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Leader (1850-1860), 19th March 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 23, ence or general progress. The aims of th...

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      ¦'¦ ¦ , '¦ . ,, ,. , Mol The Leader. : 3...

      ¦'¦ ¦ , '¦ . ,, ,. , THE LEADER . : 376

      India And Indian Progress,

      INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS ,

      Ence Or General Progress. The Aims Of Th...

      ence or general progress . The aims of those who have been assailed as the enemies of the natives —as the " foreign party "—are very different . The statesmen in the India House , and in the Governments and 'Co . mmissioncrsl . iips' of India ,, agree with their ¦ countrymen in seeking- to elevate the native . They do not wish to keep up the sovereign claims of individuals which are prejudicial to the community '; but they are earnest in providing for the political education and general a . ( lvanfii > raent of the natives .

      One most important measure , which is now taking , effect throughout India * is the appointment of municipal co-minis ^ ioris : ind local ro : id boards ; and although these have met with the bitter hostility of the monopolists , they are the" mean ? of creating a spirit .. of energy and independency among the higher classes of the community . As a nintter of course , Englishmen inust T > e the loading men in these cnnniiis . ^ ioMS and Ijoavds , because they understand the course of business , 'just as they are the leading , men in the . direction of banks , assurance offices , and other public' coniprtni . es , on die like ^ rounds , and because ¦ bv such co-operation- th ey .

      ONE STEP BACKWARDS . Among the energetic measures taken dunn g the revolt , was the appointment of a large body of English residents in Bengal as " honorary magistrates , " in other words , justices of peace , who rendered most essential services , according to the opinion of the authority under whom they acted—the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal . It admits of no doubt that many districts were preserved from ravage and insurrection by their exertions , while in others _ the cause of peace , order , and progress was maintained .

      It was not in . the nature of things that appointments so abnormal should be viewed by the mandarins and their adherents without horror . The native oflicials have fortified the prejudices of the European oflicials , and the latter have met with sympathy- from those fossil specimens of Indian retrogradation , which may still be discovered in some of the offices in Leadenbull Street , and the last of which it is to be hoped will ore long be placed in the . Museum . It must be remembered that all the honorary magistrates were " interlopers , " that they do not drink their champagne and ehablis with " , " that they did not move with " ' tis" in the first circles of exclusivism in beleaguered L-iicknow . , and ( which is truly dreadful ) - many of them belong' to that abhorred set , the indigo planters , who have fomented that disturbance of mandarin ride , which we now witness , betokening the fall of that body , find the establishment of the Government of India hi the liands of the ablest men * whether Indian or homebred , whether covenanted , imcovenarited , military , " or political , European , Eurasian ;'; or native . The mandarins have designated the

      indigo planters as oppressors of the natives ; the indigo planters have exposed the inefficiency and deficiencies of the civil service . It > vasr , there .--fore , to bo expected that the mandarins would , at pthe first opportunity , make a stand for the maintehanc > . of their order , and the suppression of the interlopers ; but we had -hoped they would receive no countenance from the statesmen of India , and we are concerned , indeed , ' to find a rumour already prevalent , which we have alluded to elsewhere , that the instructions have already arrived in India to . abolish the honorary magistracies . It is publicly affirmed that the measure does not originate with the Bengal statesmen , for they

      nave reported approval me Honorary magistrates , but that it emanates from home , undor' positive ' orders ' A , reason is alleged for this proceeding , which is , that tho honorary ma- , gistracies make an invidious distinction between Englishmen a , n , d natives . This can bo no real reason , because , as pointed out by the Englishman , the invidious distinction itsiilf could have been abolished , by appointing competent natives as honorary magistrates . TJie real reason is that the existence of honorary mngiutnitcs invades the monopoly of power in the hand ;* of tho privileged parties , and prevents the extension of patrona-i ! . _ _ . .. .... ...

