The conspiracy with which they bad to deal, continued the
Viceroy, had been falsely represented as the effort of a down- trodden people struggling to free itself from a foreign oppressor. To the best of his belief, it had largely emanated from sources beyond the confines of India, and inculcated aims and doctrines entirely new to that country. He regarded the two Bills as exceptional, and framed to meet dangerous emergencies, but the Newspapers Bill in no way tied their bands as to the future introduction of an Act for the general control of the Press of India, which be believed to be imperatively necessary, and would be welcomed by the best Indian newspapers. India was not ripe for complete freedom of the Press,' and it was unfair to her people that for daily information, such as it was, they should be dependent upon unscrupulous caterers of literary poison. They were called upon to regulate its sale, but he was determined that no anarchical crimes should for an instant deter him from endeavouring to meet to the best of his ability the political aspirations of honest reformers. Lord Minto concluded by appealing to the people of India., and to all who had her future welfare at heart, to unite in support of law and order, and to join in one common effort to eradicate cowardly conspiracy from their midst.
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