LORD LYTTON: LORD RIFON. 427 Alí fled to Afghán Turkistán, and there died. A treaty was entered into with his son, Yákub Khán, at Gandamak, by which the British frontier was advanced to the crests or farther sides of the passes, and a British officer was admitted to reside at Kábul. Within a few months the British Resident, Sir Louis Cavagnari, was treacherously attacked and massacred together with his escort, and a second war became necessary. Yakub Khán abdicated, and was deported to India. At this crisis of affairs, a general election in England resulted in a defeat of the Conservative Ministry. Lord Lytton resigned simultaneously with the Home Government, and the Marquis of Ripon was nominated as his successor in April Marquis of Ripon, 1880. In that year, a British brigade received a defeat 1880-81. between Kandahár and the Helmand river from the Herát troops of Ayub Khán; a defeat promptly and completely retrieved by the brilliant march of General Sir Frederick Roberts from Kábul to Kandahár, and by the total rout of Ayub Khán's army on 1st September 1880. Abdurrahman Khán, the eldest male representative of the stock of Dost Muhammad, was recognised by us as Amír. The British forces Afghán retired from Kábul, leaving him, as our friend, in possession 1580-8.4. of the capital. The withdrawal of our troops from Kandahár was also effected. Soon afterwards Ayub Khán advanced with an army from Herát, defeated the Amír Abdurrahman's troops, and captured Kandahár. His success was short-lived. The Amir Abdurrahman marched south with his forces from Kabul, completely routed Ayúb Khán, re-occupied Kandahár, and still reigns as undisputed Amir of Afghánistán (1886). In 1884, a Boundary Commission was appointed with the consent of the Amir to settle, in conjunction with Russian Commissioners, the north-western frontier of Afghánistán. affairs, 1881. The Native State of Mysore, which had been administered Mysore, by the British on behalf of the Hindu ruling family since 1831, was replaced under its hereditary dynasty on the 25th March 1881. internal During the remaining years of Lord Ripon's administration Lord (1881-84) peace was maintained in India. The Viceroy took Ripon's advantage of this lull to carry out certain important reforms in administhe internal government of the country. The years 1882-84 tration, will be memorable for these great measures. By the repeal of the Vernacular Press Act, he set free the native journals from the last restraints on the free discussion of public questions. 1881-84. Local ment Acts. Amendment of Criminal His scheme of local self-government developed the municipal institutions which had been growing up since India passed to the Crown. By a series of enactments, larger powers of local self-government were given to rural and urban boards, and the elective principle received a wider application. Where rural boards did not exist, he endeavoured to utilize the local materials available for their formation; and from this point of view he may be said to have extended the principle of local selfgovernment from the towns to the country. Where rural boards already existed he increased their powers; and as far as possible sought to give them a representative basis. An attempt to extend the jurisdiction of the rural criminal courts over European British subjects, independently of the Procedure, race or nationality of the presiding judge, excited strong public feeling, and ended in a compromise. The principle was asserted in regard to native officers belonging to the Superior Civil Service who had attained to a certain standing, namely District Magistrates and Sessions Judges. At the same time the European community received a further extension of trial by jury, which enables European British subjects to claim a jury, if they see fit to do so, in nearly all cases before the District criminal tribunals. Department of Agriculture, 1881-84. Revenue reforms. One of the earliest acts of Lord Ripon's viceroyalty was the re-establishment of the Department of Revenue and Agriculture in accordance with the recommendation of the Famine Commission. This department had been originally instituted by Lord Mayo; but some years after his death, its functions had been distributed between the Finance and Home Departments. It was now reconstituted substantially on its former basis, as a distinct secretariat of the Government of India. It at once took up the recommendations of the Famine Commission; both those bearing on famine relief, and those dealing with organic reforms in the administration of the land revenue. Agricultural improvements, exhibitions of Indian produce, whether in India or in Europe, and works elucidating the raw produce of the country, received its special attention. Its reforms in the administration of the land revenue were largely directed to prevent re-settlements in temporarily settled districts from bearing too heavily on the cultivators. Such re-settlements are in future, except in special cases, to avoid re-measurement and vexatious inquisitions, and are to leave to the landlord or husbandman the entire profits accruing from improvements carried out by himself. Henceforth, an enhancement of the land revenue is to be LORD RIPON'S REFORMS. 