Mss Eur F699/1/1/1/13/79

Writes that his hair stood on end when he heard he was likely to be afflicted with a Legislative Council. He remembers the difficulties he had with a similar body in Van Diemen Land. Perhaps Canning is trying in this way to get rid of the Legislative Council at Calcutta. He understands that they sit for 10 months of the year, a preposterous arrangement. In a country such as India which is held by the sword, Denison thinks it would be a mistake to allow even the smallest measure of representation, as an admission that the Government is not competent to perform all the work demanded from it. Next the Council begins to assume that its presence and aid is essential, that legislation cannot be passed without it, and soon it begins to insist upon its freedom from control. Eventually the Council seeks to be representative in fact, as well as in theory. Denison has seen all this happen before. It would be difficult to abolish the present legislative system, but not impossible, especially if it were done under cover of the transfer of the Government from the Company to the Crown. He understands from Canning's letter that the Supreme Government intends to give up some of its control over the Presidencies, and to place the Presidencies in the same position as the States of the American Union stand in relation to the Federal Government at Washington. Under such a scheme, with the exception of matters in which the whole country is interested, all legislation would be local. Therefore a general legislative body might be retained for all India, meeting only when there was work to do, whilst in the different Presidencies the work of local legislation might go on without the intervention of so mischievous a body as a Legislative Council. The whole scheme proceeds from a misconception of the needs of society in India, and Dalhousie is much to blame. Emphasises the difference between the European and the Asiatic. The Europeans are so small a proportion of the inhabitants of the Madras Presidency, that they have no right to be represented on a Legislative Council. The 'natives' never dream that they could or should assist in legislating for their fellows. For centuries the inhabitants of all the low country in India have been ruled over by others; they are content to be so, why should the British suggest to them motives which would not add to their happiness, which they cannot understand, but which one day might lead to much trouble. Similar institutions in England have grown with the nation, and not been artificially imposed. It is a great mistake to seek to cure social evils by legislation, it is a change of heart which is necessary, and not new laws. The Bishop has died. Denison wishes to buy his house in the Hills as a second residence for the Governor, turning the house at Madras into public offices.