157 



is necessary, have undoubtedly not made the people 

 more attached to the Government of their Bulers. 

 Indeed it is an admitted fact, that if the arm of the 

 law were restrained to-morrow, every such new 

 proprietor would be ousted by the people, and the 

 property restored to its hereditary possessor. 



That the immense wastes of India should be 

 brought under cultivation is, certainly, most desira- 

 ble, and the advantages to the country resulting 

 from such a measure, all will fully admit. But I 

 have fairly demonstrated that to effect this object, 

 the sale of the land is not necessary, and that a 

 question involving- such great interests to the millions 

 of Her Majesty's Indian subjects, as the redemption 

 of the land revenue, should have grown out of it, 

 and should have come up for consideration and deci- 

 sion on the application of a few British squatters, 

 whose sole object is to make money and leave the 

 country as fast as they can, I look on as a serious 

 misfortune. From the sale of wastes much g'ood, 

 and no present harm can possibly result. There is 

 reason to believe, however, that provinces like Assam 

 and Cachar, the soil of which is not exceeded in fer- 

 tility by that of any soil in the world, will, ere long*, 

 be quite as populous and far more prosperous than 

 any part of India. It will naturally be argued by 

 native Zemindars then, that if the sale of the lands 

 on very easy terms is thoug-ht g-ood for Europeans, 

 it must be thought equally good for us, and Govern- 

 ment could hardly refuse to grant it, if demanded. 



