Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-27
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
The old East India Company has fulfilled its mis
sion n curious mission it has been in the history o
government. An immense territory, conquered 70
the purpose, neither OF colonization nor OF snnexa
tion in that enlarged which intends the scces
sion of new and foreign population; an empire sub
dued for the sake OF commerce, has been subjected
to such a government as trading company coulc
supply. This was government of e1tortion-ue
oesssrily so-and its exercise of power would e1tept
no further than the interests of the traders Themselves
were concerned. Ostensibly placed under the super
vision OF royal appointees welding vice regal powers
the trading element stil remained predominant nso
much that, so far India was concerned the powe,
of the ministerial aud parliamentary government wa.
mere instrument in tho hands of the East India
Company. And The domination of the Company car
hardly be dignitied with the title Of government
There was no aggregation Of individual interests Of
social requirements of competing labors employed in
different departments of productive energy which
admitted the application of municipal government
No useless attempt was made to organize, under civil
authority, the barbarous natives of India No hardy
settlers found their way to the coast of Hndosan to
choose there new home to subdue forests 10 till the
SOIL TO become identified with the land of their toll
and exile and leave extended Geld of enterprise to
al offspring who should know no other homest.ads
than the colonial setelpens OF their inheritance.
The soldier and the trader were all uropean resi-
dents of India and these were mere soiournsrs Tbs
law merchant and dihemartisl code were the fundamen
tai statutes o: East India government The East India
Company controlled the application of both, and
pioneered the way faf future system of goyernmen.
tai adaptation. From the nature and motive of its
existence, there was no other plan TO be adopted.
The Offspring of present necessity, this system
would only CO eIist with the same necessity which
called it into eeing The union of ministerial power
and commercial dictation involved two elements the
one welding present supremacy destined to bs sup.
planted by ihe superior power of the other ss coon
as events should justify its exercise.
Hence the gradual encroachment of the roysl gov.
ernmant on the original nmunities of the COMPANY,
which has steadily advanced in proportion as new.
opportunities for governmental organization have
become developed in India. The Directors of the
Company have been deprived of their authoritative
functions, until it has at last become necessity of
practical "~rNdD""I t!,os .ney ui.an e.rpr~a
the emblen,s OF power.
This ia the great object OF Lord Derby's India bill.
The powers Of the Board of Control and the Direc.
tors Of the Company are to be superseded. The new
Council OF Eighteen which the bill proposes to esab
lish, is to be constituted with r;ey 10 ministerial
policy. Lord herb. ,,s arriving to build up party
AT present ne is ihe mere leader Of a faction. The
party move Indicated by the India BILL nust either
terminate in the most egregious miscaculation or il
amost conaummse stroke Of partisan sGcoess. Lor,
Derby proposes nothing lesa then 70 increase hi.
claim to Tory popularity, and, at the same time,
rally his support the strength of ths radical party
At the same time, he has bean obliged to provid.
that East Indian interests shall not be left altogether
without representation.
Four oouncimen are TO be elected by holders o
East India stock. All the rest are to be appointed
according to the several dictates of radical Gnd tor,
policy. Nine are to be appointed ny the queen hv'
to be elected by the cities Of Liverpool, London
Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast.
II would be difficult to device pretier bid thar
this for the favor Of the radical party. In every
country, and in more ,aan in Great Britain, tn,
tendencies CT tho manufacturing and commercia
classes are naturally Democratic. Labor, economy
and intelligence are the great elements of success II
mercantile and mechanical pursuits. Titles and ped
igree social and political dstinctou none of theet
weighs feather in the scale OF success. Thus It il
that the radical party finds its strongholds in the
great emporiums Of trade and mechanic industry.
To give the appointment Of oouncimen to the citie'
Of Liverpool Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast, is t
place each appointment at the disposal of the radca
party. And even in London, where all the inhu
of social srstocrscy concentrated, and where
three generations will toll in The counting room
IN order that the fourth may purchase or marry {
tite the radical interest may be said to bold the
cendant. Among the four councilmen to be choseI
by the stockholders it is also probable that the rsd
cals will obtain another accession of strength. The
same influences which secure for the radical party
the support of the commercial and manufacturing
classes, enable the same party to WELD large pro
portion Of the floating capital of the country, what
ever may be the form in which it is embodied.
Moreover, the prepondersnce OF tho conservative
feature OF the bill s entirely illusory. Half the coun
men are to be sppointeted by the Queen. But tht
Queens appointments are made by the Queens min
istry, and must be distributed with view ito party
tactics. Lord Derby must give the radicals shart
in ths nine appointments Of which he will hold the
patronage or he will mortalIy offend the very part,
which his bill is intendedto conciliate.
Thus, the passage of the India bill must place thu
new government of India in the hands of the rsdica
party. Six radical councilmen, backed by the com
nercal and industrial Influence, will be enough t
rule the roast, where most questions to be decided
will be purely commercial in their ultimate effect.
As to ths abstract merits Of the bill it is difficult Il
imagine how better system could be devised. Th.
idea Of allowing the natives OF India elective re-
preventative government Of their own, would hardl!
meet the appreciation Of the most ultra Democrat
To erect any other representative government il
India would be to place the regulation Of affairs un
der the control of the military and civil employees
the Crown and the East India Company. The Brit
ish Ministry canno, exercise an Immediate contro
over all the interests of remote province. Still lee
would the British Parliament regulate with sueien
prompituds and accuracy the necessary details o.
commercial adjustment. The control formerly e1er
cised by the East India Company ia lost beyond th'
possibility of redemption.
The Government of India must be entrusted to
small body of men, who will combine, to some ex
tent Legislative with Executive authority, and wh'
will best represent the entire commercial and indus
trial classes who have the greatest stake in the ma
nagement Of Indian affairs.
<A<
We learn from reliable sources O: washington tina
the bill, reported by the kansas Committee of Con
ference will pass the Senate by handsome majority
and that in reasonable time their action will be en-
dorsed by the House. 1t is to be hoped that the few
Southern Democrats who seem to hesitate about tht
propriety OF the adjustment may ct an early day hndi
consistent with their duty to act with the great body
of the Democracy in securing settlement of thi
ve1ed question upon the satisfactory basis Of com
promise, which characterzes the report of the Com
mtee TIE subject will be before both Houses to day
The Ohio Legislature adjourned April lS The las
scenes consisted OF singing Aud Lang Syne' ot II
the Silly Night, SO.