New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-07
BRITISH AFFAIRS.

| TFRoM THIS REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSsJ
LoNpoS. July 26.-Mr. Bright has this week
| com United another Of those painful indi-
cretions by which his whole career has
been blotted. He has permitted himself to
make a speech without first ascertaining whether
his views weuld meet the approval of the Court
By the Court do not mean that peripatetic mon
archical institution which is be to found sometimes
at Windsor sometimes at Osborne, sometimes at
Baveno, in North Italy, and more often at Balmoral'
In North Scotland. | mean Peterborough Court.
and | hope there Is no American so be-
nighted as not to know that Peterborough
Court is the headquarters of that unspeakable
journal, which placards all England with the i'm
posing but very statement that 1t has the
largest circulation in the world. Mr.. Brights
speech was on India, subject with which he has
occupied himself all his life long. and on which he
is one Of the first living authorities. He probably
knows as much about India, and English rye IN
India as anybody excepting the learned pun
dit of The Daily Telegraph who once spent
year or two in one of the Ildian Presiden-
cies as an up-country schO0lmaster. But Mr.
Brights knowledge and emnence do not save
him. The pundIt OF Peterborough Court rebukes
him in terms not unlike those which provoked the
famous protest Of Mr. Justice Maue to Sir Richard
Bethel. Mr.. Brights speech is marked by ig-
norance OF Its subject, is absolutely mschevous IN
character aud purpose. and" if Mr.. Bright were
not " licensed by parliamentary privilege and by
the dogmatism OF declining age" would be :" ora
torical treason" Mr. Bright is guilty of B." defama-
ton" his comments are bitter as gall" his re
proaches malignant poison" IL is an g absurd,
eXtravagant and miSchIevous TRADE f; 1t IS one
tissue of ludicrous misconceptions /; his
parallels between England and India are pro
vincial" and "rdculously false and misleading"
Z Id IL audi
something about the country of which he presumes
to talk. and about the work done there "by those
countrymen whom he calumniates, and that Gov
eminent which he reviles."
heard the speech which has called forth these
compliments. thought it a strong and moderate
speech. 1t contained little invectiye. Ii
dealt with facts 1t can be answered by proving
that the alleged facts are not facts. but that
is not attempted. Mr. Bright said that
English rule In India is, In certain partcu-
| lars. unjust, and he named the particulars.
| lie pointed out that the financial admin
Istration is pronigate that English civil servants
! I'm India are paid three-fOld what they are paid
else " here that a larger army than Is wanted is
kept up. and that when the home Government is at
last driven into some effort toward economy il be-
! gins by stopping the construction of public works
the one most useful and Indispensable of all
L
! that in 1888 pledge was given that the Indians
themselves should have to the civil service,
| and that this pledge was renewed by the Queen
! when she took over the government of the country
in 1858. That pledge covers n period OF forty-six
years. During the first twenty. not one native re-
ceiyed any benefit fromit During the ten years
| one native got appointment, ana down to this
| day nine in all have been nominated to sort
| of place. Is that denied If not-aud IL is not
/
complained of the taxation, which every India
official admits TO be oppressive. lie spoke OF the ex-
ira burden laid on the natives by way of providing
famine insurance fund.- which has been shame
lessly diverted to pay for the Afghan War-a war
condemned by almost every man who has any rep
| utation for wisdom or judgment In Indian
| statesmanship." He denounced the Vernacular
! Press ACT, which hands over the native newsDa-
| pers to the discretion Of the English rulers whom
| the native presumes cTticse. Aud he dared to.
say that India Is governed despotcally-which is
an elementary truth-and that despotism is despot-
! ism. whether the despot be Gar or EmpresS--a
mark which almost took away his hearers breath as
! first but which in moment was cheered heartily.
| The policy of which these are items, he condemned
| as q policy of injustice and danger. Who doubts
itP Or who but those who have selfish interest IN
maintaining injustice and leaving others to abide
| the dangerf
"IfD said Mr.. Bright, as he concluded, English
opinion and the English conscience will seize this
question boldl, and deal with it, there may be
remedy If not in my mind the future of India
! and of England connected with it is full of gloom
! and full of peril" SO said the abOlitIopists OF
America OF slavery in its connection with the Union;
| aud were rewarded with much the same sort OF
| comment rs that which have quoted above. Dir.
| Br ght mas been warning on nqutics and monop-
oes and injustice of many sorts all bis life long.
! There was time when 1t was the fashion to revilc
him. People thought il q good sign-a sign of in
| creasinp good temper and moderation IN public life
that the fashion had passed away. But you see
what happens when the apostles voice Is heard
once more crying out against abuses in which
powerful class find the sources of power and of
! wealth.
Dean Stanley has addressed circular to the
newspapers, all of which publish II In conspicuous
yay defending his action III the matter Of the pro-
posed statue OF bust to the late Prince Louis Napo-
Icon The su distance of his excuse is that the Due
! de MontpensIer also u Frenchman, had been al
lowed a memorial there and that the monument TO
| Prince LOUIS would have political significance.
Unhappily he is wrong on both points. The Due
de Montpensier though Frenchman and brother
| IN L0uis Philippe, was a kinsman of the
| reipniuQ family of England. AS SUCH there
! was some kind of propriety in allowing
him a monument in Westminster Abbey.
orr 10 give Dean Stanley the benefit of the distinc
ton he tries 10 set up in that Chapel OF Henry VII
which he speaks of as thing apart from the Abbey,
and Royal Mausoleum. Nor was the Due de Mont
pensier IN any Pretender to the French
throne. The late Prince was, aud because he was
the Deans well-meant efforts to deprive the pro-
| posed memorial of political significance fails and
must fail. | cheerfuily admit that the Dean does
| to hos Huth hoa IN lonly int n