The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-27 00:00:00

bribe of a few pounds, or an appointment as a
letter-carrier, or some other petty situation,- is by
no means so dangerous, or so deep-seated as
that which requires the nomination to an
office that will constitute -the relative, of the
party bribed the " proconsul of a province,"
or the administrator of justice throughout an
extensive district, on whose conduct the happiness
and well-being of myriads of human beings
mainly depend ; and yet the Right Hon. Gentle-
man approves of a measure that would allow
twelve Directors out of eighteen to be elected in
this manner, and by such a constituency. Surely it
would be far better to place the nomination in
the hands of the Crown, or of any responsible
body ; or, if the principle of election was essen-
tial, why should not the franchise be extended,
and the suffrage placed upon a sounder founda-
tion ? There would be a far better chance of
obtaining the services of duly qualified and
efficient Directors if the Minister of the depart-
ment were responsible for their competency,
than by permitting them to be elected by any
limited constituency, 'however pure and irre-
proachable ; and a fortiori than by suffering the
matter to remain in the hands of a body of irre-
sponsible electors, so notoriously exposed to the
operation of undue and demoralising influence as
the proprietors of Rut India Stock a body
which has no earthly claim to the continued en-
joyment of such important and valuable privi-
leges. If, then, the double Government be in-
dispensable—if the farce of having two distinct
Chambers, the one to paralyse the energies and
neutralise the action of the other—it is certain
that the Board of Directors should be
abolished, and another and a better con-
stituted body established in its place. The
addition of a few members nominated by the
Crown will !only have the effect of annihilating
the advantages (if any such there be) of the
present system, while all the evils will remain in
unabated force. A mixed body of this kind has
never acted harmoniously or efficiently. Jealousies
very natural, but at the same time very injurious
to the beneficial working of the machine, have in-
variably arisen between the nominated and the
elected members. The most factious and impro-
per means are but too frequently resorted to to
thwart and a,nnoyan opponent, which is regarded as
a`matter of greater consequence than the well-
being and happiness of persons so far distant from
the scene, whose sufferings cannot come under the
cognisance or shock the sensibilities of their rulers.
But Mr. MACA ULAY has, although unintention-
ally, given equally conclusive testimony against
the retention of the complicated and useless ma-
chinery now in operation. He has truly stated
that " India is, and must be governed in India,"
that much time must necessarily be con-
sumed before intelligence can be received
-from any of they Presidencies, and instruc-
tions founded thereon returned for the guidancce
of the officials, and the delay will be materially
enhanced by the communications and negotiations
between. Cannon-row and the City, for it will be
universally admitted that " the double govern-
ment, whatever be its merits or demerits, is, un-
questionably .not an- expeditious Government."
The Right Honourable Gentleman spoke from
actual experience ; he testified to matters within
his own knowledge, when asserting that " every
day important measures were taken—indeed every
measure of which history will hereafter make
mention, was taken without any authority
whatever from the Home Government." And
as a further illustration of the advantages of
the system he added, " that almost every one
of those measures or acts was regarded with
disapprobation at home; and yet not one of
them was rescinded or annulled." Is it not clear,
then, that measures should be taken to bring the
local Government—in which rests the real power
—under the direct control of Parliament, that
their offences of omission or commission may be
visited by something more than the querulous
grumblings of an. effete and powerless body,
which, without being able to vindicate its own
authority, interposes a great impediment to the
more vigorous efforts of the Ministers of the
Crown ? India should reader an undivided alle-
giance to Queen VICTORIA, and not be even
partially governed in the name of a once power-
ful trading corporation, whose senility is attended
with corresponding decrepitude.

After all the Chancellor of the Exchequer is
not infallible. The Right Hon. Gentleman has
deemed it expedient to amend the " SUPPLE-
KENTARY BUDGET," in one of its most important
features. He has not done this boldly and un-
equivocally, acknowledging the serious error into
which he had unadvisedly fallen, and the in-
jurious consequences that might result from the
adoption of his crude and hasty propositions.
He has not had the candour 'to confess his fault,
nor the fortitude to submit to the moral castiga-
tion that would probably be administered. He
has, therefore, contented himself with suggesting
that if (this "if " is a mighty peacemaker) the
Government were in a condition to dispense with
the money expected, "it might not be more expe-
dient, on the whole, to let the matter (i. e., the new
licensing duties) stand over until it could be con-
sidered in connexion with that which was the
great and capital item of our licensing system,
namely, the publicans' licences, and all the family
of licences, as he might call them, which belonged
to that class." As if, however, this statement,
with the qualification aforesaid, were not .suffi-
ciently vague, the Right Hon. Gentleman went
further, by declaring that, " until he knew what
might be the decision of the House upon several
questions which were pending, and with regard to
which notice had been give by Hon. Gen-
tlemen, ,which would bear upon the sub-
ject, it would be impossible for him to
give any• absolute pledge with respect to
these licences, and, therefore, the Government
had not come to any absolute conclusion upon
that subject. He thought he might venture to
say, however, that, providing no other inroad was
made upon the funds available for public service,
it might be in their power to dispense altogether
with making any proposal with regard to licences,
and in that case no such proposal would.be made."
There is certainly no want of caution exhibited in

this, statement. There is nothing out of which it
is possible "to pick an assumpsit." Na. definite
promise or pledge of any kind, and yet it is nei-
ther more nor less than a virtual abandonment of
one of the most objectionable propositions in the
financial scheme, disarming the opposition that
would otherwise have been offered thereto ; and
at the same time acting as a direct incentive to
those who had given notice of amendments on
other portions of the Budget to withdraw their
propositions for the present session, in order to
avoid the, unjust, impolitic, and anti-free-trade
object of the Right Hon. Gentleman, which, if
carried into practical execution, would not merely
have the effect of a new burden on indus-
try, acting as an income tax in its most
unequal and most oppressive form, but would
also create virtual monopolies in every trade
and calling, checking that "unrestricted com-
petition"• which is so beneficial to the commu-
nity at large. This object will, however, we trust,
be defeated. No person who has a grievance to
complain of should relinquish his intention on the
ground
,of such vague and indefinite intimations.
Let-the licensing duties stand or fall on their own
Merits, and let the Advertisement Duties and other
questions be decided on the same principle, and
not postponed, in the hope that by so doing an
important success would be accomplished. They
may be well assured that the contemplated licence
duties will not, under any circumstances, be
brought forward, more especially as the Right
Hon. Gentleman acknowledged that " very great
inconvenience, and even, in particular cases, what
might be called oppression, would be caused." A
revision was therefore rendered essential, the effect
whereof was "materially to reduce the proceeds
of any such scale." Mr. GLADSTONE is therefore,
for his own convenience, obliged to put off the
consideration of these new or revised duties, and
he should not attempt to obtain advantages in
return. At all events, Hon. Gentlemen should
not
permit themselves to be taken by a trap so
obvious and ut ,•
concealed.
We have never concealed or !modified our ,