GOVERN?.IENT OF INDIA

ARCIL0LOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

CENTRAL ARCHIEOLOGICAL

LIBRARY .

ACCESSION NO. 131 IJ.f:2....__ CALL No. '5 4-DBi_I-JJ Jh~O--

J u.ex ,r-'------..L.-----'1

.. -~!K-'lb-s HISTORY~.t o ~~

.....

BRITISH E:MP.ItRE IN INDIA:-v,l b

BY

EDWARD THOR:'\TO~. Escl~

1\UTIIOR OF "INDIA, ITS l!TI\Tr. AND PRO~I'ECTS.'' .. ,, ....

VO J, UM E VI.

954-0cpZ ~to l,ONDON:

W >1. H. II L l. f. N J.. ~ v C n , 7, tJAnJ:Ifn t.Lt. .,.arr.

I~

"'-'-' bJ J. .. tt. eo. -"""" ..... :.,.. (iNM Qve 5U-* u. ... ~,........

_,

..

ADVERTISEMENT.

THll author of the " History of British India" avails himself of the opportunity afforded by the puhlie11tioo of the conclud-ing volume, to express his grateful sense of the patronage extended to it, as well by the public as by the Court of Directors of the East-India Company, whom he has the honour to serve.

Nothing beyond this acknowledgment would have been called for, had not repre-sentations been addressed to the Court by individua.la, who considered that they had reason t(l complain of some animadvenions contained in the work. The author, therefore, feels it incumbent on him to state, that for the views and opinions advanced, either in the present or in the preceding volumes, he, and he alone, is responsible ; and he begs to

VOL. VI.

II AOVRTII>EllENT

add, that he could not conscieutiously have entered on the prepamtion of an historical work, or have persevered in the Jahour, excpt in the exercise of an unJetterl>d judgment.

Tho~e familiar \Vit:h the subjects discussed can scarcely require to be informed that he bas wri tten in this spirit, as the opinions expressed on some very important questions ar(! not in accordance with those known to be entertained by the Court.

CON TEN'l' S

V0Ll1ME Vl.

oHAJ.ren x.xrx. Dilfereocea !.&ween Court of Dlreetors and Boord of Com.

llliRion:m for A.tr.Urt of India relating to dtr.i.rot ol oertain partieo oo King of Oud.,_Application by Booni!D Court of King' a Bench for Mandamus ID compel Court ID tmnl mit ~U:h .. on the .ruhj""t to lndia-Sr.ato ..r Oude-Neoeuitica of Aoopb ul Dnwlah-~cld ... grant ol bondt to Ida credlw.-Mode of ....,u;ng the deb-Propooal a! Va:ier to OOinj>OUnd with his eredito,......Diviilos them into c1 ..... ; nAture ..r divi!ioo - Lu

iv

Meb:alfo abould uoceed to th office of Govemor-Gcnlirul - Oppollition of hill Moj .. ty's Minis- th.,..to-Dclcnco of the Incfuut service by the Court- Threat of .Mlnlot:ero to appoint if Court did not within two months-Opinion of Counsel taken ; opinion fa\'OtU:Ublo to Court-Prc.ident of Board promieu oot lo ap .. poiot without one mouth's notice- Change of Min.ia:te.rs -Lord Hoyt .. bury appointed Govcrnor-O~mentl by the Court, rtnd rtppointmwt approved by the Crown-Another ehange of .Mlnl!t.,..-Appolntmctlt of Lord Heytoabury ncated by the Crown- Carr .. pouden

Jo.meo c...,.., u GaTernOr o( Bombay-flU ~Haute on the ....no... ....aable ....... ol tralinthe c-o( the RaJ-h-Hi.o OetmDiuatian ill &.\'Cur of the miW..t---F"""or .A!iout.e rooo.nlod Ly Governor or Bomliay-ltil vlewaane-tioned by Oovtmor-G.nct-.1 In Couucll-H procet

OOJI'TilHT!.

Asmlll by their ~t-Oboon-atiom thofton-Clalms o( Sboojoh-ool-Mqalk upon AITghsniOfBS o( Shah SboC>jab-Thclr diJpenioo - Gate of Gbumee blown in and place -

ture ol Ko;uk porty-PftporaticJaa for wilhdra'll'iDj; part o( 1M Brililh Army-Capw... o( !Will-~ to

....

e.ntHI into CAutonm(!Ilh-Atlt'mpta-o( Sir \Villiam Mae-nllghren to promore more vigorouo Pro--DUutrn in Kohimm - Extraon!illllry Eo

pooned IO lla Ollictn-ln.uuctio .. IO 0meraJ J>oUodIIID _,_plab!d-Rtproft-otaliono of a.....raJ Pollock and o..o.n.J Non in farour or a boldor oouroo-ConUnued Correapondrnce on. the oubjd Sholl ~ -tkmuki-AtnNI'I required to ~ftt 11. Briti.lh tub. oidl.uy Fo---.surprioe and .., .. oottnnCf a( the A.,..,. - New T .... .,. rcJG

" muy ~ ol Sir Cbarlt. Napiu-Aifair oi Meer lloootum and the 'l'urbom-March oi Sir Chorleo Nopier to EmaWI Gbur-Dfttruotion oi that place-Mojo< Out;rtm rocalkoaod and baoisbed -Applicatiool ol llritiall llaidect for Troopa to oupport llegent roruood by Oo.ertmr-Gmeral-Britilh Reoid

HI STOR Y

BRITISH RMPIRB IN INDIA.

CHAPTER XXIX.

IT wjgbt bnve been c..xpected that the o.rrnngc-ment of the oonAioting clnims of the East-Jndja Compo.uy nnd the mirllst{)rs of the Crown, whlch took place in 1833, would bnve boon followed by, at least, some brief period of repose; but such WllS not the !'let. Enrly in 1 834, rut application on the pru-t of the Crown wns rondo to the Court of King's Bench for n mandrunus to compel tltc Court of Directors, "under the Act of 1703, tn trnnsmit ccrtrun despntebes to the Enst Indies, they having been directed to clo ~o 1Jy the Bottnl " of Commis-&ioners for the Aff'rurs of Indit1. These despntcbes related to the olrurtlS Dlllclc upon lbe King of Oudc

Tbe Act of 1833 {e:.:q>t in a few innan ... , which did oat include the .... in IJUHtfou) wu not ID ecme laiD operation till the 22nd i\ptil, 1834. Tbat of 1813 wu aUmt an thiJ Jubj!t.

I'OL. VT. B

CILU'. X:XTX.

A.D.l834.

CIIAP. XXllt.

2 I!ISTOJtY Oli' me

on tho prui of omo of lhose miprincitlled plunclerct'S mlh whom lndin abounds, and who bovt>r over mi.grm~m1'd Wlthe mtes with the instinct under which liird of proy follow the mnrch of nrmiC". 'ro tho! n~quninted with the mot!Mn history of J udi11, it ";11 lie 11J1llJ!('E!:c;nry to state tlmt Oude, liko ArJH"incipll'~ upon which EBStcm rulers orditutrily nd-miuihr tbcir pocuninry llfftlino. All oxpcricru:c

wnrrnnt~; the ns-.crtion lhllt bi~ creditors ncnr c:ould ha'c expected llu1L their c:lnim ~hould ha'c becu satistictl punetually, !llld to their full extmt; nntl it nmy be rcgnrd~d Ill! quite cortniu that, lmd the Vizil'r thus agrecnhl)

IIRITISlt F.)[]'IJU: l!~ ll'JUIA. 3

ho would not IC!!S hove tJXcceded th

CRAP, XXIX.

4 IDBTORV OP TUB

lieve hiiD.iClf from hi3 COnl!llic.,ted embarras.mwnt~ by recourse to n moJo noL unuunl with &

BRJTISII ID!PIR& IN INDIA.

Court of King's Bench for the means of coercing the otl1cr.

Asoph-uJ-Dowlnh died in 1797. tl1e year alh'r the t'ODIJ'CI"ilion with hi-; Cl'(.tlitol'! was elfceted. To the lemJIOI"'U')' reigu of hi~ sup)lQ!;ed ~on, Vizier Ali, suc-ccedl'h-uJ-Oowlab, IUld, from the detlnithe treaty con~ludLod with thia prince, any recognition of hi:. obligation to ~hnrge tho dcbt.8' of hi prcdcc088or was ij('MIJ1U lously excluded. In the preliminlll'y engagement., them will! a pro.-iioo for tho liquidntioo of the .. jlbt debts" of the former Vizier, aod, ii the elnim of the U!;urious biUlkera could have been regarded M fall ing within t11e category. tbcy might lutve benefited hy tho stipulntion, had it been upheld. But in fraoilng the definitive trcnty this provision wns omitted, aod the following I'C:IS>n waft assigned by the gn'cmor-gencml for its disappenrnnco :-"The obligation eontrnotl>tl by the Nabob, for the pnylllent of tho ju're

CUAP. :\'\IX.

0 fTISTOKY or Ttl

nathc creditol'8, were thus left, nnd properly l~n. to their O\m unn...,.i.ted mcno of inducing n prince. whose mnstcr-pn._"Siou wn.5 n\'nricc, to p:.y dcbtll contrncted by anotbnr. Their succoss was ~uch ns, under the ci:rcum!'tnnccs, might bn\C been ex(l

IIRmSH EJIPIRE IS IN"DIA. 7

lnr IIJld 3fe trnos:tctioo of buinO

CHAP. XXIX.

8

the local government to enter into negotiation with the Vizier on the mlticct. But the court were in-o.xorabl~; they neith!'r pnid the tlUeged debt, nor interposed to nssi;t the olnimnnt.s in reooYering it. In Bengnl the indefntlgnblo money lenders wcro mtlwr moro fortuunte. During tbe odministralion of tbe Mnrquis of ITnstings. 8ll npplication for thl' intcrf=ro of govcmm~nt on thcir bch.Uf wns ml't by a declaration that tho ca.'O wns not one "hich coulll re

DtUTISEI L'II'UlE 11( INDIA. 9

adminire wAS, indeed, a succeoo-ion of printe iutrigoc .. oeattered ocr nc11rly hlunty yeMo, all diroetcd to abet tho designs of the iudefntignble uure"!! upon the li:nnnct'fl of Oult. Souu- of th~ ~~ on e.-idcnro which history t'nnnot rtle'Civc, ruul tlJU preciso menm hy wlticb the clu.lm, nl'tcr repeated rejection~ found fa\'our at the Boord ennnot be blltisfuetorily ~ed. Th.is n, indeed, n period when the good fort\mo of tho

(;IIU'. \XIX.

10 ni~TORY m Tll

l'almer & Co. on tho 1\izru:n ; and now a similar mrusurc wns taken "ith regnrd to c:lrum~ eqnnlly '"''" puwble with those whic!J wNo tbc ol~jccts of pnr-liruncntary nnd mini~tcrinl fo1our in the prr ~hewing CIIUJ!C 11gni11t it, the I icws or the Bonrd hnd, frO Ill some ulothc, uud~rgoue n clmuge, nml the llu!'nt--eucd ml':ISure was sufferN) to drop. 'l'be firmm mnnifested by the Court of Directors, without doubt, lod to tl1is result; tho utter rottenness of tho grouncl UJ'OU which their opponents lll.ood r, Eoq.

I II'""')' St. Ueo~ Truer, Eoq

DBITIBn lll'lllf': IN INDIA. 11

which all law is founded.'' The chairnlJlD, though he did not refu. I R. But tho attempt to compd the Court of Directors to aid, lly thcir authority, the Jm-rigbh.'Ou.s cao.c \IM too extmordio:lry, tmll had been too public to t'l'capo RDimndemon in parliamenL Lord Ellcnboroogh gnvo notice of n motion in tho IIou

CIIAP. LXIX.

