The Press In India.
The Times, 1824-07-27T00:00:00

'lVe By Siir FRAdNcs MAc- NAoGTZ-, C? ief Jestice itn BelIl.-No Engiishman in In. dia has aaight tothefreedorn en. To ed byih hn in hisnmative ltnd. nete is no law whichgrnats him this freedom. The (ovemment of India is necessatily despotic, antd such a Governmen- cannot stand against a free jressit 2. By ATfr. JOHIN4ADAv, Tem- porar? Governiar of. l1dia- The Legislature has placed the fortunes of every Englishman in India entirely dependent un the will of the Governor tbere; and they may be transported by hini, without trial, or without reason assigned. A free press is incompatible with sucl a power. 3. By tfe COURT of DIR8c- TORS Of tl.e FASr INDIA Cost- PA?JY generally.-There is no Eurenean public, as the greater part 6f the English in India are in the service of t.he Government, and theretbre ouglht not to have a right to express their opinions freely on public questions. 4. BylMr. imprE, Advocateini the Cotrt of tfhe, Bast )'7adih Com. pany.-Although there are mil. lions of native Indians not in the service of Government, yet they are so ignorant as not to know the distirnctions between right and wrong. It is true there is also an Indo British public, as well as British merchants, tradesmen, shopkeepers, and others, not in the setvice of Government; but these have enough to de to attend to their own busitess and a free press is not necessary tor them: in their hands it might become a powerful instrumenit of evil. 5. By hfr. RANDLE J4LCK- so.v.-A free press in Eng- land, is fraught with blessins. In India it would e'idnnger safety of our empire. Where there is other freedom, that of the press may be also allowed; but in India there is no freedom of any kind to justity the use of a free press. The natives of India cannot need it ; because the Coin. rany's seryant3 rule tbeam with great mildness and equity, tand they are consequentlv contented and happy. 6. By Mr. TR.s.wr, late civii I o-W1f iliqC?h cArnCnrtzia.na institutions should always be suited to the existing state of so. cietY. The natives of India are at present incapable of appreciat- ing the blessings of freedom. All are agreed as to Our owing to them this debt; but differ as to the time when it should bedis, charged. .No free press ever ex. isted in a country mo the state in which India now is therefore, a free press at the present moment would not be a bencfit, but a curse to LIdia. 7. By Afajor-Gcncrat Sir JoH.v M.ALcot.-.fPublic dis. cussions on events in India, if freely and fully indulged in Eng- land, will effect all that is re- quired to reform abuses abroae; and thcse discussions will be of more value 8ix msonths after the events to which they -elate have happened, than if indulged at the time, because they will be more cool. For this reason, a free press in India is not neces- sary. It is right that people in India should have as muchlber. ty as is compatible with safety. A free press would not affect that safety: but, nevertheless, a free press would do more harm than good, and sheuld not there. forebe granted. 3 PLIES OFFERED TO THE ARGUMEXNS ALLEGED. 1. Eng1is}tnen in. India have a right to every descriptie,n of fiee. dom enjoyed by them at home, if not expreedly forbdden by law, whicb the freedorn of the press is not. The Governmen of India was not intended to be despotic. The Hindoos have mutif4rious laws-the Mlabomedans' Courts of Justice, and the English Acts of 'arl ent for thteir guidance. A government by law eannot be a govemrnent by will, whith alone is despotism. If this last and a free press cannot stand to- gether, the despotism should fall, and the overnment by izw be es. 2. The legisiature of England has sent out British Courts and British Judges to all the Presi. derides of Indih, to protect the rights and property of British subject from injury; antl no tnan can be lawfully transported without reason assigned. A free press, however, would check the abuse of this assumel authority, and is therefore more especially useful wherb p,& - - r - said and believ;a to exist. - - I 3. BeingaervantofGovemnnent cannot negadve the beingalso one of the public - as the thousands who are in the payandservice of Ahe British Governmcnt, from the Cabinet Mllnisters to the low- est rank Of public officers, are aU included in the British pub- lic, and enjoy the freedom of speech and publication in as great r, degee, at least, as those not in the pay of authority. If qualifi. cation to judge were made the standard of freedom to pronounce that judgment, Government ser- vants in India ought to be, and indeed are, more free than others. They have already a paper of their on, in which the utmost freedom of censure on others is permitted. 4. If the native public of India be unable to distinguish right from w.0ng, they must be nearly in the condition of the brute cre- ation, and the free circulation among them of news"papers in a language which the Ao not un- dersuind, could not e productive of much harm or danger. But if they are ignorant, the press is the only instrarnent that can effectu- ally cure the eviL The Indo- British trader and British mer- chant do need and ask for a free press; and it is as unjust to with. hold it from them because it might be converted to evil par- poses, as it would be to with. hold religion, knowledge, or amy other bl^ssing that might be abused. 5. The same causes generally produce the same effets; and the love of praise and fear of censure which operates so beneficially in England would do the saine in India. Freedom is so far from being destructive of safetv. th3t it is its best ally. America is moresafe than Persia. England more safe than Turkey, in con- sequenceofthegreaterfreedom en- joyed in the one than in theother. It is precisely because there is no other description of freedom-no corporations-no parliament- no checks on abuses except the press, that thisengineis toesseR- tial. If Tepresentative assemblies, public meetings, and trial Ijy Jury prevailed, these might effect what the press is wanted to do; but the entire absenceof all other checks, reuters the press indis- pensable, to prevent uncontrol. ea and iUlimitable oppression. If tbe people of India are really contented and happy, the press would become onc of the most effectual means for convincing the world at largeof the excellence of that system by which they are so well governed 6. To say that no institutionE ought to be introduced into In- u., _gk t 11M t le azs r_]t Pre- pared to appreciate and enjoy them; and that a free press should be withheld till the people 9re wel-informed, i5 equivalent to saying, nO missionaries should go to lndia till the Ilin. doos have become Christians, no schools should be established there, till every mars in it cant read; and no books be pennitted till all are prepared to understand and appreciate their contents As to tbe proper tineof slischarRing an obligation, those to whom it is owig are the best judi4es, and they ask it now. Debtorsare load autlority for the fit time of pay- nsat. And as to the lamenta- ble ignorance of the pee pl, which al parties acknowledsge, instead of being a reason against the utility of the press, it is the strongest argument that could be used in favour of it% immediate adoption to rmove the evil. 7. A free end full discussion of events occurring in India, can. rot be indulged in Engxlnd; 1st, because the India Company here receive onlysuch versions of these events as their servants abroadt choose to send home-2dly, be- cause when sent,theDirectors trill give only such portions of them to the English public as they think fit3dly, becattse even when events transpire, the En$- lishl vress is in constant requisi- tion ror subjects of equal impor- tance nearer home--4thly, be- cause, whatever may be printed in England that should convey a censure on public men in India, cannot be publicly 8old. lent, given away, or even read in that country, withouttrisking fine and imprisonment for the tirst, and banishsent without trial, for the last cf tnese high crimes and misdemeanours. I2B EPRESS IN INDIA. SVDBSTANCE OF T)RX AtGU- XtRTIS AtLEGED AGAINST M*OMITTI-G AFREE PRESS . lv',rn--