The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-15 00:00:00

SUPPLY OF FLAX FROM INDIA.

An influential deputation from gentlemen in Scotland,
interested in the growth of flax, had an interview yesterday
with Lord Stanley, in his capacity of Secretary of State for
India, on the subject of the capabilities of India for the
supply of flax to this country. •
Viscount DUNCAN, M.P., having introduced the deputa-
.

tion,
Mr. MILLER, chairman of the Dundee Chamber of Com-
merce, stated that from information which had recently
been received in this country, there was every reason to be-
lieve that flax could be produced in India of fine quality
and texture. Indeed, he had himself received a sample,
which had been fairly tested, and was found to be admi-
rably adapted for the manufacture of canvas for the navy.
The British manufacturer was at present in a somewhat
critical position with respect to the supply of the raw
material. Neither Russia nor Ireland was likely to increase
its production of flax; on the contrary, it was •more than
probable that from the increased value of land, and the
rise in the price of labour, the supply from those sources
would be diminished. Last year the import of flax amounted
only to 50,000 tons, whereas from Russia alone he had
known the imports in former years to reach 80,000 tons.
The question, then' was, how were the wants of the linen
trade to be supplied? A committee had been appointed in
Dundee, with a view to form an association for the purpose
of encouraging the growth of flax in India, and they were
anxious to impress on his lordship the great necessity
which existed for improved means of transit, and of making
some alteration in the tenure of land.
Lord STANLEY said—As far as respects improvements in
the internal communications of India I can only repeat that
we are doing all we can to forward those improvements.
The Government has been spending of its own money upon
railways and public works an average annual sum of
£2,000,000 a-year for some years, and in addition to that
the Indian Government have guaranteed £5 per cent. upon
nearly £40,000,000 of railway capital. I should have no
objection myself to increase the number of those guarantees,
but this does not depend upon the will of the Government.
The state of the money market at present renders it impos-
sible to do so • for we could not throw fresh guarantee secu-
rities into the market without depreciating those in the
market already. When, however, the great railways now
in progress in India are completed the great lines of transit
communication through India will to a great extent supply
the deficiency now so much felt. As far, however, as the
roads were concerned, that was a matter more of local con-
cern than of arrangement in this country.
In reply to a question from Viscount Duncan,
Lord STANLEY said that the instructions which the home
government had sent out would enable the authorities there
to improve the land tenure, and in some cases to create a
species of freehold.
Sir G. OGILVIE—Then, supposing a man builds: a fac-
tory, or establishes a farm, there is no chance of his being
dispossessed.
Lord STANLEY—Just so. This instruction will meet
the
your views exactly.
Sir G. OGILVIE said that an association, which he men-
tioned, intended to distribute prizes among the most suc-
cessful growers of flax in India, and ho inquired of the noble
lordwhether
Governmentthat couldthero awssiasstntoheomb
jecintiotn in
respect ?
LordSTANLEY
principle to the distribution of prizes for that
purpose, but
he thought the growth of flax in India would be much more
influenced by the price the producers could obtain for their
by any premiums for its successful cultivation.
The Government could not encourage the natives to invest
their money or labour in the cultivation of an article unless
there was a prospect of a steady demand for that article for
the future.

—Some further conversation took place, in which it was
stated by several of the manufacturers present that at this
moment it was impossible to obtain a sufficient supply of the
raw material, and that some of the mills were actually
standing in consequence.
Lord STANLEY said that the subject was one of great im-
portance to the country, and that they might depend upon
it it would have the clo§egt attention, of

