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Planters remonstrated. Their remonstrances were 

 considered unreasonable. They had long 1 asked for 

 roads and bridg-es. Funds were now available for 

 the purpose. The works must be carried on. 

 Double treble Jixed rates of wages were offered 

 and accepted. The planters in despair, urg-ed that 

 of their wants, labour was the most pressing-, and 

 prayed for the discontinuance of the Works. 



Such was the situation in Assam and Cachar in 

 1861 and 1862. It was certainly not satisfactory. 

 But a far more painful feature of the case remains to 

 be noticed. It will be recollected that the planters 

 had expressed their perfect willing-ness to pay the 

 expenses of a proper immigration ag-ency ; but stated 

 their inability to set on foot the necessary machinery 

 of an org-anized system. And to any person ac- 

 quainted with the circumstances of the cultivation ; 

 the attempts of the more powerful Tea Companies 

 to maintain a monopoly ; the rival interests and 

 extreme jealousy of all eng-ag-ed in tea operations ; 

 and the consequent impossibility of securing- any 

 thing- like co-operation, that such was in reality 

 the case, must have been obvious. But sound prin- 

 ciples as understood in Beng-al, must be allowed 

 room for unrestricted freedom, it being- apparently 

 entirely overlooked, that the action of the Govern- 

 ment was required more for the protection of the 

 coolie, than the assistance of the planter. In other 

 words nothing was done and behold the result. 

 Coolies were contracted for by private parties, as 



