Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/182

 men in India. In the capacity of the Governor-General’s legal counsellor he was called upon to prepare four drafts for the protection of natives from the lawless and flagrantly outrageous conduct of Englishmen in the Mufasal, nominally under the Supreme Court, but in reality answerable to no tribunal; for, as the law then stood, they were exempt from the jurisdiction of the district and subdivisional criminal courts. Cases against them could be brought before the Supreme Court, but the wronged had seldom the time and the means to seek redress there. He prepared the drafts, and thereby incurred the hatred of many Englishmen in Bengal, save a few officials of the East India Company. The drafts were as follows:—

1. Draft of an Act abolishing exemption from the jurisdiction of the East India Company’s criminal courts. 2. Draft of an Act declaring the privileges of Her Majesty’s European subjects. 3. Draft of an Act for the protection of medical officers. 4. Draft of an Act for trial by jury in the Company’s territory.

As soon as these drafts were laid before the Governor-General’s Council most of the Englishmen in India protested against them. They gave them the name of the “Black Acts,” and spoke of the Governor-General, Mr Bethune, and the other members of the Council in bitter terms. The Anglo-Indian newspapers raised a cry. At length the opposers of the Bills held a large meeting, in which it was resolved to lay the matter before Parliament, and the sum of 36,000 rupees was raised to enable them to keep the opposition alive here as well as in England. There was no one among Indians ready to use his tongue or pen in favour of the proposed legislation save Ram