LORD TREMLYN DISCOURSES MORE ABOUT INDIA
The delightful weather of the forenoon charmed the party as they walked the
deck. It was mid-summer in the middle of the winter, as they looked at it;
for the almanac of home lingered in their minds, though the days were
longer. The sun was rather warm on both sides of noon, though it was not
oppressive, and the abundant awnings protected the passengers from its more
searching rays.
Statistical as the lecture had been, the viscount had made it interesting
by softening the figures with his comparisons; and some of his points, even
in regard to the States, were new to them, and especially in regard to the
United Kingdom. In about half an hour they were summoned to Conference Hall
again for a continuation of the lecture.
"From the vast emigration to your country, ladies and gentlemen, I suppose
there must be a great variety of people on your territory. The Germans, the
English, the Irish, the Scandinavians, the Italians, and other
nationalities, in the process of assimilation, although very many of them
have become as American as Americans themselves, take the manners and
customs, the national peculiarities, of the fatherland with them.
"The Irish drink whiskey, the Germans beer, and the Italians are apt to
have a stilletto about them. Then the antecedents, climate, politics, and
other influences, have made the East differ from the West, and the South
from both of them. Lynch law prevails to a considerable extent in the
latter, never in the Eastern and Middle States, and very rarely in the
West. But all Americans speak the same language; and foreigners are
compelled to learn English in order to get on at all, and it has become one
of the bonds of your union."
"In India there are not less than twenty-seven languages and dialects in
use; and they indicate so many different kinds of people, for we can hardly
call them nations, though in many respects they are such. This excellent
map behind me, which is worthy of the highest praise as a home-made
production, will enable me to give you a better idea of my subject."
"The ingenious artist has colored the different divisions so that you can
make them out. The three presidencies are the most notable divisions, and
they include all the inferior ones. The Bengal Presidency includes the
north-eastern part, from Afghanistan to Burma. The Madras, the southeastern
part, with most of the peninsula. The Bombay covers the greater part of the
west coast. The Deccan is a portion of the peninsula."
"It would take me three weeks to describe all the divisions of India, and I
shall not attempt to do it. It would be better done as you travel over the
country. Eighteen of them are Directly governed by the English, and
thirteen of them are still under the nominal control of the native princes;
but all the latter have a British resident as the adviser of the reigning
rajah.
"The English-speaking people of India are a mere bagatelle compared with
the enormous population, being only 238,499; but with the army they have
been able to hold the country in subjection. The British government takes a
fatherly interest in the native states, and they have been loyal without
exception in later years, though the history of India will show that not
all of them have always been so."
"Until the year 1858 the government was in the hands of the East India
Company, of which you will learn more in the history of India. In 1877 her
majesty, the queen, assumed the title of Empress of India, and she is the
ruler of the country. The government of the highest resort in the affairs
of India is a secretary of state, residing in London. He is a member of the
cabinet, and has an under-secretary. He is assisted by a council of ten or
fifteen members."
"The executive government, administered in India, is the governor-general
in council. He is the viceroy of the crown, and is assisted by six members
of the executive council, each of whom has his function in the affairs of
the state; and the commander-in-chief of the army is _ex-officio_ a
seventh member. This body is really the cabinet of the viceroy. The laws
are made by this council, with from six to a dozen members appointed by the
viceroy. This is the way the machine is operated.
"The civil service of the government is rendered mainly by Europeans,
though the natives are eligible to office as employees. The English system
in the appointment of its officials prevails, and all candidates are
regularly examined. Those of you who have looked over Bradshaw's 'Guide to
India' will find descriptions of the several examinations for various
employments."
"I wish the English system could be transferred to the United States," said
Uncle Moses with great unction.
"You have made a beginning, and perhaps you will come to it in time. The
civil service prevails in the provinces and states of India as well as in
the general government, though the competition is open to the natives.
"The soldiers of the East India Company became the military force of the
British crown when the government was assumed. The English army in India
now consists of 74,033 men of all arms, and the native army of 144,735, a
total standing army of 218,786, which is its strength at the present time.
It is a curious fact that, as the native troops are recruited by voluntary
enlistment, all castes and races, including Brahmins, are drawn in by the
good pay and the pension promised.
"The navy of the East India Company was superseded by the royal navy in
1863; and a dozen or fifteen ships of war are stationed in these waters,
with an admiral as commander-in-chief, whose headquarters are at Bombay.
The Indian treasury contributes annually to the expense of this force. The
great steam navigation companies are available to recruit this branch of
the defence of the country.
"The laws are made, and the institutions of India are regulated, by
Parliament; and the administration of law and justice is substantially the
same as in the United Kingdom. The regular police consists of 160,000
officers and men; and a portion of the expense of this force is defrayed by
the towns, the large cities mainly. Besides the city police, there are
560,000 in charge of the villages. The constabulary are natives, with
European officers, one to every seven square miles and 1,300 inhabitants,
indicating peaceful communities. About 12,000 of the 82,000 persons under
sentence are in the convict colonies at the Andaman Islands.
"The educational institutions are progressive, and 400 newspapers are
published in various languages, most of them with small circulations,
20,000 being the largest in India. The post and telegraph systems are well
cared for; and 17,564 miles of railway are in operation, with others in
process of construction. The manufactures, both in metal and fibre, have
always been remarkably fine, and the quality is still kept up. Cotton
factories have been established, with native labor, which promise great
results to the industry of the country.
