ment of Sir William Wedderburn from Parliament, where he render-
ed great and valuable services to this ccmnti-y, and hopes that he
may soon return to Parliament to renew his labour of love for the
peojjle of India.
Education
VIII. Resolved — That this Congress places on record its
conviction that the system of Technical Education now in vogue is
inadequate and uusatisfactoiy, and prays that, having regai'd to
the poverty of the people and the decline of indigenous industries,
the Government will introduce a more elaborate and efficient
scheme of technical instruction, and set apart more funds for a
successful working of the same. And this Congress desires to
express its grateful appreciation of the patriotic and mxinificent
gift of Mr. Tata for the promotion of higher scientific education
and research.
Berar Legislation
IX. Resolved — That this Congress is of ojjinion that so long
as Berar is administered by the Governor-General in Council, all
lavfs and orders having the force of law, intended for Berar, should
be enacted by the Supreme Legislative Council in the same way as
those for British India projier.
Confirmation of Previous Resolutions
X. Resolved — (I) That this Congress concurs with previous
Congresses in strongly advocating : [1897, (b) (d) (e) {g)~\.
That this Congress, concurring with previous Congresses,
records its protest : [1897, (a) and (b) ; 1899, (c) and (d)].
This Congress, concurring with jirevious Congresses, expresses
its con\action : [1899, (a) to (c)].
326 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM
Education and Industry
XII. Resolved — That the Congress hereby approves of the
suggestion presented by the Indian Congress Comniittee for the
consideration of this Session that at least half a day at each annual
Session of the Congress be devoted to the consideration and dis-
cussion of the Industrial and Educational problems of the country.
Further resolved that annually two Committees be appointed by
the Congress, one for Educational and one for Industrial subjects, to
consider and suggest means for the Education and Industrial
improvement of the country and to assist therein, aud that to each
Committee a Secretary be annually appointed. These Committees
shall divide themselves into Provincial Committees with power to
add to their numT)er.
Deputation to the Yiceroy
XTII. Resolved — That the following Memorial be submitted
to His Excellency the Viceroy in Council by a deputation con-
sisting of the following gentlemen :
Hon. P.M. Mehta.
Hon. W.C. Bannerji.
Hon. Ananda Charlu.
Hon. Surendranath Bannerji.
Hon. Munshi Madho Lai.
Mr. R. N. Mudholkar.
Mr. R. M. Sayani.
Mr. Harkishan Lai.
YorR Excellency,
W'r, on behalf of the delegates assembled at the 16th Session
of the Indian National Congx-css at Lahore in December last, have
the honour to submit most respectfully for the consideration of
Your Excellency in Council the accompanying Resolutions passed
by that assembly, and specially the following questions which
have long been before the country, anil whicli, in the opinion of
the Congress, now await a speedy solution of a ])ractical and
beneficent character.
1 . The question of the extreme desirability of separating
.hulicial from Executive functions has now been so well recognised,
and there exists such a strong consensus of opinion on the subject,
official and non-official, that your Memorialists are earnestly of
hope that the Government M-ill be pleased at an early date to
introduce this popular reform in the administi'ation of the
country.
2. The increasing poverty of the peasantry in the greater
part of the country, and their consequent inability to maintain
themselves without State and i)rivate benevolence at the very
THE SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 327
outset of scarcity or famine, is another pressing problem. Your
Memorialists are fully aware of the fact that the serious attention
of the Government has been engaged on it, and they trust that
some efhcacious remedy will lie soon found which may greatly
contribute to mitigate that severe poverty, and enable the jjeasantry
to better resist the strain which years of bad harvests or scarcity
may entail on them.
3. That in view of the condition to which the recent
famines have reduced the ryots, the Government will be so good as
to cause an exhaustive enquiry to be instituted into their growing
impoverishment by means of an independent Commission.
Panjab
XIV. Resolved — That the Congress respectfully urges upon
the Government that in its opinion the time has come when the
Panjab should be constituted into a Regulation Province.
Liquor Legislation
XV. Resolved — That this Congress views with grave alarm
and deep regret the rapid increase in the consumption of intoxicants,
specially liquor, in the country, and the Congress is of opinion
that the cheap supply of liquor, etc., is alone responsible for this.
