Fowler's opinion that there will be virtually no saving by adopting narrow gauge on certain particular railway lines; leaving decision on this matter to Mayo unusual – 'questions of such magnitude being generally decided by Home Govt especially when referred to us' – but done in this case because...
Remonstrates against tone of several recent despatches and minutes from India; in proposing military reductions, Home Govt had in mind reductions in Commissariat and suchlike branches, and therefore not inconsistent to object to reducing manpower; objectionable for General (Sir) H Norman (Militar...
Refers to Mayo's letter of 13 November; premature publication of Mayo's agricultural despatch, and difficulty of maintaining secrecy among 15 members of Council of India; unanimous opposition from Council (which Argyll largely shares) to Govt of India'a Act on Weights and Measure which goes far b...
Nawab Nazim [of Bengal ?] and Mayo's wish that he should leave England – but despite his private conduct, he has right to stay; Weights and Measures Act – Argyll 'dreads' Act contemplating compulsion and penal consequences enforced by 'Wardens and Subwardens who will be natives. I fear this will ...
Approves severity with which Mayo has dealt with delinquents in Public Works Dept at Allahabad; is sure there is 'terrible quantity of fraud in the lower departments of the P.W.D. and of gross carelessness in the higher departments'; enclose another letter from William Fenwick claiming that procl...
Death of Sir H Durand; hopes that appointment of Commons Committee on India will be limited to finance (though that is a wide subject) and will be moved in friendly rather than hostile spirit; astonished at choice of 3ft.3ins for narrow gauge; Mayo's choice of Davies for Punjab universally approved.
Encloses letter from Sir W Seymour Fitzgerald (Governor of Bombay) concerning denial of pay to his son while in England, and right of Governor to have discretion in such a matter on which Argyll is inclined to agree.