FAIR COMMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 26, 26 October 1883, Page 9

FAIR COMMENT.

We (Nation) have been favoured by " the European and AngloIndian Defence Association " with several extracts from native Indian newspapers, " which " we are told, " serve to show the feelings roused in India by the Ilb«rt Bill " ; and we are expected to be horrified at the perusal of the documents. We have read them carefully, and we must caudidly tell the members of " the European and Anglo-Indian Defence Associations " that tne result, as far as we are concerned, is neither horror nor surprise. The Ilbert Bill is a measure for giving; native Indian judges outside "the presidency cities " the same jurisdiction over Europeans accused of crime that is afc present given to European judges of the same rank. It is, in fact, a measure for removing a distinction between native and European judges in India which amounts to a gross insult to the former. The Anglo-Indian official classes, as might be expected, at once rose in arms against the proposal. They could not endure the thought of going even one step towards giving the Indian people any control in any public matter in their own country. The result appears to have been an anti- British outburst in return from the educated section of the native community. It is this outburst to which the AngloIndians call our attention, but in which, we repeat, we at least find nothing at all surprising. Our readers, however, will judge for themselves.

The Bengalee newspaper called the Anunda Bazar Patrika had lately an article on " The Typical Englishman " in which that model Specimen of humanity is made to describe himself in the following f Terms:— ° '' Call me a liar, a swindler, a self-interested person, or one devoid of conscience— l can put up with all that, but I won't stand being called a ' coward.' " I am known all over the world as a 'man of valour,' and in proof thereof I oppress the weak. " I gain glory by my exploits in the bunting field ; I kill women, children, and defenceless 'coolies." Hnman beings are superior to tigers and bears. Therefore I establish my claim to be considered a ' hero ' by shooting at human beings. " Don t call me a coward.

" If you wish me to prove my courage, you must just disarm all the natives, and swear to me that on ' trial by jury ' I shall be let off. " Don't call me a coward.

" When I go forth to battle I take good care to range black Boldiers in front. From a safe distance I issue my orders. The battle is won. I have destroyed my enemy.

- ' " Dbn*fc chll me a coward. - v Twill noV"give~you. another proof that lam a man of courage. No matter where I engage in war, I saddle the co9t on the shoulders of the weak. I have! made India pay for the war in Egypt. Don't you call me a coward. " As these Bengalees are making such a noise about Ilbert's Bill, I shall sbow my magnanimity of character by worrying such of them as are subordinate to Sahibs.

" I cause a breach between husband and wife, and take credit to myself for having brought ruin on a family. " These cowardly natives will drag me into court and give me a lesson if I break the law. lam a valiant man. Does it become me to submit to a trial ? I have no wish to fight an armed man. ■' Don't you call me a coward. "I destroy my enemies when I am a koss off ; with bolted doors I issue my laws. I make a catspaw of others." The comment of the Anglo-Indians on this extract is that it is a foul vilification, and that if the Government is bo forgetful of its duty to its own countrymen and itself as to accord the assent of silence to any writings of this kind, ifc will only have itself to blame for any evil consequences that may ensue. But we confess that to us it seems that there is a-basis of truth in the Bengalese picture of "the .typical Englishman," and that, consequently, to suppress such writings would be to suppress the truth. Of course, it is easy to understand why neither the English in India nor the English in England shauld like such pictures, and should even fear the consequence of the mass of the Indian people becoming acquainted with them ; but that does not destroy their essential truth, nor would it justify a civilised government in preventing their dissemination. The other extracts from native newspapers forwarded to us by the outraged Anglo-Indians bear a family likeness to the one quoted, and, therefore, equally fail to elicit our indignation or to make us regret their publication. In truth, although it may astonish the Anglo-Indian Defence Association to hear if, we are glad that the natives of India are beginning to assert themselves and show that they are not the abject slaves they have hitherto been generally esteemed to be. They have been too long enduring in silence the iron oppression of the British satraps who rule them, and we may add that they will require to say a good many disagreeable things of those satraps before they will have passed the bounds of fair comment.