Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1914-04-25

II
- the loyalty and affection OF
the people of the great de-
tendency for their white sovereign
than the recent conclusion of the new
treaty between the government OF In
dia and the maharaJa OF Mysore,
writes a correspondent Of the London
Graphic. For the convention. by
greatly raising the status Of an Indian
prince who rules over territory more
than three times the size of Wales, ef-
fectively demonstrates that the notion
that the British wish to ride rough
shod over the rights of Indians-a no
ton which has spread over Hindu
stan in the last ten years. and has
given rise to unrest" and terrorism
is not justified.
Old Restrictions Removed.
To grasp the full significance OF
this change 1t Is necessary to strip
the new treaty of all its technicalities.
and note just how 1t has bettered the
position of the maharaja of Mysore.
To begin with, the document perpet-
yates the title of his highnesss
dynasty to rule over the state,
whereas hitherto the ruling prince or
his successors could hold possession
of and administer the principally only
so long as they fulfilled the conditions
prescribed by the suzerain power. In
the second place, the old restrictions
have been removed which Obliged the
maharaja of Mysore to conform
strictly, at all times. to the advice
offered him by the government Of In
dia In regard to "the management
of his finances, the settlement and
collection of his revenues, the imposi-
ton of taxes, the administration of
Justice, the extension of commerce,
the encouragement of trade, agricul-
ture and industry"-and, in fact, in
any matter concerning the advance
ment of his own interests, the well
fare of his subjects. or his relations
with the British government
Under the terms of the new treaty
the maharaja governs Mysore on the
same basis as that on which the other
premier princes Of India administer
their states. The British disclaim all
intention to interfere with his high
ness in the internal administration of
his state. although discretionary power
Is reserved Gas in the case of all ter
ritories ruled by Indians) to exercise
Intervention II there is gross misman-
agement The maharaja's right to
Mysore and his authority over it are
emphasized by the removal of the pro-
vision requiring the state to grant
land needed by the government of In
dia for railways free of all charge"
In future. proper compensation is to
be paid for all such land.
These improvements in the status
of the maharaja of Mysore form the
browning feature OF the magnanimity
which Great Britain has displayed to-
ward his dynasty. beginning as far
back as 1799 The British, after de-
feating the Moslem usurpers in san
culinary struggle, found the Hindu
heir to the throne wasting away in
deep dungeon. held In durance vile.
They set him free, and installed him
as ruler over the land which they had
the right of the conqueror. they might
have claimed as their own. A genera
ton later. however. the principality
became plunged into such misrule that
the British we're forced to depose its
maharaja and take its administration
into their own hands. For so years
1t formed a province of British India
In 1881 1t was handed back to the
descendants of its old Hindu rulers,
who promised to be true to the trust
that was reposed in them. This ar
rangement, however, was merely a
provisional one.
Admirably. indeed, has Mysore been
governed since April 1. 1881, when
the late Maharaja Chamrajendra Wod-
var was installed as its ruler. On
his death in 1894 the present ma
haraja-his Highress Krishnarajah
Wodyar H.-succeeded him. Being a
minor. his talented mother, her High
ness Vanivilas Sannidhana Kempana
Jamaniayaru, G. l.. was appointed re-
gent. The minority regime came to
an end in August, 1902, and since then
the present ruler has administered hts
territory. Throughout both these
reigns eminent Indian statesmen have
held the post of premier and have had
gifted colleagues associated with
them. The different departments of
state have been managed by capable
officials, in some cases Britons, or In
iians who had gained their expert
ence in British India. Maharaja Krish-