duct of the Government in regard to the | to Scotland, and that country had not affairs of Scotland. As regarded that been altogether neglected this year; particular Bill, his own opinion was that because, in addition to the Entail Bill the only way to dispose of the arrears in which had been passed, one of the most the Sheriff's Court of Glasgow, would be important English measures had been to create a new Court to clear off those made applicable to Scotland. As rearrears at once. All experience showed garded the whole judicial system of Scotthat it was a vain and useless effort to land, he begged to repeat what he had keep up the current business of any said on Saturday, that at the proper office, and work at arrears at the same time he should be prepared to consider time, always supposing that the officers the whole subject with the Lord Advoof the Court were able and equal to the cate. work. If these were unfit from health, or incapable, then it was useless to attempt to conduct either the current business, or to bring up arrears. It was the duty of Government to see to the efficiency of the officers of the Lanark Court.

MR. M'LAREN said, that having considered the Bill, he had come to the conclusion that there was the strongest possible case for passing it, by reason of the overwhelming amount of duty which now devolved upon the Sheriff substitute, and he considered no valid objection had been made out against the

measure.

He would, at the same time, suggest that the Government should promote one of the existing Sheriffs substitute to Glasgow at a higher salary. He also urged upon the Home Secretary and the Lord Advocate to take into their consideration a reform of the Sheriffs' Courts altogether, in order to prevent the delay and expense which occurred under the existing state of things.

Bill, as amended, considered.
Amendments made.

Bill read the third time, and passed with an amended Title.

EAST INDIA REVENUE ACCOUNTS.
COMMITTEE.

Order for Committee read.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair."

MR. FAWCETT, in rising to move"That this House regrets that the Government has so arranged Public Business that they

have postponed bringing forward the Indian Budget until within a few days of the close of the Session,"

said, he thought he could affirm, on the part of hon. Members who objected to the Indian Budget being brought in so late, that they did so not from any feeling of personal inconvenience, arising naturally from their desire to go into the country, but because they thought MR. KINNAIRD said, he had to thank that the exigencies of Public Business the Lord Advocate for having brought were of greater moment than their perin the Bill, because, as far as Glasgow was sonal convenience. He believed it would concerned, it was an important measure. not be difficult to show, however, that He hoped, however, that next Session, all who had the smallest experience of Scotland would have a little more con- India well knew that connected with the sideration from the Government than it postponement of the Indian Budget to had had this year. The Scotch Mem- the last hours of the Session, there was a bers had complained that the late Go- question of infinitely greater importance vernment had neglected their country than the personal convenience of hon. very much, and great things were pro- Members. From one end of India to mised on the hustings by the supporters the other the postponement of the Budget of the present Administration, but they to the end of the Session was looked had not yet derived any advantage from upon as a settled determination to treat the change. Next Session, however, he Indian questions as if they were the trusted that they would not be kept most trifling questions that could be night after night, or rather morning brought before the House; and they after morning, waiting for Bills which might depend upon it that persistence were never to come on, but eventually in that course would wound the suscepto disappear altogether from the Orders. tibilities of the Indian people, and scatMR. ASSHETON CROSS said, he ter far and wide the seeds of discontent. would remind the hon. Member that last He knew it was sometimes said that the Session a good deal of time was devoted | less the House dealt with the affairs of

to no more than an abstract Resolu-
tion, and had no binding force in law,
which had occupied so much time-he,
for one, could not accept the plea of
want of time. He maintained that if
the Indian Budget was to form part of
the official programme of the Govern-
ment it ought to be brought forward at
a period of the Session when there would
be a reasonable opportunity for full dis-
cussion and consideration.
of August, after the Appropriation Bill
had been read a third time, meet these
requirements? Why, the noble Lord
the Secretary for the Colonies (the Earl
of Carnarvon) last week, in reply to
some questions raised as to the treat-
ment of Coolies imported into the Mau-

