Points out high cost of British soldier; understands 70,000 needed to watch native army and that native army cannot be reduced; asks whether danger of revolt of native army could be reduced by stationing troops far from their birthplace; since Muslim and Hindu troops likely to be alienated, not b...
Irrigation should be undertaken by Govt if possible, by private enterprise if not; hopes work will begin without delay; absolutely necessary to establish new Irriagation Dept; no time should be lost in beginning surveys; trusts other Presidencies, especially Madras, will receive fair share of Imp...
Has offered Financial membership to Childers; will try to secure Council of India's agreement to Lawrence's nominee as Yule's successor as Resident at Hyderabad; for which some Council members have suggested (Sir) E C Bayley (Home Secretary to Govt of India); Northcote's wish to enhance Governor-...
Evidence of Fenian organisation extending from St Petersburg to Madrid; furlough rules; proposal to send home Lt Cole to study castings and construction of museum.
Suggests government loans to save landowners from falling into hands of money-lenders; undesirability of old families being forced to sell up and land coming into hands of absentee capitalists as is said to have happened in Orissa; this will be bad for ryots, and leave class of potentially disaff...
Reports of famine in Madras – Northcote suggests appointment of Special Famine Commissioner; slow progress of negotiations with Orissa Irrigation Company whose Directors make inadmissible counter-proposals; possible motion in Commons for Committee on best mode of prosecuting irrigation works.
Apology for confusion over appointment of engineer for Lahore-Peshawar line; suggestion by Lord Stanley (Foreign Secretary) for averaging opium revenue over good and bad years to remove gambling element from Indian budget; negotiations with Orissa Irrigation Company; Parliamentary Committee on ir...
Suggests Lawrence should write letter in Secret Dept seeking authority to spend sum on secret service which would in fact be to finance Govt organ in the press; opposes publication of minutes by members of Governor-General's Council – 'the Executive Govt in India ought to be the Government of the...