The Congress, therefore, fervently appeals to the Government of
India to pass measures like the Maine Liquor Law of America, and
introduce Bills like Sir Wilfrid Lawson's Permissive Bill or the
Local Option Act, and impose an additional tax upon intoxicants
not intended to be used as medicine. The Congress records its
firm conviction that if the Government do not take these practical
steps immediately, the moral, material and physical deterioration
of those classes, among whom liquor, etc., have obtained a tirm
hold, woidd be inevitable ; and as intoxicants have already affected
the great labouring class, the benevoleat intention of the Govern-
ment to help the growth of the Indian Arts and Industries would
bear no fruit. The Congress gives great importance to this ques-
tion, which, it strongly believes, is intimately connected with the
material progress of the country, and emphatically protests against
the cheap sujjply of liquor, etc.
Congratulations of Congress
XVI. Resolved — That this Congress offers its sincere and
hearty congratulations to Mr. W. S. Caine on his election to
Parliament, and expresses its confidence in him as a trusted
friend of the people of India and a pi-omoter of their best
interests.
Congress Work
XVII. Resolved— That a sum of Rs. 30,000 be assigned for
the expenses of the British Committee and the cost of the
publication of India.
328 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM
South Africa
XX. Resolved— That this Congress once more draws the
attention of the Indian Govei-nment as well as of the Secretarj' of
State for India to the grievances of the British Indians in South
Africa, and earnestly hopes that in view of the re-ai'rangement of
the boundaries in that Continent and the incorporation of the late
Boer Republics into the British Dominions, the disabilities under
which the Indian settlers labom'ed in those Republics, and as to
which Her Majesty's Government owing to their independence in
internal matters felt powerless to obtain redress, will now no longer
exist, and that the serious inconvenience caused to the settlers in
Natal, among others by the Immigration Restrictions and the
Dealer's Licences Acts of that Colony, which are manifestly
inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the British
Constitution as also the Proclamation of 1858, will be materially
mitigated, if not entirely removed.
Indians on Committee
XXI. Resolved — That tlie CUmgrcss bogs to suggest to
the Government of India that qualified Indian members,
representing the different Provinces, may bo nominated to the
Committee, recently formed, in coniioction with the proposal of
starting Agricultural Banks in India.
Sorrows of Congress
XXIT. Rosolved^That this Congress desires to put on record
its deep sense of the loss sustained by the death of Bakshi Jaishi
Ram, who was one of the staunch supporters of the Congress for
many a year and rendered valuable services to it in connection
with his own I'rovinoe.
Permanent Settlement
XXIII. Resolved — Thiit while thanking tlie Government of
India for its intention to invt^stigate the t|uostion of the incidt^K e
and pressure of the land assessment as affecting the well-being and
resources of the agricultural population, the Congress respectfully
urges upon the Government tlie dosii-ability of including within the
scope of the contemplated investigation the question of periodical
settlement of assessments and the necessity repeatedly pointed
out by the Congress of making it permanent. This Congress
further prays that the Government of India may be pleased to
publish the opinions invited from Local Governments and
Administrations, on the subject referred to in para 4 of the
Resolution of the Government of India (Revenue and Agricultural
Uoi)artment) published in The (Uizette of India dated 22nd December,
THE SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 329
1900, and allow the public an opportunity to make their repi-e-
sentations thereon before the Government decides whether further
investigation is necessary or not in the terms of the said
Resolution.
Indian Mines
XXIV. Resolved — That the Congress respectfully submits
tliat the provisions of the Indian Mines Bill, so far as they impose
restrictions on the employment of labour, be omitted, and that the
penal provisions thereof may not be put in force for a period of
5 years, and that, in the meantime, mining schools be opened in
suitable centres where young men may qualify themselves for
employment under the Act.
Formal
XXV. Resolved— (a) That this Congress appoints Mr. A. 0.
Hume, C.B., the Genei-al Secretary, and Mr. D. E. Wacha, the Joint
General Secretary, for the ensuing year.
(h) That the following gentlemen do constitute the Indian
Congress Committee for 1901 :
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
1. The Hon W. C. Bannerji (1885).
2. The Hon. Dadabhai Naoroji (188H).
The Hon. Budrudin Tyabji (1887).
(Now Judge, Bombay High Court). (Dead) (1888).
3. Sir William Wedderburn (1889).
4. The Hon. Pherozeshah Mehta (1890). _
5. The Hon. Ananda Charlu (1891).
The Hon. W. C. Bannerji (1892). (Second time).
The Hon. Dadabliai Naoroji (1893). (Second time).
