86 Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [vol. ix 



with three objects in view, namely, to drive the French out of India, to 

 revive the confederacy with the Nizam and the Mahrattas against Tippu 

 Sultan of Mysore and to estabhsh the balance of power in India, the last 

 being the darling object of the English ministry. I may just say here that 

 at that period the object of the English Government was to allow the dif- 

 ferent native states to maintain their independence and Britain would 

 hold the balance of power among them, and as she fondly imagined keep 

 the peace. He soon disposed of the French, and Tippu Sultan, but he 

 had not been long in India before he found out that it was utterly 

 impossible for Britain to remain in the position of holding the balance 

 of power owing to the intrigues that were carried on by the different 

 rulers so he proposed the following: — The native states were to surrender 

 their international life to the British Government in return for British 

 protection. They were to make no wars and to carry on no negoti- 

 ations whatever with any other native state without the consent of the 

 British Government. They were not to entertain Frenchmen or any 

 other Europeans in their service without the consent of the British Govern- 

 ment. The greater principalities were each to maintain a native force 

 commanded by British officers for the preservation of the public peace, 

 and they were each to surrender territory in full sovereignty to meet the 

 yearly charges of this force. The lesser principalities were to pay tribute 

 to the paramount power. In return the British Government was to 

 protect them one and all against foreign enemies of every sort and kind. 

 The Marquis of Wellesley was a true imperial statesman of the highest 

 order who brought the political experiences of Western culture to bear 

 upon the conditions of Asiatic rule. His genius was untrammelled by the 

 narrow limits of a trading monopoly which had swayed the better judge- 

 ment of Clive and Warren Hastings. He valued the security and 

 prestige of the British Empire in India at a higher value than the com- 

 mercial privileges of a trading company and raised up a host of enemies 

 in consequence. But in the teeth of all opposition he established the 

 sovereignty of Britain over the greater part of India and put an end 

 forever to the English born fantasy of a balance of power. He also separ- 

 ated the civil service officers from those in charge of the company's 

 service. His policy was carried to its completion by the Marquis of 

 Hastings about 20 years afterwards, and it has been the guiding principle 

 of British administrations to the present day although native misrule 

 has compelled the Government to take over many native states since 

 that time. This was notably the case during Lord Dalhousie's term of 

 office and was one of the causes of the great mutiny, but as you are all 

 more or less conversant with this great event I shall pass it over. I may ex- 

 plain here that there are many native states in India and when combined 



