The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-01 00:00:00

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

On the 'nation for going into committee to consider
the proposed resolutions of the Chancdlor of the Exche.
quer,

Lord HARRY VANE moved " That the change of
circumstances since the first proposal by her Majesty's
late advisers to transfer the government of India from
the East India Company to the Cro ivn renders it inex-
pedient to proceed further with legi-lation. on the sub-
ject during the present session." With the permission
of the house he would very shortly review the-eh-Came
stances which seemed. to him to justify his present mo-
tion. Very shortly before the opening of the sea ion it
was announced that an intention existed on the pact of
her Majesty's late Minister to introduce a bill to trans.
fer the government of India from the East India Come
pany to the direct government of the Crown. Duriug
the last year they passed through a very extraordinary
crisis, but they had at that time a Government
rently firm in the confidence of the house. Having been
in office during the whole of the Indian rebellion, the
Government had the means of judging whether chenille
stances existed to render it expedient to introduce some
change in the form of the Indian Home Government.
His noble friend (Lord Palmerston), it would be remem-
bered, obtained by a very large majority the consent of
the house to introduce a measure upon the subject.
Upon that occasion his hon. friend the member for
Huntingdon (Hr. T. Baring) moved a resolution to the
effect that at that moment it was inexpedient to legislate
with reference to the government of India, and the reso-
lution received considrable support. Nevertheless, he
(Lord H. Vane) voted with her Majesty's Government
upon that occasion, because he thought it better they
should proceed to legislate at once, and because that
Government appeared to be firm'y fixed in power. At
the same time, there was no denying the fact, that it
was currently rumoured amongst the Liberal members,
that the hill of the Government was not approved of by
many, even by thove who voted in its favour, and, indeed,
he had no doubt that these rumours reached the Go.
vernment. Many doubted whether it was expedient
that the electoral principle should be excluded froni the
formation of the new council. Many agaia doubted
whether the number of the councillors was sufficient,
and whether their- salaries were large enough to attract
the services of the ablest available talent. Circum-
stances, however, shortly afterwards anis, which.
ended in the overthrow of an apparently firinly,
fixed administration. The new Government, per:.
haps, in many respects judging wisely thought it
expedient to proceed with legislation fur India.
They accordingly introduced a measure—which, let
him take leave to say, seemed more like the ingenious
scheme of some Abbe Sisyea, than the emanation of the
practical vigorous intellect of the nob e lord at the head
of the India Board. (Laughter.) The bill seemed moat
unlikely to receive the support of the house. Indeed, in
no quarter did it conciliate favour. That very day he
read a speech made eisewhere by a noble earl last night,
a speech of great ability undoubtedly, but entirely tail-
ing to establish sufficient grounds for the acceptance of
his proposal. Such then, being the state of circumstances
his noble friend the member for the city of London in-
terposed with his high authority, and quoting various
precedents from past history with reference to le-
gislation for India pointed out the following three exam-
ples as the principles upon which the new measure
should be founded, and ought to be introduced by way
of resolution. Well, to-Jay they were invited to go into
committee on these resolutions ; but he for one must
confess that he saw but little prospect for weeks to
come of a decision being arrived at, and therefore it was
that he was induced to submit his resolutions, affirming
that it was inexpedient for the present to legislate for
India. That resolution he could assure the house was
not dictated by any party spirit, while at the same time
he could further state that it was brought forward with-
out his being in any way cognisant of the proposal of
the hon. member for Ex-ter (Hr. Divett). He feared
that many members of independent views had become
so entangled by the conflict of opinions which prevailed
that the only way of dragging them out of their present
uncertainty was to give up the notion of legislating during
the present session. They had three proposals before
them—that of the Government, that of the noble lord the
member for the city of London, and that of the late Go.
vernment ; and the difference between the two latter
propositions was very essential ; for, according to that
of his noble friend the member for the city of London,
the council was to be independent, and was irremov-
able except for misbehaviour. Now he was not
speaking against legislation for India hereafter. He was
simply ennuci.ting the views of those who thought that
to enter upon a discussion of the future government of
India, at a moment when the country was overrun with
hordes of licentious soldiers, could only lead to the pro-
traction of an unhealthy agitation, and to the establish-
ment of wrong principles. If he thought that the cir-
cumstances which had occurred bad in any way inter-
fered with the service and co-operation of those respon-
sible for the government of India, be should not hesitate
to draw his opinion that the house had no choice but to
proceed at once to establish a different form of govern-
ment for India ; but he found, so far from that being
the case, that by the declarations of the noble earl at the
head of the Indian department, the action between him-
self and the board of directors was most harmonious.
There was, therefore, no reason for supposing that any
obstruction was thrown in the way of the affairs of India
being for the present, at all events, properly directed. It
was quite evident from what had occurred that neither in
Manchester, Liverpool, nor London was public opinion
matured on the question. Well thee, was it wise in
them, merely because they had entered upon legislation,
to require to postpone it, especially when no injurious
results could follow from that postponement ! He be-
lieved that the main ground urged for overthrowing the
Government of the Company was the necessity of con-
centrating responsibility in the Minister of the Clown.
Now, he confessed, that the word responsibility had but
a very vague and indefinite meaning for him ; every-
thing, at any rate, depended upon the sense in which it
was used. It seemed to him that under the existing
system the Minister was responsible for his acts just as
much as he would be under the altered form of govern-
ment. He admitted, however, that there were evils in
the double Government ; and no doubt it would be here-
after desirable, for the sake of dispatch, to introduce a
change in the double Government. But where was the
urgency for that change ! (Hear, hear.) That must
always, to a certain extent, be a double Government,
unless, indeed, they were willing to concentrate the
whole of the Government of India in India. The present
motion was unquestionably inopportune for any change
in the government of India. Where, too, was the press-
ing necessity for a change ? Under the existing system
they had at any rate the advantage of able and compe-
tent councillors to superintend the affairs of India. Why,
then, part wi.h such a body of able and competent men!
(Rear.) Depend upon it it would be far wiser for them
to wait a little in order to sound public opinion ; for iu
the end the opinions of the great mass of the community
must always sway that house. Believing, then, that it
would be most unstateemard ke to allow the character of

