THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 80, 28 December 1907, Page 12

THE EMPIRE.

SEDITION IN INDIA. In closing tho debate in tho Legislative Council, at Simla, on tho Bill for the prevention of public seditious meetings, tho Earl of Minto. said that, while recognising tho honesty of purpose of Messrs. Gokhalo and Ghosli (who opposed tho Bill), and tho sincerity of their endeavours to advance the political claims of their countrymen, he feared that their enthusiasm made them fail ?o recognise that tho first duty of a Government was the maintenance of law and order and the protection of the people entrusted to their charge. , , His Excellency added:—"They would load us to bolievo that we have been frightened by a phantom; that wo have accepted tho vapourings of a few agitators as evidence of dangerous sedition, and that by, the Act just passed we are imputing disloyalty to tho masses of the people of India. That I emphatically deny, but I refuse to minimise the meaning of tho warnings of the last few months. We cannot forgot tho Lahore riots, the llawal Pindi riots, the insults to Europeans, tho assaults, looting, and boycotting in Eastern Bengal, or the attempts by means of seditious addresses, newspapers, and leaflots to inflame racial feeling and tamper with the loyalty of the Indian Army." Turning to Lord Kitchener, the Viceroy said :—"I hope your Excellency as Comman-dor-in-Chiof, will, on my behalf, and as representative of the King-Em tioror, convoy to tho Indian troops our thanks for the contempt with which these overtures wero received." . - • , Resuming his address to the Council generally, Lord Minto continued: —"This, explains the situation. Tho Bill is aimed at the inaugurators of dangerous sedition, but there is another sido, viz., the growing strength of tho political hopos and ambitions of this country, which are tbo welcome and natural results of education which British administrators have, encouraged. We have no wish to check the growth of political thought. Tho Government would be blind if it shut its eyes to tlie awakening wavo which is sweeping tbo Eastern world. It cannot check its flow, but it can direct it into boneficial channels'. ' ■ "We will i'opress sedition, but tho restlessness of tho new-born advancing thought we are prepared to meet and keep in guidance. We hope that the leaders of Indian thought will givo tho Government assistance, for a heavy responsibility 1 rests on tho shoulders of Indian reformers, as it is ;upon their support and thoir influence with thoir fellowcountrymen that British administrators should largely, bo able ,to rely." , _ At present the Act will he applied only, to tho Bakarganj district of Eastern Bengal. It wUI be inoperative over the whole of tho romainder of India. Tho Viceroy's speech, combining as it did both firmness and conciliation, has been exceedingly well received. I. .'» ; Tho apology mado to the Government by Mr. A. C. Banerji, which resulted in tho ohargo of sedition against him being withdrawn, tho appeal to tho High Court to remit his sentence by Mr. Bepin Chandra Pal, and tho decision to hold tho onsning Indian National Congress at Swat instead of at Jtfagpur, has created an extraordinary stir in tho political circles of Bengal. It is pointed out that the; extremists have been defeated ,by tho Moderates; _ The general opinion is that tho unrest will be succeeded by a period of industrial activity, tho promotion of which tho Moderates, who. now control tho Indian National Congress, put in tho forefront of their programme. Discussing :the situation, both the "Englishman" and tho "Bengali" agree that tho recent political unrest has dealt a great bloiy to tho. caste ' a,nd zenana systems. Hindus liayp dined with Mahometans, and Hindu women, unveiled, haro taken part in political demonstrations. As a result, whatever the outcome of the present political situation, tho old. sooial order promises rapidly-;to pass away. As an instanbo of the broadening spirit of Hinduism, tho 1 "Amrita Bazar Pitiika" publishes an account of the admission of 250 Mahometans into, tho Rajput caste, an event perfectly impossible 'a few years, ago; V . ' Tho general satisfaction felt in Calcutta at ; tho roleaiso of Lajpat Rai is apparently not entirely' l shared by the Press. , Tho "Englishman" is tho only paper which welcomes the' release as an indioation of better times for the Empiro. Tho "Empire" and "Indian- Daily Nows" aro silout on tho subject, while tho "Statesman" is not certain whether tho release has taken place. Tho "Amnta Bazar Patrika" thinks that tho roloaso is duo to tho hectoring of- Mr. Morr loy. • The "Bengali" is half afraid 1 that the policy of conciliation may do harm to tho now spirit of national consciousness. Tho "Bando Mataram" expresses no opinion on tbo matter. . - : Prominont Hindus in tho Punjab havo organised' a. public subscription to.indemnify tho Christian missions of Rawal Pindi, which wero ravaged during tbo political riots-:in April.., ', Mr. Kdir Ha-rdio, M.P., has arrived at Colombo. Ho will bo tho, guest, during his stay, of local leaders of tho Swadeshi movemont. Mr. Koir Hardio called on Sir Henry M'Callum, tho Governor, but His Excellency did not receive him. • Router's.correspondent cables that, Sir Henry M'Callum sent Mr. Keir Hardie a mossago 'convoying his rogret that prossuro of: business provented him from seeing, him. Mr. Koir Hardie, on being interviewed in' tho afternoon, refused to express any opinion regarding Indian 'political', questions. Referring to tho Indian police, ho declared his belief that corruption was general in tho force, but ho thought that better pay would induoo a bettor class of men to join it.' . i : ,