The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-04-06

uprising Of 1857. Since then native
soldiers are stationed in antagonistic
states and moved every two years to
a new district. These sepoy regiments
are always commanded by British Of
ficCrs, and the expense of the army is
paid by levies on the native state and
from the of British India.
1t is easy to see how. under these con-
ditions. a comparatively small army
car keep control.
Position Of the Native States.
A personal experience is instructive
rs showing the position Of the native
states. At the time of my experience
in India l was appointed American
consul to a native state. and, being well
acquainted with the conditions, l first
consulted the British resident, with
whom l was on very friendly terms,
and asked what l should do with my
credentials? He told me to present
them to his highness the m%aharajah,
with whom I was also pretty well &C
Quainted. Asking for an audience, l
Informed him Of the object Of my Wis
it and presented my papers, which he
hesitated to receive until I told him
that I had been instructed by the Brit
ish resident to pursue this course. 1t
was eighteen months before I received
permission to act! This was because l
was accredited to a native state, and
these have but a nominal autonomy,
which is confined strictly to internal
affairs, and rel those under the con-
troll of the British resident.
What England Has Done For India.
There is no doubt England has CIV
en- India In the main peaceful condi-
tons; that she has carried into effect
laws that have done much to amelio-
rate and to eradicate crying abuses
fixed formerly upon the country under
native government. Great tracts of
land have been brought into fruitful
ness that were formerly uncultivated;
the raising of cotton was stimulated
practically forced) as a result of our
civil war; coffee plantations, tea plan
tations and many other products of the
soil, including great fields of wheat,
have been introduced and probably
raised-all adding to the industries of
the country and creating an increased
demand for labor. But If the govern
ment of India is 1.-The government of
Indians for Indians and by Indians"
and "the Bitrish rulers are in India
for the ultimate purpose of teaching
the Indians how to rule themselves"
would it not seem as if, after over a
century of rule, there should be more
visible evidence of what the natives
have gained? The wages they receive
do no increase, and they are also
OvertaXed to the extent that there is
nothing to fall back upon in years of
famine. Indian merchants incidentally
derive some benefit, but the great
bulk Of the profits of exploiting the
land goes to Englishmen.
England certainly has sometimes
sacrificed the interests of India to the
pressure of her own trades and manu-
facturers."
AS a single instance, at the time l
was in India there were in Bombay
eighteen cotton mills doing a profitable
business and mainly financed by Par
sees. Because of their competition with
English manufacturers these mills
were closed by the imposition of a
prohibitive duty on the cotton which
was necessarily imported to mix with
the short Indian staple, and when the
stock in these mills was sufficiently
deprecated in value l understood that
it was bought up by English capital
and the mills again put into operation.
Where lndia's Great Revenues Go.
What of the official side, and where
do the great revenues of the country
go? l wish that l had the statistics
before me, but a general outline will
show, and the candor Of our inform
ants article reveals the truth. Ee
says: "Great Britain receives nothing
in the nature of a tribute from India.
no return Of any kind except for serv-
ices rendered. These, however, are no
more than the fixed axioms Of British
rule all the world over" And he also
adds, "Like every regime that is main
ly bureaucratic and personal, the Brit
l AVA SoNSh Ail1NIll III lANAAu 40 u OuIl ltllJ
mechanical and unimaginative as well
as an alien rule, and the supercilious
and arrogant manners of too many of
Its agents are a source of constant IT,
ritation and ill WILL" AS a friendly
critic l should have hesitated in using
as strong language and I'M indebted to
this English writer for SO plainly ex-
pressing my W impression. but con-
corning the statement that ut is a
principle of British rule to spend on
the dependency all the revenues raised
from it," I should heartily agree with
1t If in the dependency be substituted
for "on," for the of India go
largely to Englishmen also for salaries
and pensions and for the support of
the standing army stationed in the
country for the purpose Of holding the
natives under subsection to British
rule.
The salary of the viceroy of India is