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

a government was that it was a mockery, and evasion of re-
sponsibility, and a delusion practised upon the people. The
measure had been framed in a spirit of most unstatesmanlike
policy by the right hon. gentleman, .and in that policy he
(Mr. Bright) presumed the right hon. gentleman was backed
by the noble lord the member for London. He confessed
he wished some of the younger blood of the Cabinet had had
their way in that matter; for nothing could ever induce him
to believe that that was a bill which had received the appro-
bation of a united Cabinet, composed of 13 sensible men.
He felt deeply anxious that, in legislating for India, they
should legislate in a wise and beneficent spirit, and that they
should hereafter leave traces of better rule in that country
favourable to the English name. In one of the most admirable
speeches he had ever heard the noble lord the member for
Tiverton had-expressed his wish that the inhabitants of this
country should be able to imitate the language of the greatest
people of antiquity—civis Romanu3 sum,. But they ought
to endeavour to rival Rome in the wisdom of her rule, as
well as the grandeur of her empire. The Romans bad been
great conquerors ; but they had always been sagacious and
beneficent rulers ; and although 14 centuries had elapsed
since the overthrow of their dominion, the traces of their
civilisation might still be found iu every country of Europe
(Cheers.) Why should not England follow a similar career in
India ? There never was a people more docile than the people
of that country ; there never had been a race of rulers more
powerful than the English race in India, and surely they
might now well abandon the policy of aggression and invasion
—(hear)—and confine themselves to the territory which they
already possessed, which was ten times the size of France, and
which contained a population nearly five times as great as that
Of the United Kingdom. (Hear, hear.) Surely that was
enough for the most gluttonous lover of glory, of power, and
supremacy. Let them henceforward govern that people as if
they did not keep them as a preserve upon which they might
prey. Let them gradually educate that penile, and then they
would find that distinctions of caste would gradually disappear,
and that the natives of India would look upon them rather as
benefactors than as conquerors and aggressors ; and then they
would find that Christianity would come to be professed in
that country infinitely sooner, because we had set them a high
and a generous example, than it could come to be professed
under any other policy which we could possibly pursue. (The
hon. gentleman resumed his seat amidst enthusiastic cheering).
Mr. J. PHILLIMORE moved the adjournment of the debate.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the second reading of the In-
come Tax Bill stood first upon the 3rders of the house for
Monday next. He proposed to take the adjourned debate
upon the Government plan for the administration of the affairs
of India after the third reading of that bill had been disposed
of. He hoped there would not be a long debate with respcc
to the introduction of the measure

Mr. DISRAELI hoped the noble lord would give ample
ime to consider the measure.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that the sooner the introduction of
the bill was allowed to take place the sooner would hon.
members be able to express their opinions with respect to it.
Mr. DISRAELI said he meant to allude to the considera-
tion of the Government measure after the debate upon its in-
troduction had been disposed of. He should repeat that he
hoped ample time would be given to hon members to examine
its details.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that the houso should have a full

. .
opportunity of considering the bill.
REGISTRATION OE PARISH VESTRIES.
Sir G. PECHELL obtained leave to bring in a bill for the
regulation of parish vestries.
BOROUGH OF BARNSTAPLE.
The issue of a new writ for the borough of Barnstaple was
postponed, upon the motion of Mr. W. 0. STANLEY, until
the 15th of July next.

Tho house then adjourned at half-past twelve o'clock.

THE NEW INDIA BILL.

(From the Times.)

The new India Bill was introduced last night by Sir
Charles Wood, in a speech of extraordinary length,
which so far corresponds with the unspeakable impor-
tance of the subject, and the long period of growing ex-
pectation since the last renewal of the Charter. Sir
Charles takes the easy, inoffensive, and defensible line
of maintaining that things are not so bad as they have
been represented. The common picture of Indian ad-
ministration is harsh and disagreeable ; so the amiable
baronet mellows and tones it down to the softest hues,
besides finishing, rounding, and filling up, wherever a
. .

