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The Political History of India, from 1784 to 1823 (1826)
The Political History of India from 1784 to 1823 - 1826 Author:John Malcolm Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 133 CHAPTER X. LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. Power of Governor-general.—Proposed Change in his Duties. —Nomination of Lieutenant-governors to distant parts... more » of our Possessions.—Considerations on the System of Judicature, of Police, and Revenue.—Civil and Military Establishments. The next object of attention is the construction of our government in India. Mr. Pitt's bill, however defective in other points, remedied a serious defect of the local administration of our eastern territories, by giving ample powers to the Governor- general in council of Bengal over the other presidencies. It has been ascertained from the fullest experience, that the internal tranquillity of our possessions in India, as well as their security against external attack, has been very greatly promoted by the measure of placing one head over our wide territories in that quarter, which has put an end to contentions with subordinate authorities, and given combination to the resources of our empire. - Since this bill was passed, many circumstances have occurred to increase the duties of the Governor-general in an extraordinary degree. They are,at present, more than almost any individual can perform. From this and other causes it would appear a very desirable improvement of the present system, to relieve this high public officer from details connected with the internal administration of the government of Bengal. His emancipation from those limited and local proceedings, in which much of his time is now consumed, would, in every way, be productive of public benefit, leaving him more at liberty than he now can be to attend to duties of higher importance, and to visit the distant parts of the empire he governs. The numerous occasions, during the last thirty years, in which the internal administration of Be...« less