G. Alfred Webb Esq. (1894).
7. The Hon. Surendranath Bannerji (1895),
8. The Hon. R. M. Sayani (1896).
9. The Hon. C. Sankaran Nair (1897).
10. The Hon. A. M. Bose (1898).
11. R. C. Dutt, Esq. (1899).
The Hon. N. G. Chandravarkar (1900). (Now Judge,
Bombay High Court).
12. D. E. Wacha, Esq., General Secretary,
i:?. Alfred Nundy Esq., Assistant Secretary.
14. Chairman ofthe Reception Committee, Calcutta.
15. Secretary of the Reception Committee, Calcutta.
16. President-elect of the Congress for 1901.
26
330
HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM
General List :
Mr. J. Ghosal.
Pandit Bishambariiatli.
Mr. R. N. Mudholkar.
H on . Vi j iarag'havach a ri .
Mr. W. A. Chambers.
Bkngal :
Hon. Baiknntlianath Sen.
Mr. Saligi'am Singh.
Mr. Ambikacharan Mozunidar.
Mr. Motilal Ghose.
Rai Yatindranath Choudhuri.
Mr. Bhupendranath Basu.
Mr. Prithwis Chandra Roy.
N. W. P. & OriJH :
Hon. Munshi Madho Lai.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Mr. Bisliau Narayan Dhar.
MiinHlii Ganga Prasad Vai'ma.
Mr. S. Sinha.
Pandit Prithwinath.
Hafiz .\bdnl Ruhiiii.
^L\IJRAS :
Mr. P. llnngiya Naidu.
Mr. G. Subramania Iyer.
Hon. Nawab Syod Muhammad
Bahadur.
Mr. P. Ramchandi-a Pillai.
Mr. V. Ryru Naiul>ipr-.
Mr. P. Kosava Pillai.
Mr. G. Srinavasa Rao.
(r) That the following -
Committee, with Mr. Tlarkishan
Bent. At. :
Hon. Baiknntlianath Sen.
Kumar Manmathanatli Hai
Cluiiiflhiiri.
Mr. Pidin i5ili:iri Saikar.
Mr. Radharaniaii Kar.
Mr. .1. Clioudhiiri.
Mr. Hhiipendranath Basu.
BOMB.AY:
Mr. Rustam K. R. Cama.
Mr. Daji Abaji Khare.
Mr. C. H. Setahvad.
Hon. Professor (i. K. Gokliale.
Mr. Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Mr. R. P. Karandikar.
Mr. Tahil Ram Khem Chand.
Berar :
Mr. M. V. J(.shi.
Mr. Deorao Yinayak.
Mr. G. S. Khaparde.
Central Provinces:
Mr. Huparoodwada.
Mr. Krishna Rao Vainnn.
â– Mr. Raoji Gobind.
Pan JAB :
Rai Bahadur Bab a Kali Prasanna
Rai, Pleader, Chief Court
Lala Harkishan Lai. Barrister-
at-Law.
Rai Sahab Sukh Dyal, Pleader,
Chief Court.
Lala Lajpat Rai, Pleader, Chief
Court.
Lala Dharam Das Suri, Pleader,
Chief Court,
fjala Kanhaya Lai, Pleader,
(.â– hief Court.
gentlemen do foi'm the InduHtri;il
Lai as Secretary, for 1901.
.Mr. .\khoy Kumar Maitra.
Mr. Gaganendranath Tagore.
Mr. Mohini Molian Chakravarti.
Mr. Akhoy-Kuniar Majunular.
Mr. Kali Prasanna Kavyabisarad.
Mr. Lai it Chandra Sen.
Mr. Pramada Gobinda Clioud-
hnri.
Mr. Tarapada Hanncrji.
THE SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
331
\.XJAI? :
Mr.
Harkishan Lai,
Mr.
Lajpat Eai.
Mr.
Balak Ram.
Mr.
Dwarka Das.
Mr.
Kashi Ram.
Mr.
Duui Chand.
Mr.
Lai Chaud.
Mr.
Prabhu Dyal.
Bombay :
Professor Gajar.
Mr. .J. N. Tata.
Mr. D. E. Wacha.
Mr. Bepin Bihari Bose.
Pandit Madan Mohan Mala\-iya.
Central Pr<)vince.s :
Mr. Raoji Gobind.
Mauras :
Mr. C. Sankaran Nair
Mr. G. Siibramaiiia Iyer.
Mr. P. Kesava Pillai.
Mr. K. P. Achyiita Menon.
Mr. T. Rangacbari.
