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are, I believe, of a two-fold nature political and 

 material. In regard to the first it is believed that 

 in selling 1 the land, the British Government would 

 purchase the loyalty of its subjects, and consequent 

 immunity from sedition, rebellion, and disaffection. 

 But the loyalty of a whole people cannot be pur- 

 chased with gold, nor yet I fear with land its price. 

 The experience of history from the earliest ages 

 down to our own times teaches us this. The holders 

 of maafee, or rent-free tenures, are in the position of 

 persons who have redeemed the land revenue. They 

 were not one whit more loyal than the others in 

 1857. The people of Bengal now, are not more 

 loyal than the people of the North West, but 

 on the contrary, if they had the power, would cer- 

 tainly be the very first to drive us out of the country. 

 It has been the invariable custom moreover, in the 

 many struggles for dominion which have deluged 

 India with blood, for the various Rajas and great 

 Jagcerdars or land-holders, to make terms with that 

 one of the contending parties which appeared to be 

 the strongest ; and it would be unreasonable to 

 suppose that any intelligent foreign power who 

 might dispute the sovereignty of this realm with us, 

 instead of endeavouring to strengthen its arms, by 

 holding out promises of still greater advantages than 

 those which the people enjoy under British rule, if 

 so unjust, would be so intensely stupid as to inaugu- 

 rate its advance, by confiscating the people's rights 

 in the soil. On the other hand, it must be remem- 



