Page:Twelve men of Bengal in the nineteenth century (1910).djvu/125

Rh transport duties on an extensive scale and setting an example of loyalty to the other Zemindars of Bengal. The first recognition on the part of government for these and other services came in 1864 in his appointment as an additional member of the Legislative Council of the Governor-General. He was one of the first Indians to attain to the dignity of a seat in the Council, and his practical experience as a great landowner and his intimate knowledge of the conditions of life generally in Bengal proved of great service. He made no attempt at oratorical display but his speeches were invariably characterised by simplicity and strong common sense, and they were listened to with attention and respect as the words of a man whose impartiality and honesty were unimpeachable and whose opportunities of acquiring information were unrivalled. In 1868 the further distinction was conferred upon him of a grant of armorial bearings with supporters, and nine years later at the Imperial assemblage at Delhi, he was granted as a personal distinction the right to a salute of thirteen guns.

Apart from his position on the Legislative Council, Maharaja Mahtab Chand refrained on principle from taking any active part in the great political movements of the day. On almost every question he held decided views but he considered that it was more incumbent upon him to exercise his influence quietly through legitimate channels as the adviser