The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-27 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

ADJOURNED MEETING THIS DAY.
The adjourned meeting of the proprietors for the

purpose of considering the proposed change in the
Government of India, was held this morning at the
East India Howe, Leadenhall - street Mr. Rose

Nlan gl em, M.P., chairman of the Court of Directors, in

,be chair.

The attendance of proprietors was more

numerous than at either of the previous meetings.
The CHAIRMAN, in conernencing the business of the
meeting, urged on the proprietors the necessity of their
bringing the proceedings to a close this day, either by
affirming or negativing the resolution before them.
In reply to a question from Mr. Lewin,
The Cumamex, as we understood, intimated that the
directors would support, by their votes, the resolution
proposed by Mr. Crawshay.
Mr. HELPS, in resuming the debate, referred to the
petition circulated by the directors since the last meeting,
and said that its perusal confirmed the impression it
made ion him when read to the court of proprietors.
He highly applauded the document, observing it was one
that any Chancellor of the Exchequer might be proud of
—and one that would do credit to the best served

country in Europe. (Rear, hear.) It represented not
only the feelings of the court of directors, but those of
the proprietors and the public out of doors. (Rear,
hear, and cheers.) He referred to a former proposi-
tion of Mr. Jones's, urging the desirableness
of their having Indian representatives in the board of
directors to inform the court and the people of England
of the actual requirements of the Indian people. (Rear,
bear.) It was to be regretted that the Government had
not allowed the court of proprietors and directors an
opportunity of discussing the details of their proposed mea-
sure, especially as the members of the court of directors
comprised men who were perhaps the best qualified in this
country to gi►e a sound opinion on Indian Government.
Lie was, however, very much afraid that her Majesty's
Government were rather more anxious to silence than
take advantage of their information, and that they con
templated shutting up the India House by a sudden
stroke. (Rear, hear.) He referredi to publio meetings
that bad been held in reference to India to mislead the

peopleof England—he especially alluded tooneheld at the
London Tavern, attended by Lord Clanricarde, brother-in-
law of thepresentGovernor-General oflndia,and observed
tlis lordship then u,tated that the annexations in India
bad taken place At the instigation and directio❑ of the
Court of Directors. That and similar statements made

by the noble lord showed astonishing ignorance or false-
hood on his part, and was, he (Ur. Helps) presumed, his
pasQport to office. The hon. proprietor said he entirely
concurred in the resolutieu, which is to the following
effect :—" That the proposed transfer of the governing

powers of the Ea,t India Company to the Crown is op-
posed to the rights and privileges of the East India
Company, is fraught with danger to the constitu-
tional interests of England, is perilous to the

safety of our Indian empire, and calls for the resist•
ante of the Corporation by all constitutional means

and then proceeded to discus it clause by clause urging
that facts and circumstances confirmed the truth of its

expression. The Government of the E ist India Com-
pany had produced a great amount of material prosperity
amongst the people of India, which wasabout to be put in
peril by the proposed ,cheme of her Majesty's Government.
It bad also advanced Chri.di tuity, and seed once sown in
the soil of religious toleration was sure to flourish and
come to maturity. The people of India possessed greater
freedom than any of the European countries, and seas
ble,sed with one of the greatest blessings of civilisatiQn
up to the present disturbances—the freedom of the
press. The policy of the Government was to condemn
first and examine afterwards.
Mr. C. MILLS, the oldest member of the Board, de-
fended the conduct of the Board of Directors in the