A. D. ISlf.

12 IDSTOilY OF Til&

further. Lord Ellenoorough, thereupon, put this further quC~>tion-Upon wbnt gronnd the dclemti-nntion of the Bonrd bud betn taken? The premier naively an;,wercd, thnt be did not know. The Lord Chancellor thou inlt:~rposed, nnd nftor n few preli-minary remnrk~>, said, " Events rune t.a.kcn plnce which hnvo quito put nu enll to the mntter in ques-tion, and have taken away the wl10le grounds of the ca..oc upon wbicb tho procceilinll!! of the Doard of Control wore founded."t But his lordship did not ~tato what thOS6 grounds were, uor what wore tbu events which harl taken them a\\11y. On the 5th of May, J.ord Elll'nborough submitted biB uoticl', which was for pnpurs connL'Clod with the subject. Ilk lonlhlp, in introducing it, ~lntcd !tis reason to be the desire of provooting a miscl1iovous measure, the attempt to carry "bicb, in one way. had been frus-trated from being cHilcted in nnother. lie ~ttlvert(lt) to tho miscmblo condition of Onde, which be allegW

m~t hae been known to the Jlonrd, notl dwell on the pecnlinr incxpedic:'ncy of selecting ~mcb a time for pi'Sed-U"hotbcr by re-)'rescutation only, or whether, if n~ry, rc50rt 11 as lo bo bud to force ; und he urgued tbot tho former coun.e would be Vllin and fmille-s. wbile tbc latter was forbiddcu ulike by Jnw nnd policy. .Alter ing at rome length the origin and bit-lory of the clnims, he pi"OCel

BRlTll!B &liPI&E I$ INDIA. 13

tho clnimnnL-. whom he repn.,.ntccl as more thnn tiJt agent., it bl!ing gencmJJy bclieTed-indeed, his lonlshi p 511id not.orions, tbnt be purehnsed the whole or pnri of the prhaie clrum of the party in who&o nnmc hu bus nppenred." 'rhi8 tHmhn~o, he contended, Willi unlnwful by the pirit nml hlltr of the statute prohibiting British subject~ from ht'ing cMcl'mt'ing made l'llown to the judi(I)S of tbnt court. Butmon. thliD that, I am quite romin~e

CRAP. ){XIX.

14 ffiST()RY OF THE

to law-contmry to cqo.ity- to use force where force was proWbited by Act or Parlinnumt, nod repugnant to t he feelings, the honour, antl tho ]lO!icy or tltitl untion. Therefore, I do not thank the president of lbc Bonrd of Control for witbdr:nving thnt letter, and not Jlrcssing for the mnndamUll. nc could not have sent t:be letter or obtained tho m.-uuln.nJlli!."* Lord Ellcnborough then, with reference to tbe JlOSSible revival, in another shape, of tho abandoned orders on the claim, proceeded to nrgue lhe question on grounds of geollml policy, nnd concluded by sub-mitting Iris motion.

The Lord Chnncellor, whose withering cX]1osure of the "Noozeed affair," two yclll'S be fort-, bad com-manded the admimtioo of nil but such as were iu-teresl;:d in tho matter, now appeared as the cbnm1>i11n of claims qu ite :lB qnestionnble ns thol1e which be bnd fbnuerJydenounced. His lordship entered U fiO~ n vehement. defence of tlao ngout, or nJicgcd ngent, of tile creditors, denying tbnt be hnd purchased the claim of those wllom he professed to rcprw;cnt, bul nt the same time maintairung tbnt if be bnd, the purchase might ba,e becu ronde before the Act re-ferred to by Lord Ellen borough came into opemtion, iu which case it would not lmve beenlainled with iHe-gnlit:y. On this point lhe noble and Jonrncd Joeer was very indignant, observing, in l'Cference to the imlmtn-tion cnst by Lorcl Ellenhorough upon the ngon~ of the olaimnnts, uud by imputntiou upon the Jlri!Sidenl of the Board, " Happily, the venom of this nttack

Mirror of Parlinult!Ut.

IJIUTISII mtl'llt .lN INDI. 15

is accompanied by its antidote." The Lord Cltnnccl-lor then proceeded, at great length, to exllUJine and defend the chnmeter of lbe cilliDlB, :md, nenrly at cqUJtl length, to argue thut the intention of sencling out the offensive despatch bnving been noomloned, there wns no pretence for Lord Ellcnborough's mo-tion. The Duko of Wellington l!tlJ>portcd the mo-tion, and eKprosscd strong feelings of aoncem M

CRAP. XXIX.

A. D. 11134.

16 lnSTORY OF TUZ

cnrried; but thil! wns n poinl of ljtll~ mnm~nt, the ol~cct of bringing it fonmrd being to obt.in 11 public discussion of tho qucstiou.

I~ was not to oo E'X)X'Cled that the ~xtraordinnry proceedingll of tbc BoArd of CoUlmi--ioners for the All&irs of India woulu pn.ss without noti~-e in that ~mbly, which has becu tennou tho gmnu inquest of England. Aceoroingly, on lltc tlth of :May, ~Lr B erries, in the llotL-e of Commons, m1ned for aome papers connect

IIRrriSH F.lll'IR I!> IN 0 lA. 17

llcrril"' nailed himself of nn opening which occurred for brinhoing the IIUitler to thl notice of the llon.

18 IIISTORY 01' Tlll'l

letter fonncd part. l\"M not between tho public anWK:iu!f. Tho kttrr re. femd to wu th111 c!wultriM by Mr. Hem..:-" Tbio lettn oonlo.in one of the matt able argutni!enoltlon for =rreara. It oonitt no lingle point or the

~-thtto it DO blttoricaJ mem~ whkb d DOl car-ried to ita very aou:m:-DQ anthority wbidt hu beeo quot

lJIIITl&R EMPIIU!l IN INDio\. 1!)

Rir Robert Peel folloW"cd Mr. Grant, and plAced the qutl!ltion on its jnst grounds in the ~imple fonn following:-" In point of fnct, thiJ question lies in the narrowest compiiSS, and I wish to nddress myself to those gcntlcmeo who nrc not conYOfl>illlt with the dotnils or it, nml who know nothing of lite Dosses or the A!'llpb-ul-Dowlnhs, nor hnn' onrr bcanl their nam01 mentioned until this night. The ques-tion L. tbiM :-11 debt W1IS contracted by the King of Oudc, forty years ago, for \\ hido be was to pay in-

le~t nt the rate of thirty-5ix PQ

(;II AI'. )\ XJX.

::II III!I'NII\ Of TIU!

non-Jln)'1ncnt of n doiJt witlt o wrong. Wucu did ewr the "L nited Stat~ contrue the non-pn) ment of a debt into n \lroug! If any wbjt-et of the Crown receive nn injury from n foreign ~tnte. you Jtn,c t> right to UJ'Illy tor rcdrc.s, nnd, if rofused, to eompel it ; but it is n perfectly uovcl doctrine, ond, in the llrcsent state of the world, most inron vcnicut, tbnt tho non-payment of n dolJt due to his ~objects givCd to o. premium, when it is kno\111 that the right honoumulo gentle-man Ita!! declared that tho non-payment of n debt, doe to n Britih ouhject by a foreign sUite, is n puhlic wrong, and ghes tho King tho right to in-terfere w;th force to compel its puyrum1t." Mr. Grant had said thAL be did not intend, or con-template, the t'llllloyment of force, and to thi~ Sir ,Robert Peel llllS\\Cred that tho Court .,r Directors UJJderstood that tho use of tbrco was intomlod ; thnt mch, indeed, wns tho only com,truction thllt could properly be put upon a )lllrticulttr direction in the meditated destmtcb; and that tho president, u .,ugh nwnro that tlto direction w118 so 1mdcn;tood by tho court, made no nUcmpt to ~ow that it \\US un "W'tlft11nted. Aner many further remarks, illutrating the impolicy of taking up the claim of tho b:mkcrs, Sir RolJort Peel concluded by rclilrring to tho tiOlSI!i

Mirror of Puliarnall.

DRJTISU F.liPIRE IS INDIA. 2) hie a.s,.umptlon of the govarument of Oude by lhe Briti.b, ond solemnly deproeated, in thn~ cn...-e, lhe commencenHnt uf the c>:ercic of sovereignty, hy Bl'llrOIIriating ele..-cn hnnrlred thou_,.., datod the 3ht May. tl!:l2, all IU. 4:;(),0011."

COAl' XXIX.

CHAP. XXIX.

A.D. ISS~.

22 IDSTOllY OF TUE

vented from following up those proceedings, until the pru-ties hnd ltad fuJI justice clone to them."*

Thus ended tho debato, and here tenninated an afihir in which, hnppily, moral strength was success-ful in resisting nn undue exerci~o of legnl power.t

Tbe course of the borne government of India was not, however, dc~tined long to run smoothly. In the month of August, n letter was recei v11d by the cbnirruan of tho East-India Company from Lord Willinm Bentinek, tendering his lordship's Jesigna-lion of the office of govemor-gencrnl. Sir Chnrles 1\lctcnlfe,t n higWy distinguished civil servant of the

Thi.o quotation il made from tho report oontoincd in the n .Mirror of Pa.rtiament, ... on which nccorute authority the. pre-..Umg notice oC "'me or the porta or Mr. Hume'o opeeeh allo ,...tl. Ill tu10ther highly truttwnrtby Wllrk, " llruunn!'o l'l\r-liamcntnry Debateo," the Collowinz il f>i""n no JMitt oC t11e pro-c:ecdingo oC the Houi!C of Co1nmono of tbe 4tb July, 1822, when Mr. Brougbom moved that petition on this clliim obouW be referred to a commiueo.- u Mr. Uume, illl!tcnd uC looking upon t.hiJ u 3 matter fit forpublieinqniry. thought itaprlVIlte aobject. Lord Comwallio bod dcc!And that the JlOVemment ought not to inttt!erc witb matte,. of privute debt in [odfu, and iC the Mnr que11 \Yelleoley ccnwd!!rod tho prcoeut objeot fit for publie in-li>d'erence, he had bad obundact opportunities or promoting inquiry into the trnnonct:ion. 1f the Houoe tol=tpo4!ition of CI!Cta, ood the biting comments mnde on them.

I It M'U be reeullcctod, thAt be w .. oelected to ouro:ed Sir Oarid Ocl>terlooy in the mouagem

llllrJ'l.Sll EAIJ'mP! IN INDIA. 23

Company, had bem 11ppointed to be tho proisioual succcsor of Lord William llontinck; nne!, on taking into oonsiderotion tho communication of his lord-shiJ's wiEh to retire, the Court of Directors came to a f'(l8o)ution that, "adverting to the public chamctcr :uul sen-ices of Sir Charles M etcalfc, wlwsc know-lctlge, c~ricuce,aml tulent!c, eminently qualify him to Jro61lcuto succe~enant of tbo Cornpnny, "howe\'"er eminent his knowledge, talcuL-., nncl experience" might "conf~y be," the minbtry ngrcod in thcsentimcotswhich llr. C:uruing bud, OIL n fortll.llr oeCIIIIion, exprC8Sed, "thut tho cuse CliO hardly oo coneci ved in which it would be oxpe-dicnt that tho highe..l office or tho government in J odlu. should be filled othenvisc thllll from Englnutl; and that thAt one mAin Link, at least, between the aystcms of the Indinn nod British govcmmiUits ought, for tho advantage or both, to bo in'"llrinhly maintained. On.lhill princi)lle, Hit was added, "it bas usunlly been thought proper to net, nntl iutbe 'arious important measures consequent OIL tho new Chnr-

CIUP. =

CIIAr X' aro Mlioo or the llritih Wando, and lhe pmiOfg

JJRJTISJI EMI'IliE IN INtltA.

Metrolfe; bu L they did not au ll'er the objection to hi~ appointment to remnin unanswered. A letter wns addressed hy the eonrt to 1\fr. Grunt, in answer to his communication, i 11 wbicb letter, after e.~rcssing their conclrrrenco in the opinion of tbe 'King's ministers tbnt n permanent appointment wns to be llr

CUAl'. XXTX.

