Mss Eur F699/1/2/2/197

Contains docketed sets of papers, numbered 7551 to 7600, consisting of correspondence, relating to applications for posts and other matters. These papers were originally included in one bundle of one hundred docketed sets of papers, labelled ‘No. 76 Private Secretary’s Correspondence, Nos. 7501 to 7600’. Each numbered set of papers usually consists of an original letter sent to the Private Secretary to the Governor General, or to the Governor General, a copy of the reply from the Private Secretary, Lewin Bentham Bowring, and any other papers. In addition, for each set of papers, either on the back of the original letter, or on a separate sheet of paper, is written the number of the set of papers, the year, the name of the writer of the original letter, the official position and location of the sender, the date the letter was despatched, the date it was received, the date it was answered, any cross references to other papers, and a brief summary of the letter. Numbers 7552, 7553, 7554, 7555, 7556, 7561, 7562, 7563, 7564, 7566, 7571, 7573, 7576, 7577, 7578, 7581, 7584, 7585, 7587, 7591, 7594, 7596, and 7597 have a red cross on them, to indicate that they ‘may be preserved’, whilst ‘the rest may be destroyed’.

7551. Aug 1860 Letter from Captain W Osborne, Political Agent, Rewah. Explains that Lieutenant Snow's delayed departure from Nagpore was due to the brigadier's mistake. As Snow is still anxious to get into the Nagpore Irregulars, asks for the Governor General's orders, as Osborne has no wish to interfere with Snow's views. Copy of reply, Snow must remain at Rewah until Acton's original grant of leave expires. Telegraph Messages Sent numbers 805, 807; Telegraph Messages received numbers 1194, 1199; See also 7411, 7416, 7487, 7490.

7552. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr H B Riddell, Director General of Post Offices in India, Simla. Acknowledges receipt of a telegram about the Punjab Post Master Generalship, and recommends Colonel Stewart for the post. Copy of reply, the Commander-in-Chief is unwilling to part with Stewart; the pay of the post is only 1,000 Rupees a month. Telegraph Messages Sent number 814; Telegraph Messages received number 1206; See also 7566

7553. Aug 1860 Letter from the Honourable Sir R Montgomery, Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Murree. Has written to Lord Canning, on learning of the death of Mr Wilson. Has no doubt that Sir B Frere is the best selection for Madras. Suggests Mr McLeod for the Council. The Military Police is being quietly introduced into the Lahore and Umritsur Divisions with great success and popularity. The Police Officers are wholly subordinate to the Civil. The separate system will not work in India. Has had a favourable report of Mr Forbes and has put his name down.

7554. Aug 1860 Letter from Mr S Wauchope, Commissioner of Police, Calcutta. Has been asked to wait upon His Excellency ; asks for a time to be assigned to him, that he may report on the progress of the Police Commission.

7555. Aug 1860 Letter from Mr G C Barnes, Commissioner Cis Sutlej States, Calcutta. Expresses his sympathy on Mr Wilson's death. Hopes that Her Majesty's Ministers will recognise Wilson's services by a liberal pension to his widow. There has been very little rain in Rohilkund and the Upper Ganges Doab.

7556. Aug 1860 Letter from Sir R Shakespear, Governor General's Agent for Central India, Indore. Sends copies of 2 telegrams to and from the Military Secretary, of the Punjab. No embarrassment has arisen from Major Mayne's efforts to procure Sikhs, Sikh Sowars already in the service will not voluntarily exchange into Mayne's Horse, so that the only way to fill up the large number of vacancies caused by Mayne's precipitancy is to transfer bodily the bulk of any superfluous regiment of Irregular Horse. Has reported officially on the unfitness of Major Mayne for the command of the 5 Regiments and for the political duties at Goonah. If this is approved, Meade's Horse could be transferred to Mayne's Regiments, under the command of Colonel Travers. Makes suggestions for the disposal of other officers and detachments in the Irregulars. Endorsed: note by Lord Canning, 'all this is disposed of'

7557. Jul - Aug 1860 Letter from Mr W H Crank, London. Repeats his request for a reward for his services during the siege of Lucknow. Returns thanks for the notice of his services in the Governor General's Minute. Cover only. Endorsed: Transferred to Secretary to Government Foreign Department.