At the meeting of the Assembly on the sth Feb.,
Mr. Gladstone spoke as follows :
"Mr. President and Gentlemen,
" Her Majesty the Protecting Sovereign desires, by cir-
cumspect but effectual measures to improve, up to their
highest capability, and according to the circumstances of the
times, the existing lonian institutions.
" This is to be done in two ways : First, as between the
lonian and the British element of the Government, by ex-
tending the sphere of the former, and by cautiously con—
tracting the agency of the latter. Secondly, as between the
different lonian elements, by dissociating powers that can-
not conveniently be exercised by the same instrument, and
by establishing the guarantees which experience has proved
to be most effective for the rights and the liberties of all the
classes of the community.
" The principal guarantees of full constitutional freedom
are these : —That personal liberty be subject to restraint
only by law; that exceptional powers of legislation, from
which the representatives of the people are excluded be
abolished ; that neither tax be raised nor public money
spent, on any pretence whatever, except with their autho-
rity ; that they he provided with ready means of bringing
to trial all persons holding public employment, whom they
may conceive it their duty to accuse of grave malversation;
and that, besides this penal responsibility, the Ministers
shall hold office not for a fixed term, but during pleasure ;
in order that they may be in harmony with the legislative
body as well as with the nominating authority.
" The chief guarantees, on the other hand, for the tran-.
quil and stable action of the Government are the follow-
ing :—That the Senate, divested wholly of its executive and
initiative offices, shall have all the weight and indepen-
dence so necessary for its legislative functions; that the
popular Chamber shall neither raise nor spend public money
except upon the demand of the responsible Executive ; that
the disposal of salaried offices by popular election be re-
cnouneed ; and that, if necessity require a partial exception
as to-the members of both Chambers, they shall at least,
when the civil list is re-arranged, receive no more than a
carefully estimated compensation for the expenses which
their post entails upon them, so that the office may be
sought for its duties only, and in no degree for its profits.
I recommend you to bring the lonian law, in this important
particular, more nearly into conformity with that of Greece,
where the members of the lower Chamber receive, in pro-
portion to the charge they incur, less than half what is
allowed in these islands; and I feel assured that the
Assembly will now, as hereto fore, merit the confidence of
the country by a generous and disinterested conduct.
" Of the changes, however, that have been just described,
the greater part relate to the division of powers among the
various lonian elements of the - Government. You will
naturally ask what is proposed in order to limit the action -
of the Protecting Power in your internal affairs ?
"I answer at once, that the greatest of all the changes
proposed in this direction is to be found in the establish-
ment of a Ministry open to the influence of the Chambers,
combined with the effective appropriation to the Assembly
of what is termed the power of the purse. Still, in order to
give greater efficacy to these provisions, you are invited .to
resolve that, upon a joint address from the two Chambers
praying for the removal of a Ministry, it shall cease to hold
office. .

" The Council of Ministers will, wider the natural Pay
of such institutions, become the central power in the adnu-
nistrative system of the country, and the Chief of the
Council will be the head of that power. It is, therefore,
proposed to you that, until more mature circumstances shall
permit of the development of some further plan, the high
station now enjoyed by the President of the Senate shall
attach either to the Council of Ministers collectively or to
its chief. If, however, you should conceive it your first
duty to provide for the dignity of the Presidency rather
than its political activity and power, I should defer to your
wish as the most authentic organ of lonian feeling, and I
should be prepared to frame or to listen to suggestions for
that end. It might perhaps be attained if a plan were
adopted having this for its basis; that the President should
not be liable to lose his dignity and salary within a certain
period; and that he should never lose them by any act of
the Lord High Commissioner, in case the two Chambers
should by address express their desire that he should retain
them.

" The po veers of the Council of Ministers will arise
mainly under three heads
" First, You are invited to declare that to it shall be
carried over the executive powers now attaching to the,
Senate. Secondly, that all acts which the Lord High Com-
missioner now performs by his own sole authority, shall, in
order to their validity, require the countersignature of the
proper responsible Minister; except as to such powers as
her Majesty may, by Order in Council, within a period to
be limited, declare it to be indispensable to retain, either
permanently or for a time, with a view to the due exercise
of the Protectorate. Thirdly, that the acts which he now
accomplishes in concurrence with the Senate, shall here.
after be performed, subject to the like exception under the
reserved power of her Majesty in Council, simply by the
Ministry or by a Minister alone.
"I have next to address you with respect to the legis-
lative veto of the Protectorate. The institutions of the
country are not yet so mature as to permit of an attempt
which may hereafter, under favouring circumstances, be
practicable, to separate between laws which affect the
duties of the Protectorate and laws purely domestic. In
the meantime there is proposed to you a new recognitiox
of the free and substantive action of the Parliament, by
providing that in the case of all future laws, instead of re-
citing in the body of them the approval of the Lord High
Commissioner, it shall suffice to their validity if he shall
attach to them his visa. And you will be free to add, if
you think fit, that the period granted by the Constitution
for the disallowenee of laws in England shall be greatly
reduced.
" In two other vital particulars you are invited to con-
cur in restraining the powers which essentially belong to
the Protection—first, by declaring that the power of rele-
gations under the article of high police-shall be abolished ;
and secondly, that an exceptional, state of law, proclaimed
in cases of actual or approaching disturbance, shall cease
upon the re-establishment of order.
" The Lord High Commissioner must of necessity be ir-
responsible to lonian authority.; but her Majesty deems it
fitting to make further provision for his responsibility to
herself.

