scious that the offer now made to the Na- | had every right to be proud. The hon. tives of India-that they should present and learned Member for Oxford (Mr. Neate) themselves at the competitive examinations had made some observations upon what he in this country-was at all events at pre- called the deterioration of the Civil Sersent little more than a nominal opening vice in India under the system of competifor Natives, though he hoped, that by-and- tive examinations; but it was doubtful by, it would become something more. At whether, upon a full and impartial inquiry, present, however, it was only with great any grounds existed for that complaint. difficulty that Natives could pass such an It was quite true that when a change of examination. Although he was unable to system occurred, the minds of the Natives accept the proposal of the hon. Member for were prejudiced against those who were Brighton, he should be extremely glad to appointed under the new system, and were adopt a system by which competition might disposed to look jealously upon them; but, be adopted in the first cities of India. This from recent information, he had reason to matter was brought under his attention believe that that feeling on the part of the some time ago by a deputation which waited Natives had passed away, and that the upon him-he believed in July or August merits of the new comers as a body had last-at the India Office. He listened to been acknowledged by them. The present their statements, and promised to consult system was still going on, and those apthe Governor General and other persons of pointed under the competitive examination authority on the subject. He did so, and system had scarcely yet risen to the higher one or two objections of a subordinate cha- posts in the Service; but, within his own racter had been suggested, such as the knowledge, two of those gentlemen who difficulties of a mechanical kind as to the were now in this country, and who were mode of carrying the examination into among the first of those who were apeffect; but he believed, from representa- pointed under that system, were as protions he had had from the Civil Service mising and as distinguished young men Examiners, that those objections might be as were to be found in the service of the very readily got over. He believed that country. On the whole, he had reason examinations upon paper might be con- to believe that the system answered exducted in the way suggested by the hon. ceedingly well, and was likely to prove Gentleman; but with regard to viva voce of the greatest advantage to the serexaminations, it would be difficult to find vice. Another danger he should apprea proper standard of comparison. The diffi- hend from the adoption of the hon. Memculty would be to compare the vivâ voce ber's proposal was this:-It was not imexaminations conducted in one place with probable that a large number of Natives those conducted in another. He attached who might succeed in passing the competigreat weight to these viva voce examina- tive examination, and who might be pertions, as they showed that the candidate fectly fit for the lower posts of the service, was able to make use of the knowledge he would be totally unfit for its higher and had acquired on the spur of the moment, more responsible posts, and the Government when unexpected questions were put to of India might hold it contrary to their him. Another objection to the proposal duty to promote those persons to those powould be that the examinations should be sitions-a course that would be likely to held in many more centres than the two promote jealousy and heart-burnings among or three suggested by the hon. Member, if the Natives, who might consider that they they were intended to be accessible to cer- were not fairly treated by being excluded tain classes of the Natives. A further ob- from the more important positions in the jection that might be suggested was, that service. In such an event the Government if the proposal were adopted, it might at of India would probably feel called upon to some future period be urged that the na- obtain the required strength of will and of ture of the examination was of a character mind by having recourse to the Uncovennot suitable to the people of India, and anted European Civil Service, instead of to considerable pressure might be brought to the Covenanted Civil Service. He was bear for the purpose of getting the stan- exceedingly jealous of the Uncovenanted dard of examination altered, under the Service being employed in posts that should pretence of adapting it to the capabilities be filled by the Covenanted Service; beof the Natives-an alteration that would cause although there were, doubtless, many be much to be lamented, as the service as posts that might with propriety be bestowed now constituted was one of which England upon those who had not passed through

