LORD HARDINGE'S SPEECH.
[To THE EDITOR OW THE " SPECTATOR:1
But,—I do not dissent from your opinion that Lord Hardinge's speech was injudicious. He would probably have acted more wisely if he bad not spoken as he did about the troubles in Natal. But the incident may also be looked at from another point of view. If Lord Hardinge had addressed his complaints In the usual way, as you suggest, to the British Government, they would no doubt have received courteous consideration. The facts would be ascertained, the various interests involved would be compared and weighed,and a decision would be arrived at a few months hence in whatever form seemed moat likely to secure the votes of English and Welsh miners and other manual workers, and the result might not be satisfactory. If the case failed to excite any popular interest, it would be dealt with on its merits as understood by the Secretary of State for the time being—at present Lord Crewe. Even in England, where representative machinery has been the slow growth of centuries, it does not seem to be nowadays always quite suc- cessful in securing for the people what, politics apart, they really wish for; and the hope that a Federal system may offer an opportunity for useful work on a smull scale, apart. From the influence of caucuses and the grime of party fighting, will secure careful and sympathetic consideration for any proposal that may be made in that direction. Undeterred, however, and rightly undeterred, by the evils that have developed themselves in the very different atmosphere of English life, we have tentatively introduced in India the first small beginnings of representative machinery. Our object must be not only to open a way for the legitimate ambition of Indians who desire to play an influential part in public affairs, but also to secure a system of legislation and administration in accordance as far as possible with the feelings and desires as well as the material interests of the people of India. If recent changes do not mean this they mean nothing. They are a little step in the direction of self-government; and real as contrasted with formal self- government—that is to say, government by whatever authority in accordance with the ascertained wishes of the people—or any little step in the direction of real self-government, almost necessarily implies more or less of liberty on the part of the- Government to express publicly when occasion arises what are known to be the feelings of the people. Without such liberty no Government could have its proper place in the hearts of the people. The chief interest of Lord Hardinge's probably imprudent speech seems to me to lie in the fact that this is the first occasion on which a Governor-General has acted as
mouthpiece of the people of am, Sir, &c., R. H. WiLsorr.
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