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Leader (1850-1860), 5th December 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1166, Untitled Article

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      * " cwr awpRswes w > uM not tutvu fami otUtr "Qiaii wj& VioW ** t * emtofck" ¦ : ;?¦¦ : ¦; : ¦ .- ¦¦ : ¦ ¦ : ;• ¦ ¦¦ ; :: :: ; ^ : we tl 0 w a&it ao ^ Dlfaywed fey an muatr ^ oai--. ^ ¦ ^ : \« W : f » .: : wBte ^ . r f : ^ - ^^ ^^ ^ . : C 0 TQ jnenrodto ^ epwiTe and to attempt to wn ^« ay the state * £ affaug , * h «* was . steadily « d infidUWy ^ ginj oii such a crisis as we now see occarriag in the native ^ my Ox . Bengal . •¦ . ' : ... ¦ .. . " . ¦ . ¦ : ¦ .. \ ;¦ ¦ : ¦ ¦ v ^' ^^ ^ oimn ^ icea to prom ote men by merit ; A leader , ^ heaithy / bud , ^« thus put forth from tire ^ sound , oW body , WMch migfct ^ wto care have gwwn , so aa to Obave restored vigour to tie old frame . * ^ But it was crushed at once by the famous promotion latter .. ¦¦ . ¦•¦ / ¦'¦ ¦ ¦ . v- ' ' ' " ¦' / '' :. '¦' ' " ¦ ; : ' ¦ • ¦ , ¦'¦ ' : ' - - * ... " ¦ : .. ' . ¦ . ' ¦ ¦• ' -: : ¦ _ The writer canvasses with , severity a number of military appointments , in which , from his elevated rank , Jbe could have no possible personal interest , and i 3 ierL adds :- ^ -

      " To je-esi » blish our Iadiaa Emjare , an imper ial effort , 6 f all England and India combined ,, will now be necessary . Necessary on accoxinfc of the immense quantity of diseased European mind , and of Anglo-Bengalee prejudice , to be got . rid of ; otherwise tliere are health and strength enough in Madras and Bombay to reorganise everything . " . . ¦ -.: ¦ : ; ¦ - ¦¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ; : " . \ . - - : ^ ,-. ¦ : ¦ : ¦ .. ; . - . ¦

      "VvTiat follows is deserving of universal attention ;— - ; : r . V .: ..- \ ;" . : . /¦ ¦ .:. ' " ¦ '' :.-. ¦ ¦ ::- ) . ' . ¦ ¦ .. ¦ : ' . ¦/¦ ; ¦¦ /¦ ^! £ a a * ^ the people of IndiabflFerusnbopjKwitipn---pcoitivelynonev ? hatever . They say to us at every town , ' tfOTemta ;'—in everypossible waythey cry aloud , Gb-* ern us ! jvk * re satisfied with your rule , and are most filling io ibUovr if you will lead . ' What , piacticalJy , has been our reply ? JSTo ! we will not govern , we will sink ourselves to your 7 evelot moral power , and we wall all govern together . Look even at our army : a recruit Offers Miaself with no idea of anything but absolute obedience to his officers < th « first step is to read to him articles of war , to prove to him that his normal state is disobedience , and the contrary , a rare exceptional case , defined by an .. ' * article . ' :

      Nest lie -finds that before his cothmanding officer can punish him is any ' way , he ( the comriiaJiding -officer ) must consult the opinions of certain miserable old -native imbeciles—members of--a court-martial— ^ thus pretending that we look pn worn-out half-dead native Indians as tetter than educated and vigorous English gentlemen . " The maintenanceof a descendant of Tizyroira at Delhi has long been recognized as a , fatal ¦ € ri ? qr . :- ^ ---v . ¦; ¦¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦;; ; - . r ;; r - . / W . - ¦ -. ¦ ' '¦ .. ¦ : ¦ ¦• - ; V : - ' /¦ vr ' .-vwy - ( : } : "When the house of ^ Brunswickwas called to the throne of England , what would haye been thought of the

      wisdom which should have maintained a Stuart lung of England in St . James ' s Paface , with regal powers extending forhalf amile around the said palace ? We have actually acted thus . In fact , we first destroy all Our ow « i power of self-government , by making out officers contemptible , by degrading them in their own eyes , by attempting to reduce them to the level of the Asiatic ; by stopping their whole moral growth , and then we Suppose Hiat by doing so we have rendered the natives of India capable of self-government T ! fTo person—no fchin # —opposes us , eatoept our own follies . "

      Some strange incidents accompanymg the campaign in . Persia illustrated the feeling produced i > y the military system , in India :- — " Wh « n -owr 8 rd Reghmsnt of Native Cavalry do one of the best things of the kind ever done in modern war , they remain unnoticed in public , and are insulted in private by tlie remarks of Messrs . * ¦ * * and Co . ; yet , when the miserable mutineers of Bengal graciously abstain from cutting their officers' throats , they are loudly lauded in special Government Gazettes .

