HC Deb 08 July 1847 vol 94 cc46-8
SIR R. H. INGLIS

wished to put a question, interesting alike to England and India, to the President of the India Board as to the continuance of a payment on the part of the Government in India in support of the Hindoo Temple of Juggernaut. He perceived there was some difficulty about annulling the payment; but it appeared to him to be desirable that at all events all connexion between the Government of India and the maintenance of that idol should cease. It had been assumed, that when the country had been taken possession of, a pledge had been given that that payment should be continued. But he believed that that was an erroneous impression, and that no such pledge had ever been given. He had reason to think that that was also the opinion of Her Majesty's Government. An equivalent might, he believed, be given for the payment that had hitherto been made; and such an equivalent might be found in the restoration of a portion of those lands which had formerly belonged to idol temples, and which were at present in the hands of the Government. He wished to ask his right hon. Friend, what was the present state of the arrangements upon the subject? He could not help taking that opportunity of expressing his acknowledgments to his right hon. Friend for having, during his former administration, taken the first step towards the abolition of the connexion between the British Government and the maintenance of idolatry in India.

SIR J. C. HOBHOUSE

had to state, in answer, that since the last report was presented on this important and delicate subject, on the 5th of August, 1843—a report which every hon. Member would do well to consider—the Court of Directors had received a very voluminous body of papers, dated 7th January, 1846, which arrived in England in the March following. One despatch was of twelve pages, and in the whole there were 1,386 folio pages, containing reports of the proceedings of all the Governments of India, Bengal, Agra, Bombay, and Madras, as to the efforts of the authorities to disconnect idol worship from the State. Before any further step were taken, he thought it would be expedient for the hon. Baronet and the House to allow these papers, or parts of them, to be laid upon the Table. He did not recommend that the whole mass should be presented; but he would endeavour to make a proper selection from them. He apprehended that the hon. Baronet was correct in what he had advanced regarding a supposed pledge. He (Sir J. C. Hob-house) thought that the notion of a pledge was mistaken. No doubt his hon. Friend opposite was a great deal better acquainted with the details of the subject than he was, and he would perhaps confirm the opinion he had given. Doubts at least were now entertained that the decision upon the question come to in the years 1838 and 1839, was not founded upon a just consideration of the case. His noble Friend, the then Governor General, was not at the presidency at the time. Perhaps it would be better to postpone farther discussion until the papers were presented; and in the mean time he (Sir J. C. Hob- house) would be happy to receive any suggestions, or to obey any orders on the subject the House might think fit to give him.