The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-16 00:00:00

had been stated on a previous night relative to the
intention of her Majesty's Government to oppose the
Bill of the Right lion. Gentleman (Sir E. Sugdcn) op-
posite, he (Lord J. Russell) was not prepared to state
at what stage of the proceedings that opposition would
bo made. The Noble Ldrd was also unable at
present to state all the reasons and grounds—
which he wished to have an opportunity of stating—
for not acceding to that Bill.
Sir E. SUGDEN was understood to say, the Bill
which he had the honour to bring in, had a right to go
pari passu with the Bill of the Noble Lord, but he
would accede to the Noble Lord's proposition of letting
the discussion take place on the Bill going into Com-
mittee rather than on the second reading.
CUSTOMS ACTS—DUTIES ON RUM.

On the question being put that the Report on the
Customs Duties' Act be brought up,
Mr. O'CONNELL, who was but very indistinctly
heard in the gallery in consequence of the great noise
in the House, said (as we understood) that he wished to
observe respecting this Bill, that it was one calculated to
do much more good to England than to India. It was
calculated to diminish the price of rum for British con-
sumers. It was important to manufacturers that the
price of sugar should be as high as it was. It was also
advantageous in this light, that it would increase the
market for the British manufacturer. Thus it
was peculiarly useful to the British President.
Having intimated some opposition to the Bill in the
first instance, he had waived that opposition in conse-
quence of the Right Hon. Gentleman stating that the
question of slavery ought not to be brought forward in-
cidentally. The returns moved for by the Right Hon.
Gentleman the Member for the Tower Hamlets would
afford additional light upon the subject, which was of so
much importance to the well-being of India, to the ad-
vance of civilisation, and to the extension of Christianity.
These were considerations of the utmost magnitude,
and the House could not have too much information
before it went into a discussion of the subject. The
Session, however, ought not to pass over without a more
ample discussion taking place upon those topics than
had been had in preceding years. Another important
topic related to the landed tenures in India, or rather
to the want of landed tenures in the greater portion of
India. There were portions of India under what was
termed the permanent settlement. That was a sub-
ject of extreme magnitude, and one which he would, if
no other Member did, bring before the House before
the present Session closed. There were immense dis-
tricts not permanently settled. The landed revenue
was assessed Dither on communities, upon something
of the nature of corporations, or of individuals
under the denomination of ryots. It was not
denied that the natives had a right to the soil. It
was said the India Company had no right to the soil,
but they claimed the right of assessing what they termed
land revenue, which in reality was rent. He did not
think the right of any man to land could be valuable
when another man had the right and the power to im-
pose whatever rent be pleased upon the premises,
followed by the sale of the interest of the individual, if
the rent is not sufficient, and accompanied by all the
evils which must necessarily attend so unsettled a state
of things. The general rule in India was that no man
was proprietor of the land. In many districts in which
men laid out their capital this thing was only certain,
that decreased produce brought with it increased rent ;
and he believed it would be found that this system
was universally followed by the increase of the jungle.
As cultivation decreased the jungle increased, which
was inhabited by wild beasts of every description, and
almost forbid the residence of men in its vicinity. He
believed the people of England were not apprised
of the horrible consequences of this total insecurity
and absence of all title for the land. He happened
to have in his hand a list of the periodical famines
in India, calculated from the year 1760 and
1761, the period in which Lord Clive might
be said to have established our empire in this country.
In the year 1766 there was a famine, another in the
year 1777, another in 1780, another in 1782, another
in 1792, and another in 1803—thus giving a famine
in each cycle of 10 years. But let the House
mark how they had increased of late years. In
the year 1804 there was a famine, in 1819 there
was a famine of longer duration and greater extent than
had perhaps before ever been witnessed. In 1824
there was a famine, in ,1829 there was a famine, in
1832 there was a famine, in 1833 there was a fa-
mine, in 1836 there was a famine, and lastly, in 1837
there was a famine, which extended to 1838, existed in
1839, and which it wasdoubtful was even now terminated.
These increasing periodical famines were also increasing
more horribly in extent. During that of 1837 and
1838, it was necessary to employ men to shove the dead
bodies into the rapid part of the stream of the Ganges.
Nothing could exceed the horror of the scene. The
polluted land was covered with carcases—the ave-
rage destruction was 10,000 per month. He attri-
buted many of those famines to the state of the
landed tenure there. He was sure the Company had
not acted wisely even with regard to its own revenues.
In the last thirty years there had been seventeen or
eighteen years of famine, during which English sentinels
or sepoys were placed along the banks of the rivers to pre-
vent mothers from drowning their infants.—( Hear, hear.)
He had thought it necessary not to allow the ques-
tion now before the House to pass over without saying so
much on behalf of the people of India. But as regarded
the measure itself, he gave it his most cordial support.
Mr. HOGG said that if a discussion were opened
upon the subject to which the Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman alluded, it would occupy more time than could be
afforded on the present occasion. With respect to the per-
manent tenure, it could not be doubted that the Marquis
of Cornwallis established it from the best of motives. But
it had not been productive of the good that was
expected. Its effect was to constitute the Ze-
mindars absolute proprietors, and to deprive the
rest of the population of the rights which they had
from time immemorial enjoyed.—( Hear, hear, hear.)
Though that settlement had some advantages it was
also attended with inconveniences, which induced the
Indian Government to be cautious in extending it to
other parts of the country. He would also observe to
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman that he should not
hastily adopt every statement connected with India
that might be found either in the newspaper or in
pamphlets. There had been, it was true, local
famines in India, but every one acquainted with India
must be aware that the assertions of the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman on that subject were altogether
exaggerated.
Mr. O'CONNELL said it should be understood that
he did not mean to make an attack on the East Indian
Government.
Mr. HUME said that the matter was one of great
importance both to England and to India ; and he would
urge his Hon. and Learned Friend to select a day on
which the subject would be brought before the House.
He believed that any one who paid attention to the
affairs of India must have heard with great regret of the
statements made at different meetings respecting the
proceedings in that country, and which statements he
(Mr. Hume) believed to be in many instances altogether
groundless. It was not true that so many famines had
taken place in India as his Hon. and Learned
Friend had mentioned —(Hear, hear.) There might
have been much wanted in certain districts, but
such cases could not be considered as general famines.
With regard to the creation of the tenure in India, it
3', and one which the
conveniently discuss at another
was House a subject
might
morgreate
c udvi
el fin
eu
moment.
Mr. O'CONNELL had been misunderstood by his
Hon. Friend. He (Mr. O'Connell) had expressly
said that he did not believe these famines had been
universal, that he did not believe that all of them had
been general, but that he did believe that many of them
had been purely local.
Mr. E WART rose on account of an observation
which had fallen from the Hon. and Learned Gentle

