The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-03 00:00:00

EVENING, JUNE 3, 1851.

have abstained from offering any remarks to their Lord-
ships; but, considering the nature and importance of
the subjsct, he hoped that he might occupy the attention
of the House for a short time while ho explained the
grounds on which he made his motion, and the position
of the country which would be elucidated by acceding to
it. It had been said on a former evening by the Noble
Lord opposite (Lord Broughton), that the East India
Company were the trustees of the Crown for the benefit
of the people of India; acd if that were true, he trusted
that he might add that the Legislature and the Crown
were also the trustees of Providence for their benefit.
Such being the case, and there being no question as to
the importance of the motion, he must remind their
Lordship that in the year 1842 the late Sir R. Peel, in
proposing a plan for the arrangement of the finances of
that part of our empire, called the attention of the
House of Commons to the manner in which the condi-
tion of England was influenced by the flourishing or
depres-ed condition of the finances of India. He (Sir
R. Peel) spoke of the condition of India in a financial
point of view, but he (Lord Wharncliffe) should proceed
to view it as a great social, moral, and commercial
question. He was justified in asking for these papers
on those grounds, but he had also other grounds for
requiring their production. The communications made
to Parliament respecting the internal improvements of
India were singularly rare. There had been an objec-
tion to proceed with any public works in that country
without the previous consent of the Government at
home, and the consequence had been that amid all the
multiplicity of papers transmitted by the fficials of the
East Incite Company to the directors at home, on com-
mercial, judicial, political, and military subjects, there
was only to be finite' one single paper, from 1834 to
1851, respecting public works. That in itselt was a
9uflicient reason for requiring further information. Iu
the time when the ancient dynasties of India ruled over
that vast empire, large canals and other works for
draining and irrigating the country existed in the
north-western provinces of India and near the sources
of the Jumna and Ganges. It was a reproach to
the present Government of India, that such
works had been allowed to fall into decay and ruin.
The Noble Lord referred to the canals which have been
constructed in India, and to the returns which they have
yielded, but in so low a tone of voice that it was impos•
sible to hear more than an occasional word. As to
roads, there appeared to be very few parts of India in
which good practical roads existed, and where they did
they were of ten rendered useless by streams which there
were no regular means of crossing, so that the difficulty
of removing from one part of the country to another
was exceedingly great. The stoppage of internal traffic
from the want of good roads and bridges was so
great that grain was sometimes sold at a famine price
in one part sf India, while at another, not more than
300 wile. distant, it was selling at the lowest conceivable
price. Though the necessity for grain in one place was
most urgent, and though it might be most abundant iu
another, the want of the proper means of communication
rendered it impossible to supply the deficiency. It was
a singular fact that in Mysore the roads were in far bet-
ter condition generally than in any part of the British
territory. He contended that as a matter of pribcip!e
it was the duty of the East India Company to proceed
as far as it possibly could in the execution of public
works in that country, so as to develope to the ut-
most extent its great and growing resources. Of
course, the means of doing so must depend very
much upon the state of the Indian finances. He found
that from the close of the great Burmese war down to
1838 there existed in the Indian Exchequer a consi-
derable surplus; its the years 1835-3637, it amounted
to 3 470,0001. From that time to this, however, there
had been a euccessien of military events by which the
company heti necessarily been driven into great expen-
diture., and in 1848 49 the surplus had been converted
int ) a deficiency (as we understood) of 2,800,0001.
This state of matters was, no doubt, inimical to the con-
struction of public work*; but, nevertheless, he could
net help thit.king that much more ought to have been
done, and that the' cessation of public works had in it-
self proved injurious to the Indian revenue. For the
last 20 y.a-ta the re venue of tne East India Company
had been 16,000,0001., making an amount of 320.000,0001.
during that period, while the greatest sum expended by
them in any one year on public works was 238,000/.
It was but justice to the Indian Government to say.
however, that there were several canals now going on.
He trusted that the prove ct before them was better
than fur some years past, that they would not have so
many military calls upon them as unfortunately had
been the case, and that therefore the Rest India Com-
pany would be able to enter upon the execution of
public works in that country with more vigour and
earnestness than hitherto bad characterised the admi-
nistration of India. The Noble Lord concluded with
moving for papers connected with the construction of
works in India.
Lord BROUGHTON agreed with almost every word
that had fallen from the Noble Lord as to the impor-
twice ef this questiun, and he thought the Noble Lord
had pursued the course which was best calculated to
produce the result he had in view. IL- had only done
justice to the East India Company when he referred to
their intentions in this matter though he (Lord Brough-
ton) was not prepared to say that on the whole more at-
tention alight not have been paid by Indian Govern-
ments to the construction of public works. The Noble
Lord had stated truly that during the course of many
y ears, especially from 1837 to 1846, the East India Com-
pany was engage d in the most expensive wars, and that
therefore it wan impossible for them with the same
earnestness to carry into effect any great works. But
even during those nine years of war the Government
of India had done very great things in that direction,
for he found a considerable sum annually expended
on public works. The Noble Lord had referred to
several works in progress, and he would now state
more in detail the expenditure incurred in some of
those undertakings. On the Western Jungle
Canal, 425 miles in length, a sum of 352,0001.