Did the 9th

India, the better would it be both for length and then quietly allowed to drop India and for England. It was urged-when they remembered the permissive that it would not be well that the House legislation, which, when passed, amounted should govern India when a majority of its Members confessed that they had no special knowledge of the country or its affairs. On the other hand, those who urged that we should not interfere much with Indian business ought to remember that we were dealing with things as they were, and not with things as they might be; and dealing with things as they were, no one could deny that there was a close and necessary connection between the Government of India and the House of Commons. In order to understand the peculiar nature of that connection it was necessary to remember that the Secretary of State for India had as purely political an office as the head of any English Department. While the Viceroy continued through successive Ad-ritius, said it was too late to deal with ministrations, the Secretary of State for India must be sacrificed to the exigencies of English politics. That was to say, that he might be turned out of office at the very moment when he might have rendered the most essential service to India. If, therefore, India was to be presided over by one who held a political office which depended upon the fate of the Administration, and yet her affairs were not to be treated of in that House, she must suffer under the worst system of government that could be devised, as she had to bear all the disadvantages of government by Party, and reap none of the countervailing advantages. The Indian Secretary was the only one Member of the Cabinet who had particular interest in India, and upon such questions as charging Indian finance he might stand alone against the rest of the Cabinet. Lord Salisbury himself had said that in order that he might render due service to India, he required the sympathy of the English people and support in the House of Commons. He asked what chance there was of the House exercising any watchful care over Indian finance when the Budget was brought forward at a time like that, when there were neither the means nor the time for properly scrutinizing and discussing it. The Government stated that it was for want of time earlier in the Session; but when the House remembered the time that had been wasted, the hours and the days that had been thrown away on petty personal questions, on insignificant Bills that had been discussed at great

that question this Session. Well, if it was too late last week to consider so comparatively small a matter, was it not much too late a week afterwards to discuss the financial Budget of our great Eastern Empire-an Empire the interests of which were most closely bound up with those of England? His opinion was that India had a higher claim upon their consideration, and that her Budget ought to be treated in a very different way. It was impossible that any injury could be done to India without that injury vibrating on English commerce and English homes. That was, in fact, shown at the present time in the fact that in the manufacturing districts numerous mills were closed, hundreds of factory workmen were thrown out of employment, and all because trade was bad in India. The Chambers of Commerce in Lancashire had almost unanimously resolved to ask the Government to give up the import duty upon English cotton goods as one means of improving the Indian market. Lord Salisbury, when he visited Manchester last year, seemed to agree with that proposal, but he said he could not spare the £800,000 a-year which the duties brought into the Revenue. That might or might not be the case; but whichever way it was the remission of those duties and the abandonment of the duty upon salt, which amounted to about the same sum, would confer, it was believed, very great benefit upon the people of India, and he thought that if the Government and the Members of that House gave

due time and vigilance to the subject, that the adoption of such a precedent they would be amply rewarded by the would seriously weaken the responsi discovery of the means to abolish bility of the Executive Government, and both these duties. At all events, the that their appointment would strengthen import duties might be taken off, if the the impression which he had before reHouse were allowed to exercise watchful ferred to, that the House of Commons care over Indian finance. Apart from was seldom appealed to where Indian that, he had another complaint to make money was to be saved, but that its against the Government with respect to power was frequently invoked where its treatment of the Indian Budget. Not Indian money was to be expended. This only had that Budget been postponed, appeared so from the fact that although but the Government had shown a dispo- the Government said they had not had sition to make use of the House of Com- time to bring in the Indian Budget mons where Indian money was to be earlier this Session, they had had time expended, and never to invoke the power to introduce two Bills to give pensions of the House of Commons in a case where to certain officials out of the Revenues there was a chance of Indian money being of India. If the House of Commons saved. That was especially the case was to be apparently primarily responwith respect to the constant increase of sible for India, time and means ought the Home Charges for the Government to be given to them to deal with the of India. He found that within the last subject properly. The Government had three years these Charges had increased been warned on the matter, not only in 33 per cent; within the last 20 years that House, but out of it. Many Chamthey had increased more than 100 per bers of Commerce had passed the cent. That was out of the money of the strongest resolutions, calling upon the people of India-one of the poorest Government to introduce the Indian people in the world-and it was spent Budget at an earlier period. The Goin this country in the payment of sala- vernment had also been warned by reries, the costly personnel of the Secretary peated Questions within the House itself. of State, the purchase of stores, and in On the 13th of May the hon. Member for numerous other ways, over which neither Lambeth (Mr. W. M'Arthur) put a Questhe people of India nor hon. Members had tion on the subject. The Under Secrethe slightest control or supervision. If tary for India replied that it was the those various sources of expenditure intention of the Government to bring in came under the searching scrutiny of the Indian Budget much earlier than that House a rich harvest of savings usual. How had the Government fulmight be reaped. Two years ago a filled that promise? By bringing it in Committee on Indian finance was ap- at a later period of the Session than had pointed. Evidence upon a great num- ever been the case before. On the 8th ber of subjects was taken, but at the end of July the hon. Member for Manchester of the Session the Committee had only (Sir Thomas Bazley) again asked when entered, as it were, upon the threshold the Indian Budget would be taken. The of their inquiry; their investigations Under Secretary for India said, he could were, as might be expected, partial and not then give a satisfactory reply, but incomplete, and in their Report they he hoped to be able to name an early strongly recommended the re-appoint- day. He added that he was anxious to ment of the Committee in the following bring it on, because the Budget had year. Not the slightest notice was taken been brought on at Calcutta at an unof that recommendation. But what was usually early period, and the accounts done? A Committee was appointed to had been received from India in May. inquire and report upon the compensa- The authorities in India had, in fact, tion to certain English officers. He did given themselves a great deal of trouble not say those officers were not entitled in order to enable the Indian Budget to to it—he believed they were-but what be brought before the House of Comhe said was, that that mode of appoint- mons in good time, and now they would ing Committees and disregarding their find that all their labour had been cast recommendations ought not to be made contemptuously aside. Later in the Sesa precedent in future. That Committee' sion, on the 20th July, the hon. Member felt strongly that the powers of the for Kendal (Mr. Whitwell) again interHouse of Commons had been abused by rogated the Government. The Under its appointment, and passed a Resolution Secretary for India this time replied that