      " When tie men of a cavalry regiment bohave moat disgracefully , and in a manner which would have caused me , had I commanded , to order them to be shot down on the Bpot , they are held up as patterns of fidelity to the Indian army , fuUomely thanked , &c . &c . . . . . I deliberately assert , that each proceedings as these on the part of . our rulers , mmt necessarily cause , if they do rM moratly justify , the disaffection of our native troopa We can govern them by truth and honesty only , an < l yatw « -4 oaothmgbut lie to tiwm at every turn . NV > woopa on earth , on any occasion whatever , could have behaved ibetber than our native Indian eoldiers on the Persian , expedition .

      " Even when her Majosty ' a 64 th formed part of the force attacking Bushirc , the 20 th Bombay Native Infantry got -ahead * nd took th « place , their advanoe party behaving heroically . " The 3 rd Cavalry business has never been eaccellod , and the Belooch Sepoys , when weary themselves , carried the dhooliea of the sick , wounded , and tired Europeans . "All this is thought beneath consideration , -vrhilo tlio Oontcmptible and cowardly Bengalcso ( -who always . refuao to go on service at all ) arc , when they mutiny , wept over by old women , whoso miscrablo cant and , gross ignorance of tlio real Oriental character are applavided to the skies in the Parliament of England , as th » Hio * t consummate wisdom , eloquence , and truth ; and ttoviCMoBcl ? * * writes about the non-introduction i of Qknutietnity , and Ensigns passing in HindoBtonee as ih « , pnpaof itbe fiaiing empire . Good Cod ! haa the

      manhood of our nation altogether departed , and dissolved into ^ uchstreamB of drivel as th eaei 1 . , . ^ * Tht Asiatic'bows before geneTOUS honesty andliigh moral power , before tnanliness im fact . He Bcorns moonsiees , and laughs at ' passed' anen . Waat a ^ g lorious example of their linguists have the Indian Government in that ^ lcZere ti'oop affair / • ¦ An officer , -who had served ste years in the { Sind Irregular Horse on . the Said border had « ot 5 > ae ^ ed 4 a Biftdostanee , oak was titerefore pronmnoei tir ^ it to command a troop . Mr . * * ' j a imanyrtongued youth , was appointed instead . You know the result . The troop was formed by * * * nearly two years ago , but has never done . a day * s work yet—has never -even reaohed Aden ! and this one -ftflly hasi cost ' ¦ ;«» - State already some two lakhs of rupees , which might with equal advantage have < b « en thrown Into ' the ' sea /' - -- - ¦¦ . . ¦ . ;¦ . ¦ ¦ . :. "• : .. . . .:. . ¦ ¦ .. : . ¦ - ^ . . ¦ ¦ . - . ' ¦ - ¦

      v , - ^ y practical suggestions from a pea so aistinguished deserye , of coursej very serious attention . Tlie writer ' s proposal is tliat \ all officers destined for-tlieMadian ^ aeryiee sKould be educated at a special military college in England , aiid that the officers of each of the armies ^ pf India -should he enrolled upon one gradation list , consisting of a certain nuinber generals and other ranks , down t 6 the ensign : — ' - . / . '¦¦ - '¦ ¦'¦ ' : ; - / : : ' . ' . : ¦ : ¦ r ' - ' .- ' [ . }¦¦ : ' -j - ' - ¦ . ; .

      , " Let promotion on this list proceed hy seniority , and ^ after twenty years' service in India , let every man retire on the full pay of the rank to which he may hav « attained . If rank be ^ granted for ^ ^ rvices performed , it should be substantial rank , and the onlcer so promoted should at once take bis place in the general list according to the date of his commission ^ on exactly the sairie footing as if he had risen : by seniority only . " Let this general list be . the unemployed list , let rank in this list be the only permanent rank , and let all the unemployed officers receive a liberal rate of pay sufScient to support theni as gentlemen , the same rate "being allowed in Inaia and -when on leave to Europe .

      "The unemployed pay should be fixed independently of place and circumstance , and this would enable a great number of officers while on the ' unemployedlist' to qualify themselves for every species of eniployment . V From this general list select ; officers for ; regiments , and for every species of public employment to merits and ^ qualifications ; ; " Let four English ofllcers puly Hbe appointed to- each native Indian regiment . Let the troops and companies be commanded by native officers .

      " Let : regimental commanding' officers be absolute in their regiments , that is , give them full magisterial powers over all ranks of natives under them . Let there be no articles of war . Let there Vbe ; no regulations imposed by head-quarter authorities , except that the officers commanding regiments should be desired io hold daily orderly room in public , all officers attending , save -when absent by permission . ¦ ;• ¦ ' That everything throughout the army arrangements

      be as public as possible . That no attempt be made to prevent the expression of public opinion regarding official proceedings \* y the public press or otherwise ; and that officers found incapable of commanding efficiently without the help of regulation be removed to the unemployed list till required for other work more adapted to their capacities . The officers so removed to be in no case succeeded by those serving under their regimental ¦ command . ^ .

