16-2 



Country, and their anxious desire to maintain su- 

 preme the authority of Her Majesty's Representa- 

 tive in India ; and that their embarrassment on this 

 point was extreme, every line of the public despatch 

 on the subject bears conclusive evidence. So ap- 

 parent is this, that, as it is perused, the impression 

 becomes almost irresistible, that solely out of defer- 

 ence to the principle which Her Majesty's Ministers 

 are accused of violating-, a decision has been come to 

 at variance with their better convictions. Indeed 

 on no other supposition is it easy to reconcile some 

 of the conclusions arrived at with the arguments 

 on which they are based. In such circumstances, 

 where the object of all is the same the welfare 

 of India the better plan is to direct our attention 

 to principles, in which all have a common interest, 

 leaving differences regarding- procedure to be settled 

 by those whom they alone concern. I shall step 

 aside for one moment, however, to notice an idea 

 which seems to have been adopted as the watchword 

 of a party, viz., that c India should be governed in 

 India/ India, undoubtedly, should be governed in 

 India, because from the moment a contrary principle 

 is recog'nized, there is danger of the fulfilment of a 

 prediction once uttered by a very wise man that 

 ' India will be lost in the House .of Commons/ 

 But, if there are sound reasons why India should 

 be governed in India, there are quite as sound 

 reasons, both political and constitutional, why the 

 proceedings of the Indian Government should be 



