224 



in some degree removed, the hostility of the Sing-- 

 phoos and other Hill tribes, can hardly be considered a 

 valid ground for objecting- to attempt this hig-hly 

 important measure. Our Burmese territories almost 

 border the most populous country in the whole 

 World ; a country in which notwithstanding an 

 unequal struggle has long 1 been maintained between 

 the laws of Man, and the laws of Nature, to restrain 

 the over-flow of population from streaming- out of 

 it the people are daily seeking- new outlets for 

 their energy and industry. In Peg-u, we have 

 28,000 square miles of uncultivated land, a great 

 portion of which has been pronounced to be equal 

 to any cotton land in India ; and these circumstances 

 to my mind, indicate that there are Acts left for the 

 Legislature of India to pass, that would tend more 

 to the advancement of the interests of both Eng-land 

 and this Country, than Acts to leg-alize the abstrac- 

 tion of India's labouring* population. Nor in hold- 

 ing- this opinion am I altog-ether sing-ular. Within 

 the last few months a proposition has come up from 

 the Chief Commissioner of British Burmah to sanc- 

 tion an expenditure of some 10,000, or 12,000 

 for the purpose of inaugurating- a system of immi- 

 gration from China. But it has not, I am sorry to say, 

 met with the approval of the Supreme Government. 

 It must be borne in mind, however, that the great 

 question of the development of India's wealth, has 

 not hitherto been fairly looked at from all points. 

 The actual relationship between the great elements 