      So fuv from tho abolition of the honorary magistracies being any concession to the nativea , it is . one of the most serious blows' that has been aimed at their political , advancement . The prevalence of the old system would exclude tho natives generally , and more particularly the upper classes , from power ; and tho honorary magistracy was ono step provided for unlive progress . Tho mandarins pr-ofuss tho most dovotcd rid'cction for tho natives , whom they overshadow with thoir protection , and for whom they li . avo Jtakcn tho watchword , " India for tho Hindoos ; " but their system has had tho tendonoy and tho result of destroying tho political righttf anil political indepondoneo of the wholo of the upp / or classes of India—ft most fatal measure in tho peculiar state of soqioty whioh tho country has now veachocL As a compensation , they raiso up a now sot of creatures of their own , in the shapes of the Amlah and native officials , who propagate'and preserve the ancient oppressions of tho country , and are the most , oilieionfc enemies of individual

      mdopondti-M-in up a number of natives in habits of business . The honorary magistracy is another ^ stage of preparation ; . and , although in the first instance it was as a inatter of necessity given . to Englishmen ; it followed in < lue course tluit natives would have been . appointed , as they are in the commissions of the peace i n Calcutta and Bombay . Thoabolitioii of the magistracy is one blow to native privilege , and is what raust be expected from the' retrograde party ; and , if successful , they will not end till .-they , have abolished ' the rudiments of municipal institutions , to which they- constantly exhibit hostility . The road boards have' been' repeatedly assailed , and ' the municipal commissioners , in many cities , are destitute -of" power . Indeed , ' -India at the tho

      three natives to two Englishmen ,. provide Indiawith what it wants—a good and effective local administration of criminal justice — and relieve the country from great difficulties and a vast expense . As matters now stand , the number of English official magistrates or stipendiaries must be" largely increased , imposing an enormous burthen oa the country ; but by providing for . the extension of unpaid justices , provision will likewise be made for the maintenance by localities of the expenses' of criminal administration . When all the rajahs and zemindars of a zillah were engaged in its . government , there would ' be less difficulty in levying local rates for local improvements . The present magisterial stun" would exercise the functions oi'

      stipendiaries in laro-e cities , chairmen ot quarter . , ivcomcjrs , and judges of county courts , improving thereby the administration of justice in its higher branches . Iu a small city , a captain , a European merchant , and two native merchants ; in the country , a planter and two zemindars would do elllictively what is now inefliciently performed by flip native o . tlieial - They would be able to ¦ examine -the witliesse . s in the . vernacular , and the- record would , be in

      En . vl . i ? li , while they would be independent of the nmfah . A remedy for any abu . se would always be . obtainable before ' the Supreme' Court , while there would be the usual appeal ,-. in . some cases , from petty sessions to quarter pensions , or to the local recorder . Thus , instead of a m : in K-in . cr forty or fifty -mile ' s ' , away , from a iniiglstva !( ;' . vritlmi a very -few years justice would be in-ocssib-le at his own door , as it ' is in England ; a regular . system of petty sops ' ions being organised _ over the country , and magistrates being available in every neighbourhood .

      present moment , ' . instead ot" ]^) . ssossing energetic influence , of municipal notion , is placet nnili'v a scheme . of red-tape servitude , to which tho administration of Franco anil Prussia is alone ooni-1 ( arable . No city in India is allowed a mayor , and the municipal commissioners of a city of half a million of people , are as much under the thrall of the Government , as the pettiest country commune or pariah is , France , under the prefecture and administration' Paternal government , that is to say , despotism , is the principle of the protective party in Tn'din , and of a section of theoretical politicians at homo . Everything for the State , everything by the State 3 , is their system , -while , true statesmen seek the reconstruction of India , as they have obtained that of Ireland by fostering independent

      action . The municipal commissions are the rudiments of truo municipalities , and the honorary magistracy of the commission of the peace , an institutution most useful for working out the government of a country like India ; amflt is to bo hoped it will be so employed , and not . abolished , It is , after all , one of tho most ancient institution * of our rule in India ; , it was introduced into Bombay nearly tivo oenturies n ^ o , nnd has existed for about tv century at Calcutta . Under this system Englishmen , i / indoos , Mnlioirioduu : ' , and . / Purseus , havo sut together ns justices of tho peace , and the only thing to bo . regretted is , thut thoir i ' unc ^ tions have not boon more extensive . This office

