, 1877-01-28
TICKLED WITH 4 STRAW.

| 4 day or two since, IN article was printed
in The TRIBUNE showing the change OF
| policy upon the part of the English Govern
ment in the administration of India, and
how, since the mutiny, instead of seek
| ing to elevate the farmers and tenantry as
before, the Governors General wero paying
court to the aristocraey and giving new priv
ileges to the landholders, as the surest
method of securing the loyalty of the people
and their permanent adhesion to the Grown.
A late issue Of the London Times, containing
description Of the ceremonies at Delhi con-
sequent upon the accession Of VICTORIA as
Empress Of India, contains several particulars
which illustrate this theory Of English policy.
The correspondent Of the Times, who Was
present at the pageant, writes that on tho
following day gazette extraordinary was
published containing lists of the honors
awarded The first notification is the grant
ing of tho salutes Of twenty-one guns for
lifo to tho Maharajnhs Scindia md Holkar,
and the Maharajahs Of four other places,
while forty-6vo smaller Chiefs get salutes
varying from nineteen to nino guns. All the
Governors, Lieutenant G Governors, members
of the Supreme Council, and also
certain Maharajahs, are invested with the
title Of 'sCounselor of the Empress" IL
ties of t'Maharajah" " are conferred upon
number Of native gentlemen, and Of ''Afa-
haranee J" upon en- equal number Of native
ladies. Three hereditary titles are confer
red. The Guikwar is to be called ''Tho
Child Of the English Government Scindia,
The Sword of the Empire ~; aud the Ma
harajah of Cashmere, ssThe Shield of the
Indian Empire" It was a happy day for
conyicts when V1cron1A became Empress,
for on that day 10 per cent of them, being
10000 in number, were released, after the
Oriental fashion, and partial romissions Of
sentence were granted to those imprisoned
for short terms. Even the terms Of the Mu-
tiny Amnesty Of 1859 were enlarged, and all
the actors in that awful tragedy were par
doned upon condition of returning home
and future good behavior. A unique fea-
ture Of the pardon business was the release
Of ell civil prisoners whose debts are not
over 100 rupees and the payment of their
debts by tho State, "A measure Of Executive
c1emency which will arouse lively feeling
of envy in 1ess-favored debtors prisons in
other parts OF the world. The Punjab Col
1ege has been raised to the dignity of uni
rersity, and has the privilege Of eonfe1ing
degrees. The native army is allowed several
advantages of increased bounty md pay.
Tho military order of British India for native |
officers is increased, and overy native in
fantry reg iment is to have brass band.
These arc tho principal agencies relied |
upon by the British Government to secure
the loyalty of the native Chiefs ard eristo-
Gratis to the new Empress Of India. They |
have at least the merit of being inexpensive.
It costs nothing to give the A1aharajah of |
Cashmere twenty-one guns for life, with the
probability that the opportunity may never
occur when it will be necessary to burn pow
der in his honor. Titles Of Counselor of
Tho Empress" t' Mnharnjah," Mnharanee,"
t' The Child Of the English Government"
and = The Shield Of the Indian Empire" are
It is possible, of course, that
Great Britain may secure loyalty at this
cheap figure, but it is also posi-
bio that an emergency may occur OF such
gravity cs to show that these Chiefs hare not
oeen pleased with their rattle nor tickled
Tith their straw.