he was usually placed in an independent position. Tributes were sometimes imposed; sometimes not. The Company's government only retained the privilege of regulating the succession to the throne (a power which was generally exercised only to interfere in behalf of the regular successor against an attempted usurpation); and merely required that the native sovereign should govern with some justice, and maintain a certain amount of order; to secure which, and keep him in mind of his position, a British resident Agent, usually called simply "the Resident," was maintained at every native court. This officer had no power but such as resulted from his personal character and influence. The subject princes were also required to keep up a certain army, which was to be partly officered by Englishmen, and to the services of which the Company were, under certain circumstances, entitled. No terms could be more liberal than these, and they were always scrupulously observed by the Company. The right, which was of course inherent in the Honourable Company, to resume the sovereign power which had been once in their hands, in case of the non-performance by the native princes of their part of the agreement, was never enforced, except where, as in the case of Oude, the degradation of the court, the lawlessness of the capital, and the anarchy which prevailed throughout the country, were not only ruining the subject state itself, but threatened the peace and security of the adjacent territories of the Company. Even in such cases, the deposed monarchs were treated with a lavish liberality to which their previous merits gave them very little claim. Never has there been a conquest more unwillingly made than was that of the English in India. The Company was at first exclusively mercantile, and trade was their only object. Every war was costly, diminished their revenue, and lowered their dividends. Accordingly we find the Board of Directors again and again commanding the Governors in India not to allow themselves to be dragged into war, and to endure anything in preference to taking up arms. But their wishes were overruled by Providence. The Indian government was forced* * The wars in Afghanistan and Sindh, if exceptions to this rule, cannot be into one contest after another, until, in less than one hundred years from their first great battle, under Lord Clive, at Plassey, they found themselves masters of the land from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, and from Burmah to Afghanistan. Henceforth India is delivered from tyranny, anarchy, and devastating invasions. The degrading sway of the Brahmuns, and the despotism of the Mahommedan rulers, are alike abolished. It is to be hoped that a few years will see the remains of the last native governments wiped away, and that India will be governed entirely by the beneficent rule of a Christian people; under whom alone civilization can be introduced, the immense resources of the country developed, and the Hindoos enjoy that peace and freedom to which they are entitled by centuries of oppression and suffering. laid at the door of the Company. Like the annexation of Oude, they were forced upon the East India Company by the British Ministry through the Board of Control, and were entirely acts of the Home Government, although conducted in the name of the Company, and at its expense. CHAPTER XXXVI. ENGLISH GOVERNMENT IN INDIA. Abolition of Company's Trading Privileges-Board of Control-Government of India Nominally in the Hands of the Directors, but really under the Control of the Ministry-Civil Servants Appointed by Examination-Objections to this System—Unfitness of Natives for Government Employ-Government in India-District Magistrates -Salaries-Character of the Civil Service-Native Employees-Uncovenanted Service-Universal Lying-Instances from Real Life-Rules of Testimony-Civil Law of India-Mild Criminal Code-Thugs-Dukoitee-Religious Murderers and Robbers -Infanticide and other Crimes-Suttee and Human Sacrifices-Poisoners-Peculiarities of Crime in India-Thieves-Stealing a Sheet from under a Man Sleeping— Precautions-Disregard of Capital Punishment-Black Water-Blowing from Guns -Model Prisons-Caste in Jail-Smoking-Licentiousness-Discourteous Manners of English to Native Gentlemen-What is a Gentleman ?-Difficulties of Magistrates -Native Police--Their Corruption and Tyranny-Torture in India-Bribery and Corruption-The Remedy-Causes of the Moral Degradation of the Hindoos. Up to 1833 the East India Company had continued to be a commercial company, ruling India in the name of the Great Mogul. At that time the Company's commercial power was taken away by the English Parliament, on the occasion of the renewal of their charter.* This measure was, commercially, of the greatest advantage to India, but conferred upon that country even greater benefits indirectly, by leaving the Company's servants free to devote their entire attention to gov *Under the charter of 1793, the first provision was made for private enterprise, and the Company were obliged to provide 6,000 tons of shipping every year for the accommodation of private traders. At the next renewal of the charter in 1814, the Company lost the monopoly of the Eastern trade, except that of tea. The unrestricted competition of private capital in the India trade soon took most of the business out of the hands of the Company, while the whole amount of business done was, by it, largely increased, as appears by this table: Exports by Company. 1814. £826,558 1832. £149,193 By Private Traders. Total. £1,874,690 £3,750,286 ernment, the development of the resources of the country, and internal improvements. The latter had been so much neglected that, in 1825, it is said, there did not exist twenty miles of carriage road in Bengal. In the year 1833 the government of India was in fact taken out of the hands of the East India Company; or rather they remained the agents for its administration, but all the higher attributes of sovereignty were withdrawn from them. The royal Government assumed the responsibility of defraying the interest on the capital stock, guaranteeing to all stockholders 10 per cent. annual dividend, and retaining the privilege of buying up all the stock, or what portions they pleased, at the rate of £200 for every £100 of stock. In return for this assumption of responsibility, the king's Government exercised a controlling influence in the affairs of the Company. As early as 1784 a royal supervision had been exercised over the Indian government by means of a Board of Control. This Board has since acquired a supreme influence in all more important matters. The Board of Control consists of six members, appointed by the Crown, with a President, who is always a member of the Cabinet, and discharges the duties of Secretary of State for India. Every resolution or despatch of the Board of Directors must go for approval before the Board of Control, who have the power of sending the orders to India, or withholding them at will. In cases where the Board of Control and the Directors disagree as to what course it is proper to take under certain circumstances, it is the former who decide. In fact, the only unrestricted power left to the Directors by the last amendment to their charter in 1853, is that of appointing cadets to the army and a few of the higher officers of government in India. All orders and despatches continue to be in the name of the Board of Directors, but, in reality, for many years, the entire direction and responsibility of Indian policy has been in the hands of Parliament, by means of the Ministry, of whom the President of the Board of Control is one.* The *The Ministry may send to India any despatch or order that they please, either in the name of the Board of Directors or of its Secret Committee. In details of administration always, however, have continued to be principally entrusted to the Board of Directors, at least so far as they were matters for the consideration of the home authorities. The whole appointment of the civil servants for India was formerly vested in the Directors, but this valuable privilege was taken away by the last charter, and they are now chosen according to the result of competitive examinations, to which all British subjects are admissible. The new system is an experiment, with respect to the success of which those who are best informed about India are most distrustful. Under the new system many men must be appointed whose antecedents are not well known, and who, when they arrive in India, and are placed in charge of large districts, far removed from all supervision and control, may fall a prey to those numerous temptations by which the Indian official is surrounded. Against these the most powerful barrier was the honour of his family, which every civilian appointed under the old system feels to be dependent on his conduct in a service, in the ranks of which he probably has more than one relation, and to many of the other members of which he is personally known. Another great objection to the new arrangement is, that under it natives are eligible to high civil employs; and will probably obtain them, as they have generally quite ability enough to prepare themselves for passing any examination which may be appointed. It is a sad fact that the natives are wholly unfit for any position of responsibility in which they are not under constant European supervision. In connection with this I cannot express my own views, and those of all well-informed persons with whom I have conversed, more clearly than in the words of M. De Valbezen. After remarking upon the apparent injustice and abuse of power, in the systematic exclusion of natives from all high employs, he goes on to say: "Besides, the injustice is more apparent than the former case the Directors must have seen the despatch or order, but cannot veto it; in the latter they need not even have seen it. By means of this extraordinary system, the Company has been made responsible to public opinion for many acts done in their name, but which were entirely opposed to their wishes and policy. |