20 JUNE 1874, Page 7

THE PRESENT PHASE OF THE FAMINE DISCUSSION

THE Famine in Bengal has reached the stage at which, if the rains continue heavy, it is possible, but only possible, to foresee the end. The Government is still maintaining, and must maintain till November, 2,500,000 persons—this is the Viceroy's calculation—who, but for State assistance, must even now perish for want of food. Moreover, it must still be ready to feed even larger masses, for the Ryots proper, the well-to-do peasants, are reaching, or in places have reached, the end of their resources, and are coming upon the hands of the officials, who begin themselves to yield to overwork, ex- posure, and excessive responsibility. The Bengalee dis- tricts, too, are showing signs of scarcity, rising at points, such as West Burdwan and the southern side of the Twenty-four Pergunnahs, to actual famine, which show to experienced eyes that by September the difficulty • of relief will be extreme. The Government, however, on the THE Famine in Bengal has reached the stage at which, if the rains continue heavy, it is possible, but only possible, to foresee the end. The Government is still maintaining, and must maintain till November, 2,500,000 persons—this is the Viceroy's calculation—who, but for State assistance, must even now perish for want of food. Moreover, it must still be ready to feed even larger masses, for the Ryots proper, the well-to-do peasants, are reaching, or in places have reached, the end of their resources, and are coming upon the hands of the officials, who begin themselves to yield to overwork, ex- posure, and excessive responsibility. The Bengalee dis- tricts, too, are showing signs of scarcity, rising at points, such as West Burdwan and the southern side of the Twenty-four Pergunnahs, to actual famine, which show to experienced eyes that by September the difficulty • of relief will be extreme. The Government, however, on the

allowed to buy at the Government stores, and to retail the grain It is just at this stage of the proceedings that a few of the at a profit not exceeding two per cent. upon the Government Indian papers have begun to raise a cry about "waste," and price. As they are usually paid by the month, this leaves "sensational writing," and "manufactured famine ;" to attack them a heavy profit per annum. They came forward eagerly, individuals, and to assert that we are creating for the first time and the great store of grain is being depleted at the rate, in a permanent Poor Law. Except as to the charge of writing some places, of a thousand tons a week. What with this rhetorically, instead of dully, to which we plead guilty, and device, the multiplication of centres, the vast collection shall plead guilty again, whenever Englishmen stuff their ears of transport — made so vast mainly by expenditure — as they did about this famine till Mr. Disraeli spoke, there is and the matured experience of its officers, the Government not one word of truth in all these charges, which really proceed -stands prepared to meet the famine wherever it breaks from a belief that it would have been wiser to let Nature -out, without delay, or vacillation, or risk of failure. have her way, and thin an over-close population at discretion. 'The entire service, thoroughly convinced that about the The famine has not as yet struck the Bengalee-speaking people Famine no excuses will be received, is working splendidly, heavily, as Sir G. Campbell in his narrative of November 21 and the Government has, in fact, improvised an effective feared it might ; but it has struck the Beharees, and there is Poor-Law Establishment for the people of Bengal, to keep no shadow of doubt that but for the energy pressed on the working for at least another five months of danger. If Government of India by the London Press, by the Duke of at the end of that time the natural supply is insufficient, as Argyll, and by Lord Salisbury, nearly three millions of it may be in Northern Tirhoot, the machinery will be kept in people would have died of hunger. They are alive, and motion ; if otherwise, it will be quietly but decisively brought we are utterly careless of any other justification in to a stand-still. There is no chance whatever of its being the eyes of anybody. As for a Poor Law, we have continued for one day after the need has ended, for in the supported nothing of the kind, nor, to our knowledge, first place, the stock of grain, if over-large — and it has anybody else, and should regard the institution of any is far from over-large, for if the rains are not above such system as ruinously injurious to the morale of the the average it will not be large enough—can be dissipated people. The Famine has been a campaign, not a question in a month by sales on slightly better terms ; and in the of military estimates, and it has been fought by ourselves second place, the Government is too strong to he even from the first, by the Indian Government ever since Sir momentarily coerced. It could have left the people to starve R. Temple's Report, and by the Tory Cabinet since it without danger of insurrection, and it can order them to their assumed power, as a campaign, with an entire disregard homes and their work without danger of resistance. The of anything except the victory, now most probable, though entire case, therefore, stands in broad figures thus :—The exer- even now not securely or fully attained. If victory has tions of the London Press and its agents, the timely speech of cost a million too much, be it so,—we are sorry for the Mr. Disraeli, and the " despotism " of Lord Salisbury have so million. But without the million victory was absolutely stimulated the Indian Government, that it has undertaken a unattainable, and defeat would have cost three times as task never yet attempted by man. It has endeavoured to feed for many lives. As for those who assert even now, with all 11 twelvemonth three millions of human beings, under difficulties official information before them, that there is no Famine, we to which the difficulties in Ireland were trivial, and it has, in have of course no arguments to offer them which they could all human probability, if the rains are full—that is, if nature understand, for even if brayed in a mortar, nothing could be resumes her ordinary course—succeeded in the attempt. That expected out of them.

