A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume IIEllenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
History
A Political Diary, 1828-1830, Volume II
Ellenborough, Edward Law, Earl of
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1820-1830
I feel satisfied I am right. If the Cabinet give in to the Court, they
weaken my hands so much that I shall be unable to effect any great reform.
They make the Directors the real Ministers of India, and almost emancipate
the Indian Government. So I told the Duke in my letter.
_September 7._
Office. Saw Sir A. Campbell. He came to offer himself for a command in
India. I spoke to him of his papers respecting war with the Burmese. He
says large boats carrying 100 men could go up to Aeng, the troops need not
land at Ramree. He was never an advocate for a diversion at Rangoon, and
thinks they make too much fuss about the frontier of Munnipore.
Saw a Mr. Cotton, for a long time collector of Tanjore. He is against
introducing the Ryotwaree settlement into that country, and by his account
it seems very ill adapted to it, for according to him the Murassidars are
there really proprietors, and with them the settlement is now made for the
village.
I sent for him to tell me about the iron I had understood to be in the
neighbourhood of Tanjore; but there is none, it is at Satara. He seems a
sensible man, and I must see him again.
The Turks seem to have endeavoured to back out of their accession to the
Treaty of London, or rather to clog it with insuperable objections. But Mr.
Gordon has brought them back again, and on August 12 all was right, but no
Plenipotentiaries sent. The Russians were said to be moving on Adrianople.
They had not above 35,000 men. There is a very bad account from Smyrna of
the state of the population in Asia. In fact the Duke of Wellington's
prediction is fulfilled. The Turkish Empire is breaking to pieces. By Lord
Heytesbury's account the Russians are very desirous of peace, and very
apprehensive that a popular tumult may put an end to the Sultan. It is
impossible to see the end of the calamities which would occur, complicated
as they would be, if such an event as the dissolution of the Turkish Empire
took place.
The new French Ministry is changing the municipalities. They hope to
succeed at the next elections. Lord Stuart considers M. de la Bourdonnaye
as the real head.
Polignac very prudently rests on his oars as to Greece, and properly
observes it is idle to make protocols here when the march of events may
have altogether changed the state of things before the protocols arrive.
_September 8._
Office at 11. Went to the Duke. He read to me a long letter he had written
on the question of the six regiments, in which he entered at length into
the state of the Indian army such as he knows it to be, and concludes in
favour of a revision of the line I had adopted with his approbation. He
said the Government of India was wrong--every line of the proposed letter
abstractedly right; but there was to be considered the expediency of
writing it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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