he could not name the day, but he hoped | minutes of a worn-out Session. If it to announce the day in good time, so was not intended that the subject should that hon. Members might make their ar- be treated with proper consideration, it rangements. On the Thursday on which would be far better never to produce a the Prime Minister abandoned the Mer- Budget at all; but if the question was chant Shipping Bill he sketched the dealt with in a proper way, there was a programme of the Business of the Ses- strong desire on the part of the people sion, but did not refer to the Indian of India to be connected with ParliaBudget. The hon. Member for Man-ment, and nothing would cause greater chester (Sir Thomas Bazley) again asked when it would be taken. Far from expressing any regret, the Prime Minister replied

Sir Arthur Cotton had devoted much | being brought forward at so late a attention to the question of irrigation of period of the Session, they would scarcely the soil of India, and that great advan- be consistent in delaying it still longer. tage would result to the population of Moreover, if the Motion of the hon. that country if the work of irrigation Member for Hackney (Mr. Fawcett) were extensively carried out. The people were adopted, it might be that he of India, though having great difficulties would not be able to bring forward to contend with, were making great the Indian Budget at all. He did progress; but what they wanted most not propose then to follow the rewere roads and facilities of communica- marks of the hon. Member, but to retion to exchange their products, and serve what he had to say upon them draw out the great resources of their until the House was in Committee, becountry. With respect to means of com- cause nothing was more inconvenient munication, there was great supineness; than to discuss Indian finance generally and he might state that while America before the Statement was made on which had 100,000 miles of railway communi- the discussion should take place. The cation, and England 20,000, in the vast hon. Member had not been fair to the Empire of India they had only 6,000 Government in charging it with mismiles. That was a subject deserving management, muddle, incapacity, and the consideration of the Parliament and inefficiency in the conduct of Public people of this country. A distinguished Business. The hon. Gentleman should authority had said that the famine in remember that certain persons in OppoIndia had left a lesson suggestive of the sition had studiously opposed every Gonecessity of improvements in the nature vernment measure, which had delayed of public works in that country, which, the Business of the Session. [Mr. FAWin their operation, might avert future CETT denied that he had spoken against or famine; and here he (Sir Thomas opposed all the Government measures.] Bazley) might say that an outlay of If not every measure, the hon. Member £20,000,000 on public works in that had opposed a great many; but if hon. country would be a wise investment. Members seriously wished to have the Looking at the progress of the me- Indian Financial Statement brought on chanical improvements of the age, of at an earlier period of the Session, they which India was deprived, it became the could materially assist its being done interest of this country to extend those not by unduly curtailing their remarks improvements to their fellow-subjects in upon various subjects, but by condensing India, and to be careful that they did their observations, and so allow the not, by neglect, let that great country slip Government to get on with their Busiaway from them. He hoped the House ness. would mark its disapproval of the delay which had occurred; and thus show to the people of India that there existed a feeling of sympathy for the great interests and welfare of India on the one hand, and of our own commerce on the other.

Amendment proposed,

To leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words "this House regrets that the Government have so arranged public business that they have postponed bringing forward the Indian Budget until within a few days of the close of the Session," -(Mr. Fawcett,) -instead thereof.

LORD GEORGE HAMILTON said, he would take the liberty of suggesting deferentially to hon. Gentlemen that if they objected to the Indian Budget

The Indian accounts had been, at his request, forwarded at an earlier period than usual this year, and that he was most anxious to bring forward the Budget before the end of May; but that was rendered impossible by the long discussions which arose before and after Easter on Bills which it was necessary to advance in order to send them to the other House. If the Indian Financial Statement was not made before the first week in June, it was very difficult to spare a day during the months of June and July, as all the time at the disposal of the Government was occupied by Bills which it was necessary to send up to the House of Lords, or which had come down from that House. The Government were anxious to introduce the Indian Budget as early as possible, and last year he was authorized to state that it was their wish to do so, and he was