26 IDSTO!tY OP l'llE

tbnt Sir Charles llotcalfe was a fit person to have boon permanently nppeinted, the Court thns den!~ \vith the genom! question : " The Court of Directors lmvo learnt with deep regret that Sir Charles Met-calfe is considered by his Majesty's government tOII grounds which would excludo the whole service of lndin from that lrigh office. The Court of Directors f1lcl Uttlo disposed to l'ngngo in dis-Cllssing the merits of nn opinion which his Majesty's ministers appear to have adopted upon the a11thority of Mr. Cnnniug. They will only observe, that tho whole course of our trru1Bllctions in Brilish India may be referred to, ns furnishing the most conclusive evidl!llce that the servants of tl1e Company, I>Otb oivil and mililnry, nre eminently qu:ililied for the highest 1mblio trust, and tlmt the importnnt office of governor-genom! has been held by severn! of them ~vitlt the utmost tulvnnt.'lge to tho nationnl iutnrests. 'rhe court will not uunccessnrlly recall to the re-collection of his Majesty's ministers U1ose names which have rendered tbc service of India illustriol18 - that service to whose merits, to wbose talents nnd high tone of chnmcter, Lhc late Mr. Canning has

lt is not tlw leut 11!1D11l"l

BRITISH DO'IlUt I~ lNDlA. 27

himself borne the most unqualified testimony. But tho court cnnnot refn:Un front observing, that, in-dependently of the impolicy of putting forth nny gcncml declnrntion of ineligibility, his Majesty's ministers nppcnr to thQJD to be scarcely justified in propo~ing to narrow tlto choice of tho court, by ex-cluding any class of men, possc'-Sing the nccessnry qnnlilicntioru;, from the office of go\'emor-gencral."

.\ncr cxpres9ng tho ,)c.iro of the court to net in concurn.>nco with the achi.."(!!'S of the Crown. it was intim11ted thllt the expodicnry of milking nn llr-nugtnHmt for filling up tho office of goveruor-genoml woulcl be tnkcn into consideration nt tho proptr time-for it is to bo observed, thnt, though Lord William Bentinck bad tendered his rcsignnlion, mch lender did not, in the eye of tho lnw, amount to nn nctulll TCEignation of offico. The presidt!llt of the Bonrd, bowe,er, nppenro to bn ve tnkeu n different ,jew, nnd to hllnl informed the chairman nn!l

CllAP. XXJX.

A.D. 1834.

A. o. 183$.

28 RISTORY OF' TUE

favourable to tho court, the president of tho l3onrtl intimated that the power of the Crown would not ba exercised to appoint, without gimg a month's notice to the Court of Directors. This WllS certainly no grrot or generous concCl'sion, seeing thnt by In" they were entitled to two months.

The intimation was given in October, 1834, nnd lhuR the matter rested tilJ.Jnnunry, 1885. by which time, the ministerial re\"olntion, ocCMim1ed by tbl death of Earl Spencer, nnd the consequent elevation ofhls son, Lord Althorpe, t tbe Bou.se of Peers, bat! introduced n new cabinet md now counsels. Tho fonuer "llS framed from the party who hnd been C.lclnrled by lbe accession of the Whig!

BRITISII EMl'lnF; IS INDIA. 2!) Hobert. Peel, for the fir>t tim~, held the dtil.'f plaec in it. 'l'be difficulty which hnd prciously imptletl the choice of n goernor-g~:mernJ 110 longer oxiJ;t.. ing, tho Court of Director- pi'CX'ecdlld to oxt>rcise the llO'\'I!l' of nppoinrmcut. Their choice fell upon Lord Ucytesbury, whose OJlJIUintmmt wns immlldintcly uppro~etl by tbo Crown. Sir Cburlcs Metcaifu w;:u; again sclo.'C'letl proiionnlly ~o I!Wl coot! em any YRCaney that might occur by tho lit'tlth. rcs-igMt.ion, or d!!J~uturo of the new governor-gene-ral. Lon! Heytt'l'bmy Willi sworn into office, and, to all ap111!arnnec, the duty of appointing a 6UCCC880r 'llr88 not likcly agnln to be called into exercise until the completion by hb lnrtWlip of the ordinary period of service. But 1

CIHP. XXIX.

so IIISTORY OP TUB

tions of Lord Heyteobury for bis departuro wero complete; but no sooner was the Whig mini:otry agniu in office, lbll!l he rccehed IUl intironlien of tho wish of government thnt he ~hould poslJlOIIO it. 'l'his, after the o:rpirntion of three dnys, Wll.ll followccl by a eommunicn.tion to his lordship of the intention of ministers to od,isc hiA i\laj('!ity to rc-oke the appointment. A conlidentin.l communica-tion of this intention had been pre>iOU!'ly made by thl' pre5ident of the Board to tho cboim1an lind dcputy-dmimlan of tho Comp:rny, :md en il.:i hl'ing carried into olfcet, it wll.ll formnlly llll.D.ounced in n. lctlor from tbe president, in wl1ich he further sloted that ministers did not intend to recommend Llro approval of any suceCi!lor to Lord \Yillinm Dl>nliirck till thnl noblemnn should Juno arrived in Englnncl, hut that no advantnge wcuhl be taken of the dt'lay to exercise the prerogntire of the Crown, to the prejudice of the right of the Court of Directon>. The court, however, were by no means $(l.tiln adopted, the oObct of which wns, to render tho office of govenror-gcnonu one of the prizes of party conflict; to connl'ot tho govl!rnmcnt of India with the Jlarlinmentary strug-gii'A of the United Kingdom, and to 11:1cri6re tho interests of the former country to the alternate gruti6cntion of tim! factions in the latter. They cons(l(Joeotly remonstrnted agninFt the step -wbich hn.d boon taken. Aflor odv(!t'ting to the ci.reum-stnnces of Lord Ilcytl..'libury's nppointmeut, they pointed out the diHcrcnce between the moclo in

DRITU!D EMPIRI!! IN rNDIA. 31

which tho roynl prerogntivo httOijlponing a pcrmonent appointment, with those which they ent.crtniuod n few months before, when they deemed 1111 immediate nppoint-m~nt indispensablt', \IllS pointed out, and, in tho IMt pl1100, the court thus dwelt upon the danger \1 ith whirb the net of lit

lliSTOR Y Ol' TIT

alArm, as respcctl. both Iudits and themsch es. I t hns always been the court's cndea.-onr in their public nets, and espccinlly in their nominations to offiCet of lesoening the autlority of the court. and con"'-qucntly imp:Uriug itS ~fulne55 and efficicn

1llUTI811 EM.Plll IN INDIA. 33

precise t'Xtent of the pledge given to n:>frnio from the exercise of tho royal prerogative to appoint a gcvemor-geocrnl, ~hould tbe right lap!'C by the clelny or tl1o court-which delay was uot their o'm oct, bnt \\1\S irtually impooed on tbem-t111nthor letter was addressed to the pi'C!Oidt'Dt, in which it \\"88 nssumc.l to be tho Intention of ll1e ministry to con-sider tho two months nllowt'IJ to the directors by law for making an appointment as comment-ing from tho nrri~l of Lord William ~ntinck in Eng-land. The nnswor llf the pro!lldeot disolnlmcd this interpretation. but, at the aame tiJue, intimated that be ...,l'Clldy to giTe to the tlcdge tho more ex-tended sense, :md to construe it in tho wny DIDilt ngrcenble to tbo Court of Directors. lndoed, If the concluct nod ln.nguage of Sir John llobhousc throughout this trnnsactioo be considered apart from tho net of which be was either the mover or tho instrument of cnrrying into eOllct, it must in jm-tioo bo rcgnrded as courteous, conciliatory, IUld libernl.

Tho nrrnngcmont by which the choice of n go-vemor-gcncml wn.~ to be postponed till the nrri"nl of Lord Willi:un Bcntinck W'IL.~ discu'l

CllAP. niX.

III8TOR Y 011 Tl!E

but tho fnr more important flO\\'er of recall. lle admiltcd thnt tho plco.lge of tho president of tho Board was sati>sfiu:tory, eo far aa hlmself and hiB col-leagues were couccmcd, but he app-rehended that it -would not be obligatory on a sucueding administru.-tion, lihonld another change take place before tl1e vacancy were wpplie1l. Bot, independently of thi~ danger, he objrcted to lbe principlB of permitting @0 valuablo and importa.nt a trust as that of appointing the govrunor-general of India to y>Ms from tho keeping of the conrt Yolnntllrily, without corre-sponding nd~autagc, and upon grounds alight and inrulcquu.te. " If," ho continued, " his Majesty's ministerS :tre impra.OO with an idea U1nt any party or political feelings would preYent the court's acqui-

~encc in tho appointn1eut of n 6t ancl proper ]lOr son for that high station, l~>incerely believe such an imprl!lSsion to be quito unfowulcd. I fccl assured that the court, without rogar.l to any pnrty, :u-e only desirous that a person abonld be 6clected, whO>& cbn-rnctor and qun.lificntions shn.ll lit him for no office which wny be considered, perhn[IS, tho most impor-tant in the empire, not only in regard to Brillih interests, but ruore particularly as affecting the well-being nnd prosperity of a hundred millioDB of our fellow~te~~turcs, u-bom the in"('mtablu wisdom or 11 Divine Providence bas, iu regions so remote, phtccll nndtr our protection, and subjected to our rult

'l'he court are precluded by law (rom """lUng an ofli.,.r oppointtd by the Cro"n.

BRman &ii[P!RE IN INDIA. 35

D~ply l!(lnsible, therefore, of the important trust committed to onr charg!!, I feel It to be our bounden duty to mnint:~in in\"iolate thOI'o powers which nre conferred upon the court for public object, lllld of which, if wc silently suffer the efficiency to be im-paired. we abllll be lending onl"liCivcs to measures of wbicb our constituent$, parliament, IUid tho public nt Iorge may jWJtly com(llnin." Sir Ric.luord Jl'llkin~ recorded his general roncurrenoo in the views of il!r. Lynll. Mr. Tneker, who had held the office of dmirmllU nt the time of Lord Ucytesburfs appoint-ment, aubtoeqllllDtly add1"881!ed a let ter to the court. in wbi~h be d'fendt.od the character of Lord R oytes-bury, nnd jlllltificd his own conduct. with regard to the choice of that nobl= for office. no referred to the diplomatic l!errices of his lord5hip, and to the sense cntertruned of them, not only by thow agree-ing witl1 him in politicnl sentiments, but also by some of tho leading members of the party of the Whigs. He shewed that Lon! lleytesbu.ry bad beeo continued in the office of ambai!!ador in Rosm by bis political opponcnlt; that it wM at his own ex-press desire, made in oonsequencc of the failure of his health, that he Wll8 permitted to retire; Md that he then received from Lord Pnlmenrton, th!' Secre-tary for tho Foreign Dcprutment in the ministry by whom his lordship wa.~ now displad., a most ft&tter-ing tatimony to his merits and &emces. But the CMe of tho individual, i\lr. TuckeJr observed, was of minor considl'mtion ; the public principle in,olt'l!d

o;_t af c-_,.. Lyall, Eoq., 17111 Junr, 163$. n ~

CII&P ....... ,.,

CHAP. L~IX.