"The loss of life on account of famine, caused by the failure of the
monsoon rains, has been terrific in some years. Canals and reservoirs for
irrigation as well as navigation have been built in order to remove this
evil. In 1874 £16,000,000 was expended in the relief of sufferers by the
government. Since that time a famine fund has been established; and in
years of plenty a million and a half sterling has been set aside for this
object.
"The excessive density of the population has induced the government to
favor emigration; and over a hundred thousand have gone to British
Guiana and the West Indies, and other countries. The currency of India
will be likely to bother you a little. The silver _rupee_ is the unit;
though when you see 'R.x.' over or at the left of a column of figures,
it means tens of _rupees_. The nominal value of a _rupee_ is two
shillings, about half a dollar of your money; but it is never worth that
in gold, the standard of England in recent years. It was some years ago
at a premium of twopence, but for the last three years it has averaged
only 1_s_. 5-1/8_d_. Its value varies with the gold price of silver in
London.
"There is also a government paper currency in circulation, amounting to
£16,000,000 sterling. The smallest copper coin is the _pie_, worth half
a farthing, equal to a quarter of a cent of your money. Three of them
make a _pice_, a farthing and a half, three-quarters of a cent. Four
_pice_ make an _anna_, a penny and a half, three cents. Sixteen _annas_
make a _rupee_. Sixteen _rupees_ make a gold _mohur_."
"Those small pieces are about as insignificant as those of Egypt,"
suggested Mr. Woolridge.
"There are not many millionaires among the natives, and these smaller coins
are mostly used among them. They are convenient also to the stingy
Englishman when the plate is passed around in church," added his lordship
with a chuckle, which pleased Uncle Moses more than the remark. India has a
public debt of about £200,000,000, contracted for railways, canals, war,
and other purposes. The revenue last year was £84,932,100, and the
expenditures were £84,661,700. Not a large margin; but you must multiply
the pounds by five, or nearly that, to reduce them to dollars.
"The poppy is extensively cultivated in India; and the export tax in
Calcutta amounts to six and a quarter millions, in Bombay, to three and a
half millions, on the manufactured opium. The producer sends his crop to
the government factory, whence it is sold to the exporter; all this to
prevent frauds on the revenue.
"Wages and prices have gone up under British rule. The best class of
laborers get four _annas_ a day, and others not more than two,--six to
twelve cents a day. Grain for food is a penny for two pounds,--a cent a
pound. Women and children earn small wages. The clothing of the poor is
scanty and cheap; fuel costs nothing; and rent for dwellings is hardly
known. The masses in the country, not laborers, live on the land as owners
or lessees. There has never been anything like a poor-law, and ordinarily
there is no need of such.
"It would be quite impossible for me to give the history of India in detail
in the limited time at my command, especially as we are now approaching the
land. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator, was the first to reach the
East Indies, in 1498; but his countrymen never did much trading here, being
more intent upon securing the rich treasures of the Indies. As early as
1600 the English turned their attention in this direction. Companies were
formed; but being driven by the Dutch from the islands which they still
hold, they began to make settlements on the coast of this peninsula. Madras
dates from 1639, Bombay from 1686, Calcutta from 1686. The Company said,
'Let us make a nation in India;' and they went to work at once to do it.
They accomplished their purpose, fostered by the government, raised and
borrowed money, and in the course of time had an army and a navy, and ruled
the country. They defeated the Grand Mogul, drove the French out of the
peninsula, and were generally very prosperous.
"In 1833 Parliament revoked all the trading privileges of the company; and
their dividends to stockholders were then paid out of the taxes assessed on
the people of India. They could not trade and could not govern except under
the control of Parliament. All the wars of India have been fought by the
British nation. After the mutiny, of which more hereafter, the company was
compelled to cede its powers to the crown in 1858.
"The native soldiers of Bengal were called Sepoys, and the name has been
applied to all native troops. Some small mutinies occurred in this arm of
the service in the presidency. Early in 1857 the garrison of Meerut, near
Delhi, revolted, and the British troops failed to suppress it. The Sepoys
marched to Delhi, where they were joined by the native troops and the mob.
The descendant of the Great Mogul, who lived in the palace of his ancestors
under British protection, was proclaimed emperor, and his empire
re-established.
"Probably 90,000 soldiers, infantry and cavalry, were in a state of
rebellion. In many instances they had murdered their officers and their
families. They were spread over a broad country, and held forts, arsenals,
and treasuries. They were disciplined troops armed with European artillery
and muskets, and supplied with ammunition. In portions of the country the
British were isolated, as in the camp before Delhi, and in the works at
Agra, Allahabad, and Lucknow. The mutiny extended over an area of 100,000
square miles, with a population of 40,000,000. It came at the worst season
of the year; and if it had not been speedily suppressed, it would have
spread over the whole country. Many believed that the knell of the empire
had sounded.
"At that time there were 40,000 European troops"--
"Land, ho!" shouted the lookout man; and the cry was repeated by the
sailors and the officers.
"We will attend to the land now, and I will resume latter," said Lord
Tremlyn, as he descended from the rostrum.