7558. Aug 1860 Letter from Lieutenant J R Pearson, Acting Adjutant, 5th Irregular Cavalry, Moradabad. Asks for political employment. Copies of testimonials. Copy of reply, application noted.

7559. Aug 1860 Letter from Mr John Decluzeau, Calcutta. Asks for an interview with the Governor General to present an introductory letter from the Marquis of Downshire. Copy of reply, asking him to send the letter. Copy of further reply, His Excellency regrets that he cannot grant employment under Government to gentlemen unacquainted with the native languages.

7560. Aug 1860 Letter from Captain J Rennie, Superintendent of Marine, Calcutta. In reply, no public inconvenience can arise from the proposed arrangements for the use of the 'Thames'. The 'Sonamookee' will be out of dock shortly. Copy of earlier letter. See also 7546

7561. Aug 1860 Letter from Messrs Gordon Stuart and Company, Secretaries, Bengal Coal Company Limited, Calcutta. Sends a Memorial praying that the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal may be prevented from carrying out his plans for the assessment of the Company's property at Raneegunge. Memorial no longer enclosed. Letter from Mr C B Stewart.

7562. Aug 1860 Letter from Mr W Grey, Secretary to Government of India Home Department Calcutta. Sends an extract of a letter from the Judge of Moradabad, giving news of a fall of rain there, which has saved the harvest.

7563. Aug 1860 Letter from the Nawab of Kurnal, Kurnal. Says that the Khureef sowings have been made, but that prices are very high. If there is rain in the next 2 months, there will be an excellent 'Rubbie'. In the vernacular.

7564. Aug - Nov 1860 Letter from Mr H R Grenfell, Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for India, India Office, London. In reply, says that the passage as it stands in Lord Canning's letter to Sir C Wood of 22 Aug is preferable to the version sent him by the Private Secretary so he has not altered the passage. Copy of earlier letter, sending an alteration to His Excellency's letter, under the heading Municipal Expenditure.

7565. Aug 1860 Copy of a letter to Missur Gyan Chund, Umritsur. About an order for shawls. Note by Lady Canning. See also 7278, 7284, 7505

7566. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Colonel H J Warre, Military Secretary, to the Commander in Chief, Barrackpore. In reply, states that the Commander in Chief would be sorry to lose the services of Lieutenant Colonel Stewart, a candidate for the post of Post Master General of the Punjab. Copy of earlier letter; copy of reply. See also 7552

7567. Aug 1860 Copy of a letter to Mr James Cockburn. Thanking him for his letter about measures to be adopted in the indigo districts of Bengal. See also 7530

7568. Aug 1860 Letter from Messrs Greenway Brothers, Calcutta. Send a Memorial from Mr J W Sandys of Cawnpore, to the Governor General, asking for recognition of his services during the Mutiny at Allahabad. Memorial no longer enclosed. Copy of reply, the Memorial has been forwarded to the Home Department.

7569. Aug 1860 Letter from Mungle Sen and Benarassy Doss, Calcutta. Ask for an interview with the Private Secretary. See also 7570, 7652

7570. Aug 1860 Memorial of Mungle Sen and Benarassee Doss. Offering to reveal large frauds on the conditions specified. Cover only. Endorsed: Transferred to Secretary to Government Military Department. See also 7569, 7652

7571. Aug 1860 Letter from Colonel R Baird Smith, Mint Master, Calcutta. Asks for copies of the North West Provinces Gazette for Aug, so that he may abstract the rain-fall returns. Has no trust in weather reports. See also 7671

7572. Aug 1860 Letter from Mrs A Sharp, Barrackpore. Asks permission to buy scythes for Barrackpore Park. Copy of reply, as she is only living in the Superintendent's house by express permission, and has no concern with the managements of the Park, Private Secretary would advise Mrs Sharp to enter into no bargain for the purchase of scythes, or anything else.

