The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-02 00:00:00

is leaving the question to the impulse of some such
terrible enforcement. If the torpor of our autho-
thorities can be exchanged for activity, it can
only be speedily effected, we fear, by some fright-
ful and. decimating devastation. Gradually, as
we have said, the good work is even now being
accomplished by the orders in Council decided
upon by Viscount PALMERSTON. But only gra-
dually. To have the alteration accomplished
speedily, we must look with a sort of horrid fasci-
nation upon the on-coming of some inevitable
plague or pestilence.

The Indian difficulty is, after all, not so very
formidable as to lead to a well-founded supposition
that it may prove insuperable. The whole ques-
tion resolves itself into one of patronage—nothing
but patronage The simple point to be decided
is, whether the disposal of the various situations
of honour and emblument connected with our
Oriental Empire is still to be vested in the
Leadenhall-street potentates, to be by them dis-
tributed among their own friends and relatives, or
in redemption of canvassing promises, among the
friends and relatives of the proprietors of East
India Stock who by their strenuous support had
insured the election, and consequently the posses-
_ _

sion of patronage by the several Directors. The
appointments are, with few exceptions, made
without any reference to the fitness of the parties
or the advantage of the country. The remunera-
tion is of the most liberal character—in many in-
stances far beyond the value of the services rendered.
But it is maintained at the high rate, simply

because the Directors are more interested in the

well-being of the highly-salaried officials than of

the myriads of human beings whose comfort and
happiness are confided to their charge. Every
complaint of the native inhabitants is disregarded,
because the accused party is known to possess a
friend and protector in the Court of Directors, to
whose influence or nomination he owes his posi-
tion.

This is the more conspicuous in the Civil
Service, from which the most lucrative and, also,

be most onerous and responsible situations are

filled up. The value of awritership, the nonii-

nation of which is worth, at least, 10,000/. ster-
ling, averaging more than 2,0001. per annum
while in employment, with a retiring pension of
1,0001., is so well known, that none but the
nearest relatives of the Director whose turn
it is to appoint can reasonably anticipate so
great a boon. From these favoured class
are selected the residents at the different Courts,
the collectors, local judges, and assistant-col-
lectors. Whether the party be efficient or other-

wise, he must be empioyeel; and that which is
really the most important branch of all—the ad-
ministration of justice—is that for which the most
incompetent and least-qualified men are selected.
The revenue of a district cannot be placed in
jeopardy by the continuance in office of an ineffi-
cient collector; but in place of getting rid of such
a man, or finding some situation the duties of
which he is capable of discharging, he is pitch-
forked on to the Judicial Bench, and the lives,
liberties, and fortunes of the wretched inhabitants
are placed at his disposal.
It is at all times bad, enough to entrust

such almost unlimited power even to the
best-qualified person, . when exempted from
the check afforded by a practising Bar and
full publicity. What, then, must it be when
placed in the hands of men ignorant of the com-
monest principles of law, and without experience
or mature judgment to guide or direct them ? It
is said that " a tree may be known by its fruits ;"
and certainly, if the statements contained in the
petitions of the Native Associations of Madras and
Bombay, to which we have already repeatedly di-
rected the public attention, be at all warranted by
the facts, nothing can possibly be worse than the
existing system. When we find'vexatious delays,
and heavy expenses, exceeding those of our own
unreformed Court of Chancery in its worst phases,
amounting, in fact, to a total denial of justice,
coupled with a total ignorance and disregard of
the law by the. presiding Judge, who delivers his
decrees according to his mere will- and plea-
sure—when we find a Judge ( ! ) sentencing
a plaintiff to pay to a defendant more than five
thousand pounds as a fine for not establishing
his claim to the satisfaction of the Judicial Dog-
berry, although ou the same evidence be ob-
tained a favourable decision from a superior tri-
bunal, and ascertain that men have been actually
sentenced to death (1) for acts which the Court of
Appeal only considered sufficient to have them
held to bail for 50 rupees or W. (! I 1), we cannot
wonder at the unenviable general character of the
Company's judicial service, or the common appel-
Ution bestowed on it in the country, as a " re-
fuge for the destitute," " all persons who are too
incompetent for the revenue department being
transformed into judges and dispensers of the
criminal and civil law of the Mofussil."*
Anything would be better than this. Aye,
better that the situations should be put up and
sold by public auction to the highest bidders.
But it is to perpetuate this abomination that at-
tempts are about to be made, and as it is suppssed
under the auspices of the Ministerial leaders in
both Houses of Parliament. And why ? On the
stale pretext that it would be unsafe to entrust
the Government for the time being with the dis-
posal of so much patronage, amounting to more
than a quarter of a million sterling per annum
(being nearly £ll,OOO worth a year to
each Director). Surely, ample precautions
might easily be adopted to guard against undue
influences, and to find, if not the best, at least
fully qualified men, for all vacant situations. Our
legal appointments in this country, or in the
Colonies, are not conferred upon incompetent per-
sons. If there be real danger in allowing the
Minister of the day to fill up the judicial appoint-
ments, why might not the power be given to the
Judges of the Superior Courts of Law and Equity
of the three kingdoms in fair proportions ?
Then, indeed, we might be certain that the prizes
would be gained by deserving persons. Why, in
like manner, might not the collectors and assist-
ant-collectors be chosen from those who had prac-
tical experience in the revenue departments in the
United Kingdom ? A fair proportion should also
be given to the natives—all should not be dis-
posed of among comparative strangers. It is
needless to expatiate on the advantages of obtain-
ing tried and experienced men in place of raw
boys for such situations. Better judges may be
selected from Westminster Hall, the Four Courts,
or the Courts of Session in Edinburgh, than from
Haileybury ; better tax collectors from those
engaged in the collection of the Inland or Cus-
toms revenue ; and there can be no question
that the Horse Guards, or the Ordnance, or the
Admiralty, could dispose of the commmissions in
the Indian army and navy, as well as for her
MAJESTY'S service, military or naval. Away, then,
with the absurdity. Whatever may be the ulti-
mate decision on the various points, the Courts
of Directors and Proprietors of India stock must
be wholly and completely abolished ; or, at least,
their only duty must be limited to receiving the
high dividends for which they have bargained
until the year 1874.

* See Petition from Members of the Madras Native As-
sociation, p, 25, section 68.

THE MINISTRY.—The Britannia, of this day, in a third
edition, states that Sir W. Molesworth, Mr. Cardwell,
and Mr. Lowe, retire from the Ministry.
RETURN OF THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL TO THE GENERAL
POST-OFFICE.—This morning (Saturday) the whole of
the bags (made up since the Melbourne mail) which were
dispatched from the General Post-office, in St. Martin's-
le-grand, for the purpose of conveyace to their destina-
tion, rid Plymouth, were returned to the establishment
in London, by special command of the Postmaster-
General. The reason of this course being taken by his
lordship was, that it was discovered, when a considerable
mail was collected at Plymouth, that it would be some
time before a vessel would be in readiness to convey the
mail from that port. Consequently, with great and
praiseworthy promptitude, the Right Hon. Tiscount
sent a dispatch to the Plymouth postmaster, authorising
the immediate return of the bags to London. There are
about twelve portmanteaus full of correspondence, and
being placed in the great hall of the building in St.
Martin's-le-grand, guarded by a police constable, they
attracted much attention, probably in consequence of
the recent disaster which has befallen Australian letters
and newspapers. The reporter was informed by the
authorities, that as no packet would be dispatched from
Plymouth on the third proximo, the Postmaster-General
has treated with the proprietors of the screw steam-ship
Osmanli, by which, rid Liverpool, the returned bags
will be forwarded on the fth of April.