§ VISCOUNT CROSSMy Lords, seeing the noble Earl the Secretary of State for India in his place, I wish to ask him a question of which I have given him private notice. Every year there is, by Statute I believe, a Blue Book presented to Parliament called The Moral and Material Progress of India. At every tenth year it has been the custom lately that there should be a more popular book published for the information of the public upon this interesting subject. Some time ago, knowing the tenth year was approaching, I took the pains to find out some gentleman specially qualified in order that he might have the editing of that decennial account, more especially with regard to the poorer people—the ryots, and as to the condition of the inhabitants—the several peoples in the different parts of India. I wish to ask the noble Earl whether that book is now in progress, and whether there is any chance of its being presented before the Session is over, or whether there has not been time to finish the inquiries which it is necessary to make for the purpose?
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (The Earl of KIMBERLEY)My Lords, the noble Viscount is very desirous, as I understand, to have an early summary of the Report, and not to have to wait as long for it as on previous occasions, a desire in which I fully sympathise with him, and I have been anxious that his wish should be carried into effect. I am afraid I have not altogether succeeded. The Government of India telegraphed—I think it must have been before I was in Office—that the time allowed (six months) for collecting the necessary information was too short; and they suggested that the Memoranda called for should be pre- 1298 pared by the Local Governments and Corporations, and should form part of the Administrative Reports for 1892–3. A telegram has been sent in reply to the effect that it was intended that the Report should be published in the present July, and that short Memoranda should be prepared as requested. Those Memoranda only began to arrive in January last. On the 6th April, in reply to representations made to us from India, we approved their reasons for not completing the Census before June last, and that, in accordance with that arrangement, Mr. Baynes would commence his "Moral and Material" Report when he got the information from India, which will not have been finished, in fact, until about this time. Mr. Baynes is the gentleman who was appointed, I think, by the noble Viscount. He has recently begun to prepare his Report, and it is expected that it will be ready in January next—not before. I can assure the noble Viscount I am as anxious as himself that it should be published as soon as possible, but the information could not be obtained earlier.
§ Viscount CROSSI do not know whether I may infer from the noble Earl's answer that the Report will be considerably fuller than those previously published, and that Mr. Baynes will have a pretty free hand in the matter.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYThere is no kind of limitation imposed upon him, except that it should be prepared by the time mentioned. Of course, it will not be so full as if a longer time had been given, but I have no doubt it will be very useful and instructive.