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only to the European and covenanted civil servants of 

 Government. Lately, moreover, especially in Bengal, 

 a considerable number of Indigo planters and other 

 European developers have been made honorary Ma- 

 gistrates, for the districts in which their properties 

 are situated. It would seem, then, as if Government 

 was endeavouring- on the one hand, to make landed 

 proprietors Magistrates, and on the other, to pre- 

 vent Magistrates from becoming landed proprietors. 

 The object of such a policy is not very intelligible. 

 True, it is advanced that in a country where litiga- 

 tion between ryots and landlords, is so rife, as in 

 India, it would not be safe to permit Magistrates 

 and Collectors to acquire property that might in- 

 volve the necessity of their trying suits, in which 

 they themselves would be interested parties. But 

 surely it would be a libel on the high and honourable 

 Civil Service of India, to declare its Members less 

 trustworthy than their uncovenanted fellow servants j 

 and from this point of view, no other conclusion can 

 follow. The fact, however, is, that there is an 

 objection to Civil Servants holding land in the dis- 

 tricts in which they may be employed ; but it is not 

 this, and has no reference whatever to their integrity, 

 which, as a rule, is undoubted. The objection lies 

 in the moral condition of the people, and is equally 

 applicable, if not more so, to Natives, and uncove- 

 nanted officers as to European and covenanted 

 servants. However high the character of the Col- 

 lector, Magistrate, Deputy-Magistrate, or Assistant, 