Hon. P. Ratnasabhapati Pillai.
Hon. V. Venkataratnam.
X. W. P. & Oui>H :
Mr. Bansi Lai Siutfh.
I^Ir. Ganga Prasad Vanna.
Mr. S. Siuha.
Mr. K. P. Basak.
BerAR :
Mr. D. V. Bhagawat.
Mr. R. N. Mudholkar.
Mr. Deorao Vinayak.
Mr. Ganesh Xao-esh.
(d) That the following gentlemen do form the Educational
Committee, with Mr. Harkishan Lai as Secretary, for 190L
Bengal ;
Hon. A. M. Bose.
Hon. Sureudrauath Bannerji.
Dr. Nilratan Sircar.
Mr. Heramba Chandra Maitra.
Mr. Aswini Kumar Dutt.
Mr. Pear}- Lai Ghosh.
Mr. Raghunath Das.
Mr. Prithwis Chandra Roy.
Mr. Krishna Kumar Mitra.
Mr. Syamaoharan Roy.
Paxjab :
Ml-. Harkishan Lai
Mr. Lajpat Eai.
Mr. Balak Ram.
Mr. Ishwar Das.
Mr. Lai Chand.
Mr. Shadi;Lal.
Bombay :
Hon. Professor G. K. Gokhale.
Mr. Chimanlal H. Setalwad.
Mr Rustam K. R. Cama.
Mr. B. G. Tilak.
N. W. P. & OiDH :
Mr. A. Nundy.
Mr. Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Mr. Bishan Narayan Dhar.
Mr. G. L. Maitra'.
Mr. Ganga Prasad Varma.
Mr. Ramananda Cliatterji.
Mr. Bepin Bihari Bose.
Mr. K. P. Basak.
Pandit Hari Ram Pande.
Pandit Tej Bahadur Sapru.
Central Provinces :
Mr. S. B. Gokhale.
332
HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM
Madras :
Hon. Rai Bahadur P. Auauda
Charlu, CLE
Hon. C. Yijiaraghavachari.
Hon. Rai Baliadur C. Janibn-
lingain Mudaliar.
Mr. Y. Ryru Nambier.
Mr. C. Karunakara Menon.
Mr.
Mr.
V. C. Desikachariar.
S. Kasturiranga Ij'engar.
Berar :
Mr. M. V. Joshi.
Mr. R. N. Mudholkar.
Mr. G. S. Khaparde.
Mr. D. V. Bhagawat.
CHAPTER XVII
Calcutta, welcomed the Seventeenth National
Congress in a great Pavilion erected in Beadon
Sqaare, lent for the occasion by the Calcutta Corpora-
tion, The whole square offered a brilliant scene, the
Industrial Exhibition having its own separate Pavilion,
and both being gay with flags. The Congress
Pavilion was beautifully decorated Avith coloured
foliage plants and palms, and was lighted by electricity.
896 delegates were present, distributed as follows :
Beni>'al
580
N. W. P. and Oudh
89
Punjab
30
C. P., Berar and Secunderabad ...
44
Bombay (43) and Sindh (8)
51
Madras
102
896
A.fter the President-elect's procession had made its
slow way through the crowd, a song, "Hindustan,^'
composed by Sarola Devi Grhosal was sung by a choir
of 58 men and boys, the nearly 400 volunteers joining
tlie chorus with fine effect.
381. HOW 1N1)[A WROTTOTTT FOR VIMOKDOAT
Maliavajfi Jialiadiir Jai^'adiiHli-aiiaili Uai Biiliadiir
of Natore, Mm Cliiiiniiaii of tlm K'cccpt ion Coiii-
inittee, wcIcoiikmI I lie dcU^f^'Jilcs in :i o-i-ncclul
sptH'cli, sayin;4' tlint lie liiid mdy \ ciil iircd loncci'])!
tlic lidiioiir olTci'cd ((I liiin "l)i'c:insc il li;is Im>(mi t lit^
one g'l'cal ;inilnli(Mi o|' \]\\ lil'c In piin llic ^;lld^sol
those wild lliiiik', lliD^c wild riM'l,;iiid I lidsc wlid work
for tlicii' (•diiiilr\ ". lie spoke willi deep Icclilij^" ol
llic I'assitii;- dl' I lie (ircal (^)ii(m'Ii, wliose words were
tli(! Manila Cai'taof India : " Tliat ni('ssa<^'(i so lull of
syinpailiN' for an alien siiiijeel race, so iioMe and
li])eral in its spiril, Sd iiia|^aii(ieent I v just in ils pdliey,
would alone lia\i' wmi I lie etei-nal L;-iatiliide and
nnllineliin^ loyalty ol Imm- Indian siilijeels." The
Xalional ('onj^rcjss, the em Ixxl inieiil of India's hopes
and aspirations, Ixnai in her reij^'ii, would lor e\(>r
link' I he name or\'ietoria with t he desi i ii\' of India.
