Saint Helena Act 1833

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act for effecting an Arrangement with the East India Company, and for the better Government of His Majesty’s Indian Territories, till the Thirtieth Day of April One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Citation3 & 4 Will 4 c 85
Dates
Royal assent28 August 1833
Other legislation
Repealed byGovernment of India Act 1915 (all except section 112)
Status: Amended
Revised text of statute as amended

The Saint Helena Act 1833[1] or the Government of India Act 1833[2] (3 & 4 Will 4 c 85), sometimes called the Charter Act 1833,[3] is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

As this Act was also intended to provide for an extension of the royal charter granted to the East India Company, it is also called the Charter Act of 1833.[4] This Act extended the charter by 20 years. It contained the following provisions:

  • It redesignated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India. Under this provision Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India in the last of 1833.[5]
  • It deprived the Governors of Bombay and Madras of their legislative powers. For the first time, the Governor-General's Government was known as the 'Government of India' and his council as the 'India Council'. The Governor-General and his executive council were given exclusive legislative powers for the whole of British India.
  • It ended the activities of the British East India Company as a commercial body and it became a purely administrative body. In particular, the Company lost its monopoly on trade with China and other parts of the Far East.
  • It attempted to introduce a system of open competitions for the selection of civil servants. However, this provision was negated after opposition from the Court of Directors who continued to hold the privilege of appointing Company officials.
  • Control of the island of Saint Helena is transferred from the East India Company to the Crown.[6]
  • The Act categorically stated that no native of India should be disabled from holding any place, office, or employment, by reason of his religion.

With the exception of section 112, vesting Saint Helena in the monarchy, the act was repealed by the Government of India Act 1915.[7][8]

References[]

  1. ^ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 5 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948. Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
  2. ^ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
  3. ^ (1926) 1 Madras Law Journal 5. Bijay Kisor Acharyya, Codification in British India, 1914, p 415.
  4. ^ Lang, Eugen Maurice (2005) [1924]. Codification in the British Empire and America. Lawbook Exchange Ltd. p. 77, footnote 2. ISBN 1-58477-620-X.
  5. ^ team, EduGeneral (2016-03-09). "Important Acts in India Before Independence". EduGeneral. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  6. ^ "Saint Helena Act 1833, section 112". UK Statute Law Database. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Saint Helena Act 1833, sections 1–111". UK Statute Law Database. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Saint Helena Act 1833, sections 113–117". UK Statute Law Database. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2014.

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