429 made mainly on the grounds (1) of a rise in prices, (2) of an increase in the cultivated area, and (3) of improvements which have been made at the expense of the Government. The Agricultural Department superintends a variety of important operations bearing on the development of the country and the welfare of the people; including surveys, emigration, the meteorological bureau, the extension of veterinary science, and the statistics of internal trade. Lord Ripon also appointed an Education Commission with Education a view to the spread of popular instruction on a broader basis. Commission, 1882This Commission, after hearing evidence and collecting data 1883. throughout the Presidencies and Provinces of India, reported in 1883. The Commission's Recommendations strongly affirmed the principle of self-help in the extension of high schools and colleges, and laid particular stress on the duty of assisting primary education from Provincial and Municipal funds. They endeavoured to provide for certain sections of the people, particularly the Muhammadans, who for various causes had found themselves unable to avail themselves fully of the State system of public instruction, or in regard to whom that system had proved defective. The general effect of the Commission's labours, and of the Government Resolution based thereon, is to give a more liberal recognition to private effort of every kind, and to schools and colleges conducted on the system of grants-in-aid. duties, In 1882, Lord Ripon's Finance Minister, Sir Evelyn Abolition Baring, took off the import duties on cotton goods; and of customs with them, almost the whole import customs, saving a few 1882. exceptions such as those on arms, liquors, etc., were abolished. In 1884, a Committee of the House of Commons took evidence on railway extension in India, and embodied their recommendations in a Parliamentary Report. The condition of the agricultural population in Bengal occupied the close attention of Lord Ripon throughout his whole viceroyalty. After keen Bengal discussions, prolonged during many years, he left a Tenancy Bill. Tenancy Earl of 1884. Bill, regulating the relations of landlord and tenant in Bengal, almost ready to be passed by his successor. The Marquis of Ripon retired from the viceroyalty at the Duferin, end of 1884, and was succeeded by the Earl of Dufferin. In the spring of 1885, Lord Dufferin passed the Bengal Tenancy Bill through its final stage in the Legislature; and held a Darbár at Rawál Píndi for the reception of the Amir of Afghánistán. The result of the meeting was to strengthen the British relations with that ruler. Burmese affairs, 1885. During the summer of the same year, 1885, the hostile attitude of the king of Independent Burma forced itself upon the attention of the British Government. After repeated but fruitless remonstrances, a British expedition was despatched from Bengal and Madras to Rangoon. It advanced up the Irawadi valley (November-December 1885), and occupied Mandalay, the capital of Independent Burma. King Thebau, who had inaugurated his reign by a family massacre, and had steadily refused to redress the wrongs of certain British subjects whom he had injured, remained defiant. He vainly sought aid against the English from foreign powers. In the end he surrendered, almost without a blow, was dethroned, and deported for safe custody to British India. The authority of the Viceroy of India was substituted for that of King Thebau throughout Upper Burma by Proclamation on the 1st January 1886. In February 1886, Lord Dufferin proceeded in person to Burma, to settle the administration of the new British Province. As all pacific proposals were rejected, a military force under General Prendergast moved up the Irawadi in a flotilla of steamers. The opposition encountered was insignificant. On November 28 the capital of Mandalay was occupied without fighting; King Thebau surrendered, and was sent as a prisoner to Rangoon. CHAPTER XVI. BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF INDIA. THE Act of 1858, which transferred India from the Company Control of to the Crown, also laid down the scheme of its government. India in England. Under the Company, the Governor-General was an autocrat, Under the responsible only to the distant Court of Directors. The Company. Court of Directors had been answerable to the shareholders, or Court of Proprietors, on the one hand; and, through the Board of Control, to the Sovereign and to Parliament on the other. The Act of 1858 did away with these intermediary Under the bodies between the Governor-General and the British Ministry. Crown. For the Court of Directors, the Court of Proprietors, and the Board of Control, it substituted a Secretary of State, aided by a Council appointed by the Crown. State. Council in The Secretary of State for India is a Cabinet Minister, who The Secrecomes into and goes out of office with the other members of tary of the Ministry. His Council was originally appointed for life. His Its members are now appointed for ten years only; but may be re-appointed for another five years for special reasons. The Secretary of State rules in all ordinary matters through the majority of his Council. But in affairs of urgency, and in questions which belong to the Secret Department, including political correspondence, he is not required to consult his Council. The Viceroy or Governor-General is appointed by Office of the Crown, and resides in India. His ordinary term of Viceroy. office is five years. stration The supreme authority in India is vested by a series of Acts Adminiof Parliament in the Viceroy or Governor-General-in-Council, in India. subject to the control of the Secretary of State in England. Every executive order and every legislative statute runs 'Governorin the name of the Governor-General-in-Council; but in General-in 1 Under 32 and 33 Vict. c. 97. The chief of these Acts are 13 Geo. III. c. 63; 33 Geo. III. c. 52: 3 and 4 Will. Iv. c. 85; 21 and 22 Vict. c. 106; and 24 and 25 Vict. c. 67. 3 A style first authorized by 33 Geo. III. c. 52, sec. 39. Council.' |