Explains background to despatch being sent rejecting specific proposal from India on Army reduction; matter has been to Cabinet; Committee on India has had to be conceded, and Commons' jealousy of Lords' superior knowledge has prevented it from being joint Committee; Mayo's local finance scheme s...
Encloses copy of letter to Lord Derby from Maharaja Holkar of Indore which Argyll describes as 'insolent'; Holkar's claims for substantial cession of territory as reward for services during mutiny; question of undue interference in internal affairs of states by Political Officers; possibility of ...
Despatch will be sent supporting Mayo's refusal of any concessions to Holkar; Mayo should demand explanation from him of his gun-casting and other warlike preparations; Canning's mistake in allowing Scindia and Holkar to keep armies; Napier's reference to gun-casting in Bundelkhand States; since ...
Answers charge that tone and terms of his Despatch of 10 February rejecting Govt of India's proposals for increase in Indian Civil Service pensions had offended all members of Govt and that its publication would cause great irritation if published; write this despatch almost entirely himself; des...
Education of Abyssinian Prince; permanent settlements of land revenue in North-Western Provinces should make it clear that they do not preclude further local taxation; argument against permanent settlements has been difficulty of devising other means to tax wealth thus left in hands of individual...
Warmly approves Mayo's speech on Indian budget; factionalism gives Govt difficulties on Indian questions in Commons – absence of Sir Stafford Northcote in America means there is no-one on Conservative side on whom Govt can rely for help; in the Lords, Salisbury and Derby both treat Indian questio...
Refers to Mayo's letter of 10 April reporting atrocious mismanagement of Bills for local taxation in Legislative Council; Argyll more concerned at setting maximum percentage for local taxes; permanent settlements being made under Wood's despatch of 1862 and rapidly rising land values make princip...
Defends Napier from Mayo's complaints over his conduct regarding army reductions; in assessing Napier's views, Argyll makes allowances for Napier's indisposition to reduce; policy towards Afghanistan following fall of Herat to Amir's son Yaqub Khan; hopes to deal easily with Commons motions on Na...