THE INDIAN REFORMS.
[To TH1 EDITOR Or TUX "SigeTATOR." J SIR,—In a letter you did me the honour to publish on March 20th last I pointed out that Lord Morley's so-called reforms would not satisfy the aspirations of the educated classes, and would merely prove to be a bone of contention calculated to add to the many causes of the hatreds and jealousies which keep the numerous peoples of India so far apart. The fat is in the fire. The Moslems have already shown great marks of displeasure. By a telegram which appeared in the Times of the 3rd inst., it appears that the leader of the Bombay Presidency Association, Sir Phirozshah Mehta, has telegraphed to the Government of India com- plaining of the concessions about to be given to the Mohammedans, and stating that the present policy of favouring one community at the expense of others is bound to produce disastrous results. The flames of dissension must of course spread. It has not as yet been publicly noticed, as far as I am aware, though it is perfectly obvious, that the wily and suspicious Indians will consider the so-called reforms to be a profound piece of statecraft devised in order to intensify the antipathies and jealousies caused by racial, religious, and caste differences,—differences which account for our presence in India, and which make the rule of some foreign Government absolutely indispensable, and for a time ahead far beyond the reach of calculation.—I am, Sir, Sze.,
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