Years ago, writing on the " Golden Bull" of India—Lord
Can- ning's Proclamation to Native Princes—we ventured to predict that the Indian Government, having given up annexing States, would be forced to begin annexing powers. That prediction has proved true. The Nawab of Tonk, in Rajpootana, burly person with curly moustaches and ferocious energy of aspect, has been pleased to murder the guardian of one of his nobles, the boy chief of Lawa. He had a perfect right to commit the murder, being absolute within his States ; but a civilized government never does put up with these extreme rights, and Sir John Lawrence thinks assassination morally wrong. Consequently, on November 14, he issued a proclamation striking the Nawab from his throne and transferring it to his son, ordering the Nawab into exile, and raising Lawa into an independent chiefship. The proclamation was followed by a " precautionary " movement of troops, and was obeyed in silence. It is all right ; we cannot have Indian nobles murdering people at their discretion ; but we certainly wish we could manage to lie about the matter a little less. What on earth is the use of talking about independence, when we will not let a
" sovereign " prince kill one of his own people without calling him to account ? If he ought not to kill him—which we think—and if it is our business to enforce that moral law—which it is—let us say it is, and not go on year after year saying that it is not.
