THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE CONSIDERED. (Hansard, 22 July 1872)

THE DUKE OF ARGYLL

My Lords, in moving that Her Majesty's gracious Message be taken into consideration, I do not think it will require any words or arguments of mine to induce your 1500 Lordships to associate yourselves with the Crown and the other House of Parliament in increasing the provision which has already been made for Lady Mayo. I feel it, however, to be my duty to state in a few words the circumstances under which this Message has come down from the Crown. As soon as intelligence had been received in this country of the assassination of Lord Mayo, it became my duty, as Secretary of State, to consider with the Council of India—which is the only body having power to vote money chargeable upon the Revenues of India—what would be the most appropriate form in which to recognize the services of the murdered Viceroy. I need hardly remind your Lordships that though in the earlier days of the East India Company there were many cases in which large sums of money were voted to the distinguished men by whom we acquired our Eastern Empire, yet in recent years such grants have been almost strictly matters of rule and precedent as similar grants out of the Imperial Exchequer. In this case the precedent which appeared to us most immediately in point was that of the provision made for the widow of the late Lord Elgin; and we thought it would be a fitting provision for Lady Mayo if we voted out of the Indian Treasury alone a sum equal to what had been voted for Lady Elgin both out of the Indian Revenues and the Imperial Exchequer. After communication with the friends and relatives of Lady Mayo as to the form which the Vote could most conveniently take, we thought the most suitable would be to vote her a pension for life of £1,000 a-year, with a capital sum of £20,000, the interest of which would be available for the education and support of her younger children. The provision that was made for Lady Elgin was considerably less, for it was only a life annuity of £2,000, and there was no capital sum at all. But, my Lords, before the arrangements were finally made it became apparent that the House of Commons desired to be associated with the provision for Lady Mayo. I have no doubt that the same feeling was entertained by your Lordships' House; and I must say for myself that I rejoice at it, because I think it well that not only the people of India should recognize the services Lord Mayo had rendered to that Empire, but that the Imperial Par- 1501 liament should make a recognition of the services which he had rendered to the Crown and the people of this country. I shall, therefore, my Lords, ask your Lordships to associate yourselves with the Crown and the other House of Parliament in making a provision of £1,000 a-year from the Imperial Exchequer for Lady Mayo, which will be in addition to £1,000 a-year charged on the Indian Revenues. My Lords, it will not be necessary to say anything as to the merits of the late Lord Mayo in addition to what I ventured to address to your Lordships on a former occasion, further than to mention that during the months which have elapsed since the time of his assassination I have had an opportunity of conversing with many military officers and civil servants who had an opportunity of seeing what was the noble Lord's mode of fulfilling the duties of his high office; and I have found their unanimous impression to be that his rule in India was such as to win for him the respect and affection of the natives of India as well as of those who served under him in the government of our Indian Empire. Considering that the basis upon which our oriental Empire must ultimately be that of respect and affection, I think it no small matter that we should have had a Viceroy who has been able to make himself thoroughly beloved by all classes of the people he was sent to rule. The noble Duke concluded by moving— That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, to return Her Majesty the thanks of this House for Her Majesty's most gracious Message informing this House, That 'Her Majesty taking into consideration the distinguished services performed by the late Richard Southwell, Earl of Mayo, Her Majesty's Viceroy and Governor-General of India, and the loss of his life in Her service and in the discharge of public duty, and being desirous in recognition of such services and in view of the circumstances of his death to confer some signal mark of Her favour upon his widow, Blanche Julia, Countess of Mayo, recommends it to the House of Lords to concur in enabling Her Majesty to make provision for securing to the Countess of Mayo a pension of one thousand pounds per annum for the term of her natural life;' and to assure Her Majesty that this House will cheerfully concur in such measures as may be necessary for securing to Blanche Julia, Countess of Mayo, a pension of one thousand pounds per annum for the term of her natural life.