Press Act 1835 (Metcalfe Act) 

Sir Charles Metcalfe passed the Press Act in 1835, thus restoring press freedom. Metcalfe was the governor-general from 1835 to 1836. He repealed the obnoxious 1823 ordinance, earning him the moniker “liberator of the Indian press.” 

The new Press Act (1835) required a printer/publisher to give a detailed account of the premises of a publication and to cease operations if a similar declaration was issued. A liberal press policy resulted in a rapid expansion of newspapers. In this article, we will discuss the Press Act 1835 (Metcalfe Act) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Press Act 1835 – Features

• Governor-General Charles Metcalfe had a liberal attitude toward Indian Press and he repealed the 1823 regulations.
• This act, therefore, is called the ‘Metcalfe Act’ and Metcalfe is known as the ‘Liberator of the Indian Press’.
• This act remained in force till 1856 and led to the rapid growth of newspapers in the country

About Sir Charles Metcalfe

• Sir Charles Metcalfe (1785-1846) served as acting Governor-General of India from March 1835 to March 1836.
• Charles Metcalfe was born on January 30, 1785, in Kolkata, the son of Thomson Metcalfe, a Major in the East India Company’s Army.
• He was educated at Bromley and Eton before returning to Calcutta in 1801 as a writer in the Company’s service at the age of sixteen.
• Metcalfe held a variety of political positions. He played a key role in concluding the Amritsar Treaty of 1809 with Ranjit Singh, which brought stability to Punjab and remained in force until the first Sikh war of 1845.
• As the Sikhs’ energies were diverted against Afghanistan and Sind, the British territory was secured.
• Metcalfe was the longest-serving Englishman in India. He arrived in India during Lord Wellesley’s ascendancy of British power and stayed for 38 years.
• His desire for reform led him to outlaw slavery, sati, and infanticide in the Delhi territory as early as 1812.
• Metcalfe was a member of the Council who persuaded Governor-General Bentinck to include natives in the country’s governance. He was a capable civil servant with progressive views.
• His liberal press policy endeared him to the Indians who built Metcalfe Hall in Calcutta and erected his bust there.

Press Act 1835 – Impact

• The Act was enthusiastically received by the European community in India and the principal inhabitants of Calcutta, including the most eminent native gentry in rank and accomplishments.
• They gathered and voted an address of thanks to Sir Charles Metcalfe for the boon he had bestowed on the country, as well as subscriptions to commemorate it by erecting a noble hall in his honor.
• In his response to the address, he stated that:
  • “The Act evinced to the world that the Company’s government desired no concealment, that it was happy to have the most minute particulars of its Indian administration scrutinized.”
  • It demonstrated to the universe that it sought information and instruction wherever they could be found and that it did not want to rule India as a conquered, ignorant, and enslaved country, but as a cherished, enlightened, and free country.”

Conclusion

Conclusion

Newspapers were crucial in the Indian independence struggle. The British government saw the emergence and growth of Indian newspapers as a threat and thus took a number of measures to suppress them through various acts and laws. Metcalfe was dubbed the “liberator of the Indian press” after repealing the obnoxious 1823 ordinance. In 1835, Lord Metcalfe took over as Bentink’s successor. He, like Bentink, was a liberal who believed strongly in press freedom.