man, to the effect that the measure would be of greater
benefit to England than to India. Now from the evi-
dence taken before the Committee of last Session, it
was manifest that the measure would be very benficial

to India, because in the manufacture of rum and sugar
they must employ the natives of India. It was the
most economical plan to do so. This would be also
beneficial to England, because it would increase the
market for British manufactures ; he thought, therefore,
that they must admit that the measure was a great boon

to India as well as to England.
The Report was then brought up. On the motion
that the Report be agreed to,
Mr. LABOUCHERE stated, in answer to a ques-
tion from Mr. Goulburn, that the sole object of the
Bill was to place East India rum on the same footing
as West India rum in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The Report was then agreed to, and a Bill founded
on it ordered to be brought in. Subsequently
Mr. LABOUCHERE brought in the Bill for the
Equalization of duties on East and West India Rum,
which was read a first time, and ordered to be read
a second time on Friday next.
LORD KEANE.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved the Order of the
Day for the bringing up the Report of the Committee
on her Majesty's Message.
On the motion that the Report be agreed to,
Mr. EWART gave notice that on the Bill founded
on the Report going into Committee, he should move
that the pension be granted to Lord Keane for his
life only, and not to his heirs.
Mr. HUNIE said that as the House had agreed by
a large majority to the grant of the pension, be would
not oppose the reception of the Report, but should sup-
, port the motion of his lion. Friend in Committee. He
wished to know whether before that discussion came on,
the Noble Lord would object to lay before the House all
the correspondence which had taken place between
the; Government and the Court of Directors, re-
specting the grantitv, a pension to Lord Keane.
He (Mr. Hume) understood that a correspondence
had taken place, and that the Court of Directors had
expressed au opinion that he was amply rewarded.
Now if that were the case he thought they should
either have a copy of their proceedings or a denial of
the fact.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL could not produce any
Corttlspolltkllo 011 tilU subject, because the,