brought it under the power of public opinion. The Marquis of Dalhousie was vigorously criticised for his strenuous struggle that freedom and publicity should be granted to the Indian legislators. But his sagacious and far-seeing mind no doubt perceived that the lease of the Company would not be extended, and that the Government of India must some day be directly vested in a Secretary of State only answerable to Parliament. And in order to provide adequate protection for the people of India against the ignorance, the indiscretions, and the errors of Parliament, he desired to create an independent legislative body. Strong as he was, he may have felt that no GovernorGeneral could withstand the undue interference of the Minister for India and of Parliament unless he was supported by some constitutional body. our prestige, and was one of When the news of the wild fanatic outbreak in 1857 reached President and Council for the England, and the stories of the affairs of India." The Council massacres became widely known, was too small for the work of all classes were affected with government, and too weak for horror. They were ignorant, independence. The entire power not in a mood to discriminate, of nomination was vested in and a verdict of condemnation the Crown, in other words in was passed on the East India Company. History will have to revise the verdict. The Court of Directors were attacked for measures they never originated and some they even opposed. It was Sir John Hobhouse (Lord Broughton), President of the Board of Control, who boasted with regard to the first Afghan War that he "alone did it." But the disastrous retreat of the British troops from Kabul damaged the Minister, and the form of business was to be determined by the Minister and his Council, in other words by the Minister. The day after the second reading of the Bill, Palmerston's Government was overthrown on the question of the Conspiracy to Murder Bill, and Lord Derby became Premier with Disraeli as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the able but imperious and impetuous Lord Ellenborough as President an of the Board of Control. Dis- than Lord Palmerston's, beraeli had now, like Pitt, to do cause it ensured the possession the very thing which a few by the Council of a larger weeks ago he had condemned, amount of knowledge and a and he did it with great skill. larger amount of independence. In introducing his Government When the House met after the of India (No. 2) Bill, he said Easter recess Lord Russell sugthat the House of Commons by gested that, owing to the great agreeing to Lord Palmerston's and decided objections urged Bill had declared by an over- against many of the provisions whelming majority that the of the measure, the House government of India should be should proceed by resolution. transferred from the East India The Chancellor of the ExCompany to her Majesty, and chequer agreed to the sugges it was in deference to this con- tion, and "as the noble Lord viction that he introduced the possesses in the House new measure. The Government authority which no one has now proposed in the first in- more honourably earned or more stance that there should be a deservedly exercised, I must high officer of State-a Minister say it would be more agreeable of the Crown-who should oc- to me if he would propose cupy the rank and fulfil the the Resolution." But Lord duties of a Secretary of State. John Russell was not prepared The new Secretary of State to relieve Government of all was to be President of the responsibility, and he conCouncil of India. The new sidered that "the framing and Council was to consist of eigh- proposing these Resolutions teen members, half being nomin- was a duty which ought proated by the Crown, the other perly to remain in the hands half to be elected-five by the of her Majesty's Government." citizens of London, Manchester, On the 30th of April the first Liverpool, Glasgow, and Bel- resolution-"That it is expefast, four by the holders of dient to transfer the Govern£1000 East India stock, regis- ment of India to the Crown" tered proprietors of £2000 cap- was carried. Before the ital stock of an Indian railway House met to discuss the or of any public work, and second resolution, Lord Ellenthose who had held her Ma- borough had resigned, owing to jesty's commission or the com- the strong indignation excited mission of the Government of by the publication of the secret India for ten years resident in dispatch censuring Lord CanEngland, or who had been in ning for his Oudh proclamathe Civil Service of her Ma- tion. Three objections were jesty in India or in the Civil raised to the dispatch-first, Service of the Government that it prematurely condemned of India for ten years. The Lord Canning; secondly, that system of election was far its terms were unfitting, even too complicated and elaborate, supposing the Proclamation deand it wrecked the Bill. It served condemnation; thirdly, was, however, a better Bill it was detrimental to the authority of the Governor- trading to the East Indies ". General. Lord Russell, in the merchants with the sentiments course of the debate in the and abilities of great statesmen, House, remarked: "It was whose servants founded an Emno doubt a very fine piece of pire which they governed with writing, and may rank with firmness and equity. On the many passages from our class- 1st of November 1858 a royal ics, but was it fitting that the proclamation issued throughout Government should hurl these all India declared the direct sarcasms at a man placed in sovereignty of Queen Victoria the position of the Governor- over all territories whether diGeneral?" Lord Stanley, who rectly administered or through had made a tour through India, native princes. In 1876 the became President of the Board direct sovereignty was emphaof Control. After many nights sised by her Majesty assuming of debate upon resolutions, the the title of Empress of India. House got weary of an acad- It is a matter of regret that emic discussion as to what the the Act which empowered her Bill ought to be, and seeing Majesty to make such addition that there was no hope of com- to her style and title as to her ing to any practical decision may seem fit, did not at the with regard to the proposed same time place beyond the constituency, it determined to pale of discussion the right drop the proceeding by resolu- of the Governor-General to the tion, and leave was granted to title of Viceroy. At present bring in a new bill. On the the Governor-General of India 24th of June the second read- is neither by the warrant of ing of the East India (No. 3) appointment under Our Royal Bill was moved by Lord Stan- Sign Manual nor by any Act ley and carried after a short of Parliament recognised as discussion in the House of Viceroy. In the Proclamation Commons. On the 8th of July by the Queen in Council, Visthe