vented from settling at Calcutta. They then established themselves in the vicinity, at the Dutch settlement of Serampore. There they have ever since been engaged in acts of benevolence, and have devoted from their own funds upwards of £50,000 to charity; and especially to that most comprehensive charity, the promotion of general education. As for converts, they make few or none A Free Press is the only English missionary which laughs at and reasons with fanatics, and, by degrees, wins over their followers to the side of truth.

SECTION VII.

On the Delays of Office at Madras.

"The conduct of our lives, and the management of our great concerns, will not bear delay."—Locke.

THE great delay of justice in British India was an evil of the greatest magnitude. The Court of Directors, speaking on this subject, observe, that "to judge by analogy of the courts in Europe, they would be induced to think so great an arrear would scarcely ever come to a hearing. We should be sorry," they add, "that from the accumulation of such arrears there should ever be room to raise a question, whether it were better to leave the natives to their own arbitrary and precipitate tribunals, than to harass their feelings, and injure their property, by an endless procrastination of their suits, under the pretence of more deliberate justice." To these delays a Judge of Circuit ascribes numerous commitments for breaches of the peace. "Since by protracting for years the decision of suits, it frequently drove the suitors to despair, and induced them to run the risk of taking justice into their own hands, by seizing the object in dispute, rather than to await the tardy issue of a process which threatened to exceed the probable duration of their own lives." These delays were noticed by the House of Commons, ably detailed in the Fifth Report, and exposed by the masterly pen of Mr. Mill.

In consequence of these discussions, a system of native

agency has been established, which has relieved the files of the courts of the arrear of business, and the grievance to a great extent has been remedied. There are, however, other delays of vast injury to the public service, unknown to the Legislature, to him who framed the Fifth Report, and to the great historian of British India. In the silence which pervades despotism, especially where it asserts its influence over the mind, as under the Madras Censorship, there is an endless catalogue of wrongs that never come to the knowledge of the Government or the people. Among others, there are the delays of office.

The present Censor of the Press at Madras was formerly Military Secretary. The duties of that office hung heavy on him. Notwithstanding his great industry, it was feared by the army that the time required to settle all the arrears of business, then on his file, threatened to exceed the probable duration of human life, especially in a climate where, during the years 1817 and 1818, one fourth of the officers had actually died. To obtain from the Military Secretary an answer to a common note, often required as much paper, ink, and time, as the decision of a deep chancery suit. The case of Captain Monteith, a Madras officer of Engineers, employed by the King of Persia, will shew the rate at which the worthy Secretary's business proceeded. The Captain in an evil hour wrote the Secretary a letter. For three long years he was kept in a state of feverish suspense, and he continued from time to time, but in vain, to solicit an answer. Meanwhile the learned Secretary brooded over the papers in silence, and his patience triumphed. Off started the active soldier from the lofty Caucasus for Madras. On the day of his arrival there, he received an answer, and

then journeyed back to the frontiers of Russia with the Secretary's dispatch.

What, it may be said, has this to do with the Freedom of the Press? The answer is, that every act of mal-administration may be exposed by a Free Press. Had the slow Secretary been subjected to the lash of a Free Press, it would have accelerated his pace. Captain Monteith would have been spared years of anxiety, and a journey by sea and land of several thousand miles. Nay, more; the public departments and the Madras army would not have suffered for years from the dreadful delays of office. There is, too, another view of this question worthy of consideration. The Military Secretary's office is one of little labour, compared to that of Chief Secretary, who is, in fact, a sort of prime minister. If, then, the Military Secretary, with all his assiduity, was not able to prevent this vast arrear of business, how is it possible for Mr. Wood now to watch over all the important affairs of twelve millions of men, and to exercise a despotic monopoly over their minds and writings? The Censors of the Inquisition, it is true, exercised this power most effectually, but they were assisted by all the craft and industry of the Fathers of the Holy Office. They claimed, too, their descent directly from Heaven, a degree of presumption, not consistent with the modest humility of an English Protestant Censor of Heretical Pravity, in Indostan. How these incongrous expressions-this chaos of words-English Protestant Censor of Heretical Pravity, jar upon the mind!

SECTION VIII.

Motion on the Asiatic Press at the India House.

"The character of Lord Hastings is altogether modern. It is stamped with the enlightened philosophy of the eighteenth century, and his political career breathes its spirit throughout—its philanthropy and toleration, its earnest sympathy with the fortunes of mankind, and ardent desire to extend their political privileges. Convinced that positive institutions could not do much in ameliorating the state of society, his efforts have been directed to elevate the Indian community in the scale of civilization, by enlightening their minds and affording a wide scope to the Press."-A. White.

The Court of Directors having framed a dispatch, directing the Marquis of Hastings to restore the base Censorship, I opposed Mr. Randle Jackson's proposed vote of thanks to Mr. Canning, for his services as Senior Member of the Board of Controul. But Mr. Jackson having afterwards declared in open Court, that Mr. Canning had refused to give his sanction to that odious measure, it became my duty to withdraw the opposition and praise him for his noble conduct. To stifle the wisdom of the East, and to fetter the mind of a large portion of mankind, would have been inconsistent with Mr. Canning's fame as a scholar, and his trust as the minister of a free state. The following is a report of the proceedings, which soon after took place at the India House:

"COL. STANHOPE said he rose pursuant to notice, for the purpose of advocating the cause of a Free Press in Asia, and of calling upon the Government to afford information on this subject. He regretted that some gentleman of talent had not undertaken this arduous duty, for his desire to take a lead in the discussion, was