      " Lot commanding officers and heads of departments judge of the merits of their subordinates , and let their recommendationa regarding their advancement , &c , be attended to . * ' Let the Sepoys have no rights as against the commanding officer , who should enlist , promote , And discharge , &c , as seems ' good to him ; but if a regiment be not in a perfectly efficient state , hold the commanding officer responsible , take no excuse , but , if necessary remove him to the unemployed list . " But if one or . more individuals fail , deal with each case individually , and avoid particularly making general rules which will only trammel other and more able men , but will not make imbeciles efficient .

      u Let the men of every regiment bo always provided with carriage , and bo ready , in every ireapect , to movo anywhere , and do anything , at a day ' s notioo . Ilavo permanent head-quarters for each corps . " If these arrangements bo carried into effect and honestly acted on , our native Indian army would , in n very few years , be equal to any army on earth for eervioo anywhere . ItB mobility will fully match , and will bo invaluable in conjunction with , the solid strength of the native English troops . "

      These views have the uncommon merit of being practical as well as suggestive , and we may add that they" represent the opinions of an influential military circle in India .

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      DOVER AND CALAIS HAIL WAY . A . stJBMABmn railway communication between the coasts of Kon * and Picardy has long been nbeau rSve with French engineers . Wo do not know that practical Englishmen

      ttawe heen < a 2 ittred iota the iscbfiine * The gYar ite idea intix thie « lis < jiples of * he Bcole Potytechtaique is a . tunne ^ iio be constructed rom C ^ pe cGrineu to a point about aaidwav between ^ Folkestoae and Bpver . JlccordLmff to the latest reports , it appears that * . ai « mil > e ? of scientific gentlemen liave o ^ aMaed tliein - selves Mtdia ielub at Paris , iasid tiie < ju « stioia of a-sabaqufious passage has been > serious 2 v cQEkadered . The plans are iurnislied % M . de ( xj 4 . mc « s : » . We are told nature has so arranged the ill ts

      argaceous ^ ^ deposiforaaing the feed of the Ohannel , that no obstructions are to be a ,-n pi ^ hended on li € a' « core ; itot j ^ & of ^^ Oxfor d , ^ ^ Kiniineridge , and weald clays , of vrldeh the strata are cotoposed , can easily % e excavated . Ttte Thames " Tutuiel was thought an impossibility in its tim «; the plan of tlie Box Tunnel startled ^ evea civil engineers hy its dimensions ; biit * o bold have ^ ve since become that we atiack eYem ^^ m « untaihs , aiid resplye feo lay toare the ceaiaal rocks of yGount Genis . :: ' . ¦¦ ¦ ; v / V ¦' . : ' ' ¦¦' ¦ : < : - : : ; - '' - '¦' . : ¦ . - . ¦ .. - ; ;

      As to the practicability of M . 3 ) 35 GuLMOirii ' s splendid scheme W « offer no opinion . H-is statements t « ndto show itlat there lies at the bottom < o £ the sea an island , called the * Varne Star , ' and exclusiy ie of . this natural ^ advaatage , itis proposed to raise thirteen artificial islands ill the Channel along the prbjeoted lioe . Through these islands shafts ' - '' . ate to be soak to the level of the projected tumael ; and ttis accomplished , the work of excavation can be coaimenced at twenty-eight pbints or more . "The cost is estimiited at above six millions

      sterlnig . " We have referredl to other sclienieSj and perhaps it will not be forgotten that thi'ee years ago " 'Mi-, le ^ aVbe , aaaother French engineer ^ projected a sanaaiar work . His design was that the tuimeX sho ^ u ^ be . con--striicted so that the bed of elptli should divide it iroin the water by a minimum thickness of seventy-six feet ; that the passage thus pierced should be lined with arch , the first to consist of granite and

      inipermeable cement , the second of ihiu irdh plates ^ pierced in order to betray the least nitration of the sea ; and that five wells should be sunk , or xat ^ er , five hollow shafts reared in different parts of the phannel ; to facilitate ¦ the work . Not less than twenty seven miles of ground , containing some billions of ; cubic feet , wotild have to be dug away , since io preserve a maximum incline the boring would commence some -three or four miles inland

      on either coast . The general expenditure vas estimated at four millions sterling , or about two millions and a half less than the scheme proposed by M . » e GImont ) . For those , however , who may disapprove of burrowing into the bowels of the earth Eke ' old mole , ' a loftier plan has been devised for establishing railway communication between this island and the Continent . The originator in this instance is an Englishman , Mr . Cha . b : le 8 Boyd , and in the opinions of most

      persons his idea is more desirable , if uot more feasible , than the Trench scheme . Ho proposes to throw a viaduct on the tubulax principle across the Channel , and thus connect us by a supia-marine roadway with the oountries of Europe . The English terminus of the bridge would rest on Dover ClLfls , which supply a colossal buttress , whilst towera five hundred feet apart , rising from tbo bed of the Oharanel , would be erected and stand

      like a chain of Eddy stone lighthouses to support the colossal structure . The Buinmit oi oach tower is to form a Pharos chamber , . and contain a gaa reflector and an alarm , lor the double object of guiding vessels ia tlie dark and warning ; them in a fog- Cape ¦ Gnnoa terminates the line on tho French coflfit . The length of tlio viiid iw ; t would bo twenty miles , and traversed in « om < ething like wic aamo number of niinutcH . The greyest

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 5, 1857, page 1166, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2220/page/14/