208 



course of our enquiry, and of these, the legitimate 

 results are disease and death." 



But it is unnecessary to quote further from official 

 documents. The above extracts, though they tell 

 but half the sad tale, contain sufficient to show that 

 something- was very rotten in the state of Bengal ; 

 and it will naturally be asked who was to blame ? 

 Not the Contractors, surely, for if men could be 

 allowed the free and uncontrolled exercise of their 

 will, there would be no need of Laws. Even Manu 

 quaintly, but truly, tells us that " if a King- were 

 not to punish the guilty, the stronger mould roast the 

 weaker , likefah on a spit." Nor yet the planters, 

 for having 1 to pay for the dead as well as the living 

 freight, besides the unfortunate coolies, they were the 

 greatest and only sufferers. Ag-ain, it has been 

 shown that they not only warned the Government of 

 their utter inability to make efficient arrangements : 

 but declared their perfect willing-ness to pay all 

 expenses. I have no desire to fix blame on any 

 individual ; but I do desire to point out what very 

 serious mischief what extreme cruelty may possibly 

 result from the barren discussion of ' sound principles/ 

 when the urg-ent necessities of a crisis require that 

 men should be up and doing, not what a profound 

 knowledge of principles indicates to be the e correct 

 thing* j but what c common sense ? dictates that the 

 immediate exig-encies of the case requires, and 

 consequently what absolute necessity exists, for the 

 Supreme Authority in India, exercising- such vigilant 