7573. Aug 1860 Letter from Lieutenant Colonel A Huyshe, Artillery Regiment, Meerut. Gives the soldiers' views on the amalgamation question. The men look on amalgamation as meaning general service, and even the very latest enlisted men do not consider they are enlisted for general service. As a man enlisting in the 1st Foot cannot be forced to serve in the 2nd Foot, so when the Bengal Artillery ceases to exist, the men's contracts must expire also - this is another difficulty. All the men are indignant at the way they have been abused in Parliament. The articles in the Mofussilite have done much harm. See also 7645

7574. Aug 1860 Letter from Mrs Mary Harrison, widow of the late Mr Harrison, a soldier of the 53rd Regiment Calcutta. Asks for employment as a nurse, or a servant; or for some relief. Copy of reply, there is no employment available; she should apply to the Secretary of the District Charitable Fund.

7575. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr L B D'Mello, Assistant to Brown and Company, Undertakers, Calcutta. Sends a letter to the Governor General asking for a pension for his service as Clerk in the office of the late Military Board. Copy of reply, request refused. See also 7640

7576. Jul - Aug 1860 Printed copy of the proceedings of a meeting of the Lucknow Memorial subscribers held on 10 Jul.

7577. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr R H Davies, Secretary to the Punjab Government, Murree. Asks for the Governor General's views on the probable formation of Rifle Associations or Clubs in the Punjab. Copy of reply, the Governor General will write to Sir Robert Montgomery about this. Endorsed : Governor General to Sir R Montgomery 10 Sep 1860; Telegraph Messages Sent Number 819 ; Telegraphic Messages received number 1211; See also 7659

7578. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Captain J Reid, Officiating Chief of Police, Oudh, Lucknow. Asks for the Private Secretary's assistance in securing him a Brevet Majority, or Civil CB for his services during the Mutiny. Observes that the Police did not appear to good advantage in the libel case, that Lieutenant Chamberlain made several mis-statements in his deposition, and the 3 native policemen who gave evidence have been committed, and are certain to be convicted of perjury. One of them has already confessed. Copy of reply, His Excellency regrets that he cannot accede to either of Reid's requests. See also 7531, 7704, 7713

7579. Aug 1860 Copy of a letter to Mrs A Sharp, Barrackpore Park. Asking her to make over charge of the keys, garden tools etc in the Park to Kailas Chunder Sirkar (Kylash Chunder Sircar) at once.

7580. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr L Ricketts, Assistant Commissioner Raichore Doab, Lingsoogoor. Fearing that by the transfer to the Nizam of a part of the Assigned Districts he will be left unemployed, asks for a transfer. Copies of testimonials. Copy of reply, acknowledgement. See also 8282, 8303

7581. Aug 1860 Letter from Mr C J Wingfield, Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Lucknow. Sends a Memorandum of the services of Captain J Reid during the Mutiny. See also 7578, 7704, 7713

7582. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from The Kamdar of the Nawab of Jowrah, Jowrah. Having learnt from the newspapers that the Governor General will go on tour in Oct says it will give him great pleasure to march out from Jowrah to meet the Private Secretary. See also 7594

7583. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Moer Raj Kissen Roy, Calcutta. Sends a Memorial asking to be allowed to assume the title of his late father Rajah Buddinath Roy, with all the privileges. Memorial no longer enclosed. Copy of reply, his Memorial has been transferred to the Home Department. See also 7650

7584. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr W S Halsey, Secretary to the Civil Finance Commission, Calcutta. Sends a circular from the Civil Auditor of Fort William, advocating a general destruction of useless records, and the preservation of such only as may be statistically or historically important; asks for the Private Secretary's comment. Copy of reply, the Private Secretary's Office is not one of record, all papers which accumulate during the administration of a Governor General are, on his resignation, either taken home with him or destroyed. No official papers (except copies) are retained in the Private Secretary's Office at any time.

7585. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr A Hume, Magistrate and Collector of Etawah. In reply, his Central School has never had any assistance from Government; but since he last wrote, the branch schools have been assisted. He has given up all hope of leave, as the Lieutenant Governor is sure to refuse it to him. 1/2 anna stamp. See also 7469, 7872

7586 Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Lieutenant F C Bewsher, 47th Native Infantry, Jaunpore. Asks for civil employment. Copy of reply, application noted. See also 7590, 8186

7587. Sep 1860 Letter from Monsieur J B Lombard, Consul of France, Calcutta. Having received official information that special authority has been given to the French Government to procure emigrants in India to the number of 6,000 for the island of Reunion, asks whether Monsieur Carain, who has been proposed as Agent in Calcutta for this purpose, will be acceptable to Lord Canning. Copy of reply, His Excellency has no objection.