36 mSTORY OF TilE Wl1!l the chief point at issue. "An open attempt.~ he remarked, "hll!l been made to cnncel nn unobjec-tion:~blo appointment, for mero p:uty purposes. By rendering tho governors of I ndio. tho mere dependent nominees of tho ministry holding office during plen-lltlTC, tho adminislmtioo of tho day will ned, upon consi-derations nf political conveniency, on any of t.hotw dw.ng'(!S of administration wbich bue been 110 fre-quent of late yean f Nn doubt the &tatioo will .. till

WIIni!H E)IJ>IBJI IN INDIA. 37

be the object of dl!!'ire to the mcroon.ary and run-bitious; but not to lhO!C eminent aud disinterested mt>n, who alone ought to be tSCiootcd for so great n. nntion11l trust. And whnt "ill bo the cousequcnco or this uttcm pt to introduce tbo distinctions of party into IndiB f What will bo it~ cflect upon the public I!Cr\"llllls, the Europcnn community, and the nnti vo population, which is mpidly acquiring Euro-p

()IIAI1 XXIX

38 BI8TOll Y OP Til

confidence in Utclr own numbers and resources, ns thoy perocive tho foundations of our power to bo shaken. Promotion in the 110rvice will bo eougbt as the reward of political subeerviency, and distinc-tion and office will bo bestowed tn purchase tho base IUld &Ordid services of poUtical partiso.ns in Engl:wd. That high and independent tone of eha-rncter which hns hitherto distinguished our service w!U degcnemto into sellil!hness; while the business of mnnnging ndve1'8e pnrtles will be supemdded to the multitudinous and arduous duties which alrct.dy bear so heavily on our governors, and which seem nlmos:t to transoeod tlte ordinnry pow(!TII of mao. Grently must tho difficulties of tht' &ituntioo bo aggravnted by the WIUlt of pormnncncy in tho

tcnu~by tho want of confidence on tho ran of tho public-by the dituinution of tbat influence which independence n.sually be>otows; and fiCrious will be tho injury to tho public service if the high fuoctionnriea of India, feeling that their !iitulltioJU nrc held only from day to dny, should be dil;cou-raged from undertaldog those extended works of improvement which require timo and persevering labour to bring Lhem to maturity." In eonclu-aion, Mr. Tucker defended himself fJOm what bo regnrdccl na a chnrgo of having com promlsod tho rights of the Court of Directors as to the appolnt-mrot to tho offico of govurnor-genernl, by permitting tho pre5eribed period of two months to ~

Utter from R. St.. G. Tucl

On the 29th J one, tlte attention of tho Hot180 CJW>. of Commons wn.s en !led to tho question by Mr. ~-Prned, who, on tho motion of the Chancellor of A. D. tw. the Excbet1uer, tbllt the order of the dlly for tho committee of supply bo read, moTod an amendment r.alling for lbe production of any communication8 that had pn.ssed between the Bo11rd and the eourt on tho subject of the revocation of the appointment of Lord iloytesbury. After narrating the circom

~t&nees of the c:u;e, tho mover of tho amendment inquired, whether there were any reasons for the objection made to Lon! Hf.'ytesbury-wbether the presidt'nt of the Board would sny that bo did not coo.s:idor tho go'feroment of IndiA would be safe in tho lumds of Lord Heylcsbury-wbctlwr he thought that tho cotnmRDds of the go'-ernmeut, here, would not bo obeyed by the noble lord in India.. U e ad-verted to his JordBhip's diplomatic sernCOI!, and to tbe approbation which they had received from the government; he argued that tho power by which tho 011pointment bad been annulled wu not a matter of pure prorognthe, but wns given by statuto, nod that the ob.-ious purpoo;e of tho !Rw under wblcb it was exerciBcd, and the a.vow01l intentions of its fmmcrs, proved that it ns not designed to apply to snclt a oa8e u that under ttmsidomtion. H e referred to tho famoDB contat, on Indian &liAins, bet~cen the two gretll political l)llrtiett, which torminot.cd in tho triumph of ~lr. Pitt and the p88hlng of the Act of 1 784. " The HoWle," bo ohiicrved, " is tiuniliar with the cir-

CRAl'. xxrx.

40 IUSTORY OF 1"BR

eumstances under which Uu1t Act wns pas:sed. Tho grcnL ditrcronce between the bill of l\ir. Pitt and that which had OC'C!D prc\"iOllhly introduced by Mr. Fox m15 thi~-that the latter went to vest the whole patronage of India tlirectly in oommlss:ioncrs, while the fonner placed it in the hands of the dirce-tors, subJect, however, to the control of the Crown exerej,ed by the Boord of Control, in cases whcro nny abuse might exist. If a mere change of mini .... tcrs iu this country wero to justify n clmnge in tho goTemmcut of India, bow absurd W1l!l it to lenYc to the Court of Directors, a body separate from ami i_ndepcndcnt of ministers, n concurrent shore in tho choice of the person by whom the government of India ijhonld bel administered. The Aet of Mr. Pitt, which gnve to the Comptmy n concuuent ~lmro ill the choice, eould not posably contemplate a chango of tho person chosen for reasons in which the Com-j)Uily hnd no conccm.n In iJilll!tmlion of tbe spirit and object of tho nmln!!('ment of 1784, lli. Praed quoted tbe foUowing oxplrumtion, by 1\lr. Pitt, of tho powers of tho Board. " The principal powen; of the Boord would colk

DlUTI.SU E!IPffiE 1!1 Th'l>U.. 41

the Cmwn, a~ was also the pntronnge or the direc-tors coo tinned to t~cm, by U1o Act of 1833. II it II"Cre dcsirnblo tbnt tho extrnordioary power thus Tested in tbe Crown tihould be ~Jwingly ex~rcised tmdcr tho Act of "1784, much more tlesin1ble Wll8 it under Ute Act of 1833; for under the Act of 17M the Company existed ns n tnuling company; under tbnt of l 833, ns n political body only. Jlow """i.e is it to interfere thus arbitrnrily witb the goTem mont of J ndia by the Compnny. just when wo hnvo

det~nnined to mAintnin the OJril!tence of the Com p:my solely for the Aake of its u.tiUty in tho govont-ruent of Indin." Mr. Praed then refened to the mpposcd precedent afforded by the c:asc of Sir Goorga Dnrlow, which ho nmlntniood wns in fnct no precedent, the cireumstance:. being diJI"crenl. l11! point.cd out tbnt when tho awoiutmcot of Sir Georgo lla.rlow hnd been npprowd, it wad upon the under stnnn>. tberu wns in tbot ca.Ternor-gcneral in bi~ station dependt-nt U}I()U tbo contiuunneo in power or the politienl purt} by which be was pl11tt>

CRAP .XXIX.

42 lSTOllY OP' THE

across the House, to the eJfcet that Lord ReytesliiUJ'", not having nctually assumed the ~,rovernmont, was not " in his station," Mr. Prncd proeeedcd thus to combn~ it:-" Tho appointment was com11leto by tbe Company-the approval wu complete by tlte Crown-tho forms bad aU boon gono through-the expense hnd aJJ been incurred. U the mere want of JIOiiUcaJ sympruhy with Lord Heytesbury mnkes him unfit to hold the governmcmt of India during you.r administration, it wonJd have w~trnmtcd you in recalling him from Calcutta; if it do not make bim so unlit, it does not wrumnt you in preventing bim from proceeding thither." He then reminded tb.e Honse that tho power of :rcvoention by the Crown was not limited to tb.e office of govnmor-gl!oeml-tbat it extended to aJJ subordinate offiCC1'8; o.nd tllat while it wns oxeraised with rcgurd to tho occupant of tbo highest office under the CompliDy to-dny, it might to-morrow be employed for the removnl of tbe most bumble of their senant.l. Alkr refer-ring to tho injury likcly to rosult from tho course taken by mioisteno, to ilie jU!It influence of tbe Compnny in Indio., nnd its c:fficioncy as nn instru-ment for go,eming that country, bo quoted the rcroal'ks of various members of both I [onscs of Par-liament, all bclooging to ilie political party oppooed to Lord Heytcsbury, but aU mnintnlniog tbo impor

A oum proportiontd to the high otation or the office ia poid to Ill outgoinr J!O'"m!Or~

BRITISD llXPili.E IN lli'DI.A. 43

tance of upholding the Company on the ground of hs freedom from party feeling.

After some personal l"Cm&rkB, to which it ill un-neCCEsary more pru-ticulnrly to refer, ~1r. Pmed thus

Tho liut quotation wao from a apcoob or Mr. Cborloa Gnlnt, duriug the diJocuWOb ol 1833, iA which be ooid, " But tbmt Is lllotbor IDOit important oonJidorati011 in connection with the renewal ol the cbarm. By the inc.,rpoaition ol the c-p.ay bonre third aod laot qOO!abon .,... r.- aiJ*cb ol Afr. Afk-aulay, ddi.-....1 in Uoo - y01r with

CIIAP. XXIX.

UISTORY OF Till!

concluded:-" When Jlublic somwts nro Rent to Indin, it is uert to impossible, from the nature of their education nnd their h11bib, for them to judge of questioll8 coDcerning the Indian !;(Wcnunent ex-cept upon looal infontUltion. It is, therefore, tho duty of 11 government to send out tho m09t unpre-judiced men, nncl not to add to the ignornnce of tbe stranger tho zen! of tllC parti~nn. On the 5nnlB principle ought tho Hoo'*l of Commolll! to act in ps...,ing tltoir judgment upon offiaiol nppointmeni:!l to tbc go,cmment of 1 mlia, or otherwise it will ~~tlopt a COUJ'I!C which by genarnl ndmis;oion rnll!lt bo most dctrimentol to tbe public interests."

Sir ;r obn llobhouf'l!, tl8 might be expected from his official position, took the lend in defending tho conduct of the ministry in oupel"'t.'liing Lon! lleJtes-burJ : und after declaring his intention to rofuso tho popen1 moved for, maldng some nn:ruuk.., acconling to tbe prncticc of oil minister~~ on such occtiSioos, on the inconeIiencc of producing papen;, and quoting the nutborily of Lonl Grenville on the mbject, pro-ceeded to st.1to tbo ground on which the C!lbinet hnd ILCted; tbnt gruond being, that Lon! Heytc..bury did not po~'SS their coolidenco. " Tho King's go-vernment," said tho right bononrnble lxlrooct, " bad to consider wholhor it would be tu1swen1ble for J,ord

Heytesbnry'~t government in India or not; and, not wishing to he nnswornblo for it, the cou n.o it had w take was simple nnd obvioll!l. 1 l'eJ.eAL then, tbat oot only were we jw;tificd in viiCilting !lis nppoiot-menl, but wc ere tall"d upon by the COill!Utulion

811ITISII J!MJ'lltJl I~ INDIA. 45

to do 80; Cor it is one of the first principles of the constitution, that there shaU in all cases be respon-sible o.dnsors for eery act done. This is the real cause of Lord lleyte$bury's not going to I ndia.." Proceeding to &~~~~ert the right of tho Crown to re-call, or c:ancol an appointment, be ngo.in referred to the authority of Lord GreoviUc, 11nd quoting a dc-clarntioo of tbnt uoblemllll, that it was alwaJB in-tended by the Act of 1784, tl1at bis Y!Vesty'a ministt'rs sbould b&e the power of recall at d~ tiort, be asked, "Now, iC the honourable mcmlxor admits thi.r-if be tlo not meao to dispute that his Majc.ty's ministers have tho power to recall at their o-wn diocrctioo-whnt just cautiO of complllint bas he to 111Ilke, becauso they now, nt th!'ir diocrction, b&vo V

cnu. nrx.

46 OlSTORY OJ' TilE

quoted an opinion of one of the direcUin. of thP Enst-ludia Company, to the efloct that the goveroor-gcneral of T ndia had ahmys been a political cbame-

t~ of distinction connected with U1o government at home, and tbllt ho mll!t por;sess the confidence of the national government. AI!er llODIO remarks on the flCJSOillll topiC!! introduced by :Ur. Praed, Sir J obn lf obbouse passed to tho allegation thnt uo corrcflpondence blld taken place between the Board &nd tho court. on this occasion, in which rCI!peet the case 'Vied from that of Sir George &rlow. The answer of the president of tho Doanl was, that such correspondence was unnecessary, innsmuch ll5 it was indL")lutablo that Lord Heyte!ibury had not tho con-fidence of his Majesty's ministers, &nd it was quite imposaible for tho court to convinco them that he

~ it, and be added: "To delegate high 110d import4nt duties to men not politically or personally attached to us would bo on the ]lClrt of miniBt.crs ll feeblt'neliS, not only fooliSJ, but fatal. For &fter hoving yielded in tbe ontbOt of the oon.test to a diffi-culty of our own creating, and which a due regard

The ditoetor alluded to wu Henry St. Goorge Tucker, l'.eq., who, in a Ieee..- wlrido be ...J.qumtly ..sm.-.1 to tho Coull ol n;....,ton (part of \fhieh it quoted in pp. 36-38). vindieatort ot the " Mluorol l'arliamooJ>r.' but "K1 mauriaiiT [rom that of tbe "'""'l>"f"'T.

Dllll18II Elfi'UIE lN INDIA. 47

to onr honour nnd interest told us that we ought, at whnte\or risk, to irumr, we bonld have droppod from concession to concession, tiU at last losing eery rernnnnt. not only of power, bot of dmrncter, we 8booJd have fallen, lllld desencdly f&Lieu, covered with the bitter scorn of our encmic~ and tbe con-l

TllSl'Oli.Y Of TnJ'l

to no gi'Ciltcr extent than did Lord II eytesbury that of lho cabinet of Lord Melboul'llc. He con-cluded with an cmph11tie warning, well de't. be the conscqucnac, if tho appointmenL be con-RideJ'C(I a political one; if a Whig government mut ha..-e a \ Vhig govcmor-gencml, Blld n Tory govern-ment a Tory governor-geneml? The per"'il !10 named will carry with him to India his political

Mr. flogg held au uJDce oC high lniit in the Sormae Court. a.o eotablithmtnt with which ...W1

,

BRITISH EMI'IRJI IN fHr>rA. 4!)

feelings nnd bias, nod will there di~tribute his f'll tnmago fur eiL-etionlocring nnd politieal l'"fll'W"'-witbont reference to tbe merits II( tho lndiviclnal; ruul tho public interests will tbus he Mcri6ccd and mined."

