On this page
-
Text (2)
-
May 12, 1860. J TheLeader andSaturday'An...
-
SCHISM IN COUNCIL.—INDIA. SIR CHARLES TR...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Protestantism In Italy. The Regeneration...
as he appears already to have excited the animosity of Antonelli by a disposition to be . less extreme in his measures than the Cardinal would desire . To the latter , doubtless , the whole truth is known , and suggests to his arbitrary mind the expediency of a new St . Bartholomew massacre , which , perhaps , the presence of the French general may counteract . Lamo-31 ICIERE is , we believe , a sincere and pious religionist , and on this account may gain , from his close contact with the Papacy ,
some impressions of the actual state of things at head-quarters which may damp his enthusiasm . We can readily see how that Napoleon III . might reasonably fear the declaration of Roman Protestantism , and the shock that it would produce in Catholic Prance , to say nothing of the triumph it would give to the concealed "infidelity of Paris . Probably he is too enlightened to care much about the ultimate issue , but the present inconvenience would be exceedingly great .
Among these corroborations , Ave may also notice the longpatent fact , that the more intellectual of the Italians have been accustomed to attribute their social and civil evils to their n ligious system . From Dante to the present day , there has been a potential Protestantism in educated and philosophical minds— - may , even the laity have found out that a celibate clergy cannot beneficially rule a married society . It is they , with the Pope and Cardinals , who sold Ttaly to ' the stranger ; who killed the soul , while the foreigner tortured the body ; and who have
revenged upon Rome the agonies of conquered nations . In the mind of PioNono , too , superstition has intensified itself . It was he who edified the pillar in the Piazza di Spagna , at ^ Rome , in commemoration of the Immaculate Conception . Tt is thus that , in order to their mending , things are brought to their worst . This judicial blindness of the Pope has alienated many of the Catholic clergy , and led to that fanaticism Which issued in the assassination of the Archbishop of Paris . Mariolatry is thus substituted for Christianity , in the face of entire Christendom ; and the Catholic Church itself is rent with a schism , which it is
nol ; impossible may culminate in Protestantism . Signs _ ancl portents are not wanting . The Pope issues his excommunication against the Sardinian monarch , and the clergy and people of Bologiia still welcome him to their palazzas and cathedrals . The thunder of the Vatican is abortive—the lightning fails to-strike the victim . The I '& Detwiia celebrated in his presence , and his presence itself hailed with a degree of popular enthusiasm perfectly astounding to those who are witnesses of
his progress . through Central Italy . The Papal authority is of no value in the eyes of modern Italians—it may be , that the Pa ]> acy itself will ere * long be a thing of the past . Whether Protestantism or a reformed Catholicism wjll succeed , we await more evidence . But the balance is taken from its hiding-place , and ^ lready _ displayed on high , in and by which the claims of each will be weighed and -finally determingfir Of-thi ^ -no-com- — petently-infbrined man can doubt , and no patriotic Italian will .
May 12, 1860. J Theleader Andsaturday'an...
May 12 , 1860 . J TheLeader andSaturday ' Analyst . 443
Schism In Council.—India. Sir Charles Tr...
SCHISM IN COUNCIL . —INDIA . SIR CHARLES TREVELYAN , the Gorernor of Madras , an Indian statesman of great reputation , has published a " Minute , " impugning Mr . Wilson's financial statement . It controverts his conclusions as to the condition of the finances of India , and condemns his proposed new taxes . The fact is of much too great importance to tolerate one of those unclassical sweeps of the memory , or omnium gathernms of the intellect , by which'it is customary for leader writers to introduce to notice the commonest topics of the day . It reminds us of the time when Clavemng , Francis , and Monson conquered from Hastings and" B Ait well possession of the Government of India , and for a season threw all things into confusion . Such a subject requires only the plainest , most concise , and most unadorned statement .