7588. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mrs J E Martin, Mrs E Smith, Mrs A Epolitte, widows of uncovenanted officers killed during the Mutiny, Agra. Send a Memorial asking for a favourable consideration of their cases. Memorial no longer enclosed. Copy of reply, their Memorial has been transferred to Secretary to Government Financial Department.

7589. Aug 1860 Letter from Baboo Gopaul Loll Mittre, Calcutta. Sends a prospectus of a book called 'Aunkochundrica'. 1 paper

7590. Sep 1860 Letter from Major W A A Thompson, Commandant, Governor General's Body Guard, Dehra. Replies about Lieutenant Bewsher. Copy of earlier letter, asking for information. See also 7586, 8186

7591. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Major G Hutchinson, Officiating Military Secretary to the Punjab Government, Murree. States his services during the Mutiny at Lucknow, and asks for the Civil Companion of the Order of the Bath. Copies of testimonials, 4 papers. Copy of reply, Hutchinson's services were almost entirely military, and therefore the Governor General does not feel justified in granting his request.

7592. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr C J Wingfield, Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Lucknow. Recommends Mr E Jenkinson, Civil Service Officiating Joint Magistrate of Benares, as Assistant Commissioner 1st class. Copy of reply, the Governor General cannot consent to the removal of Jenkinson from the North West Provinces to Oudh. The Income Tax has doubled the work of the Collectors, and all officers are hard pressed. Wingfield should supply his wants from among military officers, or the uncovenanted ranks.

7593. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Lieutenant M M Bowie, Madras Artillery, Kamptee. Asks to be appointed to the Political Department at Rewah; hopes to pass the examination in Hindoostanee in Oct. Copy of reply, there is no vacancy, and had there been a vacancy, the Governor General would not have appointed an officer who had not passed in the vernacular.

7594. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Ghouse Mohomed Khan, Nawab of Jowrah, Jowrah. Asks about the truth of the newspaper report of the Governor General's march to Indore via Bundelkund. Copy of reply, no certain information can be given. It is unlikely that the Governor General will be able to leave Calcutta until Mr Wilson has been replaced. See also 7582

7595. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Mr C J Wingfield, Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Lucknow. Suggests Mr H Woodcock, doing duty with the 4th Europeans, for the post of Assistant Superintendent of Police. Copy of reply, the Governor General regrets that he cannot appoint Mr Woodcock until he has passed in the vernacular.

7596. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from Captain W Osborne, Political Agent, Rewah. Believes that Lieutenant Snow is not fit for political duties, though he may do for the Irregular Cavalry. If Acton does not return, suggests Lieutenant W F Ireland, Adjutant of the Police for the post. There is a break in the rains, and the weather is very warm. The Rajah is getting his territory into very good order. The Singrowlee Rajah who held a Zemindaree of 700 villages in Rewah has had them resumed, owing to Mr Taylor having been threatened in his territories. Mr Gubbins has been trying to get the villages back for the Rajah, but Osborne has steadily refused interfering. Copy of reply, the Governor General agrees that no steps should be taken to replace Snow until Acton's movements are known.

7597. Aug - Sep 1860 Letter from the Honourable C Beadon, Officiating Member of the Supreme Council of India, Calcutta. In reply, about the request of the Rajah of Kupurthulla for an exchange of estates, and for sovereign powers. See also 7599

7598. Sep 1860 Letter from Major T Cooke, Retired List, Madras Army, Calcutta. Having lost by the wreck of the barque 'Amora', begs for a grant for himself, his wife and 7 children, of a passage to New Zealand. Letter no longer enclosed. Copy of reply, his letter has been sent to the Military Department.

7599. Sep 1860 Letter from Mr A Chick, Calcutta. Sends a prospectus of a new daily paper Public Opinion and asks for patronage. Copy of reply, the Governor General will subscribe to the new paper when issued, if it is deserving.

7600. Sep 1860 Letter from Major A Strange, late Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, Calcutta. Having received the orders of Government, in his case, asks for an interview to thank the Governor General. Endorsed: answered privately. See also 7249, 7283, 7512