10 



from too precipitate measures ; the people are forced 

 to live beyond their means, and are thus induced to 

 seek a dishonest livelihood ; in short, an impetus is 

 given to crime, in order that the revenue may bene- 

 fit. This, it need hardly be said, is in direct opposi- 

 tion to every principle of political economy. 



My object in writing this essay is to shew that 

 0bj Es S a f y* his the revenue of India may be largely 

 increased, the requirements of the paper-trade 

 being at the same time duly considered, without 

 incurring the dangers to which I have referred. 



6. Before stating my own views however, I pro- 

 ^SSSSSL pose to consider those contained in 

 Mr. Routledge's pamphlet on Bamboo, not with the 

 object of detracting from his proposition, but rather 

 to caution Government against engaging in an enter- 

 prise which may ultimately prove a financial failure, 

 as well as a political error. The ill-success which 

 has attended many of our experiments, is in a great 

 measure, I fear, to be attributed to a disregard of the 

 old maxim " Look before you leap "; and there is no 

 doubt that the more important the project, the greater 

 is the necessity for careful deliberation before em- 

 barking on it. 



7. Mr. Routledge starts by telling us that, 

 Mr -bambo e o geon "O/ M the fibre-yielding plants known to 

 botanical science there is not one so well calculated to 

 meet the pressing requirements of the paper-trade as 

 Bamboo , both as regards facility and economy of pro- 

 duction, as ivell as the quality of the paper-stock which 

 can be manufactured therefrom : grown under 



