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Leader (1850-1860), 26th June 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 5

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    • No. 431, Jtjxe 26, I858.J THE LEADER. 60...

      No. 431, Jtjxe 26, I858.J THE LEADER. 60...

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      Imperial Parliament. V , —•—¦ . Monday, June 2uc Cakubmvxa&Sgholm, And Hawick Rajlwat Bill. % *^&^^^£^£F^J™ Agreemenfct;Witri Tlie Contractors Were So Objectibnable That They Oaght Riot To Be Countenanced By Parliament A^^T Iti^Ate Not Expedient To Pro Ceed Further ^Itu Ie ¦ „ _ *: ' :^ Go Verb(Ktent Of India. Tke Earl Of Ma'tmesbuj**, In Reply To A Questitm Put By The Marquis Of Lansdown^On Tlie Previous Friday ^^T ^^L^S^^^^ 1 ^ Nfc Of India Affirmed B

      Mr . Housfall obtained leave to bring in a bill tc make letters of credit transferable . The remaining business having been disposed of , the House adjourned at twenty min utes past five o ' clock . Thursday , June 2 £ th . THE SEIZURE OF THE REGITCA CCELI . In the House of Lords , the Earl of Malmesbury , alluding to the former discussion on the seizure of the Regina Cceli and massacre of the crew by the negro emigrants on board , read a French official report of the transaction , and a letter from Captain Croft , of the Ethiope steamer , to Mr . Newnham , the English Consul at Monrovia , describing the circumstances under which the Ethiope took possession of the Regina Coeli when in the possession of tie negroes . It appeared from Captain Croft ' s statement that he considered the negroes as pirates , and that he claimed the vessel he rescued from them as a prize to the Ethiope . The French commander of the Regina Cceli ( Simon ) , who escaped the massacre by being on shore at the time of the outbreak , had never lost sight of his vessel , had made attempts to retake her -with the assistance of the local Militia and some forty Americans whom h-e had hired for the purpose , and had finally established a kind of blockade of the vessel by means of row-boats . It was in this state of things that the Ethiope , which had been sent for by Mr . Newnham , the Consul , arrived , and seized the Regina Cceli as a prize , against the protest of Captain Simon , claiming salvage for so doing . The insurgent Africans subsequently plundered the cargo of the ship , and dispersed on shore . The Regina ; Cceli was taken from the Ethiope by two French ships of war . Lord Malmesbury added that Captain Simon . " protested against being saved , " or being called on to pay salvage , as he had never lost sight of his ship ; and , under the circumstances , it was doubtful if any one had a right to take possession of her .- —After some remarks by Lord Brougham and Earl Grey ( who were both inclined to believe that the negroes had been kidnapped , and , being virtually slaves , ¦ were justified in rising ) , the subject dropped . The order of the day for considering the report of the reasons to be offered to the House of Commons for insisting on the amendments to the Oaths Bill , was postponed till the following Th ursday . —Lord B no ugham . withdrew his Transfer of Real , Estate Bill , hoping that some legislation on the subject -would be possible next session . —Their Lordships then adjourned . T ^ VWTHTV' t ~* f \ T * -T * fXT > ATHITklkX UTAUr 1 tiT / w t »* tt

      At the morning sitting of the House of Cobimons , on the motion for going into committee on this ] bill , Mr . Rolt moved , as an amendment , that the bill be ' sent back to the select committee , with the petition of the Corporation of London , presented on the 28 th of last May , and that the Corporation of London be heard by their counsel , agents , and witnesses , before the committee on the allegations in such petition . He urged that the bill interfered with the rights of property , by taking away from the corporation , without compensation and without a hearing , dues which come within the strict definition of " property . " A new and dangerous principle of legislation was introduced into the measure—a principle opposed to reason , law , and precedent . —The amendment was seconded by Mr . Crawford . —Sir George Grey said that the arguments adduced by . Mr . Rolt were exactly the same as those which had been directed against the Municipal Corporations Act , which no one now desires to see repealed . The question raised by him could not be decided by a select committee . There were two courses open to him—either simpty to move that the bill be committed that day three months , or , in committee , to argue against the SGth clause . Important concessions had been made , and , if the bill were deferred until next session , ho ( Sir George ) should hold himself absolved from his consent to them . Mr . Rolt had alleged that the Corporation had not been heard , whereas there had been a full hearing of all matters before the Commission . — Mr . Williams opposed the amendment ; and Mr . Stuaux Wortley suggested that this discussion might stand over , and hoped that the Government would hold out some hope of an arrangement being made : with respect to the Corporation property . —Mr . Wy iceham Martin said that , if the amendment were carried , ho should move as a further amendment that the manufacturers of the metropolis and the adjoining districts be also heard by their counsel ¦ w ith reference to the coal duties . —Mr . Walpoi-e said he had no power to accede to Mr . Wortley ' s suggestion ; but he agreed with him that the caso was one in which Parliament should < leal leniently and liberally with the Corporation . Ho also agreed with Sir George Grey that the issue raised by Mr . Bolt was not one for a select committee . —Sir Benjamin Hall appealed to Mr . Rolt ( but without success ) to withdraw his amendment . —Mr . Warren supported the amendment , and denounced the bill as one of " spoliation nnd confiscation . "—Lord John 11 ussell and Mr . Larouchkre spoke against the amendment , and Mr . Nohris opposed the bill . The debate was then adjourned , and the sitting was suspended till six o ' clock in the ovening . JUDGMENTS ON MOUTGAG 1 CS ( IRELAND ) . On the reassembling of the House , Mr . S . B . Miller asked th « Attornoy-Gcnoral for Ireland whether his attention bad been called to the recent decisions in the ,

