Fortunately at the head of the European non-official
community we had in the person of Mr. Keswick, senior partner in
Jardine Skinner & Co., then the premier firm in Calcutta, a man of
undoubted ability and most forcible and independent character, who
fought the battle against the Government in a most masterly manner. I
think that it was due in a great measure to him that several members
of the Government were won over to our side, notably Sir Rivers
Thompson, then Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who was seriously ill at
the time, but rose up from a sick-bed to attend the Council and speak
and vote against the Bill; also Mr. Thomas, lately deceased, the
member for Madras, who cast aside all personal considerations of
future advancement to enter an able and strong protest against this
most iniquitous measure. I remember it was in contemplation to hold a
monster meeting on the maidan in the big tent of Wilson's Circus which
then happened to be in Calcutta, but in the meantime it was announced
that wiser counsels had prevailed, and Lord Ripon had reluctantly
climbed down, I believe, after most strenuous persuasion, and had
consented to a compromise by agreeing to the introduction of a clause
in the Bill conferring the right of option on European-born subjects
electing to be tried or not by a native magistrate.
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