had been expended ; the Eastern Jungle Canal, 160
miles, 194,000/., and a canal in the Bengal Presi-
dency wet 552,000/. The Ganges Canal, 452 miles, with
a bratieh in aduitioe, was calculated, when completed,
to cost 500 000/. In the Madras territory there were
woks else in progress. The Tanjore Canal would cost
30,0001. In Sinde there had alSo been an outlay, though
not vary large; and in the Punjsub the present Governor-
General had devoted 50,0001. a-year to the construction
of canals. Besides these works, which were of very
great importance, there had been the trigonemetricat
survey, costing 341,000/. As to the finances, the last
balance-sheet, presented to Parliament in February gave
a rather better account of the state of Indian affairs than
the Noble Lord seemed to suppose. The, sketch esti-
mate for 1849.50 showed instead of a deficiency a surplus
of 70 000 L [Lord ELLENBOROUGII here made a remark
across the table.] Ho was quite aware that this was only
what was called " a sketch estimate," and he would not
say that at the end of the year the result was equal to
what the estimate held out; but, at any rate, the finan-
cial prospect was much more favourable than last year
they bad any reason to expect. He had not only no ob-
jection to give the Noble Lord the papers he had moved
for, but would do so with great pleasure. In conclusion,
he would say that it signified little what had been done
in times past, it they had the assurance that more would
be done in future; and he concurred entirely in the hope
expressed by his Noble Friend, that no more ware would
occur to inter fere with those me esures that were neces-
sary for the improvement of India, and the development
of her resources.—(Hear.)
The Eat! of ELLEN BOROUGH expressed his gra-
tification that the Nobet Lord who bad brought forward
the motion, and who at an early period of life had given
his attention to the affairs of India, should still take an
interest in those affairs. If in this country it was essen-
tial to draw water off the land, it was essential in the
East to bring the water on the land for the production et
any crop. In England drainage might improve the soil,
but in the East that result was to be sought by means of
irrigation. He had never seen greater cause fur encou-
ragement than the statements of Lieutenant-Colonel
Dickson with respect to the works constructed under the
direction of that gallant officer. He had been informed,
however, of the prejudicial effect which the Delhi Canal
(as we undetstood) exercised on the health of the
inhabitants residing in the neighbourhood. Coming in
contact with the chiefs, he had asked them what
was the effect of that canal on revenue and on
health, and, in answer, he had learned that while they
bcknowledged a great improvement in the revenue, they
greatly deprecated its influence on the health of the
enjoining districts. Ile mu.; be permitted to express
The apprehensions he entertained with respect to the
Gauges Canal, if it were to be executed in the way
proposed; and he wished to cell attention to the ex-
tremely perilous character of the undertaking in at-
tempting to draw water from the Gauges at the point
intended. But there was another matter on which he
tied also ineieted, namely, that it should first be a canal
of navigation, and whatever surplus water there was
might be used for irrigation. He was satisfied that in
all cases where the tormadon of the country was such
as to render it possible to have tanks, it was better and
cheaper and more convenient to have a mode of irriga-
tion by them than by canals. Of late years there had
been great improvements made in the roads of India,
but such improvements went on slowly; the persons
who superintended their construction were engineer
officers, who were not only liable to have their attention
occasionally taken off that employment, but among
whom there might be expected to exist such varieties
of industry and ability as would account for the
different progress made in the execution of works.
It woule be with great satieaction that the Noble
Lord at the head of the Board of Control would
he ar the hope expressed of something like a surplus in
India. He (Lord Ellenborough) had at one time gone
easefully over the accounts, but he did not see his way
tie a surplus, though the state of matters was very much
better than when he arrived in India. With respect to
railways, he would much rather that the Government of
India should, if it approved of their formation, dispense
altogether with the aid of speculators, and take the mat-
ter into its own hands. To that Government the estab-
lishment of railways must be a great benefit,
as affording
facilities, not only for moving troops, bringing
but for
raw produce to the sea. It a railroad could be formed
from Bombay to the cotton districts, and measures were
taken by the Gov. rpment for the improvetuoheetofcottun
in India, much would be done to secure attainment
of one of the greatest
namely, independence of
America not be
uans
troattheiar
country as food; and they could
injects this count!), could have in
view as connected with Indite;
America for a supply; but that cottont be f d h
foundin tbeterritory;lied
ear to have
the introduction of cotton
in
territoryth e Br
oft'' ha
l
interrupted as of food. He
dowers. it
was
sCI
i ot
tl
et obn v4o
had examined the subject on the spot; he had considered
it deeply; he had sent home the result of his inquiries.
Let the Noble Lord read the answer, and he could not
wonder that he (Lord Ellenborough) felt disgust that
the efforts of a public servant should have been not only
met by captious objections, but by a sneer against hits
for those very efforts.
it 'The Earl of HARROWBY deprecated what he thought
the pitiful expenditure for the benefit of 100,000,000 of