touch can be applied with advantage. As we follow his
laboured apology for British rifle, we are almost com-
pelled,
eeidn
ismpimteenoefeolyur(shielrvinesg,
tthoe
lbeeeltietvweeetthyatyelanredi;a
thheats
the administration of Justice, the public works, the
tenure of land, the collection of the revenue, and the
progress of social improvement have been such as Eng-
land need not be ashamed of, and only so far short of
theoretical perfection as to leave some opening for mis-
representation. Certainly, Sir Charles is the man to
" make things pleasant " for the great court of public
opinion, though it unfortunately happens that his de-
fence of the Indian Government is generally at the ex-
pense of the natives themselves, who thus become the
single, though important exception, in the picture of
Indian improvement. Such is the flattering introduc-
tion with which Sir Charles paves the way for his mea-
sure. But its relation to that measure, whether it be
meant to disguise its strength, or to palliate its weak-
ness, we really cannot discover. The measure in one
sense is a great one, in another a poor one, and in an-
other no measure at all.
It is proposed to retain the double government. Sir
Charles appears to think it an act of no small courage
that he has ventured to defy public opinion so far, and
apologies are lavished on this part of the plan. But
"discretion is the better part of valour," and Sir Charles,
in proposing to retain both Boards, takes considerable
pains to assimilate the one to the other. Applying the
old Indian recipe to secure a wild elephant by means of
a tame one, Sir Charles proposes to reduce the elected
directors to twelve, and to associate with them six
Government nominees. We are encouraged to hope
that the mixed body thus formed will both contain a
higher amount of Indian talent and experience, and also
act more harmoniously with the Board of Control.
After the preliminary remark, that no change was to be
made in the Government, this sounds like a very great
change ; though, on a little reflection, it is evident that
the Board of Directors may, if it pleases, retain a large
share of its obnoxious identity. What is to hinder the
majority of the body from throwing overboard the
neutrals and dependents, and retaining only the twelve
who are committed to the existing policy of the India-
house ? In that case the twelve old elephants will
soon overpower the six Government cattle, and the
measure will so far prove wholly inoperative. But—
and here comes the provision which renders the measure
no measure at all—the bill is to state no term of
years, but to leave the question of Indian Government
always open. The sword is always to hang over the
Court of Directors, and the Government nominees,
though only six against twelve, are to speak with the
fate of the twelve in their pockets. They have only to
report that they are not listened to or outvoted, and the
Minister forthwith comes down to the house with a pro-
ject for abolishing the court altogether, or reducing it to
a mere nominee council. Thus the spirit of Leaden-
hall-street is to work in chains. A brief respite is
given ; one step between power and annihilation. Now,
is this a measure, or no measure I In a measure we
expect something decisive and durable. Sir Charles
Wood only breaks the fall of the India-house, and com-
pels us involuntarily to look to the abyss towards which
it gravitates. People in general will ask rather impa-
tiently whether it is worth while to spend a month in
constructing and passing such an act for the government
of a hundred and fifty millions—An act avowedly expe-
rimental, temporary, and insufficient. The excuse for
a measure of this sort is want of information, an over-
whelming sense of responsibility, and a confessed in-
ability for a stronger course. But, when such an excuse
is implied, would it not be urged with greater propriety
in favour of suspending legislation altogether for another
year"

The other provisions of the measure are much more
positive, and redeem it from the intermediate and con-
ditional character it otherwise wears. Sir Charles pro-
poses to abolish the nominations to Haileybury and to
the scientific military appointments, and make them
open to examination, leaving the common military ap-
pointments as they are. This is so important a change
as to suggest the question whether it be not a singular
practical comment on the previous picture of justice,
prosperity, and progress drawn by Sir Charles. If
India is so well governed, why change the entire nomi-
nation of rulers ? We may also ask, "If the Board of
Directors is to be retained in any form, why is it not to
have its old patronage ?" Others will ask, " What is it
without its patronage ?" But when the foundations of
the system are once moved it is impossible to stop. Take
away the patronage of the directors and you destroy the
interesting relations that exist between them and the
elderly gentlemen and ladies by whose votes they are
returned. Yet Sir Charles leaves the twelve elective
Directors to their existing constituency—the holders of
India Stock. Among changes on which there cannot be
much disagreement Sir Charles proposes to separate the
Governor-Generalship from the Government of Bengal,
by creating a new Lieutenant-Governor for that presi-
dency ; he proposes to empower the Supreme Govern-
ment to create a new presidency for the countries on the
Indus, and to remodel and simplify the courts of appeal.
The great question, however, is the constitution of the
government at home, On that point Sir Charles dis-
turbs without settling, and recommends a change which
he condemns in the very announcement. He fears to
lay a sacrilegious hand on the golden image in Leaden-
hall-street. It is asked—and the question is conclusive
—whether this government by two boards, both work-
, ing under the Imperial Legislature, is one that we
should have imagined or dreamt of, had India been now
for the first time thrown on our bands. Whatever
merits may be discovered or invented for the double
government, we may be sure it would not have been
thought of. It is only a tradition representing the his-
tory of the East India Company. Sir Charles proposes
to retain it, for a while at least, and till a bolder man
comes in his stead, just as the Indian Government has
retained the native princes. For puppet kings and
rajahs he would give us buckram directors, without pa-
tronage, without power, without certainty of tenure,
simply waiting for the signal of their final destruction.
This may do in India, where millions feed on rice, but
we more than doubt its adaptation to the mind of this
country, or to the actual exigencies of the case.

The Cologne Choral Union, consisting of eighty mem-
bers, give their first concert in England, at the Hanover-
square Rooms, on Tuesday morning next, commencing
at half-past three.
[ADVERTISE3fENT.]—IMPORTANT SALE OF RICH SILKS,
SHAWLS, AND LACE GOODS.—Bankruptcy of Mr. E.
Blakely, Shawl Manufacturer to the Queen.----Messrs.
Atkinson and Co., Silk and Shawl Warehouses, 69, 70,
71, 72, 73, 74, and 75, Westminster-bridge-road, Lam-
beth, beg to inform the ladies of the United Kingdom
that they have purchased of the assignees of the estate
of Mr. Edward Blakely, shawl manufacturer, silk
mercer, and laceman, of Norwich, a bankrupt, the
whole of his stock, amounting to 9,0711. 16s. 2d., at a
large discount off the cost price. It consists of the
richest selection of shawls, silks, robes, dresses,
mantles, lace goods, &c., to be met with in England ;
all in excellent condition, newly manufactured, and is
now selling off at reduced prices.