Sir Robert Pl'CI took tbl' llame oidc. and "itb re-ference to tLc ndmi,ion that, if Lonl HeytCflbnry ball bco in I111lia, the new administmtion .,.ould nut hno rt'

fHAr xxn.

50 DJBTOilY OF THE

hns been so fully tliseu~ed in 1\ former place, tltnl it mu~t be unn~ry to add any thing here to the ample ref~nces whicb hnvc been rondo to the nrgu-mcnts employed by tho controTer!'ialist,., both in ond out of rarlinment. The ro'Voeation of the nppoint-rucot of Ltlrd Tieyttl!'bury Will! an act of similar rhn-rarter to that by which the appointment of Sir George Barlow wu.s nnnuliNI, but the impropriety was of a more aggravated nature. lL wu one of the strongest in_ON-ibly gnin in any other way.

Lord William l3ontinck, wh0110 nppro.~ching re-tirement hnd led to the d~ntt"' and dioeLJ&

nRm&lf EMl'lll IN O.'l>IA, 51

year 1818, the pre...os h11d benemlly EuroJCans, and disobedience to the orders of the Ci!osurnte wao. liable to he visited witb clCJ>Ort:ttiou-thc Com-pany's gtnermn~nt haing at that period tho power of removing, from all pnrt:l! of Jndiu, any )lOISOII, not nathe born, whoeo residence tbl'I'C was conidered

dangorou~. An A ngh>-1 ntlion uditor, Bt length, re-collecting that this punishment could uot bo opplied to him, sot the goemmenL nt defiance, and nfnscd to bo restrniued bJ tho directions of tho censor. 'l'ho govrmment then made & merit of nece-ity, and re-moved tbo ccnsol'llhip, but sul;qtitutnd n set of rules to \\biclt they ~u.ired tho ('ODduetors of tbt~J*rit>di

~nl press to confonn.t Tl1is wns regnrdctl as

('114P. :\XIX.

52 81STORY OP' THE

who hunrlnted iu the public congmtulotions pourod in upon him with refcrenco to this crtraordint~ry exercise of libcmlity. The press, ind1:ed, wos rr-lion-d from the ccn"Umte, but editors Wt're l'll joined to comply witl1 the rules introduced in d1 place of that more direct check upon publientiou-thl'y were mbukcd by the government, of whi~h t.ht> Mnrt)uis of Hastings wns tilt' hco.d, wb~u tho mles were disrcgllrded, nnd reJroof, nn th1~" ocrn-eions, wns not untninglcd with reference to tl1n power of infiietiog summ:uy puni;;lunent upon Europcon oflcnrlers. Tlo govornor.gent'rnl, indl'Cd, \tho b:ul eulogized a free pres!l, 1111d taken c!'ldit for bestow-ing this boon upon Indio, coultl not with 1lceency be 11 pnrly to thl' infiictiCln of ~uch punishm Wllrnings, in pnssing the bounds proscriber! by thu ml

JJRJT ISTI EMI'IR.e IN lNl>lA. a3

Court rcflbCd to register them, their efl"ect wru~ timitt'Cl. Sueh mLS the blate of the pres- wbco Lord William Dcntioek nrrhetl in India, nnd his lord>bip, though nn ostentnlious upboldcr of liberal mcusures, WAde no change. During bis adminbtratioo, indeed, little or no interfercnoo with tho pres. tO

CIIAP. X lUX.

54 UJSTOR\' 01' THE

as the robstitutc for another. He wns nwnrc, not only that his ndmini~trntion wns tempornry, but tbnt its term "ould be ~bort. He hnd roa.son to bello..-e that ltis successor wns on the sen, and he kuew tb11t \lith tho nrrhnl of that surcesor his authority cntled. He might rrodily imngino tbut tho expoeted go-\l'mor-gencral would oo in pos.ession of the views of tho homo uutboritiC$ on so important n subj~ct, which Sir ChuriC$ Metcnlfe Cl:rtllinly was uot; am! this ndds grcntly to the llDlonnt of his imprudence. Uo knew that, in setting free the prc.-

BBI'T!SR EMPIQ: IY IN'DIA. 55

t-vidence of history ~otrikingly illustrates this prin cipld ngaiol the l.w!l of momllty, or ght-n ulternnco to that wbicb is ful110 as wcllns ;candslou3. This much may be! granted. but thlu follow tbc tlucttlionA-Lo I ntlill in the some >itnntiou with Englnnd? and, if not, l'8ll lbc same d

CUAP. ll"\1~

66 Tlll>"rO.RY tll filE

of free institutimu at all-iuc:b institutiom bn\"ll not, as with the great Saxon communities, gro\1 n witb their progrus.~ ns n JlCOIIe 1111d gntlwrcol

~trength from their gradual clnclopmcnl-thcy nre in lndin exotics, and, like other exotics, nro in oluu0rer either of pcrishlug from oegloct, or, from

injudiciou~ culture, of running into wilt! Wld ra.nk exuberance. If there be ono institnlion uf which nngli5hmoo nre justly proud, it is tlmt of trial hy jury; but trinl by jury Cllllnot cxi.b iu lutli11, is to oo rl'ckonetl the author

BllmSn EliJ'IRE TN lliDIA. (ij

of the mensure hy which it 11'08 cstnbliwh~tl, Sir Cbarlcs !lictcalfu him-elf. Tltc inhabitantq of Cal-cutta lllitlressed him iu tonne of coogrntnlotioo on the occm.iou, and Ito rrp licd in n mnnnor wlticb, if out Jterf'Ctly suitl'ol i;; to COH'l" the lnnd with dnrknc ... ~; for othor11 ise, it mut bt.o udmiltetl to be ono uf tho moo;t impemti VI) duties of a gmcrument to confer the iucakulahle bless-ing. of lnowledge un the pci)Jtlt!; oncl hy ~bat meanR tnn thb ho dune more ollilctually than hy lbe wtnllmincd liberty of publiculion. nnrl by tltu

timul~ 11hit'h it gill'3 lll the l""'c"' of the ruincl (

CIIAP, l\~IX.

CRAP. XXIX.

DlllTORY OF TilE

If tbcir argument be, that the spread of lrnowledgo may eventually be fat:1l to our rule in India, I close with them on that fl'liut, nnd maintain that, wbntever mny be thn CODW(JU\'nce, it is ou:r duty to communi en to the IJoncfits or knowledge. If lnlin euuld only be preserved tiS a purt of the Jll'ilish emJire by keeping ilq inhnbitants in n. state of ignoronce, our dominntion would be n curse to tho country, nnd ought to Ic. 'l'ho promotion of know letlg(}-Of which tho liberty of the pMS is one of the mot ~Ricient instruments-i

BRJTillll F.liJ'mF. IN 1!.-DIA. 59

the nrts IUld sciences of EnroJX!, over tho Jnnd, nnd thereby improve ll1o condition of the JlCOJIIe. No-thing, surely, is more likely to conduce to these ands limn the liberty of the piUS.

" Those who object to it are further bound to shew that it i3 not nlutary for the government and its functionaries to have the chock of n frcu press oo their conduct, 1tntl t.lmt the uxcreiw of nrbitrnry rower over a rc.tricted pre!!! is preferable to thu control of the ltLw~ over tL free Olll!-il...,umption wbioh cnnnot be mninto.iued.~

After dherging, to pnss a lofl:y pnnegyric on Mr. Ad:un, by whom the !!('verer ~traint.supon the press were introduced in thl' year 1823, nnd conj

CIIAI'. l or nny corrcctnet>o ur eonduct. The ri'(INlr ittRueocc nr the rre:

BRITISII ElU'lll 111 ll'oliiA. Gl

respected nnd drenrlod, is disrogrtrdctl and cli~rl'edit!'cl, nod being confounded with the:> mass of indiscrimi-nate nbuct."

The rcmnrkR of Sir Chnrll"' i\lct.calfc huvc been quoted more freely !hUll miglrt llll\'C np1~nred nc:>cell-l!:ll'Y in order that his own defencc of hi own cas~' might be cxhibiwd with ~omrtcption being nlfordtl by tbr prnhibi tion, during the wn.r, nf JIUblii'hing unutirnl inteUijtetlt'P which might have hcen nvnilnblt' to the u

CllAP. XXIX.

62 IUSTORY OF THE thnt "'llS in ordinnry eases rt'f'tricted, nnd tltnt ni(Ule. Wbcre, it may be confitlcnt ly &liked, are the in stances of go' ~mment interfering to check, in any deb'l'('e, tbe dillusion of thnL which mny be prof'Crly called knowled!,>e, whcthc.>r ltislorical, phyRical, or abtltrnct? Tbt> rolers of British I ndia ha'e done much to nid the spread of knowletlgc-nothing to impedc it. The warmest ntlvocntl.'!! for tho dlllusion of knowledge, in India. may don bt tho expediency of e:xpot!i:ng the minds of it people to the inRuencoe of politicnl ngitntors, nod they arc not, therefore, bound to sbow tha~ tbc "essence of good gonmment is to CCTer the land with dnrknc,...," though c,en dnrkncss is preferable to the fnlso nnd clnngerous nwtcor which shines only to betmy. The nsscrtion that, "lf India could only be preser'ed as a. part nf the Britbh empire by kCt'ping its inhnbitnnts in n state of iguortmcc, our dnmilllltion \VOuld be n curse to tho country, and ought to CCik"

