John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

COMPANY S RESPONSIBILITY SHARED. 97
selves, could in no way absolve the responsibility of Her
Majesty s Government, since the Minister for India possesses,
and has frequently exercised, the power of requiring that the
Court of Directors should take any subject into consideration,
and prepare a draft despatch for his approval. Her Majesty s
Government are thus in the fullest sense accountable for all
that has been done, and for all that has been forborne or
omitted to be done. Your Petitioners, on the other hand, are
accountable only in so far as the act or omission has been
promoted by themselves.
"
That, under these circumstances,
if the administration of
India had been a failure, it would, your Petitioners submit,
have been somewhat unreasonable to expect that a remedy
weuld be found in annihilating the branch of the ruling
authority which could not be the one principally in fault, and
might be altogether blameless, in order to concentrate all
powers in the branch which had necessarily the decisive share
in every error, real or supposed. To believe that the adminis
tration of India would have been more free from error had it
been conducted by a Minister of the Crown without the aid of
the Court of Directors, would be to believe that the Minister,
with full power to govern India as he pleased, has governed ill
because he has had the assistance of experienced and responsible
advisers."
The effect of a change of Government upon the natives of
India is strongly portrayed.
" Your Petitioners cannot look without the deepest uneasi
ness at the effect likely to be produced on the minds of the
people of India. To them, however incorrectly the name may
express the fact, the British Government in India is the
Government of the East-India Company. To their minds the
abolition of the Company will, for some time to come, mean
the abolition of the whole system of administration with which
the Company is identified. The measure, introduced simul
taneously with the influx of an overwhelming .British force, will
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