APPENDIX. 325 



telegraphs connecting all the principal parts of the empire, which 

 have contributed, in a remarkable degree, to the subsequent pros- 

 perity of India, and renders any further opposition to British rule 

 entirely hopeless. At present, thie two hundred millions of natives 

 are as completely under the control of the two hundred and fifty 

 thousand British residents as Poland is under the power of Eussia. 

 Not that I would compare the English government of India with 

 that of the Eussian in Poland, for, in my opinion, it is far more 

 mild, just, and equitable. Indeed, the strongest item in England's 

 hold upon India is that she governs wisely and liberally, and 

 the mass of the people know that they .are much surer of peace 

 and justice under the government of the English, than they would 

 be under the despotic rule of their myriad of native chiefs. Of 

 these there are nearly five hundred (whose jurisdiction is outside 

 of the large district absolutely under British rule, and which may 

 be esteemed British territory), of whose domain a recent report to 

 Parliament speaks as follows : 



" The native states of India form one of the most important 

 and difficult sections of administration. Every state — and the num- 

 ber, including the smaller feudatories, exceeds four hundred and 

 sixty — acknowledges the supremacy of the British Government ; 

 but, in other respects, their rights and obligations differ from each 

 other. Some merely acknowledge our supremacy, like Nepaul ; 

 others also undertake to follow our advice and to govern their 

 subjects with justice ; others again pay tribute or provide for the 

 maintenance of a contingent ; some have power of life and death ; 

 others must refer all grave cases to English judges. 'Nearly all 

 have, since the mutiny, received guarantees that their chiefs will 

 be allowed to adopt successors on failure of heirs, and their con- 

 tinued existence has been thus secured. This measure represents 

 a great change of policy, and is a return to that advocated by 

 Lord Metcalf in 1837. The policy is now unalterably fixed by 

 which existing native States will continue through the admitted 

 right of adoption to maintain their positions as now admitted by 

 treaty or agreement." 



From this it will be seen that the present system of Indian 

 government is quite complex, and requires a vast deal of atten- 

 tion, to satisfactorily -administer its affairs. Upward of forty 



