Alexander John Arbuthnot

“ In nominating Mackenzie for this post the governor-general remarked that 'the gallantry, ability, and endurance displayed by him at the time of the rising at Kábul are amply recorded, and in connection with the subsequent events of that period entitle him to a higher reward at the hands of the government of India than the command of a local corps in the Sutlej provinces.' Mackenzie had held his new command for some years when a mutiny occurred in one of the cavalry regiments of the contingent which nearly cost him his life. ”

“ A staunch believer in the policy of masterly inactivity, he regarded with grave apprehension the measures which, carried out under the government of Lord Lytton, culminated in the Afghan war of 1878-9. ”

“ In 1845, or ten years after the construction of the Coleroon anicuts, Cotton laid before the Madras government a project for building an anicut across the Godávery river a few miles below the town of Rájahmundry. The Godávery district, then called the Rájahmundry district, was at that time in a most depressed condition. Not many years before it had gone through a terrible famine, the people were impoverished, and the revenue was always in arrears. The district was mainly dependent for its revenue upon a precarious rainfall, and upon tanks depending upon that rainfall. ”

“ This is by no means unsatisfactory as a return upon a public work, and in the far more important matter of the effect of the works upon the prosperity of the people the results are still more encouraging. ”

“ Very shortly after Napier's arrival at Madras he visited Calcutta and made the acquaintance of Sir John Lawrence [see Lawrence, John Laird Mair, first Baron Lawrence] , with whom he established most friendly relations, as he afterwards did with the Earl of Mayo. Napier from the first recognised the respective positions of the supreme government of India and of the minor governments, and did everything in his power to diminish the friction and the presidential jealousies which are so often detrimental to the efficiency of Indian administration. ”

“ But the conference took place and the envoy was treacherously seized and shot by Akbàr Khàn. At the same time Mackenzie and George Lawrence [q.v.] were made prisoners. Later on, during the unfortunate retreat from Kabul, Mackenzie, who had been set free, displayed the greatest courage and excellent judgment, and did all in his power to stimulate the efforts of the officers in superior military command. Indeed it is not too much to say that, if Mackenzie had been the general in command, instead of being only a captain, the disasters which attended the first Afghan war might have been averted. ”

“ Before the war broke out in 1878 he accepted the appointment of chief commissioner of British Burma. When holding that office he raised two questions of considerable importance. The first was the question of the opium trade as bearing upon Burma. The second had reference to the relations of certain English public servants with the women of the country. Neither of these questions was dealt with officially by Lytton's government; but with reference to the second the viceroy intimated semi-officially that he disapproved of a circular which Aitchison bad issued, as mixing up orals with politics. ”

“ And further south on the borders of the Madura district and the native state of Travancore there has lately been constructed the Periyár irrigation work, an irrigation work even more ambitious in its design, and presenting greater difficulties of construction than any irrigation work which has yet been constructed in India. Of this bold and apparently successful work it may be affirmed that it never would have been entertained if it had not been for Sir Arthur Cotton's previous labours. ”

“ There seems at one time to have been an intention that the young student should give up his Indian writership and remain on Lord Wellesley's staff, on the chance of the latter being able to provide for him in the public service in England; but on the advice of Sir John Malcolm [q. v.] , a friend of his father, who went over to Dublin for the purpose of combating the idea, the intention was abandoned, and early in 1824 Montgomery returned to Haileybury, passing through college at the end of that year. ”

“ On the other question, the principle of Aitchison's circular, stopping the promotion of officers who continued the practice which he had denounced, was enforced.
In 1881 Aitchison left Burma to become next year (4 April 1882) lieutenant-governor of the Panjáb. His government there was very successful, and popular with all classes of the people. He was a staunch advocate of the policy of advancing natives of India in the public service as they proved their fitness for higher posts and for more responsible duties. ”

“ In the course of the retreat, it having been arranged that hostages should be given up to Akbàr Khàn, Mackenzie was selected as one of them. His selection was approved by Akbàr Khàn as a man who was certain to keep his word. In consequence of his deeply religious life the Afghans called him the 'English Moollah,' and had the greatest confidence in him. While in this position he was deputed by Eldred Pottinger, with the approval of Akbàr Khàn, to convey letters to the political agent at Jellalabad and to General Sir George Pollock [q. v.] ”

“ The Cávery had been used for irrigation from the earliest times all along its course, from its source in the Coorg mountains to its delta in the Tanjore district. In the delta it has many branches, the water-surface of which is generally higher than the surrounding country, and is kept from overflowing by artificial banks. Minor channels have been drawn from these branches, and the whole country is thus a network of streams. This system was in full operation when Tanjore became a British province ”

“ Aitchison, an essentially religious man, was a consistent and warm supporter of Christian missions while in India, and after his retirement was an active member of the committee of the Church Missionary Society. ”

“ On the Pennár river in the Nellore district, on the Corteliár, on the Palár, Cheyár, and Vellár, in the districts of north and south Arcot and Chingleput, works have been constructed, which, if unavoidably less productive than those on the three larger rivers, still bear their share in increasing the food supply of the country. ”

“ Montgomery's report and recommendations on the condition of the Rajahmundry district elicited high commendation from the government of Madras, and two years later he was selected by the Marquis of Tweeddale [see George Hay, eighth Marquis of Tweeddale] to fill a vacancy in the government secretariat. He served as secretary to government in the revenue and public works departments until 1850, when he was promoted to the chief secretaryship. ”

“ During the latter years of his life Napier resided almost entirely in Scotland, acting as convener of his county, and interesting himself generally in local affairs. He was extremely popular with people of all classes on and in the neighbourhood of his estate, to whom he had endeared himself by his kindly and generous nature. ”

“ The works irrigate upwards of 612,000 acres. They had raised the exports and imports of the district from 170,000l. in 1847 to 1,500,000l. in 1887. They have converted a district which in former times was continually in a state of extreme poverty and distress into one of the most prosperous districts in India. The people are now well- to-do and contented. The population has more than doubled.
The anicut on the Krishna river, in the district of that name, was projected by Cotton, but was actually planned by the late Colonel Sir Henry Atwell Lake,R.E., K.C.B. [q. v.] ”

“ He certainly had the advantage of possessing influential friends. Lord Wellesley had formed a high opinion of him when he worked in Dublin in the lord-lieutenant's private office, and did not fail to exert his influence on his behalf. ”

“ While he continued to live in London he served for some time on the London school board and took an active part in its proceedings. He also served as chairman of the dwellings committee of the Charity Organisation Society. ”