      ^ ^ ^^^ " ¦¦ ¦ ¦¦¦ ^ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦^ > Courts of Queen ' s Bench and Common Pleas in Ireland , with respect to the defects in the form of the affidavits i generally adopted for registering judgments on . mortgages in Ireland ; and whether it was his intention to bring forward any legislative measure during the present session in . consequence of such decisions . —Mr . Whiteside remarked that this was a very delicate question , ; but he hoped to introduce a measure upon the subject ^ during the present session . ! COMMISSIONED FOR EXHIBITION OF 1851 BILL . s On the order for considering this bill as amended , a discussion arose upon an amendment moved by Mr . Wilson with reference to a plot of land of twelve acres over which he thought the Government should retain a control , for its appropriation to public purposes not connected -with science or art . This amendment , however , was ultimately negatived on a division , by 126 to 81 , and the bill was ordered for the third reading . GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ( NO . 3 ) BILL . Lord Stanley moved the second reading of this bill , and observed that , the general principles of tne bill having been already sanctioned by Parliament , the details would be more appropriately discussed in committee . u The Government proposed to accept the number of members of the council which was affirmed by the committee the other day , namely , fifteen . The present number of those engaged in the analogous position was eighteen , and though it would be very easy at any future time to reduce the number proposed , if necessary , it "would not be consistent for them , if they reduced the number from eighteen to a much smaller number , to reverse that decision by increasing the number . It was proposed that seven out of the fifteen members of the council should be elected by the Court of Directors , cut of those who were or had been of their own body . In this the Government were carrying out a precedent laid down in the Act of 1853 , and considering the inconvenience of working new machinery with new men at the same time , the House would feel that it was desirable that in the council there should be a considerable portion of those who at present administer the affairs of India . He proposed that the process of election in tins case should follow nomination ; that the election should take place within thirty days after the passing of the Act ; and that the nomination should take place within fourteen days ; so that it would be left to the discretion of the Crown to see whether any oiners tne

      rrom same Doay should ne selected as nominees of the Crown . This provision would also meet the objection to placing so large an increase as fifteen new offices in the hands of the Crown . The patronage would be divided between , the Crown and the Company . Vacancies , it was proposed , should be filled up . alternately by the Crown and the Company . It was proposed that the council should sit for life . There were objections to a life tenure of the office ; but the Government thought the balance of advantages was in itsfavouT . In order to avoid the evil of having very aged members in the council , it was proposed that , after ten years' service on a salary of 120021 , there should be a retiring pension of 5002 . ; after fifteen years' service , a retiring pension of 800 J . And this pension should be a matter not of favour but of right . The Government thought the business of Leadenhall-street and Cannonxow should be amalgamated ; that the whole should be divided into six departments , -with two members of the council and . a secretary to each , from whom alterations of policy should be suggested , and from whom all correspondence should go b > the Minister . In committee he should supply an omission in the bill by proposing a clause providing that the council should meet at least once a week . Qffear , hear . " ) The question had been put , liow far would the council act as a check on the Minister . The council would have a moral control only ; the Minister would act as now independently ; but the council might state tlieir reasons for their recommendations , and call on the Minister to state his reasons in ¦ writing . As to the Indian army , the Government proposed that the civil service should remain open to competition . ( Jiear , htar ) , and they proposed to open to competition , the scientific and engineering branches . (/ fear , hem : ') As to the remaining cadetships , they proposed to give-one tenth to sons of Indian officers , and , as to the other nine-tenths , they proposed to continue , for the present , the existing system . They proposed that the reorganization of the Indian army should be referred to a commission of twelve , consisting of three members from the Indian army , three from the Queen's army who had served in India , three civil gentlemen of eminence in public life , and the other three to bo those official persons who were principally concerned witli this matter—th « Coinmander-in-Chief / the Secrctay of State for War , and the President of the Board of Control . Among the matters to be referred to them would be the proportion of Indians to Europeans , the question whether the European army should bo local or general , whether exchange from one branch to another was possible , and generally when and how the transfer of the Company ' s army to the Crown should be made . Pending that inquiry , it was not his wish to anticipate the result . Another clause in the bill proposed to invest the Governor-Oeneral of India with the appointment of his own council . Thin wns by some regarded with great jealousy , and tho