Bill, as amended (and it count Canning was appointed was considerably amended), was "our first Viceroy and Goverread the third time. The Bill nor-General," and his went through its various stages cessors, Elgin, Lawrence, and in the House of Lords with Mayo, were gazetted "Viceroy comparatively little discussion and Governor-General"; but and a few unimportant amend- since then the title Viceroy has ments. On the 2nd of August not been used in the Gazette. the Royal assent was given to The title of Viceroy should be the measure by which the gov- distinctly recognised. As Government of the territories and ernor-General in Council, the all powers vested in or exer- Governor-General is supreme cised by the Company "in head of an executive departtrust for her Majesty" shall ment; as Viceroy he should be cease to be vested in or exer- in the eyes of the native princised by the Company. So ces the direct representative of ended the rule of the "Com- the King and the unmistakable pany of Merchant Adventurers ruler of the Empire. suc ad By the Act of 1858 one of her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State exercises all powers and duties which were exercised by the Company or the Board of Control. A Council was established, called the Council of India, which was not to be a mere consultative body, but "shall, under the Direction of the Secretary of State, conduct the Business transacted in the United Kingdom in relation to the Government of India and the correspondence with India." All correspondence was, however, to be in the name of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is dressed in name by the Indian Government, and signs all the despatches from the India Office. The Secretary of State sits and votes as President of the Council of India, and appoints a Vice-President. He has the power, subject to the exceptions which will be mentioned immediately, to decide questions on which members differ, but any dissentient member may require his opinion to be placed on record-a privilege which has proved of considerable service. The Secretary of State is bound to give reasons, except in urgent cases, for any exercise of his veto. The Act of 1858 contains two provisions which to a certain degree limit the power of the Secretary of State: "No grant or appropriation of any part of the Indian Revenues or of any other property coming into the possession of the Secretary of State in Council by virtue of this Act shall be made without the concurrence of a majority The of votes at a Council." second proviso, which was inserted after grave discussion in the House of Commons, is the more important one, that "except for preventing or repelling actual invasion of her Majesty's Indian possessions, or under other sudden and urgent necessity, the revenues of India shall not, without the consent of both Houses of Parliament, be applicable to defray the expenses of any military operation carried out beyond the external frontiers of such possessions by her Majesty's Forces charged upon such revenues." The spirit, if not the letter, of this provision was broken when, in 1878, the very day after Parliament was adjourned, the Indian Government received orders to send native troops to Malta. No man acquainted with Indian affairs would like to see a more active interference on the part of the House of Commons with the details of administration; but much danger lieth in the Government of India or the Secretary of State being allowed to evade Acts which Parliament has passed on the recommendation of Committees of both Houses, which sat for long periods of time and took the evidence of as many Indian experts as were available whenever the time came round, at intervals of twenty years, for renewing the East India Company's lease of government. If the Acts have grown obsolete let them be repealed, but they cannot be evaded without far-reaching disturbance. The Council of India was created to supply the know authority of the Governor- trading to the East Indies "— General. Lord Russell, in the merchants with the sentiments course of the debate in the and abilities of great statesmen, House, remarked: "It was whose servants founded an Emno doubt a very fine piece of pire which they governed with writing, and may rank with firmness and equity. On the many passages from our class- 1st of November 1858 a royal ics, but was it fitting that the proclamation issued throughout Government should hurl these all India declared the direct sarcasms at a man placed in sovereignty of Queen Victoria the position of the Governor- over all territories whether diGeneral?" Lord Stanley, who rectly administered or through had made a tour through India, native princes. In 1876 the became President of the Board direct sovereignty was emphaof Control. After many nights sised by her Majesty assuming of debate upon resolutions, the the title of Empress of India. House got weary of an acad- It is a matter of regret that emic discussion as to what the the Act which empowered her Bill ought to be, and seeing Majesty to make such addition that there was no hope of com- to her style and title as to her ing to any practical decision may seem fit, did not at the with regard to the proposed same time place beyond the constituency, it determined to pale of discussion the right drop the proceeding by resolu- of the Governor-General to the tion, and leave was granted to title of Viceroy. At present bring in a new bill. On the the Governor-General of India 24th of June the second read- is neither by the warrant of ing of the East India (No. 3) appointment under Our Royal Bill was moved by Lord Stan- Sign Manual nor by any Act ley and carried after a short of Parliament recognised as discussion in the House of Viceroy. In the Proclamation Commons. On the 8th of July by the Queen in Council, Visthe Bill, as amended (and it count Canning was appointed was considerably amended), was our first Viceroy and Goverread the third time. The Bill nor - General," and his went through its various stages cessors, Elgin, Lawrence, and in the House of Lords with Mayo, were gazetted "Viceroy comparatively little discussion and Governor-General"; but and a few unimportant amend- since then the title Viceroy has ments. On the 2nd of August not been used in the Gazette. the Royal assent was given to The title of Viceroy should be the measure by which the gov- distinctly recognised. As Government of the territories and ernor-General in Council, the all powers vested in or exer- Governor-General is supreme cised by the Company "in head of an executive departtrust for her Majesty" shall ment; as Viceroy he should be cease to be vested in or exer- in the eyes of the native princised by the Company. So ces the direct representative of ended the rule of the "Com- the King and the unmistakable pany of Merchant Adventurers ruler of the Empire. 66 suc |