Government of India. He complained that no charges
could or had been made against the Board. He considered
the Premier would make no charge against them, but pro-
bably others would to whom truth was a matter of in-
difference. The board were ready to meet the strictest
investigation into all they had done, and they empha-
tically denied that they had been the cause of any delay
in the transmission of troops through Egypt, that being
a political matter resting with the Government
and the ambassador at the East. He said that
the proposed change would increase the cost
of Government—would elevate Mr. V. Smith to a
secretaryship to whose loose rein aed spurs India was to
be entrusted ; the officers removed to the west end of
town, and every trace of the ccrnpany swept away. Ile
remarked that Parliament was the worst tribunal before
which to bring private grievances. Men wore gene-
rally dragged before it and afterwards abused it.
Colonel RAWLINSON (director) said be was one of the
minority at the board who were not prepared to adopt
the resolution or the petition. All his assuciatious and
reminiteences were in favour of the present form of Go-
vernment, having risen in that service from an infantry
cadet to the high position of a director. He considered
we had been unable to realise 'the danger that had me-
naced and was menacing us now. The question was whether
the proposed change would or would not be for the
general good of India and England. He believed it
would, and proceeded to prove his opinion. The proxi-
mate cause of the rebellion, he considered, was the an•
nexation of Oude, and he thought they were far from
seeing its end. Alter restoring our military superiority
in India there should be an amnesty proclaimed by the
Queen—(cries of no, no)—and not in the usual manner,
believing that the latter would have no effect, but con•
sidered a matter of weakness. A. royal amnesty if
proclaimed with the change of Government would be
considered in India an act of grace and strength. (Cries
of no, no.) A. sense of duty against his rta•on
induced him to appear in this singular opposition. (Hear,
hear.) He thought that the appearance at Delhi 01 a
son of the Queen of England, surrounded with all the
pomp and pageantry of Royalty—now that the last of
the Princes of the Timour race was fast fading away—
would have more effect en the people of that country,
and sooner restore tranquillity, than the arrival of
100,000 men. (Cries of "No) no.") It appeared
to him that with the meagre information they possessed
as to the intention of the Government measure, it was
waste of time to discuss the establishment of imaginary
councils or possible Indian Secretaries of State, Sec., as
mentioned in the petition. lie thought it would be for
the public good that the two boards should be brought
more into harmony; but no Minister would, he thought,
be rash enough to tamper with the present government
in India. The same machinery must be continued there,
the only change being in the proclamations , tinning in
the name of the Queen instead of the Company. He
did not consider this a struggle with the Government
for patronage, which he looked upon as one of the most
disagreeable duties the directors had to perform. He
would rather the patronage iu reference to the civil
servants should be openly distributed, one-half being re-
served for the 80138 and relations of those who bad died
in the service. Any change made in the military patron.
age was likely to be abused.
Dr. BURNES, K.H. late Physician-General, Bombay,
whose son is now a prisoner in the hands of the rebels
in Lucknow, said that after 28 years of Indian
experience, he came forward to express his unqualified
approbation of the petition of the directors about to be
presented to Parliament. Justice, truth, and dignity
were imprinted in every line, and wherever ke had been
since its production he had heard it spoken of with sen-
timents of approbation. He protested against the pro-
posed absorption of the power of the government of
India into the hands of a Parliamentary party as
being fraught alike with danger to the people
of India and England. He expatiated at some length
on the danger ot Indian patronage in the hands ot a
corrupt minister and a servile parliament. He instanced
the neglect of Parliament in the Crimean war, and their
incapacity on that occasion, and asked what hope was
there fur a free, distant, strong, and peculiar people
from the hands of he Majesty's Government.
(Hear, hear, hear.) India must be governed
in England. The Court of Directors had
been weighed in the balance and not found wanting, and
they were the men, one would have thought, an honest
Government would have wished to advise them. (Hear,
hear.) There was an impression abroad that no country
could be happy without it possessed institutions and
laws similar to England, forgetting that it has taken us
1,000 years to be educated fit for them. The Indian had
no idea of political rights. His fathers before him
never possessed them, and what was wanted for India
was a well chosen and benignant Governor-General, who
would administer strict justice to all around him.
Hear, 11E1110
Captain SHEPHERD (director) complained that Colonel
reasons Rawlinson had not given the court evidence of the evil
of the working of the double government which he so
strongly condemned. He doubted if the name of
cppaonsegde, aann y d
valid
he
lid
badaso fan
the Queen would have that effect in India •it
was
supposed,
thing that had been said by the supporters of the pro.
i
posed slefdar toit. diTschoevperropinosiatnioyn.
of change of power on the minds of the Indians at the
present time would have the effect of again producing
revolt, feeling that having got rid of one Government,
they might another. The time to make such a change
should be in times of tranquillity. (Hear, hear.) The
directors had taken every opportunity consistent with
their promises and treaties with the natives, to advance
Christianity in India, and he emphatically denied that
they had ignored that religion, or had pursued a timid
and cowardly policy in that country. He challenged
the fullest investigation into the present government of
India by the Court of Directors. (Hear.) The proposed
change would be detrimental to the people of India,
for instead of its being used as a
means for increasing
their welfare, it would be used to promote party politics
in reference to the ins and outs of office. (Hear, hear.)
It was impossible to devise a better Government than
that that now exists, which was never swayed by court-
in, the interests of a Minister, or a constituency on the
euetiegs. hear.) He defended the course
taken by the Board in Placing these petitions before the
people of England, because they had nothing to fear or
conceal. (Hear, hear.)
Sir F. COBBIB, deputy-ohairman, had signed the
petition, because he concurred in its prayer, and by so
doing, he oonsidered he was supporting the resolution