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...
Refers to Mayo's letter of 23 May; since civil service are apparently satisfied with decision on pensions, acquiesces in non-publication of despatch explaining it since Mayo states it would cause offence, but Argyll believes it will be necessary at some stage to make grounds of decision public; c...
Has disallowed Act on Weights and Measures because of its excessive compulsory powers over independent traders; only one member of his Council voted against disallowance; they have beaten Nawab [of Bengal] with aid of Mayo's friends [on a Commons motion]; radicals vote against Indian Govt as matt...
Acknowledges Mayo's letter of 1 September; sorry to hear financial forecast for 1872/73 less good because of opium prospects; answers Mayo's complaints regarding control exercised by Home Govt on various matters, for example, manufacture of gun carriages, and control of military expenditure; agre...
Refers to Mayo's despatch on Gwalior and difficulty of making decision which may involve very serious consequences; believes British under no treaty or moral obligation to return Gwalior fort, regrets Mayo should have said anything to contrary, and requests him to hold out no expectations to Scin...
Has appointed Sir Henry Maine (formerly Law Member of Governor-General's Council) to Council of India – he will add 'much needed element of strength to the Council by his reputation among men of intellectual eminence in this country'.