§ MR. KINNAIRDasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether he has any objection to lay upon the table of the House Copy of the Minutes of the Chief Commissioner of Oudh and of the Governor General, on the Report of Mr. Davies, the Financial Commissioner, on the rights of the Ryots, and of any Orders passed by the Home Government of India on Sir John Lawrence's decision whether the 145 Home Government, as stated in the Indian Journals, has called for a Report on the late famine in Bengal; and, whether attention has been directed to the following points:—1st. The extent of country affected, and the mortality caused; 2nd. The causes of the famine, and how far avoidable in future by works of irrigation; 3rd. The amount of warning of its approach, and how far the existing machinery of revenue administration is adapted to give the needed warning; 4th. The measures of precaution adopted by the Local Government of Bengal on receipt of such warning?
VISCOUNT CRANBOURNEWith respect to the first Question of the hon. Gentleman, no orders have as yet been authorized or passed by the Queen's Government on the subject of Sir John Lawrence's decision. The Home Government have the subject under consideration; and I hope that a despatch will be shortly sent out. As soon as it is it will be laid on the table of the House, with the Minutes of the Chief Commissioner of Oude and of the Governor General, on the subject to which the hon. Gentleman's inquiry refers. With respect to the second Question of the hon. Gentleman, the Queen's Government has ordered a Commission to be issued to inquire into the causes of the famine in Bengal, and the mortality which that famine produced, and that Commission has been issued by the Governor General. By the news of the last mail we have every ground to hope that the Commission will send in a speedy Report. The instructions given to the Commission were very large, but they substantially included all the points referred to by the hon. Member.
MR. BRIGHTasked the noble Lord to state whether the Commission was composed entirely of members of the Indian Government, or whether there was any portion of it independent, so that it would be likely to give a little more confidence to the country.
VISCOUNT CRANBOURNEI do not exactly know what meaning the hon. Gentleman attaches to the words "Indian Government." The President of the Commission is a Judge. A gentleman connected with the revenue administration and a colonel are the other members of the Commission; and I believe the names of all three will secure for the Commission the confidence of the Indian community and of the public generally. I may mention that the President is Judge Campbell, one of the best names in India.