Ajay Kumar at 06:10, 18 August 2023

2023-08-18T06:10:19Z

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{{Infobox UK legislation
|short_title= Saint Helena Act 1833
|parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
|long_title = An 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.
|year = 1833
|statute_book_chapter = 3 & 4 Will 4 c 85
|introduced_by=
|territorial_extent=
|royal_assent=28 August 1833
|commencement=
|repeal_date=
|amendments=
|related_legislation=
|repealing_legislation= [[Government of India Act 1915]] (all except section 112)
|status= partially_repealed
|original_text=
|legislation_history=
|revised_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/85/contents
|}}

The '''Government of India Act 1833''' (3 & 4 Will 4 c 85), or the '''Charter Act 1833''', was an [[Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom|Act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], later retitled as the '''Saint Helena Act 1833'''. It extended the royal charter granted to the [[East India Company]] for an additional twenty years, and restructured the governance of British India.

==Provisions==
The Act contained the following provisions:
* It ended the commercial activities of the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] and made it a purely administrative body. In particular, the Company lost its monopoly on trade with China and other parts of the Far East.
* While ending its commercial mandate, the Act extended the East India Company's charter by 20 years. This meant that other provisions of the original Elizabethan charter, including the right to raise armies, wage war, and rule conquered territories, was perpetuated.
* It redesignated the [[Governor-General of Bengal]] as the [[Governor-General of India]]. For the first time, the government run by him was referred to as the 'Government of India.' His council as now known as the 'India Council'. [[Lord William Bentinck]] became the first Governor-General of India in the end of 1833.<ref>{{Cite web|last=team|first=EduGeneral|date=2016-03-09|title=Important Acts in India Before Independence|url=https://edugeneral.org/blog/history/important-acts-in-india-before-independence/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=EduGeneral|language=en-US}}</ref>
* The "Governor-General in Council" were given exclusive legislative powers, that is, the right to proclaim laws which would be enforced as the law of the land across the whole of British India.
* Thus, the Act deprived the Governors of [[Bombay Presidency|Bombay]] and [[Madras Presidency|Madras]] of the legislative powers which they had enjoyed until then.
* The Act 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.
* The Act categorically stated that no native of India should be disabled from holding any place, office, or employment, by reason of his religion.
* Control of the island of [[Saint Helena]] was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown.<ref name="s112">{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/85/section/112 |title=Saint Helena Act 1833, section 112 |publisher=[[UK Statute Law Database]] |date=26 May 2011 |access-date=3 August 2014 }}</ref>
With the exception of section 112, vesting Saint Helena in the monarchy, the act was repealed by the [[Government of India Act 1915]].<ref name="s1–111">{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/85/section/1111. |title=Saint Helena Act 1833, sections 1–111 |publisher=[[UK Statute Law Database]] |date=26 May 2011 |access-date=3 August 2014 }}</ref><ref name="s113–117">{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/85/section/113117. |title=Saint Helena Act 1833, sections 113–117 |publisher=[[UK Statute Law Database]] |date=26 May 2011 |access-date=3 August 2014 }}</ref>

==Name==

When [[short titles]] were authorised for British legislation by the [[Short Titles Act 1896]], the Act was titled as the '''Government of India Act 1833'''.<ref>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.</ref> However, following the repeal of most of its provisions other than those dealing with Saint Helena, it was given a new short title by the [[Statute Law Revision Act 1948]], as the '''Saint Helena Act 1833'''.<ref>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]].</ref> As the main provision of the Act was to extend the Company's charter, it is sometimes referred to as the '''Charter Act 1833''', although this is not an official short title.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lang |first=Eugen Maurice |title=Codification in the British Empire and America  |orig-year=1924 |publisher=Lawbook Exchange Ltd |year=2005 |isbn=1-58477-620-X |page=77, footnote 2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1y--X4XQ1sC&pg=PA77 }}</ref><ref>(1926) [https://books.google.com/books?id=IM6tEHAz9UcC 1] Madras Law Journal 5. Bijay Kisor Acharyya, [https://books.google.com/books?id=YOgyAAAAIAAJ Codification in British India], 1914, p 415.</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/3-4/85/contents The Saint Helena Act 1833], as amended, from the [[UK Statute Law Database]].

{{UK legislation}}

[[Category:History of Saint Helena]]
[[Category:August 1833 events]]
[[Category:British East India Company]]
[[Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning India]]
[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1833]]

Government of India Act 1833 - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 06:10, 18 August 2023