| Description | Bella wishes to know a great deal about Oudh and its Talukdars, but the region is far from him. Lord Canning's statement is correct about rights of land tenure. Once annexed, all disputes were crushed by fixing proprietary rights, the principles behind which William does not know. He thinks that the way in which Canning's proclamation has been taken up by Lord Ellenborough and others has been cruel. He believes that the chiefs will fight for their estates, but for most people the proclamation is simply a change of masters. In Bengal, where William has to do with confiscated estates, there are no complaints from the ryotts in such matters. He compares the two regions, considering that the transfer of 'landlord's rights' was simply from one crown to another. A proclamation was not issued immediately when Oudh was annexed, from 'a desire to do everything as quietly as possible', and this has led to charges of breach of faith. William discourses on how the British have acted and should have acted in Oudh, believing that no injustice was committed in annexation and the people will only be hostile if influenced by the Talukdars. He believes that most will accept the confiscation and he admires Lord Canning's proclamation as 'one of the boldest assertions of our rights yet issued in India'. Before judgement, he advises his sister to learn Hindustani or study Indian history. He has debated this with 'Old Stewart' [Hay Tweeddale Stewart] who compares the Talukdars to Highland chiefs, rightly asserting their independence. Zarminders have usurped authority in Bengal and William considers that there is no other way than 'hanging up a dozen Talukdars in every district of the Kingdom'. Orders should be judged in the long term for their effectiveness, but William is content that Canning's action was well-judged. Ellenborough has raised apprehension among the British in India which the House of Commons must counteract, and he praises Canning's firmness and patience. The withdrawal of [Lord Edward] Cardwell's motion has been a godsend and William discusses the impact of Parliamentary debate news, but he is glad matters ended as they did. He turns to private news, noting that Mr Gibson is the grandson of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Maria's [Maria Sophia Herschel's] letter is rich, but William complains about her vanity. He has misunderstood about [Charles] Pritchard dying of brain fever and thinks this must have been his wife; at school, Mrs Pritchard was 'like a mother' to William. He congratulates Mrs Jones, notes that [William] Waterfield has been promoted at last, and that the Watsons have moved to Calcutta [Kolkata]. |