      gives the Pnrsco merchant of Bombay an asuuraneo that ho receives a ' privilege and can pjuiuuntoo protection ) nnd it is regarded with just estimation . The commission of tho ponce , in it's accustomed form ,, is woll suited to India , bocausej by constituting coitnin porHons who must bo Englishmen , to bo of the quorum , without whom no biiriinoHs can bo transacted , a sufficiont noonrity is obtained for tho conduct of those who are untrained and iui < - tried . There aro , too , in India , tho Supreme Courts , with tho , functions of tho Court of Quoon ' s Bonoh , ' to oxuroisu apuriwdiction over tho jurtticcfl of tho pence , to covroet their errors , and to punitfli any nialvertjation .

      Tho commission of tho pon . co , if woll filled up with Engliflhrnon , ofilehil , militiuy , nnd civil , nnd A'ooly recruited with natives , would , nt the rate of

      Latest Indian Intetaagr^Ce. The Cnk'utta...

      LATEST INDIAN INTETAAGR ^ CE . The Cnk'utta mails have arrived with news to the 9 th of February The intelligence is not important . India is again quiet . There are riots in the D ' occan * and riots reported from Travaijcoro ; an J there are sepoys who still refuse to sulimit in I-Jehar ; but war ,, for the first time since May , 18 : 37 , has ccaaoil . The ' people of Oude have at last comprehended their position , and returned to their ordinary avocations . 483 forts have boon levelled , and tho number of arms surrendered will shortly reach a million stand , Tantia Topee has clisippetireJ . Ho and bis men en-tcreel tho desert of BikAiicer , and have never been heard of since . Apparently , they havo split into small parties , but whether to disperse or to reunite at sonxe point still further to tho north is not yet known . Neither he nor Iferoze Shah has been

      capt urc ( 3 With regard to the issvie of Exchequer bills the Times corresnemdunt observes : — . "Tho l > lun has failed , and tho experiment lms done some mirtohiof . The rate offered , 5 $ per , cent , per annum , was so high , that tlio Five per ' Cents , receded at unw to 89 ft , while tho ofFur to pay them off" at the oxp i ' nition of n yonv deterred , permanent investors . 'Ilic class m- ]\ o in ICnglnnd buy those bills—men witli large bnlaiices which must bo bold rcody nt e « U— will not buy them in India for tha eimplo reason that they can make S per cent , by advances , usually only for a few days , on Government paper . Ihe utter absurdity , also ,, of an open loan at r > jvor cent ., nnd tinothur at 6 i [ per cent ., daunted' rtpounhitord , by inakiivjf thorn boliovo a 0 per cent , loan imminent . Tho truo -reason of these failinj-fs »•» tho pcrvorso

      et ? orecy always maintainod hy tho nuiiun urovcrninunt about its flnan ' oiul posltlusi . No capitalist can obtain tho smallest idoa how much Government is likely to want , or , when it will ccivso borrowing ana oonAdunoo , particularly among natives , is uustroyoa by flnnnciul coups do mefttre . " The post of Foreign Socretnry for India , vooatod by tho promotion of Mr . KlbliiiiBloiio , ' «'" » ob yofi boon filled up . It is generally sunmsod that Mr . iJoadon , tho Secretary to the Governor-Uouoral , will bo mimed to fill tho vacancy . Certainly a nlore . appronj-Utto nnd popular nomination could luvrclly do made . INDIAN I'OLIOK . A roconi Calcutta luttev says thati— " Mr . Montgomery in a single night ( tWlli Jrtnuury ) aiamlBBOd every member of tho old police force , which was us corrupt , aa cowardly , and as inofllolont as

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 19, 1859, page 23, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19031859/page/23/