A Conservative meeting, to neutralise the effect of the Liberal
meeting on the Dbert Bill, was held in the Town Hall, Lime- house, on Thursday, under the presidency of Mr. Stanhope. Mr. Stanhope's speech was very moderate, insisting rather on the danger that at this moment the Bill will irritate Europeans against Natives, and therefore Natives against Europeans, than on the merits of the issue. Mr. Stanhope says that all the Indian Local Governments were opposed to the Bill, whereas, we believe the truth to be that, in the first instance certainly, all except that of Coorg were in favour of the Bill ; and that if they subsequently changed their mind—which we do not know that they did—it was under the influence of caste feeling. Mr- Stanhope says that there is no injustice in excluding Native magistrates from the power of trying Europeans ; but in reality that often means refusing all redress to natives injured by Euro- peans, since no British magistrate is to be found within reach. For British magistrates, too, must, in that case, be reserved all the magistracies of districts where there are British residents, a great injustice to native magistrates. The chief argument urged against the Bill was that the Bill was " at least half a century in advance of its time," an argument which virtually admits that at least half a century hence it will be a right and proper measure. That is our own contention exaggerated. The resolutions against the Bill were not by any means unanimous.
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