DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.34827#0418
402 Zz/9 <?/ 71^2272^722^/ ^^^272^/2772^. cn. xrx.
obscurity which the President of the Board of Control used to
court. His object used to be to avoid all disputes that might
bring the separate action of the Ministry in Indian affairs before
the House of Commons, and to do this he was obliged to deal
with the Court of Directors in a way that weakened the
authority of both, and left the Governor-General pretty nearly
his own master. I imagine that the practice at that time was
for the Court of Directors to check the Governor-General when
they thought it right, and for the Board of Control to support
him; that the Board generally carried its point, and that even
when it gave way and allowed the official instructions to be
drawn according to the wish of the directors, there was always
a private correspondence between the President and the
Governor-General, that emboldened the latter to pursue his
own views without much fear of the consequences.
' All this will now cease, and my fears are not for the
present, but for the future, when attention will be withdrawn
from India, and when a weak and unscrupulous Ministry may
send out devoted adherents of its own to the Supreme Govern-
ment, through whom it may employ the patronage of India for
party purposes, supporting the measures of its creatures through
thick and thin in return.
' Against such a design no restrictions afforded by an ex-
clusive service, examinations, competition, conditions of pre-
vious residence in India, &c., will be of the least avail. The
public is always averse to monopolies, and will support all
infractions of those protective regulations, which moreover will
be introduced gradually and almost unperceived.
' 4forcA 2.—The above was written yesterday, but my eyes
got so tired, and my scrawl so illegible, that I thought it would
be a relief to you, as well as to myself, to leave off, and have a
fair copy made for your use. I am afraid you will hnd it very
unsatisfactory after all. The only effectual check that I can
see, either on the Governor-General or the Ministry at home, is
a Board of Council, formed by election if possible, but at all
events conducting its business entirely separate from the
Minister for India. Even if we had such a Board there would
obscurity which the President of the Board of Control used to
court. His object used to be to avoid all disputes that might
bring the separate action of the Ministry in Indian affairs before
the House of Commons, and to do this he was obliged to deal
with the Court of Directors in a way that weakened the
authority of both, and left the Governor-General pretty nearly
his own master. I imagine that the practice at that time was
for the Court of Directors to check the Governor-General when
they thought it right, and for the Board of Control to support
him; that the Board generally carried its point, and that even
when it gave way and allowed the official instructions to be
drawn according to the wish of the directors, there was always
a private correspondence between the President and the
Governor-General, that emboldened the latter to pursue his
own views without much fear of the consequences.
' All this will now cease, and my fears are not for the
present, but for the future, when attention will be withdrawn
from India, and when a weak and unscrupulous Ministry may
send out devoted adherents of its own to the Supreme Govern-
ment, through whom it may employ the patronage of India for
party purposes, supporting the measures of its creatures through
thick and thin in return.
' Against such a design no restrictions afforded by an ex-
clusive service, examinations, competition, conditions of pre-
vious residence in India, &c., will be of the least avail. The
public is always averse to monopolies, and will support all
infractions of those protective regulations, which moreover will
be introduced gradually and almost unperceived.
' 4forcA 2.—The above was written yesterday, but my eyes
got so tired, and my scrawl so illegible, that I thought it would
be a relief to you, as well as to myself, to leave off, and have a
fair copy made for your use. I am afraid you will hnd it very
unsatisfactory after all. The only effectual check that I can
see, either on the Governor-General or the Ministry at home, is
a Board of Council, formed by election if possible, but at all
events conducting its business entirely separate from the
Minister for India. Even if we had such a Board there would