MR. GRANT DUFFasked the Under Secretary of State for India, When the Report of the Deccan Riots Commission will be distributed; if he would state to what area of country or population that Report relates; and, whether the Government are aware of any steps being taken in India to remedy the steps complained of?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEThe Report of the Deccan Riots Commission, with the Minutes appended, is very long; but it is in the printer's hands, and will, I hope, be distributed in a fortnight. The Report relates only to the districts of Poona and Ahmednuggur, containing an area of 12,000 square miles, and a population of 1,680,000. It would be a mistake to assume from this Report that a similar state of things had been shown to exist in other parts of India. Legislation based on this Report has been proposed by the Government of Bombay, and has been pressed upon the attention 1869 of the Viceroy by the Secretary of State. We have lately heard, but without any details, that the Government of India has introduced a Bill which they hope will remedy some of the very grave evils which have been shown to exist.