DRIT!SO ElO'tltl'! IN INDIA. 63

~~~~wn thnt, hut for the domi1111tion of Englnod, knowledge wonlcll/0 ndv!lllccd nnd extended. Cntdd thi!! be hoped filr fi'Qnt thO!iC into \\bOSl' hands the I(U\'emment would fall, were tltu power trnn

CIIAl'-XXIX-

IH WSTORY OF TIIF.

stale of mental culthation, an nethe intl'rf

BRmSll Dfl'rRll rs ISOlA. fl;j dtimrri1nJ ; bnt his hopes are thooo \1 hir gT(IIlnd as the chnmpion of knowletlgc, by dccl~~riog thni, though its diJfUl!ion might, ovcnlunlly, provo f11t:nl to onr dominion in luclin, our duty wns ll10 same ns though oo hnCh results were to be looked for- and this i tho jlltit mode of l'l'garding ibu matter. We nrc not, from selfish mothe., to \lilhbold from lJulin thnt "bieh it.. people hue M good a right to enjoy M our O\rn. 'Ve are to t-oufer on India all tbo good in onr power. W o a.ro to Ill! ow truth free course, without rogMd to personal or untionru ron-S(){JilOnoos. Tit is is plninly our duty; nml it is to bl' IAntcnted tbnt it should be obtoeurcd, or rendered cloulJlful, hy being mnint.ninL'Cl in Jnnguagc and upon principk"' borrowed from a bad "Cbool. The sneer iu which Sir Charles ~ctcnlfe indul(.ted, in reminding !tis auditors tbat we wcro in India for other pur-po;,cs tlllln merely to collect the rcnmtc;., pny tho cstnblishmeuts, ami get into !lcbt to supply the defiuioucy, might hBvc been ~J'An'd; for no one knew better thnn himself thnt l~oso other pnr-liOl'CS hnd been kept in ,;cw, nod great sacrificCj Tlltldc til promote them. And ncnlr, Jl

CIIAP. XXIX

DISTORT OF 'rHE

Those who object to the acting goTemor-gcneral's 'iews ore required by him " to tibe'~ thot it io not &'llutnry for the go'crnment ond its functioMrics to bnvc the check of a free pres~ on their conduct, nncl tbnt lbo o.xerciso of t\l'bitrnry flower o,er n re5trictetl

pre~s is preferable to the control of the laws over n free o11e-nsromplionJ "blth," be sayl!, " cnnnot be

maintained.~ This lru;t a.o;scrtion is remarkAble, scc-in~r that. in some

BRITISII E:M:PIRE rN INDIA. 67

soldiers and senmen who are their fellow-country-men, nnd held together by the bonds of 11. commu-nity of origin, of lnngnage, of political rights, and, to n. grent extent, of religious belief. It would be worse th3D idJo to Mk whether tho situation of India, bears any resemblance to this ; nnd, where eTery thing else is dift'erent, why ~hon.ld there be tmi-formity upon one point, and one only ? Would Sir Charles ~fetc.tlfe, or any other advocate of tho un-limited freedom of the press in India, be willing to commit the interests of tilllt CoUJJtry to a U ouse of Commons chosen by nod from its people in the snmo miUlllcr ns is that of the United Kingdom? W on.ld it be advisable to iS8Ue mits, eulling upon the clnsses of persons who, in IndiA, mny nppear to possess some degrco of resemblnooo to the forty-shilling frecboldtlr8 of our counties, nod the burgesses of our towns, t~ elect the memhers of n House of Parlia-ment to bo assem blad in Calcutta for the oxcrei~e, with regard to India, of the powers ~d by tlte ldy Lbns elected at home ? Such a fonn of govern-ment may, at some futuro time, become safe, nod when safe, it will be expedient; but llj,"l!S must elapse before India is prepared for institutions as free as those of Britain. l!ione will t;ay that India is as yet prepared for them; and wbUe it is neces-sary-avowedly necessary by the comiuon consmtt of nll- to l\dthbold from the people of India some Q[ the more solid and valuable privileges of our more 1\dvanccd state, bow does it bnppen that it ~thould be nbsolntely nnpnrdonablo to deny litem tho plea-

1' 2

CR~P. L~X.

CUAP. XXIX.

6R IDS1'0RY 011 'l'UK

sure of n;>I~ding unlicemcd now11pnpcrR 1 Th~o who object to n freo press in lndin nrc not IJouml, as Sir Chn.rles Metcalf!' wouhl cont('nd, to abcw tbnt it i not salntnry generally: it is enough tl111t, like many other ]>ri,il~ of tbc like kind, it iq not fitted for T nclln in its precnt stnto. 'J'ho frceclom of public

di

ORITIJH! Eli.PI111! IN INDIA. G9

Jl('lSOnal communication of his opinions. By tho introJuction of the pre-s. his poller of di!Tu,ing thl1lll ill rendered almost unlimited.

H appears that Sir Charles Met

CRAP. 1."(1 't.

70 ffiSTORY OJ' TilE

mcnl would produro nothing but mischief. The child, in time, may become quAlified to guide them aright, o.nd lndin may, in lime, bo prepared for an extent of freedom not inferior to that enjoyed by tho nat.ions most favoured In tbis respect. 'But time is wnnting. Tho freedom of Englishmen is the growth of centuries. Why should it bo thought that in Indin llto~:~mo rcoulls can bo suddenly ~~tAined by inscribing words on a piece of p11pcr or parchment?

In all colonial communitill'!-or commnnilict "b ich. lltongb not 6lrictly colonial in their origin, nrc in tho position of depcndendes--tho cbnmctcr of lbo p!'e'

nJUTmn CO'DU: ~~ umu. 71

Chnr1Cll Metcalfe ac~ms to hnvo p!ll!!led over, for bo conld not bnTe been ignorant of it. With him, n free pn:- was a blc,.qng not only whaten::r mlgbt be the circums~anccs or tbo coun~ry. !Jut, apparently, whatever mighL bo tho cbnmcter of tbo pres-. lL is tmo that, in tho counre of his addre-o, be did nd\"ert to tbe po"'ibility of f~1lnm being autL"C

CUAl. XXIX.

A.D. I~. A. D. 1834.

72

Thc celcbrotcd .Press T.nw was pM~ on the 3nl of Augmt, noel on tho 6th of Jllnrch following, tbc authority of Sir CbnriC!t Metcalfe was SU]lCrsedml to the ..- of tho United Klo;dom is hued OD that of tho clally JDOI'Ding and .....Ung papers of tho mtrvpolis, and tho""'"',.,_ opectable of tho weekly papert, togetbtr with the grt'llt m ... of proriocial J1rium, which, fur tho moJI pari. ooalrlbuto to main-tom the ~ulation of !he pn:oo bJ following tho bonaurable ex ample oet by their metropolitAn lendc,..,

Tho opinloG ola 'ftr'J Wgb aothorit)'-pallllpo, the

BRm~n I:J(p!RJ: IN rNDlA. i3

by tlto nrriv:U of his successor, T.ord Aucklo.nd, who had sOJno months before been nominated to the office by tbo Court. of Directo~ and eonfinned in it by tbo approbation of tho Crown.

m. lordthlp ..... the - or - or tbe -l lteody od '-ta or tbe odminiJtfttioo or Mr. Pitt. IUid

Cll \P. XX~

A. 0.1831.

llll!TORT 01' Tfl&

CLI \ PTER XXX.

Tnc yet~r in which Lortl Aucklnnd nrrii"C

BRlTISR E:.!PlR I )I IS DIA. 75

taken for guarding the pa.lnco nod protecting the property which it contained. More eRbctually to provide for these pui')JOSCl!, a accood order was despatched to tho brigndier in commnnd, requiring him to ~d ofl' finl compnniNI in advnnco to tho palnce, nod to bring do\vo aU tho dL~l>lo trooP"> both infnotry and artillery. In tbe moon time mca-8uro8 woro tnken for investing tho SUCCE'!I~Or rrefll{ nizcd by the Britih govenunrnt with th~ 1xhrnal ensigtlll of sovereignty. This Jlrinoo WBS an WJele of tho deceased King, nnd thl! grourulo DJHm "bich he was supported by the Britih goernmeut we~ these. Sarulut Ali, the grandfather of the monarch Just departed, had ten eons, tho eldt'!'t or whom, muned Onzoe-oo-dot'n llyder, ~ucceedetl him. Ga-l:ce-oo-dron had only one son, Nussccr-oo-d~-en Hyder, tbo unhappy prince wbocc death bad led to tho uec01-ity of making pro1iion for tho ,ncant throne. !'iussoor-oo-dcen had at one tint(IIICknow-ledged tuo "'ilS, but Ito b.'U! ubfocquentl.r di..arowed them, nnl their pretensions wero belicvo~On, have passed to tho seeond or the son' of Saadut Ali; but bt- b11-;c('r-oo-deen, nod, bytbo ;\labome-dan lnw, tbe denlh of nn bdr oororo hi$ right to ucceed bl\1 occme

CRAP. XXX.

.\ D. 1!131.

16 rtlSTORY OF TTitl

ood-Do"Jab, and be it was whom it was proposed to olovnto to the vncnnt mosnud. This intlution WIUI not carried into effect without n struggle. Tho rc;;ident nppnilicuded thtlt the Polbhtlb S..gum. or Quoon Downger, might ullompt some movement in fn,our of one of the pretended liOm:, nnd be bnd (lespatched o. me~~&~gt~ enjoining her to remain at her own residence, situate nlxtut four miles foom tho regal pnlace. Tbe mcs.~oger found tho Begum's

fuUowen~ ready to advance upon the cit~. nnd re-l11n1cd to communicate tho intelligence to the rcsi-

DRm~R EXPIRE r!l INDIA. 77

nclroit driYer, ~uccccded in dll!lbing in ooc leaf of I he gnte, Cnptrtin Pnton nnl'rowly escaping ooiug Crtll'lted by il:!l fnll. An OJK'niug bcing thuH efli.-clod, tho Begum's followors rushed in, C~tptaio Paton being knocked d11wt1 by them and Jllllde pri!nt-r. After n few minutes spent in p:~rlcy, the insurgtnts Jllll!hed on for lho t>aln

78 UJSTORY OF 'TIIFl tho place where ho was etanding with the gullll, an attnck would bo commenced. The time expirerl, and tho Begum ditl not ,,.ail herself of the opportu-nity offered for averting mischict: A fire of grape Wall then opened, IUld a party of Drili'h lrooJl9 pro-cecck'lodge

BBITISII Elll'IIIJ: IN UoDIA. 79

who, it nppeors, might be regnrded rnthor ns nn armed mob than a regular force, the Begum ,cntured to opposo the Briti!h government, wbo-e fmw, t!Jongh numericnlly 'rcak at the time, WM cupnhle of being incrooscd, within n v~ry short period, to n degree of strength wbich wool~ l'l!lldcr wece;;sJul resisumce impossible. When in ~ion of the pnlnce, t hu insorg!nt.s seem to hMc bnd no settled plan of oeliou. Tlu.y placed their puppet on th~ throne, nnd appU' to bnYl! OO.,n contenL Tbe King wns in their power, but they ncitbcr attempted to remove him beyon~ tlJe -reach of Britih niol, nor, what wn~ perhap more to be expt-c:tcd. did tloc) seek to get rid of his rlaim by tho ucrifice of bia lire. This, perhaps, wns owing to fndcd.

CIIIU'. xx.x.

80 mSTOilT OP TirE

I t eooms extmot'dinnry indeed, after allowing fllr all tbctoe circun\Stances, tbaL the Begum's party should so ~ly bne gained rulmission LO tho palace; but it i8 to oo remarked, that tho defence of the pnlace wns in native hands, and it is probable that it waa not merely want of cotD1lge, nor want of vigilance. nor want of nUiiLory skill that led t.o tho result. The following pa.s&nge from a paper drawn up by tho eec:ond-assistant to the n.'Sidc:nt may elucidate tho matter:-" Tho smallness of the guard at that outer gate, there being no force pl11ced on the ou!hido of it, liS the minister posithell dcdal'CS bad beet ordered by bim, and as \\"aii actnnll y done at. so~cral of the others wWch were p!Lc;sctl by Lionten1111t Sbnkcspear on his road to tho N11waub Nu,.,...-er-ood-Dowlab; tho sopioenC!'S of many of the palaeo guards and ser'I'IUlls; the J>em:>roion of orders sent by tho miniater on II liferent occasions ; hiij dcelllTIItion 8inco, that thoro wore mauy traitors in the palaeo-all tend &trongly to induce the suspicion that the gnto was left p1ll')lOSCly wlgunrded t.o the attack of tho Padsbnb Begum's troops. Tho latter, however, bGT-ing onco actn~~llyootered within the palace walls. could, from no position, have been so hapJ'ily expelled witlJ le$ loss t

IIRITlSI[ Elil'l'rRB Tl\1 h'IOIA. 8J

danger tho oontluuaneo of the public peaeo there, they WC!re remo\ed into the Company's territories; tmd tl1is ~tep put nu end to aU nttem1>ts to OIII!U.iJ tho authority of tho ruling prince by force. IU. title, however, wns impugned by Y cmccu-ood-Dowlab, tho eldest son of ShutiJBOOtiDowlnh. The person last named was tbe second 1>011 of Sudut All, arul the elder brothl!l" of lil15liccr-ood-Dowlab, the prince whom the Briti~h gon~nuneut bnd recently plACed no the m"'nud of Oude. Had htlJJL"--Old-Dowlah ~urvivcd his nephew, tho decen..OO king, be would uudoulitedly bn,c been entilled to succeed to tho throne; but, dying before him. he could COD\ I!)" no right tc bis children; the MnhomN.no la' ns alrendy explruned, not admitting the doctrine of rcprescn-llltion. Of this, no one, having even a ~IIgbt ac quaiutance with tho subject, is ignomnt; yet Yemcen-ood-Dowlab set up a claim upon ground~ which, though recognized ns vnlid by tbo Jaw of England and runny other eountrios, are rcjucted by tl1o inter-J>rclen! of the code of Mahomet. It iB but jubt, bowever, to stnto that, on an intimation that hla clnim wns iuadtniSI'ible, he ru:quiesccd nt once in tho decision, and mndc no attempt to pllih his pn:tcnSiom further. A new cWmant thereupon tll'O>C in the JIW'SOn of one namod Akhul-ood-Dow lab, alleged to be tbe second sur\ h;og foOD of Sburu~-Uo" lab, but CliJiiog hlmbUif the cldcat. Tbis pcn;ooage, uuder European nd ,;ce, proceeded tc England, and there addressed the Court nf Directors of tho wt ltailia Comptul}. '!'be foll) of undertaking a long