persons distinguished by birth and family tinction between the Covenanted and Uncoconnection. Under these circumstances, venanted Civil Service. That distinction we ought to be cautious how we throw open was a matter of great importance. At the door by competitive examinations. This present there were about 870 covenanted opinion was coincided in by many of those civil servants in India, with salaries ranging most favourable to the employment of Na- from about £360 to upwards of £5.000, tives, including Sir John Lawrence, Sir few having more than that. The UncoBartle Frere, and Sir Herbert Edwards; venanted servants, leaving the lowest apand the latter, in a paper lately read before pointments out of consideration, and inthe East India Association, spoke with cluding those whose salaries ranged from great hesitation as to the morale and in- £250 to £1,000 and £1,500 (a few tegrity of the great mass of the people of reaching £2,000), numbered 2,336. The India. Attached to the pamphlet in which average of the salaries of the Covenanted this was published were a number of let- servants was £1,800, and that of the Unters, all purporting to be in favour of the covenanted servants £520. [Colonel SYKES employment of Natives; but there was remarked that Europeans held the highest scarcely one writer who boldly stated his paid positions.] Not exclusively, for there opinion that the Natives, as a class, were were fifteen Natives receiving salaries of to be relied on for the moral qualities re- upwards of £1,000, and several receiving quired in rulers. He was afraid that any upwards of £500. Unquestionably the kind of test that could be applied in the number of Natives admitted into the Sershape of testimonials and inquiries as to vice was miserably small, and that the character would be feeble security. An- Government was endeavouring to remedy other reason for pausing was, that if once as soon as possible. Last year he had they entered into the system, they would drawn the attention of the Governor Gene. be obliged to go on with it, no matter what ral to the fact in a despatch, and had asked might be the difficulties into which it might his opinion as to the possibility of finding throw them. He would not close the door a better opening for the employment of for ever against examinations; but there Native talent. The Governor General rewere other measures more suitable to the plied that steps were being taken to introemergency which would do much towards duce a larger proportion of Natives in the introducing Natives freely. The first was non-Regulation Provinces. To that he rethat of scholarships; and if young men plied it would not be necessary to confine could be assisted to present themselves for the measure to the non-Regulation Proexamination in this country, and to receive vinces, but that it should likewise be cara certain education here, much would be ried out in the Regulation Provinces. With done to imbue them with English feelings; regard to the judicial service, Sir John and even if they failed on examination, Lawrence thought that, while it might be they would not have had their time thrown dangerous to throw it open widely to Naaway, because they would have learnt much tives, much might be done to employ Nathat would be useful to them. There was tives in it. His intention was to insert in every disposition on the part of the Go- his India Bill a clause giving the Governvernment to assist those who gained scho- ment power to introduce Natives of India larships, and it was proposed to pay their into appointments held by the Covenanted passages out and home. It was suggested Service, if they were proved fit for them; that, if the system succeeded, further scho- and that would be a better mode of seleclarships might be created by the Govern- tion than the system of competitive examiment; and, by degrees, young men might nations. At all events, it would be safe; be brought over and passed through the and if it proved inefficient they might remill with competitors upon equal terms. sort to other measures in order to give it This would provide a test of moral quali- extension. It was the earnest and sincere ties, for it would show courage, vigour, desire of the Government both here and in and self-reliance for a young man to expa- India to introduce the Natives into importriate himself, and it would indicate that tant positions in the service. It would be he was above the average in moral strength for the benefit of our rule, it would be of and fibre. There was another measure importance for India itself, that the Nasubstantially the same as that embodied in tives should be educated to govern themthe Amendment of the hon. Member for selves and their own affairs. They beTynemouth (Mr. Trevelyan), who, how-lieved that an immense improvement was ever, did not draw a sufficiently sharp dis- going on among the Natives, and would be VOL. CXCI. [THIRD SERIES.]

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gradually productive of beneficial change; tion of London, observed that both were but it was most important that nothing substantially the same as those which the rash or hasty should be done. He believed House permitted him last year to lay on that the step taken would give considerable the table. The alterations were extremely impulse to that improvement, and to the slight. He was quite aware that no private real interests of Native agency, far beyond Member could expect to carry through such anything that had hitherto been done. He measures. In order that they might suehoped, therefore, that having introduced a ceed Government must take them up; but clause to give effect to the principle of the the Government had not shown any dispaAmendment, it would not be thought ne- sition to take up the subject, and in the cessary to press either the Motion or the present year, considering all the cireumAmendment to a division in order to commit stances of the case, he could not blame the House to any positive view. He was them. No Government was likely to envery glad this discussion had taken place. barrass itself with such a subject until They were taking action on the subject much discussion had taken place, and pubboth in their correspondence with India, lic opinion had been called forth to give and in the measure they were submitting them a sufficient degree of support. The to Parliament, and he hoped the feeling of introduction of the Bills had already prothe House had been sufficiently manifested duced considerable effect. This was shown without taking a division. by the number of petitions, which were almost all in favour of the Bills. The opposition to the Bills had chiefly proceeded from persons connected with the presest local administrative bodies, who were not likely to be wholly unprejudiced on the subject of their own mode of adminis tration. The passing of the Reform Bill last Session had paved the way for such legislation. One marked feature of the political movement, of which the passing of the Reform Act was a part, is a demand on the part of the people, he would not say for more government, but for more administration. It is not only sanitary measures, properly so called, but control over the dwellings provided for the working classes, and a hundred similar arrangements, which are now required at the hands of Govern ment; and the effecting of these things has been again and again prevented by the want of any sufficient local authority. When much has to be done for society, it cannot be all done by the central Go

MR. FAWCETT said, that after the speech of the right hon. Gentleman, he would not divide the House on his Motion. The right hon. Gentleman did not seem to impugn his Motion, but simply wished to try something else first. He should be doing an injustice to the question by now dividing, and he would have the opportunity of expressing his opinion when the Bill to which the Secretary of State for India had referred was before the House. He should support a scheme to enable the Natives to take a part in the government of their country. The Amendment, indeed, was not antagonistic to his proposal. It was simply to enable officers to pass from the Uncovenanted to the Covenanted service without coming to England to pass an examination. At the same time he thought that the people of India would not be satis fied at their being obliged to spend so many years in the Uncovenanted Service before they could enter the Covenanted, when, if they came to England and passed the exa-vernment, and there was in this country mination, they could enter at once. All that the proposition of the Government meant was to admit persons that the Governor General thought fit to enter the Covenanted Service, and he thought that that would not be quite satisfactory to the people of India. Amendment and Motion, by leave, with drawn.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (METRO

POLIS) BILL.-LEAVE. MR. J. STUART MILL, in moving for leave to introduce two Bills, one for the purpose of providing for the establishment of Municipal Corporations in the Metropolis, and the other for the creation of a Corpora

great jealousy of intrusting too much to that authority. It was a national principle that a great part of our administration should be local, and the constitutional mode of giving local government to different parts of the country, especially to towns, was by means of municipalities. Now, London had only the benefit of a municipality in that which was originally the whole of its extent-the City proper. With that exception the local government of the metropolis was a parish government. What other town in the kingdom would be satisfied with a parish administration extending over the greater portion of its area? The government of London by means of