" This may be effected in a manner known to the practice
of England, by which any complaint of grave malversation
of office, proceeding from an authorative source, would, in-
stead of passing into the routine of administrative business,
be brought by the Secretary of State to a judicial hearing
before the highest authorities ; I propose to you, therefore,
that when either Chamber shall have presented any suck
complaint against the Lord High Commissioner, it shall
have power to send an agent to England to support it, and
to order payment of his reasonable charges.
" A systematic division of public powers into those which
are internal and those which belong to the Protectorate,
would be scarcely. possible, even under the happiest circum-
stances, to draw in theory and by anticipation. An admi-
nistrative system cannot with safety be subjected to sudden
and general change, and the attempt to sweep• away in a
day the habits and growth of 40 years, would alike injure
and displease the oountyy. Something more might at once
have been attempted in this direction, had .the state of
opinion in your country been so harmonious as to allow of
your co-operating in the first inspection of a plan, instead of
leaving to the Protecting Power its undivided burden and
responsibility; but, in any case, experience would still re-
main the chief and the best guido as to particulars. The
light obtained from daily and confidential relations of busi-
ness between the Lord High Ccimniissioner and the lonian
Ministry would gradually clear the problem. Each must
have the strongest motives for harmony with the other, and
in the operation of these motives will be found to lie the
real means of solving the difficulties of politics.
" T am now speaking to youlanguage which has acquired
historic warrant. lam inviting you to follow the example
of the nations, great and free, which have been content to
establish effectually for themselves the great principles and
guarantees of constitutional government ; and have with-
out fear trusted to experience for the rest, as the only effec-
tual instrument for working out their legitimate conse-
quences, and at the same time for preventing the fatal evils
which might arise from misinterpretation.
" One word with respect to the manner in which seats in
the Senate are to be obtained and held. On this subject
her Majesty has no desire but that the Upper Chamber
should have weight, independence, efficiency, and a separate
and distinctive character.
" A resolution, which I shall recommend, proposes that
the seats shall be held for a term longer than that of the
single Parliament ; and that the body shall consist of a
majority elected by a special constituency, and of a mi-
nority named by the Lord High Commissioner, with the
concurrence of the Ministry, from among a circle of persons
qualified as may be declared by law. lam not able to sug-
gest a better method in which this peculiarly lonian ques-
tion can be dealt with. Still her Majesty does not pre-
clude from entertaining any modification which may ap-
pear to command general favour, and which may be as well
or as better adapted for the attainment of the indispensable
ends that I have described.

" The points which I have now named to you are those
which appear to be essential to a beneficial re-adjustment
of your Constitution. It is requisite that I should give you
fully to understand that the few but important provisions I
have recommended as guarantees for tranquil and stable
government, are tendered to you as a whole. Any vote
impairing any of these would be fatal to the entire plan;
and I must add, with respect to all the leading points I have
touched, that England has kept nothing in reserve ; and that,
if you do not approve the outlines she has laid down, you
may find advantage in dealing with them generally, and
declining to accept them. I feel certain that in any case
the Assembly will meet the question frankly ; and that,
mindful of its dignity, it will discountenance any attempt
to evade by indirect measures the duty of uttering a clear
and intelligible opinion upon proposals of such great mo-
ment to the lonian peeple. In that spirit I act when I in-
form you that any vote, such as to alter materially their
character, would be to shake the whole fabric to its base, and
might at any stage annul the labours previously spent, by
rendering it needful that the whole subject should be re-
considered.
The development of the scheme in its details would
however, if you should accept the bases, of course remain a
subject for future and free deliberation. The adjustment
of them, with the aid of mutual confidence, will, I am per-
suaded, not be difficult.
"Besides the provisions which I have described as ap-
pearing to be essential, I earnestly recommend it to you to
consider whether the adoption of measures for the following
purposes might not be attended with great public advan-
tage :
" 1. That the session of Parliament be annual, and be
ordinarily of two months.
"2. That the 12 months assigned for the disallowance of
lonian laws by the protecting Sovereign be reduced to four
or three.
"3. That each island be represented by at least one
member of the Senate.
"4. That the Senate shall try public functionaries when
impeached; with the advice of the Supreme Council, as
often as required, on points of law.
" 5. That Ministers may be members of either Chamber
—a provision which experience warrants me in describing
as one valuable alike, if not even indispensable, to liberty
and order.
"6. That the Supreme Council be rendered more inde-
pendent both of the Lord High Commissioner and of the
Assembly, with a view to its greater public weight and
utility; and that it be consulted on all judicial appoint-
ments.
" 7, That the large islands he divided into two or three