0

CUAP. XXX.

CIL\P, X-U.

82 DlSTORY OF T([E

voyage to ass~rt a cl:rim known to be nbsolutol~ and undoubtedly btld, ane

BJU'I'HB Eli.PmE IN I!!A. 83

and restored to him much of Uao dignity and &Orne of the power which h claimed to posses.", but bad never before obtninod or ex~ioed. Credulous, in-deed, mw.t be be who relics on the gmtitude of outive princctl. The Marquis of Hulings 11rofessed llO to rely, and, pcrhaJ"', he "u sincere. In the CL"f! or the RJijab of &ttarn the result was thnl whicb bll8 llO frequently occurred, and which might reason-ably be looked for. Tho &jab, at length, became lltspecfed-ioquiry took place; it WliS ~rtaioed that, in contravention of the treaty to which he o..-ed his power, be Wll8 habitually carrying on C!OJTeo-&Jlondence with varioUll parties, &Orne of whom "ere enemies of tbe Britih gonmmeol-that he was fomenting bO&tilitie& ngainst tbnt governmomt.-and, further, it "'US alleged, lUll! to tho sntisfnetion of many proved, that be had attemptA!d to &educe &Ome n&t.ive officers of that go,ernml'nt from Uacir alle-giMec. I t Wll.'l pronxl thnt be had, for 11 long course Of )'Cil11!, carried 00 ll comlllp(IDdeoce With tbe Portogul!"e authorities at Goa, the object or which was to engt~go them in an alliance again.-t tbc Dritil!h government. Portugnl was to funaish an Mny to recover for the Bajab the Mabratta territoriCI', of \vbicb the confederacy had been c!isposses>ed by the English ; noel when tho task WM completed, they were t-o recM'ivc a doe rewvd in money or territory, or both. It is ob'fioll! that tbi.'IO dl'Jiigns wero too wild, ridiculolll!, and extravagant to be entertAined by the most ill-informed EnrOjX'IlU ; but tboy were

0 2

CIIAI'. xu.

I'IIAP. XXX.

IUSTORY OP TilE

not beyond tho lJClicf of nn Oriental prince, who in-dulged in Collies which entitlctl him to be raukod amnng tbe wellkercourse. Tloc fnt't of hi~ tampering with bOidiers in th~,> British

~rviro 1'001115 hardly more doubtful. Certain nfttiTe oflioc"' in tho Cnmpnuy's service professed to have TC('Civt>d from a Umhmin eommunicntions intlicnlive of 1\ powerfully hostile feeling to\\1ll'ds tb!' Britih gov~mnoent. Thc.;c comnounications being reJ>enled, tho coRicersrcported them t() their superiors, and wem inijtructctiW.." -L

BRJTUUI EKPIIlE m L-IDIA. ljij

bo denied thAt upon tho fnco of it mo~h of tha nbove statement is improhahle, but though the oppor1unity was nflbnled him, the Rajah was unnblu to shale it; ond tho improbability iB grmtly IC!I!K'netl on r~ollcdiog the "eal.: and wiltl cbamcl(r of tlw rrincc :tgainst "hom tbu cbnrge Wll8 mndt. 1-'urtlttr, tbe

tlillicul~ies of disbelief RJIIId l ndiiUJ prinCl.'f'. lie dbtrusted lbe .Britj,h go,en1mcm, but he gave credit to tho profcs:;:ions of certain Europ.,nn 11dvkef&; to them ho committed hlmself llUc.l bb intere>~ ruul it will be seen "itb "hat success. There \\atl the be&t

CIIAP. x:u.

Cll.\1'. XXX.

A.n.um.

SG IJISTORY OF TBE disposition to trent him with kindness and iotlulg-eoce. At tho time ..-ben it became necessary to dll'pose of tho Rlljuh's CMe, n now go~ernor nrri ved at Bombay. He Wll3 n man who in former years, when employee} 118 n servant of tho Compnny in diplomatic duties, bad established for hitnllelf the charnctcr of being eoinently tho friend of nntivo prinees and of tho native community. No man ever enjoyed greater popularity in Indin thnn Sir Jnmes Cnmac, who bad now retnmod to take the chief plneo in tho government of Bomblly. He nrrived there on the 30th of ~lny, and on tho 19th of J nne be recorded n minute oxpreslve of his OJinion oo the case of the .Rajnb of &U1.rn. This paper com-meocecl with on avowal that the criminnllty of the Jtajnb bad been clearly proved, and the goTemor then proceeded to inquire bow, under lhe c:ircllm-lltanccs, the offundcr should bo dealt with. Three modes of treating the case wore pointed out : !il'llt, by subjecting tho Ra.jnb to a formal trial, and after inquiry mndo and 8elltence passed, visiting him with npproprio.te punishment; secondly, by proceeding in the mode by which "rongs between indepcndCDt st4tcs are nvonged-commenciug hostilities, taking

~ion of the RajA!' territory. and acting IIi circumst:mees might justify under tbo right of coo-quest; thirdly, by bringing the Rajnb to a sense

It it Mid that intellig

lliU'IJSR CO'llle IN INDIA. 87

of his errors by romonstMlllco, 11nd then ghing him amnesty for the past, in the hope that hiJ futuro conduct might bo more wonhy of his station IUJd hi! rnlatiou to tho BritiRh govommcnt. To the adop-tion of tho first course aevernl objections existed. There was no ordinary tribunal to which tbe Rajah could be made amenable, Md a special one most ba ve boon created for tbo purpose. Again't such a tribunal, however constituted, clamour would be loud. " I lmow, n said Sir James Canw; " that from tho civil and military services of I ndia there would be no difficulty 'rhatevcr iu selecting com-missioners who would perfonn tbdr duty without regan! to any thing but jnsticc; but I need not add, tbnt in the conduct of states, as of indi vidualt, it i5 most important, not only to nvoid wrong, but to make this &Toidanco apparent, and to plaoo the clla-racter of the state for integrity !Uid good faith beyond tho possibility of quc~tlon." Further, tho compe-tency of such a tribunal might haTe bee-n plaUBibly quC$liOned. By a;;uming the JHn

CIJAP. x:u.

88 HISTORY OP Tllf:

men would ha\"0 recoiled, nnd ronny more, neither hones~ nor enlightened, would hn.vc pretcnoJcoJ to recoil from ueh a counoe. All, "ho-e malignity

ngnln~t tho British government bnd been inflnmcd by disappointments; all, whose hope of eubeistt-nce. or of wealth, might rest upon tho exercise of their talt'nt in taking nch11lltftlro of the ignonmcc nnd fC('(]-ing the prejudices of nntiTe prince!!, would haoe 11Rbctcd tho horror of virtuous indignation, nnd have lent theh voices to swell the cborm of pity for an injorod prince, nod of wmth o.gni118t his poworful neighbour. I t i!l, indeed, the part of wisdom to disregnrd euch ebullitions (they being gcnemlly tho product of !'elf-interest, and not of cen mitn.ken philanthropy), but it is nl~ tho pnrt of wisdom to be cnrcful not to ntlord to those who mise them n decent protenco. " This point," Sir J nmes Cam:te observed, "would, I fear, be tnkcn np by nll w!Jo have any feelings of hostility to the British go.-em-roent. Wo should be ~~ecuscoJ of degrading n. 150vere1gn from his acknowledged mnk, of offering violence to his feelings nnd dignity, and of ll!;l!uming a right of superiority to which wo have no jU8t claim. It is not neces.ary to lll!k whether tbel!O

cb~trgcs "-ould be weU or iU founded; it is suRicicnt thAt they would be made, and without necessity the British government ought not, iu my judgn1cnt, to incur them."' If a ho

IIRmSH Elll'UU: IS INDIA. 9

violated the c:onditions of the engagement, was Rt the mercy of tho other pnrty thereto, wWch pnrty WM Rt liberty to t>nforcc ill! rights by Wl\r or ot!Jcrwisc. But tile n('CI!f;!ity for extreme nH'a.urcs he thought did not exist. The Rajah, be remru-ked. c:ould not be regnrded as n very fonnid11blc foe to the Dritisb CmJlire, nod tlmso "~th whom he bad been con-ucded were as little fonnidnblo as himself. No results, it wns obocned, bavo followed, " execpt the tranoforof money to agents. and adenturers"-thlll!e standing C1ItSC'I to Indian prio~. The &jal1 bad, indeed, as WIUJ 8tnt.ed in the minute, mnnifllllted gt'ellt weaknC~~s nml no inconsiclomble portion of in-patitude; but it wns added, "'~o ba~e nothing to fear, and we can afford to act with gene~ty.~ Under ilieioftncnc:o ofiliesc Tie,.11, Sir James Camae gn,o n decided preference to the mildest of the lh roo courses of proct.>eding, and ho suggested either that the resident should mnke a fitting repre-cota-tion to the IUjah, or tiJat this duty should be dit-

ch~ by the govamor in person, tbe latter c:onn10 being, in his judgment, more adri&o.ble. This being done, and the ndmonition duly rcwived nod re-t

!10 n ISTIIRY OF TUl:

which oecUJS ncnr tbe commencement of lbe mi-nute:-" It will be iocooEi$tcnt with our prop, nod lihoultl be ronfinoo only to tho.o which will again pl1tt0 the Rajub in tbe preeitoe situation intended by tho treoty of September, 181!1, and will insure tbo mosl efficient protection to all persons wbo ba ,e lx.-come obnoxjous to him in COOBeqUence of the pru-t they huo taken in recent p~Jll!-" Tho 'iews of Sir Jnmes Carone were ndopted by tbo other mem lx-rs of tbe Dombny government (though, as to tho hnportant question of bow the Rnjah should be treated, opposed to their own~ and the guvemor-gcncrnl in council b11ving fanctioncd tbc grant of nmncsty to tho Rajah, tho proposed condjtions of the grant, nnd tho visit of the go-~emor of Bombay to &tUlro, Sir James Caroao set out witb a s.'ngujne hope of re,cning the Rajah from Uto dnogcrou8 position in which. be bnd been plaeod by the o'il counsel.s of dllt!igniog men, nnd of retoring friendly relations between biru and the Dritish go.-ernment. llo lll'rived at Sattam on tbe

Pr

IIIUTISJi lrnPlnE L'l lNDIA. 91

22ml of August, and on the 23rd had Ills Jlrst inter-view with the Rajah. He explained in Jlnn but con-ciliatory language U1o position in whlch the Rajah stood, and the intentions of tbo British government towards hint ; and among much admirable advice, not the least, valunble portion wns that reforrod to in tho following pnss:~ge of the report made by Sir James Carnac to his council on tho subject of this interview:-" I recalled to Ws recollection the wnrn.ing long ago given to him by his friencl, llf r. Elphlnstone, against placing Ws trust and confi-dence in vnkeels antl low nml intriguing agent;

llfiAP. x.u.

92 lnSTORY OP Till: -and tbeso he rejected. No Mcriflce Wl\8 required -no penalty inRicted-hut the &jab, with a per-verseness rnroly equalled, 8Jlumed tho friendhip which waB tendered him on terms ueitbcr burlkn-some nor

BRITISU EMPIRE IN INDIA. 93

J'C"tore the throne of Scvn~ and bad &!Tected the title of King of the Hindoooo, to nbich hi,. p:~id ad-

ma~tcs bad openly asserted his claims, and bad ac-cused the British go\"cnuucnt nl' injmtice in not

r~~'Ogniziog them. 'rbnt tho iutlolibility of Mnhmttn clo.ims sbonlcl hnYe been Rcrlott'lly nsscrled nntidst the prostrate thrones, Mnhomctnn nnd llindoo, "l1oso fl'llj,'IUents o\"erspread Asin, iJ indeed c:nleu-lnt

CIIAP. LXX.

94 HlSl'ORY 01' Til

~it the tenus offilrcd him, nllhough lbc main con-dition.iru.isted nn miS only a promise of nclhercnee to the treaty by whirh he wa previously bound-the wnaining articlct being of comparntinly trh inl import. It wall, huwcver. in nil Jlrooobility, that fil'!it nrticlc, though it onforood no nPw obligation, that constituted the chief ob

URITil!B EMl'lRE lN INDIA. 05

saw him no more nfter the inteniew whlcb has been lnst notice-