Her Majesty's siicctissor had " won the hearts of his
Indian subjects l>y his cliafiniiif^' personality "; mi^'lit
Ills reign be a cont iniiat ion of his i^'i-ea(. mot li(>r's. 'I'lie
Speaker Ihrn alluded to the pla^aie ha \in;^' eoiiie I o
Calcutta, 1)111 the authorities asked them to take it
philo.sopliically, instead ol' harrying- them with the
lads ol sei(!iu'e, isolation, s((<^i-ega,t ion und inocula-
tion, and the advic(! " I'aJls in with (mr hnuMMir".
The officials vv((r(! uncharitable to them, and that kept
away titie-huntors, Inii most of the nnMi of rank
iuid* wealth siipjjorled them. Alh-r announcing
that they had opened mi liidiislria,l l']\ liiliit ion in
coT)nH(;tion with the Congress, the lirst, lail, he
IiojkhJ, ;i periiiaii(!iit realnre in IHtiire, lif ("i Hcd on
THE SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS 335
Mr. \V. C J*>aiiuerji to propose the President. He
proposed Mr. J). E. VVacha, " the life and soul of this
movement," and called on the Congress to elect
him with acclamation. Rai Bahadur P. Ananda
(Jharlu seconded, Mr. R. N. Mudholkar supported the
liosohition, and it was carried with loud applause.
Mr. Dinshaw Etlulji Wacha began his address with
a touching and heartfelt tribute to Mr. Justice Kanade,
who had suddenly passed away on Januai-y 17tli,
19()l, leaving lK>liiti(l liiin :i ii(»1)]e and s|)otless
iiuuuory.
He then spoke gratefully of tlie late Queen-I<]iiipress,
sadly of tilt! assassination of I'l-esident McKinley,
and grieved over the death of Sir Sheshadri, the
great Dewan of Mysore, who proved "that states-
nianshii) is not a monopoly which is confined to one
race and oiu^ country alone ". The President, after
an allusion to the new King-Emperor, who on his
visit to ln(li;i. had won the hearts of Princes and
people, turiHHl to the subject of the famine,
reviewing its effect, the aid given, the policy of
the Bombay Government, the way in which funds
were spent, and ought to be spent, in relief. He
pointed out that the peasants who were relieved in
famine time were the very same people who paid 47}
crores a year in taxation, and it was not uuich to give
them back some of it in the time of the periodical
famines. Tie dealt with the causes of famine, and
quoted auth(u-ities, including Lord Salisl»ury, in favoui-
of lightening the drain on the cultivator. There
ought to be full eiujuiry into the causes of the present
384 HOW INDIA WKOUOKT VOK fukkhom
^[;^llaraja Bahadur fFayadiudvanath Kai Ualuuliir
of Xatovo, the Cliairmau of the Recoptioii Com-
mittee, \\v\vou\od tho delegates in a o-rnt'etul
speech, (paying- that \\e had only venfunnl to ao('ei)t
the hoiunir otVertnl to him " hecause it has tteeu the
one gve:\{ anthition i)^ my life to join tht> ranks of
those wlio think, thosi> who fei>l, ami thost^ who work
for tluMr eoiintry ". lie s[ioke with dei>]) fet^lino" of
the Passing" of tlu> (iriMt Qiuhmi. whoso words weri>
the Magna Tarta o^ India : "That message so full of
sympathy for an alien subjei'l rai-e, so noble and
liberal in its spirit, so magnitieent Iv just in its policy,
wouhl alom> ha\t' wim tlu> tMernal gratitude and
untlinehing loyalty ^A' \\or Indian snbji>ets." 'riu>
National C'ongress, ihe tMubodinuMit (d' I ndia's liopi>s
and aspirations, Ixnai in her rtugn. wiudd for t>vi>r
liid< tht> nanu^ id" N'ii-toria with the destiny of India.