so important a measure to depend upon the chanceaOf;
division in that house, and that in the presence of such a
medley of opinions they ought to postpone legislation,
he begged to move that the change of circumstances
s'nce the first proposal by her Majesty's late advisers to
transfer the government of India from the East India
Company to the Crown, renders it inexpedient to proceed
further with legislation during the present session.
(Hear, hear.)

. •
Mr. GREGORY begged to second the amendment,
which he was very glad the noble lord had deemed it his
duty to bring forward. It was seen that the house would
be guilty of self-stultification if it proceeded to reverse
its decision of Feb. 19 last, when they gave leave by an
immense majority for the introduction of the bill of the
late Government. Ile could not conform to that opinion ; '
for he believed that it was one thing to concede such an '
authority to a seemingly strong Government, and
another and very different thing to devolve such a power
upon a Government confessedly weak. Besides that,
the position of affairs in India had altogether changed
since the House of Commons bad come to that -rere-
solution. To carry a measure through for the better
government of India must be the work ofssisibly're"bge
Government, for no Opposition could ?
equal to the task. Discussion as to the.ryr_ps_i_remeef Ititinideia.,
might no doubt be useful, but then, at i°° ''''
Let them,
the privilege might be too dearly
ne
stt
,thi
cemmur
es::
bought.legislate for India
then, renounce the determination to
during the present session, and that would leaveronme
those who bad voted for the
fifotrtlinnsg. opportunity for the considerationh late
eGovo e
Mr. A. MILLS, as one of
frnd
to understand what circumstance
confess he was at a loss
preclude
them _
from proceeding
had since occurred to
introduction of the bill of the
no doubt
with the determination then come to. The speech of
the noblefor Durham would
lord the member
exceedingly appropriate upon the occasion of
the motion been
nn
of the hon. member for Huntingdon (Mr. T.
B'rivg
but in his humble judgment it was now too
late.
lie (Mr. Mills) was one of those who thought that
if they were to delay legislating upon this question they
would be imperilling their Indian empire. (Hear.) And
for his part, seeing that the noble lord the member for
Tiverton had abstained entirely from meddling with the
question of the local government of India, from inter-
fering with the authority of the Governor-General, and
one,sv t h
wasthe
prepared question o f domestic i
ah'e h ne CI hf of
er
lord. It was because that measure was not
general or
comprehensive, and not because it way a
perfect
solution
of the enormous problem to be andsolved he det er-
inio e d to support It. But be must say that he greatly
regr tted that circumstances had arisen to prevent the
proposal of the noble lord from continuing before the
house. He believed, however, that if they were now to
stop short, people in India would say they had stopped
RI ort not because the mutiny in India was unquelled,
hut because there was a mutiny unquelled in the House
of Commons. (Cheers and laughter.) It was not for him
to describe how the mutiny had arisen, or to account for
it : but thus much he would say, that for the sake of the
honour and dignity of the House of Commons, it was of
paramourt importance that they should not now step
short in the course of legislation with reference to India.
(Hear.) For his part he must avow an intention to sup-
port any Government that would ensure the proposal of

some system of government for India during the present
session. (Cheers.)
Sir F. BARING differed with some who held a very
high position in the house and the country in regard ta