THE IMPERIAL SYSTEM 69
newly established, Parliament proceeded to divest the presidencies of Bombay and Madras of the high status which they hitherto occupied as responsible governments, so that according to the new Constitution
“......the Executive Government of each of the several Presidencies ...... (was to be) administered by (not vested in as heretofore) a Governor and three Councillors” [1]
While
“......the Superintendence, Direction, and Control of the whole civil and military government of all the......territories and Revenues in India (was) vested in a Governor General and councillors styled the Governor-General of India in Council.” [2]
Thus came to be established in India the Imperial system of government. It is true that long before its establishment the Government of Bengal [3] had the supreme power, not only of superintending and controlling the government and management of the Presidencies of Madras and Bombay in the matter of commencing hostilities, or declaring or making war against any Indian prince or power, or for negotiating or concluding any treaty of peace or other treaty with them, except in case of emergency, but it also possessed by a later enactment the power of superintendence in all such points as related to the collection or application of revenues, or to the forces employed, or to the civil or military government of the said presidencies. [4] But it must not be supposed, as is often done, that before 1833 the two Presidencies were in any real sense subordinate to Bengal in their domestic affairs. The fact that Madras and Bombay were required constantly and diligently to transmit to the Government of Bengal true and exact copies of all orders and resolutions and their acts in Council, and were enjoined to pay due obedience to the orders of the Government of Bengal, must not be construed to mean any subordination in their internal affairs. For, barring the extra territorial authority vested in the Government of Bengal, it must be borne in mind that,
1 Sec. 43 of 3 and 4 Will. IV, c. 85, an Act for effecting an arrangement with the East India Company, and for the better government of His Majesty’s Indian territories.
2 Ibid., s. 56. By sec. 57 power was given to reduce the number of councillors at the Presidencies or suspend them altogether, leaving the Executive Government at the Presidency to be carried on by a Governor alone. This power was exercised in 1833 by reducing the executive councillors at Bombay and Madras from three to two respectively.
3 and 4 Will. IV, c. 85, s. 39 4 13 Geo. III, c. 52, s. 40.