is a magnificent feat to have accomplished, and one before which all criticism—certainly all criticism of the pettier sort A NECESSITARIAN POET. —must, perforce, give way. Lord Northbrook, as we deem, was too late, and as we have previously shown, was mistaken fr ss

as to the intensity of the famine ; but once aware of the _1_ last to have fallen into good hands, called attention last week, facts—once, that is, sure of his information—he remedied by some highly appreciative words, to a poem printed in a place that mistake in the only ways open to him,—by strenuous, per_ where one scarcely expects poems, the National Reformer. Struck indent, personal effort, and by a resolute disregard of outlay, by an extract, in which the poet seemed to express in admirable as compared with human life. He has, so far, entirely sue_ lines his griei at the victory of Doubt, at the impossibility, or ceeded, for though his list of twenty-two dead of hunger is rather the distantness, of any solution for the problem of life, we a mere formula, deaths from want being reported as deaths obtained, with some difficulty—all numbers containing the verses from fever, dysentery, and old age, it is certain that the rate being out of print—a copy of the entire production, only to find of deaths has been small, and we, who condemned his conduct that the stanzas which had attracted us were at variance with the in the beginning as wanting in foresight, shall be the last to whole remainder of its thought ; or at least, if they were not, if other side, is ready and willing, and well supplied. Two months underrate his success when energy has supplied the deficiency were unfortunately lost, from causes which will yet have to want of forwardness had caueed. He has been English all be investigated ; but those two were caught up by an expendi- over, suffering as England does in battle from want of readi- ture which Indian critics, who at heart do not care whether nese, making up for the deficiency by nerve and stubbornness, natives perish or not, now denounce as wantonly profuse. It and emerging from the battle, as we hope, better prepared for was simply unavoidable. After the delay which had occurred, a campaign than when he entered. Nor has his expenditure nothing but the most lavish expenditure, yielding fortunes to been more lavish than the expenditure by which England all who would help on a grand scale, could have concentrated always, in a campaign, remedies her unreadiness, provides the carrying resources of Bengal upon the threatened as it were, the tools which ought to have been ready to her points, or have enlisted the people willingly in a business hands. We believe when the work is finished it will be found which at first they so hated, that in repeated instances they that the waste absolutely essential to compensate the delay burned their carts to avoid impressment. Fortunately, the has not exceeded a million ; that the great work could not Viceroy, once thoroughly aroused, pushed the Treasury aside, have been achieved—if it has been achieved—at a cost less authorised excessive payments, as Lord Canning did during the than a million or so short of the cost incurred ; that we have Mutiny time, and every class, tempted by the hope of sudden not, in fact, wasted, under far more difficult circumstances, gain, enlisted in the relief. The planters, the native contractors, more than a third of the sum admitted to have been the muhajuns, even the cartmen individually came forward wasted in Ireland in securing a far lees perfect result. heartily, and though of course overpaid, nearly up to the The waste of that sum was essential to make up the figures current in the Mutiny, they supplied the one grand lee-way, and in our judgment, to save it would have been want. The plan for which we have all along contended a cruelty exasperated by our peculiar relation to the people

was adopted in every detail. The central stores were relieved. We have robbed them for a century. They are filled in time. The minor stores were carefully ar- within the limit of the Bengal Lieutenant-Governorship, and ranged. The relief by villages was adopted, and at last within that limit we have for a century raised a surplus even the proposal to use manual labour for carriage revenue of which part ought, in common honesty, to have been was officially approved. A recent order by the Lieutenant- devoted to the improvement of the province itself. It has not Governor directs that, if during the rains other means fail, been so devoted, but has been spent upon our wars. No man the males of any stricken village may be impressed, and corn- acquainted with Bengal, whatever his hatred of our views, pelled to march to the nearest store, returning with food questions that this is true ; that up to the death of Lord sufficient to meet the village need. Finally, relief in money Dalhousie, and indeed, up to this day Bengal has been robbed, having become useless, and all fear of interfering with private has been refused that share of her own revenue which every trade at an end, the muhajuns, or native grain-dealers, were other province has received.