110 



Governments evince the deepest anxiety to further 

 the introduction of British enterprise and capital 

 into those districts now unpeopled and waste, we 

 find these large landed proprietors exempted, not 

 only from all taxation, but from the payment of 

 any revenue on account of their immense possessions, 

 while a few British settlers have to purchase or pay 

 revenue for their petty holdings, and an enormous 

 premium to these monopolists for a proprietary right 

 to which they never had a title, should they be for- 

 tunate enough to induce any to suffer them to obtain 

 an acre of land. Surely this state of things indicates 

 some misconception of the true circumstances of the 

 position, or of the motive springs which regulate the 

 action of monopolists, or of societies in an archaic 

 stage of development. 



Most certainly it is imperative on a Government 

 in the position of the British Government in India, 

 scrupulously to respect all the just rights of the 

 people in the soil or otherwise \ but it is equally its 

 duty carefully to investigate all claims on the State 

 of any class, be they European or Native, and espe- 

 cially if supported by traditionary evidence, which 

 may either retard the improvement of the country, 

 or involve the imposition of unjust burdens on the 

 whole community. And, when the interests of the 

 State and the country may be sacrificed, in the 

 manner above mentioned, it will be apparent that 

 some standard should be adopted, more in accord- 

 ance with principles based on sound experience, 



