SCHEMES FOR INDIA.
Eastern Counties, 23d April 1858.
Sm—You would, I think, do a very acceptable service to the friends of India by recommending to the consideration of Parliament the suggestion which, as communicated by your Belfast correspondent, seemed in your opinion to offer a maximum of progressive ulterior advantages at a mini- mum cost ofpresent change. We have only to move the Secretary of State for India " from Cannon Row to Leadenhall Street, giving him the Corot of Directors, as at present constituted, for his Council, with its Chairman and Deputy-Chairman for his Under Secretaries of State and confidential advisers in Secret Committee, and all else (except the Board of Control) may remain as provided for by the Company's Charter and the "lions India Acts, especially the Act of 1853 by which they have been
modified. •
The Queen, who should at once 'by solemn proclamation throughout India assume the Sovereignty which has, from the first, been reserved to the British Crown, would then be represented in England by the "Secre- tary of State for India in Council," as in India by the " Governor-General in Council," and by the "Governor in Council" of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay. The gold and silver coins of India have, for many years past, borne the Queen's image and superscription, and are already almost entirely the same, except in name, with those current in this country. They require a very little change in the reverse and legend to make them perfectly alike, and there will be no difficulty in substituting the Queen's name for that of the Company in all government and legal papers and proceedings.
Pray give this scheme more of publicity and advocacy in your colunink i than you have hitherto afforded it, and you will, I think, confer u favour on very many who wish for no other changes at present in the government of India than such as are plainly necessary and beneficial.
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