CIIAP-XXX.

CR,o.P. xx:t.

96 BlSI"OR\' OP THE The cnuse of tho futinb Wll8 tAken Ull in Englt\nd

wilh muuh wnrmth, nod "ithont doubt from different moti.-es-motinltl ,arying from those of tho higb&J~t nud most hooournblo cbnrncter to those of tl1e mctlllcst nod lllObt dcspicnble origin. But wchcn tho resources of arguntentntion were cxhn.usted, it could uot be shc'vn tbnt tho llajnh hn.d not 'io!Atod the treaty by which he beld bis tluone. The only qucstion tbnt could "ith fairu0t1~ be rnisod ~'tu~, whether or not he ebould be forgi.-en. Upon dlis point, bowe,-cr, the ad\oelltcs on both sides might hnvo suspended discussion, for tho Rajah obstiuntely refused to be forgil"l'Jl. Sir James Camac left Eug-lnod imjuesscd with a desire to ndoJlt the mildcwt of nil prncticnble modes of dealing with tho delin-quent Rajah, and, it is rcJlartOO and beJic,ed, nno(ld with full authority to oorry his view~ into efl'ect On arrhing in India be recorded his inteution.o, and lost no time in seeking to fulfll tboru. lle required nothing from the Rnjalt bot that he eboold adhere to engagements concluded many years before, and the Rajnb virtually renounced those ongagllm!lllu. The new governor of BombAy, it is to be ob.ened,

ttaled in ~ collection o( pepon on the aubjcd. printed in COD Cormh:y with a reoolution of tho Proprieton of Eut India Stock. Amoog

BRITIAIJ E)(PIRJ! I~ INDIA. 07

&toocl alone in lndiu, in maintaining that the Rajah had not olfendcd l;cyond the I'I)RCIJ of forgivcn(!JS, ft'Co, generous, nnd full. His position, io thill 1'1.'-spect, is thus dc

CHAP. ux.

08 lliSTORY Or TUE

Rajah's trnnsgreo!!ions were too heinous to ndmit of their bcing o..-crlookcd 11Dd forgin-n. I particulnrl) notice thnso fnct.ll, for, nltbough 1 do not apprehend thnt tmy one wiU doubt my ~inccrity, they are of themselves nn llrnplo guarnntee thnt l must bnve earueatly and conscientioul) cndl'a..-oured to suc-ceed in my cxcrtiolll! on th home nuthoritic~. flo did maintain i4 and \\1\S ,anquisbed ouly by tho per-verseness of tho mon whom be WIUI so noxious to protect.t The Rajah \1'115, indeed, to n certain ex-

Minute. lh &pwabor, 1839. t It waull~ thlt the ltajah wulboYictixn of a

BRITISH flMrtRE IN INDIA. !)9

tent misled by others, lJut his nd1rince-tbe feeble representative of 11 robber dynasty, which rose from obsctrrity to grandeur, and thl'l! declined into insignificance with meteoric rapidity- to events of greater clignity and greater intere!o-t; evoots im-portant in themselves and in their widely extended relations. To render the uarrotivc intelligible, 50me

eotimntc o()!I. own importance. lUld be hu olcudy .. iuood otroog .inclinntions to extend hQ co:oneetiooe beyond the limitt pre a, perbopo, for 1m high ... ,, it eventl alford tbe go-romment an early opportunity "'gi"' him lilhcly wuming of the chmgtr he is iDCnrring. or I lhould be nry oppreh""ai

CRAP. lUX.

100 HIIITOR\ OP Tiff.

reference to trenties nnd negotiations of earlier date will be requisite.

The o-tfety of British I n11in on tho west wnrd hnd fro-qucntly been an object of grcnt anxie~y to its mlcn1. ThccouutriC>! inl.l'rv

DRITlSB EMrll!B JN lNDL\. JOJ

by which the Persillll Shnh engaged to exclude U1c Frllllch from satlling in nny part of his dominions, nod to hold the AJI'ghnns in cbook in tbe e\'8Jlt of their attempting to invncle India.

The latter cause for apprehension was sonn re-moved. Zem:mn Shnh was deposed, nnd, according to AsiAtic custom, blinded, in the yeal' in which tl10 tronty with Pelllill. was concluded, Zemaun Sbnb having treated in the same mnnner his elder brother, Hoomayon, whose throne he bnd usurped. The conJueror of Zemaon Shah, and antbor of his suffer-ings. wns another brother, named Mahmood, wl10 speedily found himself engage(! in n coolCRl for the throne with a folll'tb brother, named Shoojah-ool-Moolk, who finally triumpbecl; but, with UllllSUll! clemency, abstained from in.nicting on the man whom he bn.d vanquished tho Jlennlty of blindness. The country, however, contiiJoed tom by fac-tions and dhi.siollll, nnd Shoojnh-ool-Moolk tottered on his throne from the moment thnt be ns-cendcd it.

While Alfghanistnn was thus ceasing to be for-midable, P elllia was reltL~ing in ber 6deUty, 11nd, finnlly, eYen the affectation of good f.'lith was :.bon-doned. The Persian sovereign, in 1806, sent n .mission to Napoleon, tben in tlJo zenith of his power, and with nil Europe, England excepted, p.rostlilte nt his feet. Two years llflel'wnrds a. Freneh mission arrived in Persin, with the I\ VOWed object or cstnblisbing such zelations with tllnt country as might nid the views which N npoleou hnd long

OIIAP. XXX.

CIIAP. ).JOt.

1112 HISTOJtY 01' 1"1Jlt

cltcrisbed, of striking a blow nt the British power io India. nnd it WM rcc:ehed with crtrnortlinr~rr mr~rks of fa.-our and distinction. Lord Minto, a wntcbful nod excellent guardinu of tl1e groot interests com-mitted to his cho.rgt>, iliereupou prepared to connler-act ilie designs of the French Emperor. The allinncc of Persin had pre,ioUJ

BRrriSU EliPffiE lN ll!DIA. 103

land's bitter and irreconcilable foe. Sir Jobn 1\lrucolm . auived o.t Bushire, com:missioned by the governor-general of In din, almost simu lto.neously witt! the lllTival of Sir Harford Jones in J>ersia, o.s pleui-potentillr}' direct from the British Crown. The former met with rm nneourtoous reception, was refused permission to proceed to the eo.pitnl, o.nd directed to communieo.to with inferior authoTities. With this he declined to comply, and ba,ing remon-strated without success, he returned to Calcuttn with-out effecting any thing, ur enjoying an opportunity of effecting ruty thing. Sir lJ.nrford Jones ml't with better f!>rtune. He ndYnnccd to Tehran, and entered into negotiations which tenninated ill the conclu-sion of a prolimin1111 tTeaty, by which the l'cntii\Jl morutrch declared all treaties and agreements which he hnd previously mnde with n:ny of the powers of Europe null 1Uld void from the date of the articles then concluded; and thnt he would not permit any European force to pnss through Ws country towards India. In the event of Pentia being invruled by any European power, Groot Britnin wns to fum:i:.b. n military foree, or, in lien thereof, " n subsidy, with warlike ammunitions, such ziS guns, muskets, &o., nnd officers to the n:mount that may be to the nd>nntngo of both J>arties, for the expulsion of the force invad-ing." Tho oumber of the forces to be furnished, or the nmoUllt of the subsicly ond contribution of n:m-munition, were to be regulated by' lbe definitiYe treaty t~ which that under notice " '11!1 preliminary.

Now Sir Harford Jonea l3rldgtl.

CRAP. n.x.

CIIAP. XXX.

104. IJISTORY OF TIUl

One immedint.c elf('ct of the conclltllion of Lite trcnty wRS the dLqJJiss:Jl of the French mi-~ion. A treaty based 1m thi~ prcliminnry arrnngemen& Wll!l subqe-quently entered into by Sir Gore Ouures." The King of Grent B ritain was not to interfere in dis-pules between tb!' Jlrine('!O, nobleg. and chiefs of Per-sin ; ami it \\'llJl fu rtbcr consid!'mtely provided thnt, "if one of tho cnnU:nding pan:ics shottld e,er offer a pr

Dll.mSIT EMPIRE IN INDL\.. 105

ance, the English government shall not agree to snch a p~oposnl, nor, by adopting it, roosess themselves of snch pnrt of Persia." It was laitl down that tho pu:r pose of the treaty was strictly defensive-that it was concluded only fo? the purpose of repelling nggres-sion- !lnd that the word "aggression" wtl8 to mt'ml an attack upon the territories of nnotber state. This, with ?Oferenca to the ?Olnthe sitnntion of R~n and Penlio., fanned a very proper introduction to tho mention of the fonner country, and tho mode of de-terro.ining the respective limits of the two. This it was pl"OSCribcd should be eO"ooted "according to tbe admission of Great Britain, Pe?Sia. and Russia." The amomt of snbsidy to be paid to Pe?8in, jf in-, aded from Europe, was fuced at two hundred tb(lnsnnd tonmuns annun.lly; but it 'ms not to be paid jf tho war were provoked by any aggression on tbe part of Persia; and, ll8 it was granted solely for military purposes, tbe English minister was to be satisfied of its being duly applied. The Persian government was to be at liberty to employ European officers to discipline its troops, J>rovided such officers did not belong to nations nt war or enmity with Grant Britnin. If nny European power should be engaged in ""IU" with Persia while at peace with England, the latter state was to endeavour to esta-blish a friendly understanding between the bellige-rents ; bot if nnsuccessful, wtl8 to Msist Persin with troops or money, in conformity with tbe preceding articles, for so long a time as that country should continue nt wnr. The bubsidy~11S to be )13id early,

CIL\P. XXX.

CH~P. XX'-

106 lllliTORY OF TIU:

to eDAblo tho party entitled to roooive it to adhere to what wns &tated to be " the custom of Pe11

BRITISH mll'TRE IN I !fill A. 10 7

prohibition were disregarded, the pMalty denounced against disobedience in the former case was to be in-curred. 'fhe obligations of Ibis nrticlc were declAred to be reciproe.~J. In tbe la&t plnce cnme an article pl'Ovidiog lhnt the British government should MEist Persia witlt ships and troops in the Gulf, i.f required, and if convenient and prncticnble; the expenses of such ships nnd Ll'oops l:Jeing defrnyed by Persin, and the sh ips being restricted to certain ports, to be spe-cified, for their anchomge. Such 'VIIS the trenty which, :Ut.er five years of negotiation, Willi concluded. It remained in force, without alteration, till 1828, when the court of Persi:~ found itself in tbc condi-tion not uncommon with Oriental states, pressed by demands which it knew not how to meet, and relldy to sacrifice prospective o.dvantage for present relief. Persin bad been cnguged in a disnstrous war "With Russin, and had been nmerood by the lntter power inn bcavy fine. 'fhe British govet11ment had fel~ inconvenience from tho nrtlcle of the trenty by which they were bound to nHord military or pecu-ninry aid to Persin when engaged ln war, and this nppenrcd a fitting opportunity to get rid of it. An overture for that purpose wns made, and the Pe:n;im prince, in coosidemtion of receiving n sum of money to aid in discbnrgiog the claim or RU8Sln. reluetnntly consented to annul tho fourtb article of tbe trenty under which the oblignlion of the British govern-ment arose, ns well ns the preceding nrticlo which reluted to tbe booJtdnries of RuMia and Persio, nnil gnve Grent Britain a voice in detenniuing them.

CDAP. XXX.

CIIAP. XXX.

108 II!STORY 01' TOE

A few years more rolled on, during which Pcn!i& booune gradually weaker, and RussiB gained a pro-portionate increnso of strength. Indeed, the rise nnd ex:tcn~ion of lhc Russio.n empire nrc nmong lhc most remarkable 1eu of modem timCII, or even of any time. Tho foundations of tbnt empire were laid by Peter the Great ns late ns the eonoluaion of the &e\enteenth century. Before this time l\lu_oeory wns n petty princedom, obscure Ill! it Wll.!l lxubBrou, nod not recognized ns n memkr of t11e community of civilized and Cbrutian states in the west. Sineo that period, the course of the Muscovite poW'cr hu l;ccn, with occ&l'ionnl iotcrn1ptiollll, n CJnrecr of aggression and conquCFJ:. The Czar Peter was a man of extmordinnry energy, o.nd ns unscrupulous ns bo wns energetic. In every rliroctiou he saught the meBDS of extending his territory, wealth, and power. Or his wars with Sweden and Turkey it i8 foreign to the pnrpo~o of this work to &Jlenk; but his designs upon Pema and eventually upon the trade of lndia-for beyond the po$Cb8ion of its trade e\cn tho Mnguin