LORD STANLEYsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether he has issued, or is about to issue, any fresh Instructions to the Government of India relative to the restoration to the Rajah of Dhar of the Government of that State; and, if so, whether he will lay them upon the Table?
§ SIR CHARLES WOOD, in reply, said the Government had not issued any recent instructions, because they were in expectation of receiving by every mail a Report relating to the administration of Dhar during the last year. An order had, as the noble Lord was no doubt aware, been issued in 1860 to restore the administration of the district to the Rajah on his becoming of age, but he was found to be so weakly in body and mind as to be so weakly in body and mind as to be incapable of discharging the necessary functions. During the course of the year ending April, 1863, which was the period up to which the last Report gave any account, the resident Minister took the greatest pains in training the Rajah to enable him to perform the duties of his station. They paid visits throughout the country together, and nearly the whole business of the place was intrusted to the Minister of the Rajah, in communication with whom the Rajah himself was placed. He was not, he might add, without hope the Report which was daily expected might state 1949 that the entire authority had already been placed in the hands of the Rajah.