The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

Sir CHAS. WOOD moved for leave to bring in a bill to
provide for the government of India. After entering into
a lengthened detail of what had been done under the pre-
sent system, he addressed himself to the question, what
should be the form of the future government—whether it
should be double, or whether it should he a single autho-
rity, administered by a Secretary of State. Her Majesty's
Ministers had to determine whether the form of the In-
dian Government should remain as it was, or be assumed
by the Executive Government at home ; and they thought
it would be wiser and safer to maintain the present form of
Government, improving its constitution in such a manner
as would render it more fitting for the administration of
Indian affairs. Leaving the relations between the Board
of Control and the Court of Directors as they stood, as
well as the responsibility to that house and the President
of the Board, they proposed to improve the constitution
of the Court, and to impose restrictions upon its patron-
age. They proposed to reduce the number of elected
members of the Court to 12, and to add six named by the
Crown from Indian servants who have been 10 years in the
service of the Crown or the Company, making the num-
ber 18 instead of 24 ; which would obviate the objection
that the best Indian servants could not obtain seats in
the Court. They proposed that one-third of the mem-
bers of the Court should vacate their seats every seven
years, but be immediately re-eligible. They did not
think it fair, however, to tie up the hands of Parliament
for any period from making a change in the form of the
Indian Government, if the experiment should not answer.
It was proposed therefore that it should only continue
until Parliament should otherwise provide. It was in-
tended that the directors should receive £5OO a year, and
the chairman £l,OOO, their powers, privileges, and quali-
fications to be alike. With respect to the limitation of
their patronage, it was proposed to do away altogether
with the nomination to appointments to Haileybury Col-
lege, opening them to unlimited public competition, and
giving them, not by favour, but to merit, and merit alone.
It was proposed to adopt the same course with reference
to appointments to the scientific military branch at Addis-
combe, and to assistant-surgeons. As to the direct appoint-
ments to the Indian army, these, not being fit subjects
for competition, would be left, as at present, in the hands
of the Directors, In respect to the Executive Govern-
ment in India, the principal change proposed was the
separation of the Governorship of Bengal from the Go-
vernor-Generalship, constituting a Lieutenant. Governor of
of that Presidency, continuing the Lieutenant-Governor-
ship of Agra, and giving power to the Supreme Govern-
ment to constitute a new presidency in the districts on
the Indus. It was proposed to improve and enlarge the
powers of the Legislative Council of India, adding two
judges thereto. He then indicated certain alterations
which could not be introduced into the bill, including the
education of civil servants, and securities for the due
qualification of candidates for judicial offices in India, and
the consolidation of the Courts of Sudder Dewanny
Adawlut with the Queen's Courts, the amalgamated
Court being an ultimate Court of appeal, with original
jurisdiction in certain cases ; and concluded a speech of
five hours with a rapid survey of various subordinate
topics—native judges, furloughs, native education, and
the prospects of Christianity in India.
Mr. BRIGHT said the scheme which the Government
had devised bore the marks of its being a half-way
measure, whereby the whole system of homes pocus might-
be carried on just as before. He objected to the bill en-
tirely on the ground of its maintaining the double Govern-
ment, which was a mockery and a delusion, and be was
convinced that it could not be approved by the whole
Cabinet
The debate was then adjourned.