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IOR Neg 4236/1/10
- Record Id:
- 041-002302564
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002302554
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000001953.0x0003d7
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- IOR Neg 4236/1/10
- Title:
- Letter from Mayo to Argyll
- Scope & Content:
- Financial proposals for 1871/72 very fair but very bad for 1872/73; in current year drop in customs, salt and railways revenues should be compensated for by opium; lack of elasticity in Indian revenues; India will improve, but slowly - lavish expenditure and extravagance of past ten years has brought trouble and some danger; opium prospects for 1872/73 very bad – gives reasons; opposes any increase in existing taxes or imposition of new one; expenditure reduction 'perfectly possible but on this I begin to despair'; his difficult position; has refused numerous military spending proposals by C-in-C; problems caused by delay in getting replies from home – gives examples; 'bitter and determined opposition to economy is in every quarter and every breath. It is one long fight in which I am almost single handed'; there are useless regiments, useless officers and establishments, Presidential jealousies and divided authority; 'the employment of natives is always resisted and obstruction pervades the whole administrative atmosphere. I have only one object in view. I know we have not done all our duty to the People of this Land. I know that Millions have been spent and will be spent on the Conquering Race which might have been and could be spent on enriching and elevating the children of the Soil. We have done much but we can do a great deal more but it is impossible unless we spend less on "the interests" and more on the People … I know how unpopular all this is. In curtailing the prospects and privileges of my own countrymen, we meet with active opposition, in labouring for the good of the Blacks we can hope for no support from them for 99 out of every 100 of them are incapable of understanding much less of suggesting what is good for them. But I feel sure you will agree with me that the line of duty is very plain, and that we ought never to depart from it. I wish this could be more felt, and if High Officers here and "authorities" at the India Office would occasionally recollect that we have no right to be here at all unless we use all [emphasis in original] our power for the good of the Blacks, perhaps they might not offer so much opposition to efforts that are being made to avoid robbing them'.
- Collection Area:
- India Office Records and Private Papers
- Project / Collection:
- India Office Private Papers
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 040-002302554
041-002302564 - Is part of:
- IOR Neg 4236/1 : Private letters from the Earl of Mayo to the Duke of Argyll, with enclosures (unbound, some papers missing).
IOR Neg 4236/1/10 : Letter from Mayo to Argyll - Hierarchy:
- 040-002302554[0010]/041-002302564
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: IOR Neg 4236/1
- Record Type (Level):
- Item
- Extent:
- 1 item
- Digitised Content:
- Languages:
- English
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1871
- End Date:
- 1871
- Date Range:
- 1 Sep 1871
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)