SIR ANDREW WINGATE, K.C.I.E., ON INDIA. 



69 



confidence is shown in his final noble paragraph with which I 

 will bring these remarks to an end. 



Mr. C. E.BucKLAND, CLE. , said : Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle- 

 men, — I venture to offer my contribution to the discussion, as I know 

 something of India, for I spent thirty- four years in the Covenanted 

 Indian Civil Service, and therefore had ample opportunity of gaining 

 information on the subject before us. I have listened to Sir A. 

 Wingate's paper with the greatest interest, but I cannot say that I 

 agree with all that he has read to us. People in England have, it 

 is well known, great difficulty in understanding the subject of India 

 for two reasons at least. The whole country, its circumstances, the 

 people, the history, everything, are so entirely different to the 

 corresponding matters in England, and again Anglo-Indians differ 

 so greatly in their views that people cannot tell who is right or what 

 they are to believe. Sir A. Wingate's views seem to me too opti- 

 mistic, and he does not, in his numerous suggestions, write with any 

 certainty. I observe a number of such words as " may " this, 

 "may" that, "if," "hope," "trust in," "likely," etc., all un- 

 certain, and, indeed, indicating only possibilities. His views seem 

 to be based on a trust in the recent Montagu-Chelmsford reforms, 

 which are being, and are to be, carried out under the new Statute 

 for the Government of India. Also, he seems to look, for the 

 amelioration, for the advance, of India to the spread of religion, i.e.,- 

 of Christianity. I should like to say something on both these points, 

 but really within five minutes it is quite impossible to do justice to 

 such an enormous subject as India. In my time in that country 

 we were expected and taught to aim at efficiency in the adminis- 

 tration. We are now told that we must not mind inefficiency, if it 

 results in the Indians being entrusted with more power and authority. 

 In fact, the main object of the reforms is to take away power from 

 the British officers in the Government, and to make it over to Indians, 

 who have no experience of administration and have never shown 

 the sense of the justice and impartiality which characterizes British 

 rule in India. Many of ns old Anglo-Indians view the future, as 

 Sir A. Wingate has said, with grave apprehension. We foresee the 

 friction there will be, the scramble for public money, the endless talk, 

 the advocacy of selfish interests and of class legislation and aims. 

 Party spirit is rife in India : we read lately in the papers of the 



