William Lee-Warner

“ In 1896, as secretary to the government of India in the revenue department, he became Lord Elgin's right hand in dealing with agricultural problems, and prepared the ground for the Punjab Land Alienation Act. That Act, ably piloted in 1900 by Sir Charles Rivaz, did not go as far as Ibbetson wished, but it restricted the alienation of land so as to keep its occupation in the hands of the agricultural tribes to the exclusion of the commercial castes. ”

“ Lord Dufferin was installed in office on 25 June 1872. It was a critical period of Canadian history. The federal union which was inaugurated in 1867 was completed after the arrival of Lord Dufferin by the admission to the dominion of Prince Edward Island on 1 July 1873. What was needed was to kindle the imagination of the population thus brought together, and inspire the several provinces with the true spirit of confederation, familiarising both them and the United Kingdom with the conception of a great nation within the empire. ”

“ The historic reports on Punjab administration were penned by him, and Lord Dalhousie so appreciated his strenuous activities that, when it was proposed in 1853 to take Temple into the government of India's secretariat from Lahore, he remarked that 'it would be setting an elephant to draw a wheelbarrow,' So Temple worked on, until the death of his first wife in 1855 and the strain of public duties compelled him to take furlough in the following year. ”

“ During Norman's term of office in Queensland Lord Kimberley, secretary of state for India, offered him, through Lord Ripon, secretary of state for the colonies, on 1 Sept. 1893, the post of governor-general of India on the resignation of that office by Lord Lansdowne. On 3 Sept. Norman accepted the office, but in the course of the next few days he found that the excitement and anxieties so upset him at the age of nearly sixty-seven years, that he could not expect to endure the strain of so arduous an office for five years. ”

“ Settlement work, to which Elliott had thus devoted his best years, was in those days the most important and most coveted employment in the civil service, and it gave Elliott a thorough acquaintance with the needs of the people and the administrative machinery. ”

“ In March 1881 he became chief commissioner of Assam, and in Feb. 1886 was entrusted with the unpopular task of presiding over a committee appointed to inquire into public expenditure throughout India, and report on economies. A falling exchange and a heavy bill for war operations compelled Lord Dufferin to apply the shears to provincial expenditure, and while the committee inevitably withdrew funds needed by the local governments, it was generally recognised that immense pains were taken by Elliott and his colleagues. ”

“ Meanwhile in Feb. 1879 Dufferin became the British ambassador at St. Petersburg. The appointment was made by Lord Beaconsfield, the conservative prime minister, but it involved no severance from the liberal party. To maintain friendly relations with Russia while insisting upon unwelcome restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Berlin, and upon the complete observance of engagements undertaken in regard to central Asia and Afghanistan, was no easy task. The political situation was over-shadowed by the prevalence of nihilism, which was already manifesting itself in attempts on the Emperor's life. ”

“ The British ambassador defended himself with vigour against the imputation of hostile designs which were entirely foreign to his character, and though perhaps he never attained in Paris the full amount of popularity which he commanded elsewhere, he succeeded in gaining the confidence and regard of the French government. By the part which he took in the discussion of the Siamese question he contributed to the satisfactory settlement of a possible cause of conflict with France. ”

“ None of the effective safeguards which the hostility of public opinion to untruth and extravagance provides in England are available in India. After nearly thirty years' experience, press restrictions 'for the better conduct of the press' were re-imposed by Viscount Morley, a liberal secretary of state for India, in 1910, and Lord Ripon's action in 1882 was proved so far to be too uncompromising. Ripon's efforts to encourage the develop- ment of self-government in India were similarly marred by the tendency to judge India by British standards. ”

“ He laid truly the foundations of primary education, in which Bombay has always taken the lead. He also compiled an outline of history to assist school teachers in giving their lessons. In 1872 the finances of the city of Bombay became embarrassed, and Peile was sent to settle them, acting as municipal commissioner. Subsequently he undertook for a short period the political charge of Kathiawar, to which he returned again in 1874, holding it until 1878. As political agent of Kathiawar Peile greatly added to his reputation. ”

“ His dealing with the land question was equally reasonable, and he held the balance true between landlord and tenant. By Act VIII., 1885, which Lord Ripon had advanced to its penultimate stage, the Bengal land-owners were obliged to concede occupancy rights to their tenants who had cultivated their lands in a village for twelve years, and to accept certain limitations on their right of enhancing the rent. ”

“ Born on 24 Oct. 1827 at 10 Downing Street, during the brief tenure of the office of prime minister by his father, George began life with every advantage that high position and political opportunity could offer. His parents anxiously devoted themselves to his care and education, and they preferred private tuition under their direct supervision to public school or university. From 1883 until he succeeded to his father's earldom in 1859 the boy was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Goderich. ”

“ In Queensland quiet times succeeded to angry constitutional controversies. The colony was, however, soon involved in financial troubles, and Norman showed his public spirit in offering to share the reduction of salary to which the members of the legislative assembly had to submit. The responsible ministers freely sought his advice, and when he retired after the close of 1895 Mr. Chamberlain expressed his high appreciation of the governor's long and valuable services. ”

“ The vernacular press, used for the purpose by the leaders of revolution, had disseminated false news, which agitated their simple minds. Even the latest triumph of British enterprise in bringing three million acres under canal irrigation was turned against the government. ”

“ Despite the pressure of his secretariat labours Risley continued to pursue his study of ethnography and anthropometry. He became president of the Royal Anthropological Institute in Jan. 1910. On the processes by which non- Aryan tribes are admitted into Hinduism he was recognised to be the greatest living authority, and he established by anthropometric investigation the fact that the Kolarians south of Bengal are not to be distinguished from their Dravidian neighbours. He strongly advocated the addition of ethnology to the necessary training of civilians for work in India. ”

