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(as he had shown) was poor, his religion was not bright, his home 
was dirty, dark, and small, he had few sports or entertainments 
of any kind, and generally speaking, his life seemed aimless. 
They must estimate his wealth by the fewness of his natural 
wants, for though in possessions he seemed poor indeed, he had at 
least all he required, and did not care to seek for more. Climatic 
influences and physical laws had no doubt much to do with this. 
The educated native was vastly on the increase, especially in 
Bengal, and the Bombay presidency, where he formed an element 
to be reckoned with, competing in art and science, and in medi- 
cine and law, and in engineering, for office and works, which 
were formerly in almost exclusive possession of the English. 
There were now five universities which held examinations and 
granted degrees. Turning to native politics, he thought from 
what he had said of the general condition of the people that it 
would be admitted that the questions raised by the recent Con- 
gress, elective legislative council, repeal of Arms Act, reduction 
of the army and the creation of a certain number of native 
volunteers, bristle with difficulties, and concessions in the way 
indicated could only be made with great care and caution. The 
agitation was carried on almost exclusively by the Hindoos in 
Bengal (Baboos), who rejoiced in their recently acquired know- 
ledge of Western civilization. It had really taken no hold on 
the masses of the people, and was at present looked upon with 
considerable disfavour by men of such practical broad and liberal 
views as Lord Dufferin. They admitted with satisfaction the 
great spirit of progress which English influence was infusing 
throughout India, and the greater prosperity and increasing 
population in the British as compared with the native states, 
but they could not afford to overlook the inherent idea, existing 
for centuries in all Oriental minds, of the virtue of a long line of 
recognised descent—of the absolute power of hereditary rulers. 
The Hindoo was not democratic; he did not-as yet believe in 
«the people ;”” he was very susceptible to impressions of mag- 
nificence and historical greatness, and above all to evidence of 
power, of wealth, and of prestige, and that must not be lost 
sight of in our mode of government. When Western ideas of 
individual independence were better understood, when the 
natives had realised the duties and responsibilities of political 
power and shown a more marked desire to exercise it, there could 
be no doubt that an enlightened and progressive policy would 
guide the Government of India, and a new and important era in 
her development would begin. Whenever that time should 
come, as come he felt it must (if we were to retain India as a 
dependency), it,would be one of the brightest periods in the 
annals of a country which had striven so long and so successfully 
in the interests of freedom and material growth, and another 
