it would
be premature to come moo any' definitive decision
upon it while the measure was en din before Parlia-