On this day the Liberty of Press Act was passed by Charles T. Metcalfe, acting Governor-General of India.
Metcalfe, a British East India Company administrator and diplomat, had been appointed acting Governor-General during a crisis about selection of the right candidate for the post and his tenure is mainly remembered for this Act. It liberated the Indian press, removing earlier “vexatious” restrictions, and was greeted enthusiastically by both Indian and European communities in India. The Act led to a spurt in the growth of newspapers and journals.
But Metcalfe, who was born in Kolkata, had to pay a price. Shortly after Lord Auckland was appointed Governor-General, Metcalfe was appointed lieutenant-governor of the north-western provinces, but was passed over for governor of Madras because he had greatly displeased the board of directors in London by giving the Indian press more freedom.
Metcalfe Hall in Kolkata is named after him.