185 



restitution of their property, on the ground that they 

 were not consenting- parties to the transaction, I 

 cannot foresee what answer could satisfactorily be 

 given to them. For, should the Government be 

 weak, the people would certainly resist ; and, should 

 it be strong-, and carrying- things with a high hand 

 refuse to listen to the remonstrances of its subjects, 

 they would inevitably inveigh against the injustice 

 and bad faith of their English rulers, as of late has 

 not been uncommon. In any case, there is some 

 reason to doubt the realization of those political ad- 

 vantages regarding which all seem now so certain. 



Nor do I raise objections merely for the sake of 

 argument, nor yet for the purpose of making diffi- 

 culties where none actually exist. I simply state, 

 knowing as I do, the detestation of the people of 

 India of direct taxation, what has taken place, and 

 what I firmly believe would take place again. The 

 people of India, at present are wholly unacquainted 

 with European systems of taxation. They cannot 

 understand them \ and though they will submit to 

 any tax that is not oppressive or inquisitorial with- 

 out any apparent exhibition of dissatisfaction, every 

 fresh imposition is carefully registered in their ac- 

 count with their rulers, and helps to swell the mea- 

 sure of their disaffection, when any violent revulsion 

 of feeling calls for its exhibition. 



In the North West, we have a thirty, and in Ma- 

 / dras, &Jifty years settlement. The landholders and 

 L peasant-proprietors, having a perfect right of occu- 