      Government held themselves free to alter this , if the judgment of the House should be against the clause . As to finances , he had heard nothing , read nothing , which had led him to believe that those whose fortunes depend on the security of Indian finance would have their security in the slightest degree diminished . There was a provision in the bill to send out a commission to investigate tbe financial state of India . He believed this to be necessary ; but , as it had excited great opposition , he would withdraw the clause , and consult with the Governor-General as to how the investigation could best be made . " In conclusion , Lord Stanley remarked that , after all , the main administration of Indian affairs is in India , and that any such bill as that they were discussing is only a bill to provide better machinery for the control of the Indian Government . Therefore , he did not pretend to say that this measure would remove all abuses and grievances which have been complained of in connexion with India , but he had proposed to create a substitute for a provisional form of Govern-, ment—a Government carried on by a commercial company which has ceased to be occupied with commerce . Mr . Bright said he did not rise to oppose the bill , which , if there were a division , he should support ; but ¦ he could not but think there were many imperfections in it , and he hoped that , unless it were materiall y altered , the bill would be superseded five years hence as the bill of 1853 was then being ; . What were the changes required in the administration of our Indian Empire ? "What is the condition of the people of India ? The greater number of them are in a state of extreme impoverishment , dejection , and suffering . Industry is neglected , and perjury prevails in the courts of justice . Public works have been neglected , and there are more roads in a single English county than can be found in the whole of India . The city of Manchester has spent a larger sum in supplying the inhabitants with vrater , than the East India Company have spent in fourteen years on public works of every kind throughout their vast dominions . " Was there any better test of a Government than the state of its finances ? and yet going back through all the pages of Mill , ( they would find that the normal condition of the Indian Government had been a condition of deficit and bankruptcy . If that -were so , he contended that the Government which ruled . India was a bad Government . It had cost more to govern India than the Government had been able to extort from thfi people by any system of taxation . It cost more than

      thirty millions a year to govern that country- The gross revenue was about thirty millions . Tfiey got all thsy could from the population , but it was not enough for the purpose , and they had to borrow from them and others to carry on tbe government . There were always deficits to be made good by loans . The debt amounted to sixty millions sterling , and was constantly increasing ; and , while it was increasing , their credit was failing , partly because they had not treated the creditors on one or two . occasions very honourably ( hear , Aear ) , but chiefly on account of the calamities which had happened . The gross revenue was thirty millions ; but , exclusive of the opium revenue , he had set it down at twenty-five millions . Let not the House compare that revenue with the sixty millions revenue raised in England ; for twelve days of a man ' s labour in India was only equal to one in England . If a given sum , say twenty-five millions , were oxipended in purchasing labour , it would purchase as much as three hundred millions sterling would purchase in England . The taxation in India had been oppressive ; and the Government which had imposed that taxation , and had not been able to rule that country , should bo put an end to at once and for ever . How had this great expenditure been incurred ? The extravagance of the Government of India was notorious to all who had ever examined its affairs . He believed there was not a service under the sun which had been paid at so high a rate as the exclusive civil service of the Eaat India Company . " ( Jlear , hear . ) The Governor-General , ruling over an empire to -which those of the Emperors of France and ltussia < wcrc but as province ? , is almost absolute , Practically , there is next to no control over him . Mr- Bright added that , if he were a Minister , * ho would propose that there should bo five presidencies , or , perhaps , six , each governed as an independent state . Each governor of a presidency should have a council , and he would have that council open . The Government should not be a Government only for civil servants and military establishments , but ono in which tJie natives should bo allowed to take part . " Within tho last tuirty yeurs , the conduct of Englishmen in India to the natives had altered very much for the worse In a recent letter to tho Times , Mr . Kussell mentioned having seen in a mosque a native lying badly wounded on a smnll bedstead , with a woman seated by him in deep affliction . Tho man was a servant of one of our officers , and had been beaten by him , for some offenco , within an ace of his life . Another servant had been beaten at the sume time ; and Mr . Russell regrets the frequency of these acts of severity . M . x . Bright added , that he did ^ not wish to harp on tho subject of atrocities , because , in a wnr such as that now raging , lamentable excesses were certain to be committed' ( in botli sides . If lie could have his own way , he would offer a general amnesty , and would hold out an nssur-

      No. 431, Jtjxe 26, I858.J The Leader. 60...

      No . 431 , Jtjxe 26 , I 858 . J THE LEADER . 605 ¦ i lHMi

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 26, 1858, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26061858/page/5/