Sir Charles Trevelyan has made the Government of India the chief study of his life . He is well versed in its literature , and in . all the sciences connected with government . In various departments he has carried on the art with considerable success . He was bred up in the Indian service , and though ho left it for a time for the Treasury , he can but regard Mr . "Wilson , $ comparatively new importation into the service of the State from commerce , as an " interloper . " The public may
recollect that , on certain unpleasant subjects at the time of the Crimean war , and notably the nflair of the " green coffee , " these two gentlemen , then' both members of the Treasury , were brought into conflict ; and may anticipate that , Sir Charles would not allow any feasible opportunity to pass by of displaying , " " Ht ^ Mr . Wilson ' s expense , any superiority ho can claim . Some motives of this kind may have impelled the stop which is likened , in the Indian papers , to the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland publishing in the Times a bitter invective against Mr . Gladstone for increasing the iucome-tax to curry favour with Louis Napoleon , But , however much the Minute may trench on official subordination , and ; whatever lurking motives may have pronrpted Sir Charles ' s vigilance , the public must be well pleased to have a searching examination of Mr . Wilson's great scheme undertaken on the spot by a very competent man . Where least expected we find an official conflict subserving the purpose of public opinion and a free press , and imposing restraints alike on the despotism of Sir Charles Wood , and the narrow overbearing
will of Mr . Wilson . The Indian officials , failing to agree amongst themselves , supply the discussion necessary to delay hasty measures . Waving all further notice of the publication of the Minute as an unexpected and perhaps unauthorized act of one member of the Government towards another , we shall place before the public a few of the weighty objections Sir Charles Trevelyan urges to Mr . Wilson's scheme . Paying no regard to their official position , we take up the Minute as the enlightened comment of one well-informed man on the great project of another .
The financial changes and the currency changes proposed by Mr . Wilson are both portions of one scheme . The former are based entirely on the revenue and expenditure of India ; the latter are founded on general principles of political science . To the former a special knowledge is necessary , which , according to the best authorities , is possessed in an eminent degree by Sir Charles Trevlly an , and . he implies that it is not possessed by Mr . Wilson . Everything concerning the new scheme of
finance hinges on correct estimates of revenue and expenditure , and Mr . Wilson gives no adequate details . He professes a dislike for prospective budgets , makes no estimate of wants , but proposes some very onerous prospective taxes . He invites discussion with professions of frankness , but withholds the minute information on-which ; alone it can be founded . Even if his adversaries be wrong-in . their estimates of the future , there is no means of knowing whether he be right . _ - _
His statement of the revenue and expenditure for IS 59-60 is admitte 71 , and ~ tFe deficiency of ^ theyear—de 9729 G , i 29— -recogmsed . He has , however , included—as we must stale- on our own authority—in the expenditure £ 1 , 114 , 000 for guaranteed ' interests to * railway companies , but this is not a paifof the permaneut expenditure of the Government . In fact , the sum , and whatever the item may amount to year after year , can be paid out of the capital of the various companies deposited in the Indian Treasury , and forming part of its large balances . On December 31 ' last the amount so deposited belonging to them was £ 3 , 346 , 000 . If it pay them interest . on this sum , and advance them beyond the interest the amount sufficient to pay the —p-i ¦ } yi-nn ^ ft < UiHt . ei-cst ^ it _ cliar " es them inter est on the advances ,
which will be repaid out of the first proceeds oftlie railwaysT ~ seems quite an error , therefore , to include , as Mr . Wilson does , the guaranteed interest to railways amongst the permanent expenditure to be provided for by taxation . Sir Charles Tkevelyan refers to other charges , " like the large payments to be made next year for the -Carnatic and Taugore ' debts , which will not again recur . " Mr . Wilson proposes that a portion of the coin with which the place is to be supplied by state paper currency , shall be invested in public securities , which will redeem ' debt to an equivalent amount , to be placed to the credit of the public resources . He , has too ,
underrated the saving in military charges— £ 1 , 710 , 000 , which is less , Sir Charles asserts , than the saving already made in the Presidencies of Madras and Bombay alone , without including the much larger saving which may bo made in the Presidency of Bengal . Sir Ciiaki . es Woai > , ' in -fnet , stated on Tuesday evening , confirming Sir C . Tkevklyan ' s view , that he had received accounts from India of reductions greater than he , and of course than Mr . Wilson , had anticipated . Mr . Wilson admits , too , that balances are in the Company ' s Treasury to the amount of £ 19 \ CO () , 000 , against £ 13 , 398 , 000 last year ; and this '' unbe wisel
precedented hoard , " Sir Chaises considers , may y utilised , liberating a large portion , to the diminution of the public charges and the promotion of enterprise . Then , again , the trade of the country is rapidly increasing , and so far as the scanty revcuuc derived ' in any manner from increased prosperity is qoncerucd , it will probably exceed next year very considerably that of the year just elapsed . On these grounds Sir Charles , in his long and able minute , contends that Mr . Wilson has greatly overrated the temporary deficiency in the revenue to be provided for by new taxes , and underrated the probable proceeds of the present taxes . We have no data for determining- how inuch tM deficiency is overrated , because this depends an the success o the measures now in progress , but we should not bo surprised to learn , including the sum set down on account of railways ,
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), May 12, 1860, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12051860/page/7/
-