“ On 23 Feb. 1882 he declared in council that he would 'be very glad if it was possible to place the law in regard to every person not only on the same footing, but to embody it in the very same language whether it relates to Europeans or natives.' At the time the Criminal Procedure Code, which amended and consolidated the law based on Macaiilay's famous Indian Law Commission, was being enacted. ”

“ In December 1896 he was appointed president of a royal commission to inquire into the conditions of the sugar-growing colonies in West India. This involved a cruise round the islands and gratified his taste for the sea, cruising and voyaging having been Norman's chief recreation during his life. His views in favour of countervailing duties on bounty-fed sugar imported into the United Kingdom were not shared by his colleagues. In 1901 he was made governor of Chelsea Hospital, being raised to the rank of field-marshal on 26 June 1902. ”

“ His Punjab experience had taught him the value of picked subordinates, and no chief commissioner was ever served by better assistants than Alfred Lyall, Charles Elliott, and Charles Bernard. The connection at length established with Bombay by the Great Indian Peninsula railway system in 1867 enabled Temple to leave Nagpur in full confidence to his successor, upon whom frowning times of famine were to fall. ”

“ Even at this age, however, he impressed others with the qualities which Earl Roberts regarded as his special gifts, 'extraordinary memory' and 'a natural liking and aptitude for work.' The 'soldierly instincts' within him were kindled by news of Sir Charles Napier's campaign in Sind in 1843, and of Sir Hugh Gough's victories at Maharajpur and Gwalior, and fortune favoured him by bringing him a direct appointment as cadet in the infantry of the Company's Bengal army (1 March 1844) . In April he joined the 1st Bengal native infantry as ensign, devoting his whole heart to his regimental duties ”

“ Mural memorial tablets were erected by public subscription in Chelsea Hospital, at Delhi, and in the crypt of St. Paul's cathedral. This last, unveiled on 3 June 1907 by Lord Roberts, bore the simple legend 'Soldier and administrator in India, governor of Jamaica and Queensland, through life a loyal and devoted servant to the state.'
A portrait in oils, painted by Lowes Dickinson for the city of Calcutta, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1879. A cartoon portrait of Norman by 'Spy' appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1903. ”

“ Bulwer, who had obtained his majority by purchase on 26 Jan. 1858, marched in September, in the temporary absence of Colonel Pratt, with his regimental headquarters and six companies out of Lucknow to join Colonel Purnell's force. The final capture of Lucknow had dispersed many thousands of armed rebels, whom it was necessary to reduce to order before it was possible to re-establish the civil government. In this work Bulwer especially distinguished himself on three occasions in command of a detached column, of which 180 men of his own regiment formed a part. ”

“ In June 1890 symptoms of disaffection in the ranks of the metropolitan police force were aggravated by the public announcement of grave differences between the commissioner, Mr. Monro, and the home secretary, Mr. Matthews, regarding police administration and in particular the rules of superannuation. After Monro's resignation thirty-nine men refused to go on duty (5 July) , and a general strike of the men threatened unless their pay was increased and other concessions granted. Bradford had accepted the vacant office with hesitation on 20 June 1890. ”

“ Lord Ripon acted with vigour. Under his orders Abdur Rahman was proclaimed Amir at Kabul on 22 July, after he had been informed (14 June) that he could have no political relations with any foreign power except the English, while if any such power interfered and 'such interference should lead to unprovoked aggression on the Kabul ruler,' he would receive aid in such a manner and at such a time as might be necessary to repel it, provided he followed British advice. ”

“ In 1868 he passed third in the open competition for the civil service of India, and next year graduated B.A. at Cambridge as a senior optime in the mathematical tripos.
Ibbetson proceeded to India, joining the Punjab commission at the end of 1870. His future distinction rested upon a thorough grounding in revenue administration and settlement work, which brought him into close touch with the realities of district life and agrarian questions. In December 1871 he was appointed assistant settlement officer at Kamal, and he was placed in independent charge of the settlement operations in 1875. ”

“ The tiger, twice wounded, charged Bradford, whose second gun failed to fire. Bradford dropped into an adjoining pool, whence the tiger dragged and played with him ‘just as a cat does with a mouse, occasionally taking his arm in its mouth and giving him a crunch.’ A change of position enabled Bradford's companion Curtis to fire without risk to his friend, and the tiger, driven off, was despatched by the trooper. Then followed a painful journey to Agar, and at a point thirty-five miles from the station Dr. Beaumont amputated the arm without chloroform. The patient's quiet courage saved his life. ”

“ The progress of the mutiny hastened his return to India, where he was soon engaged in three fields of operations, near Jabalpur, in the Sagar and Nerbudda districts, and in the pursuit of Tantia Topi. The mutiny of the 52nd Bengal native infantry on 18 Sept. 1857 and the rebellion of local chiefs led to frequent skirmishes, in which Bradford, as adjutant of the left wing 6th Madras cavalry, took part. More serious operations followed after his transfer to the famous corps of irregular cavalry, Mayne's horse, of which he became adjutant, and on 25 Oct. ”

“ BRADFORD, Sir EDWARD RIDLEY COLBORNE, (1836–1911) , Anglo-Indian administrator and commissioner of the metropolitan police, London, born on 27 July 1836 at Hambleden Cottage, Buckinghamshire, was second son (in a family of three sons and five daughters) of William Mussage Kirkwall Bradford (1806–1872) , who was rector successively of Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire, Weeke, Hampshire, and finally from 1844 of West Meon, Hampshire. His mother, Mary (1810–1894) , was elder daughter of Henry Colborne Ridley, rector of Hambleden, who was younger brother of Sir Matthew White Ridley, third baronet. ”