Who among the following was not the member of the Governor General's Executive Council as per the Regulating Act ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:

The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first major legislative step taken by the British Parliament to control the affairs of the East India Company in India. A crucial provision of this Act was the creation of a Governor-General of Bengal (Warren Hastings) and an Executive Council to assist him, consisting of four members. These four members were explicitly named in the Act: General John Clavering, Colonel George Monson, Richard Barwell, and Philip Francis. Therefore, Sir Elijah Impey, who was appointed as the Chief Justice, or Sir Robert Hyde (Hide), who was appointed as one of the Puisne Judges of the newly established Supreme Court at Calcutta, was a part of the Judiciary, not the Executive Council. The Executive Council members held significant political power and often opposed the Governor-General, leading to administrative conflicts, whereas Hyde's role was purely judicial.

The incorrect option is 1 (Clavering): General John Clavering was one of the four members appointed directly to the Governor-General’s Executive Council by the Regulating Act of 1773. He served as the Commander-in-Chief and was frequently in opposition to Governor-General Warren Hastings.

The incorrect option is 2 (Monson): Colonel George Monson was also explicitly named in the Regulating Act of 1773 as one of the four original members of the Executive Council. Along with Clavering and Francis, Monson often formed the majority bloc against Hastings.

The incorrect option is 3 (Barwell): Richard Barwell was the fourth member of the Executive Council as per the Regulating Act of 1773. Unlike Clavering, Monson, and Francis, Barwell consistently supported Warren Hastings, often making his vote crucial in Council decisions.