Her iMajesty's sueeessor had "won the lu\irts of his
Indian subjet'ts by his cdiarniing personaliiy " ; might
his i-tMgn ]^e a I'ontinuat ion of his gnvit mot her's. The
Speaker then alliuleil to the plague ha\ing eonu> to
Caleutta, ])ut the authorities asked them tolaktM't
})hilosophieally, insttnul of Jiari-yiug them with the
lads o\' sri(MUH\ isolation, st>gn>gation and inocula-
tion, and thi> athice " fa.lls in with oin- hmuour ".
The officials wert> uncharitable to tlicm, and that kepi
away I il ic-hunl crs. but nio'^l o}i I lu> uumi o{' rank
amU wcallh Mipportetl iIumu. After announcing
that they had opeiUMi an Industrial I'lxliibit ion in
coniu'cliou with the Congrt^ss, t lu> lirst, but, lu>
hopeil, a pcruKiutMil fcaiiire in future, he calli>d on
THE SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS 335
Mr. \\^ C Haimevji to propose tlie ['resident. lie
pn (posed Mr. D. V]. Wiieha, " Mie life and soul of this
nidveiiu'iit ," :uid called on the Congress to elect
liiiii witli aeelaniation. Hai Bahadur 1^. Ananda
Cliailii seconded, Mr. 11. N. Mudholkar supported the
Kt>sohilion, and it was carried with loud applause.
Ml-, hiiishaw I'ldulji W'acha began his adtjress wit h
;i loiicliiiig and heart I'elt I I'ibute to M r. Just ice |[a.nade,
who luul suddenly passcnl away on -January I7th,
1901, leaving" behind him a iu)ble and s})otless
nieuiory.
Ill' tlu>n spoke gi-atefully of the lale QiUHMi-I'lnipress,
sadly of the assassiuai ion of l'i-t>sident McKinley,
and gi'icNcd over the death of Sir Sheshadri, the
great Dcwaii of Mysore, who provi-d "that states-
manship is not a monopoly which is conlined to one
race and one conntry alone ". The President, aftei-
an allusion to the new I\ing-l"]niperor, who on his
visit to Imlia Iiad won the hearts ol' Princes and
pet)ple, turned to (he subject of the famine,
reviewing its elTect, the aid givim, thi' policy of
the Hombay (io\erninenl , the way in wliit'h funds
were spent, and ought to bt> sptMit, in i-elief. He
]K)inted out that the peasants who were relieved in
famine tinu' wer(> the vei-y same pt^ople who paid l^l
crores a year in laxalion, and it was not nuu-h to give
them back some ol' ii in I he time of the periodical
faininivs. lie dealt with the causes of famine, and
quoted authiu-it ies, including Lord Salisbury, in favoui-
of lightening th(> drain on the cultivator. Thei'e
ought to be full iMKpnry into the causes of the present
336 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM
agrarian condition, for recent legislation was dis-
astrous. Irrigation Works were essential, and they
should be preferred to railways, which were not an
" unmixed l)lessing ". Irrigation increased agricul-
tural wealth, while railways only distributed it. Agri-
cultural Banks were at last recognised as useful, and
here he advocated the system adopted in Egypt. The
export of grain prevented a sufficient storage in the
country. Adverting to the condition of the masses,
and the average rate of agricultural wealth per head
of the population, the President complained that
Government shrank from publishing details which
could be examined; the Duke of i^rgyll had said that
" of chronic poverty and of permanent reduction to the
lowest level of subsistence, such as prevail only
too widely among the vast population of rural
India, Ave have no example in the western world ".
Improvement was impossible " so long as absentee-
ism, which is tlie principal feature of British rule,
exists"; the annual extraction of 30 to 40 crores f rom
the country without any hope of return was the
greatest obstacle to Indian prosperity.
The fact is India is not free to choose its own
administrative at^ency. Were it free, is there the
.slightest doubt that the entire administrative agency
would ha indigenous, living and spending their monies in
the country ? India, I repeat, is not free, and, therefore,
it has no choice in the matter. The governing authorities
in the first place have most strangely willed that almost
all the higher posts shall be held by men who liv^e a
while here, and then retire to their own country. Even
another great modern Asiatic power, Russia, is not known
to import wholesale Russian agency to carry on the
THE SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS 337
work of administration in the distant provinces of Central
Asia! But we are told that the European agency
is extremely limited. It counts no more than 17,300
persons. True. But contrast the annual expenditure of
16 crores incurred on their account with the 2| crores
earned by Indians. Did England sit quiet while the
Plantagenets were filling all the high offices from France