The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-04 00:00:00

BETTING OFFICES,

In reply to Mr. A. PELLATT,
Lord PALMERSTON said, however arrs ious the
Government were to put down betting offices, there were
great difficulties in the way of accomplishing that object,
but nevertheless a measure for the purpose was now
under the consideration of the Home-office.
INCOME TAX BILL.

This bill, as amended, was considered, and cu iered to
be read a third time on Monday.

CUSTOMS ACTS.

The report upon the Customs Acts Bill was brought
up and agreed to.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

Sir CHARLES WOOD then rose, pursuant to notice,
to ask for leave to introduce a bill for the Government of
India. He said—Mr. Speaker, I hope, sir, that, consider-
ing the importance of the subject which it is now, my duty
to bring before the house, they will not think me unrea-
sonable in asking them for more than the usual share of
indulgence which upon so many former occasionu I have
had to crave at their hands. I have had to bring before
them, upon previous occasions, statements with regard to
the navy, statements upon the condition of Ireland, upon
the state of our West Indian colonies, and also upon the
financies of this country ; and I never yet have had—and
no man for the last twenty yers have had—to bring be-
fore this house a question of such paramount importance
as that of the whole estate of our Indian empire. It is
not one part of that great subject, but the whole question
of our Indian empire, and the state of every portion of it,
with which I shall have to deal ; and the decision which I
have to call upon the house to arrive at on this occasion is
one that will affect, for weal or for woe, the destinies of
150,000,000 of our fellow creatures and fellow subject in
India. No wonder, then, if I feel oppressed with the
magnitude of the subject. And I feel, too, that, however
inadequately I must perform the task which I have now
to discharge, however cursory and however imperfect must
be the views which I have to present to the house as to the
state of our Indian empire, it is impossible that I can
avoid trespassing upon its attention for some considerable
time ; and I freely confess that I do feel utterly oppressed
by the magnitude and importance of the subject. Sir, I
have to meet, too, with two kinds of opposition. The
first kind of opposition which I have to encounter, and
which has been indicated by the threatenings of our pre-
vious nights' discussions, is offered by those who demand
that we should delay altogether any legislation upon this
question. Then, also, I may have to confront a second
form of opposition, based upon the substantive merits of
the motion which I have to propose ; and therefore the two
questions with which we have to deal are necessarily dif-
ferent in some respects in their character. And yet, sir,
with regard to one point, I hope the house will be unani-
mous. Upon so large and important a question I cannot
but anticipate that there will be difference, and essential
difference, of opinion ; but of this I feel the fullest confi-
dence, that no party feelings will be allowed on either side
of the house to enter into the discussion of so mighty a
subject. (Hear, hear.) For fair difference of opinion
every man must bo prepared—for fair argument and oppo-
sition every man must be ready ; but when we consider
that the stake is so great, the interests of our Indian em-
pire so vast, I am satisfied that whatever difference exists
will not be suffered by any one of us to degenerate into
party feeling. (Hear.) Well, sir, with that preface, look-
ing to how much I have to say, I hope the house will per-
mit me at once to address myself to the first objection
which I have to consider—the objection of those who call
for delay. Sir, the house is probably aware that the act
which provides for the present Government of India ex-
pires on the 30th of April next. It is, therefore, indis-
pensably necessary to legislate in the course of the present
session. No one, I think, considering the important
business which usually occupies the commencement of
the session of Parliament, would bo willing to incur the
risk of postponing until the beginning of another ses-
sion all attempts at legislation upon a matter of this
nature. The alternative, therefore, is that the measures
should now be proposed providing for the future go-
vernment of India; and in addition to this there is
the course open to us which has been suggested at different
times, 'of passing a general continuing bill, leaving for
future consideration all further legislation upon the whole
subject of India affairs. Now, from what may bo an-
ticipated of the business of the next session, I think to
delay all legislation till next year would bo exceedingly
unwise and unsafe. I remember that the right hon. gen-
tleman the member for Buckinghamshire (Mr. Disraeli)
once objected to the act which is now about to expire,
that it had been passed in the midst of the exciting conflict
which accompanied the passing of the Reform Bill. Let
the house then recollect that her Majesty's present Go-
vernment now stands pledged to introduce a measure on
the subject of parliamentary reform in the next session ;
and further, that what the state of our foreign relations
may be next year, no man can toll, so that we know not ,
if we can possibly. look forward to a period of such entire
peace and tranquillity as we at present enjoy, in which ,
there is so little to disturb the calm and deliberate consi-
deration
of this vast question. It therefore seems to me
that it is not only desirable, but almost imperative upon
us, that we should avail ourselves of so favourable an op- ,
portunity for dealing with the Government of India.
