[Refers to Canning's letter of 3 April]; agrees it is not worthwhile to transfer supervision of Mysore to Madras given age and position of Raja, but is unconvinced of Canning's general arguments against such transfers.
Discusses at length arguments for reconstituting Governor-General's Executive Council to be composed of departmental heads (i.e. Secretaries to Govt of India); feels force of these arguments but the change would be revolutionary, would involve the loss of the best prizes open to the civil service...
Policy in Central Asia; proposal to establish British Agent at Herat with two assistants one of whom would be at Kandahar; Lawrence and Edwardes both recommend purely defensive policy towards Afghanistan; Lawrence's arguments for ceding Peshawar district to Afghanistan and making Indus the Indian...
Refers to Canning's letter of 22 April; is certain Montgomery's report will be published and any fresh document relating to Oudh proclamation of 1858 will be laid before Parliament; believes outline agreement on army question has been achieved; C-in-C gives up claim to command local forces in ret...
Having ceased to be Secretary of State for India will pass any future letters from Canning to Sir Charles Wood, and will brief him on Canning's views on pending questions; he personally, and he believes his colleagues, do not intend to make India a subject of party attacks; encloses complaint rec...