THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 277 



The idea of a .siibskly from tlie Cieueral Govern men t seems to liave 

 been i)romineut in the minds of the fonnders of the Columbian Institute. 

 In the closing portion of the same address Dr. Cutbusli naively remarked 

 as follows: 



I eiuinol lefrain from indnlgino- in the pleasing hope that the mem- 

 bers of our National Government, to whom has been confided the guard- 

 ianship ot the District of Columbia, will exteiid their fostering care to 

 this establishment, aiul that a part of the public grounds, reserved for 

 national imr])oses, maybe vested in the Columbian Institute. I would 

 also with due deference suggest that a small pecuniary aid would en- 

 able the Institute at an earlier period to extend its benefits to all parts 



make the laud, personal property and not to revert to the sovereign. This plan, pur- 

 sued through several years of zeal ami devotion to humanity, lie accomplished. The 

 Norman conquest, the revolution in England in 1088, were great events and they 

 mark epochs in history .and are treated as such, while Mr. Law's revolution without 

 Moodshed e\'entually changed the whole moral and social condition of Hiudostan, 

 settled estates in persons and as ])ersoual property, and \int an end to all the calam- 

 ities which were consequent of the old system; yet the event is scarcely heard of; 

 perhaps there are not three men in this country who ever heard of it yet." 



In a letter written to Law hy Marquis Cornwallis in 1796 he said: "We lahored 

 together for the security of person and pi'operty to the subjects of the British Gov- 

 ernment in Asia," and referred to ''that plan of which I shall ever with gratitude 

 acknowledge you as the founder." 



Another reform suggested hy Mr. Law was in connection with the commercial 

 relations of India with England. Concerning this Mr. Law writes in 1824 : 



"The augmented we<ilth and prosperity of many of the natives of India since I 

 quitted Bengal is evinced hy commercial events and improvements, some of which 

 have fulfilled my anticipations, when I proposed to the company, and was urgent 

 with them, to throw open and enlarge new branches of trade originally in India. 

 Cotton anil sugar are now imported thence into England, and British manufiictnres 

 have been exported to pay for these new and rich Asiatic cargoes, and this to an 

 amount that in 1815 was estimated at £870,177. Five years afterward, in 1819, the 

 value of such manufactures exported to India exceeded three millions sterling." 



One of the results of this Indian reform was doubtless the abolition at so early a 

 day of negro slavery in the British West Indies. 



Another of his reforms was that effected when at an early age he was governor of 

 Behar, and which was perhaps his chief popular title to the appellation of " Father 

 of the People." The Capital of Behar is as much venerated by the Hindus as Mecca 

 by the Mohammedans. Pilgrims annually resort to it from all parts of India. 

 These pilgrims had been oppressed by heavy taxes ever since the estal)lisbment of 

 the Mohammedan government — taxes imposed according to the apparent dignity of 

 the pilgrims, which was rated by the number of their animals, and the palanquins, 

 horses, or elephants which accompanied them. When Mr. Law became collector 

 the exactions were so ouerous that many Hindus were deterred from fulfilling their 

 religious usages, but through his efforts the taxes were diminished to a moderate 

 sum, a greater number of pilgrims would pay it, and, while the demands of the reve- 

 nue were fulfilled, " purposes of humanity were forwarded and the pious feelings 

 of the natives were gratified." [Law's "Reply," p. 7.] 



Mr. Law's removal from England was due in part to an act of injustice on the part 

 of the East Indian Company, which resulted in considerable financial loss t« himself, 

 and in part to his "decided disapprobation of an impolitic and exhausting w.ar that 

 the administration was then carrying on against France." 



He conceived a great admiration for the character of AVashington, and when he 



