The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-09 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA BILL.

Clatheon,tion ior the third reading of this bill,
Mr. HANKEY rose to ask the President of the
Board of Control what would be the position of the East
India Company as a chartered body after this measure
should have passed. lie believed the company would
still be possessed of the same charter under which they
bad al waya acted, and he under,tnotl, alio, that in band-
ing over the property of she company to the Crown the
rights of the proptietcrs of India stock bad been spe-
&Ally reserved. What he wanted to know was, would
the proprietary cintit.ce to have the power of electing a
board of directors as they bad hitherto done, and wbat
would be their means of obtaining redress, should they
require any as a chartered body ? He would suggest
that when the bill went to the House of Lords a clause
should be introduced putting an end entirely to the
charter of the company, and so avoiding all these diffi-
cult questions vthich might otherwise arise in future. It
was not desirable that a great association like the Ea't
India Company should drag on a nominal existence
without any real power or vitality.
Sir E. PERRY could not allow the bill to pass with-
out raying a few words upon it. The first three clauses
contained a principle of such importance, and one preg-
nant with so much probable future advantage to India,
that they bad justly received the support of those who
rat
i,,ln o
bad tetvhi
e
which
the
ewnL ibi takenderea
fthepartyplace h uaunds et
voted:h e
Ib bill
i viziwithn
her ne
el 2 di
Govern-
ment. Such had not been the case, however, with regard
to the constitu'ion of the council. The President of the
bukon of
w file

Board of Control was entitled to every credit for the
candour and ability be had displayed, but be had fore- •
gone the noblest opportunity ever i ffered to so young
a statesman since tae days of Pitt for coupling his
name with an important measure of legislation. The -
noble lord had undervalued the influence he possessed in
that house, as wed as in the country at large, in failing
to carry out what were, no doubt, his own deliberate •
opinions. (Hear, hear.) The Council of India should
consist of the ablest and most experienced men who
could be found, but what the noble 1 rd proposed in his
bill was nothing more than a refacwiamento of the old
Court of Directors. We were not able to form a very
I good government for India, nor was India able to go-
vern herself; but it was our duty to do the best we could
and he regretted that the noble lord bad not surrounded
himself with a more competent body of advisers. His
firm persuasion was that the bill would not last more
than four or five years. It was singular that it did not
contain a single allusion to the native interests of India,
which he thought was an omission great'y to be deplored
as in every previous act the people of India bad been as-
{ cured that their religion would not be disturbed.
Mr. GREGSON enforced the prayer of a petition
which he presented some time ago from Singapore, to
the effect that that settlement should be placed in im-
mediate connection with the hone Government of India,
and expressed the hope that during the recees the Presi•
dent of the Dowd of Control would consider the point.
He regarded it as a great advantage that the noble lord
would be-the first Indian Minister, inasmuch as he bad
visited the country and seen the natives, sad possessed
other advantages which no other man enjoyed. lie
trusted the noble lord would do everything in hia power
to promote commerce, civiiisatiou, and Christianity in
India. lie was glad to think that the noble lord, who
knew something of India, would preside over this new
h
in(efinhieet
g o
prospectsv tn e notf with
a the
bot desire
physicallyi a raonvde
stol;ei
anon ti(oprati
(near.)
to lo);:jr.dc tPtA:.‘, I'm
Ma
many tpTritsOoNf tshaeidb itlhluh7getehliatttthihitibaridligtfrogheitti:ltdlnpoeiont°Baiagnreyttasvints:haogyllatoueetsti
e
alat:hnn:ors.)
TUdtnuihi °Lbsi importance,
nueialacbica:noeitetd'i dsied aGagi Igivledeb:aebhttßioteephaAcr:ttLiti
~7,criiisapnsolsene answernt:lse
to the Ones•
g
lion put by the hon. member
, tor Peterborough (Mr.
observed Czat bi,he:to the East India 'Cern-
pariy bed bad two capacities perfectly distinct. lii one
viect, it was a company possessing a joint stock, entitled
to dividends guaranteed ti them, and to a security fund
for the payment on: those dividends. It was also entitled,
in certain contingencies, to require the redemption of the.
dividends. In its other ciesracter it was the governing
body of India, vul jest, of ckeirse, to the control of the•
Indian COl:Onlietionet6. Inc present bill propo:ed to deal.