iv 



critics considered them at variance with sound prin- 

 ciples of political economy, and consequently erro- 

 neous. I was not surprised at this ; and had there- 

 fore no complaint to make against it. My chief 

 ohject in writing- at all was, that I believed then, as 

 I believe still, that though the principles of political 

 economy are the same all over the world, it is to 

 their judicious application to the circumstances and 

 conditions of things around us, rather than to a 

 blind adherence to the bald principles of the science 

 itself/ that we must look for the happiest results. I 

 thought, therefore, that I might serve some useful 

 purpose by attempting to show how widely different 

 are the conditions and circumstances of this great 

 Empire and its peoples to the conditions and cir- 

 cumstances of Europe and the peoples of any of the 

 great nations it contains ; and how it was the in- 

 ability of Englishmen generally to appreciate this 

 fact, which rendered so many well conceived projects 

 for the benefit of India barren of good results. 



If, however, the many objected to my notions of 

 what was good for India and her people, and differed 

 from me in my opinion as to what, as between her 

 people and the dominant race, was equitable and 

 just, there were a few, and amongst them those 