(Hear, hear.) Sir, doubtless, no subject can well be so
important as the Government of her Majesty's Indian
dominions ; but, at the same time, the question which I
shall now have to submit to the house, so far as legislation
goes, is confined within a very small compass. I may have
much to state, and I do not think that I should be acting
fairly towards the house if I did not take occasion to ex-
press the views of her Majesty's Government upon many
points not strictly comprised in this bill. But, so far as
legislation is now called for, the bill which I have to lay
before the house will be limited in its scope and restricted
to one subject, or, at least, restricted to one subject with
very trifling exceptions, and that one subject is, the Go-
vernment of India at home and in India. (Hear, hear.)
With these views I may observe that my right hon. friend
moved for a committee last year, and the first subject
which engaged their attention was the authority and the
agency by which India should be governed at home and in
India. That subject was inquired into at considerable
length by the committee of both houses which sat last ses-
sion. So far was that inquiry gone into--I will not say
terminated, but apparently so—that early in the course of
the present session the committees were re-appointed, to
proceed with the investigation of the second and third
heads of their inquiry. The right hon. gentleman who
preceded me in the office I have the honour to hold stated
that it was his intention to propose to Parliament legisla-
tion upon the subject in the course of the present year. In
the course of last week we have heard four further wit-
nesses upon these questions. The evidence of two of them
is already in the hands of hon. members ; the evidence of
the other two was also presented yesterday ' • and I do not
think that it is at all worth while waiting till that evi
deuce shall be delivered to the house. Of course, before
the bill can possibly pass through this house, every hon.
member will be in possession of as much information as
the committee will have submitted to him, and will be
enabled, as it appears to me, fully to judge of all the mat-
ters connected with the present propositions of the Govern-
ment. Sir, no man deny that if it is possible to legislate
on this subject it would be most inexpedient to delay the
introduction of a measure. It will, I think, 113 generally
admitted that it is most inexpedient that so momentous a
question as " How our Indian Empire shall be governed ?"
should be suspended even for a time. (Hoar, hear.) Sus-
pense in such a matter must be a source of danger, and a
source of evil, and therefore it becomes us to inquire
whether there can be any arguments that can be urged in
favour of delay which are so irrefragable and unanswerable
as to constrain us to incur so serious a risk as every one
admits must be attendant upon further delay. Sir, the rea-
sons urged in favour of delay agpear to me to be entirely un-
tenable. We are told that before legislating even with
regard to the form of Government to be applied to India,
wo ought to wait until the committee have concluded their
investigations into the whole of the heads of their in-
quiry, and until they have terminated their investigation
into the seven other remaining heads, each of which is
certainly of great importance, and many of them branch
out into a diversity of topics, all of which will possibly
require, as the inquiry jaroceeds, very lengthened and pro-
tracted examination. Now, but two of these general heads
embrace subjects which call for speedy legislation; and the
greater part of the remaining subjects must necessarily be
dealt with, and can only be dealt with, either by the ad-
ministration in India or by legislation in India. I am by
no means disposed, and have no wish whatever to close the
inquiry. I think that for the information of the country,
and for the information of the Government of India in
this country, it is desirable that the investigation should
proceed. But there is no use in stopping our legislation in
this country upon those questions which have already been
fully inquired into until the investigation has been con-
cluded into points upon which no legislation can take
place. My hon. friend the member for Richmond (Mr.
Rich) the other day urged the necessity for delay upon the
ground that the committee had not completed its inquiry
into many branches of the subject, and he then proceeded
to convince tho house, I think, that lie stood in need of no
further information whatever on the subject upon which
he spoke. He went at some length into the subject of the
military arrangements of India, stated how few officers
were with their regiments, and called for an amendment
in that respect. Now, it may be, and I believe it is, that
the number of officers with their regiments is frequently
too small. That matter, no doubt, requires looking into,
And may very fitly engage the attention of the Commander-
in-Chief or the Adjutant-General ; but oven my hon.
friend himself will not say that it calls for the legislation
of this house. It may be necessary to send out more officers
to. India and withdraw their leave from those who are
there •, but this is a matter which certainly does not re-
quire the interposition of this house, but the interposition
of the authorities who superintend the military arrange-
naents of India. Well, sir, we have inquired at some
longth into the adminisration of justice in India, and' I
bcf,foee that many members of the committee are already
perfectly satisfied, and would be willing that the inquiry
should be closed into that branch of the question: Au hon.
friend behind me sap! Una the committee is Ohly on. the
threshold of the irquo7 iato the administration of India.