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country to restore a financial equilibrium, and 

 one long accustomed to deal with similar question's 

 in England. The late Mr. Wilson's idea was, ' that 

 a principle good in one place, is good all over the 

 world ;* and, if it was sound Economy in Eng- 

 land, ' that those who enjoy the protection of 

 the State must pay for it in accordance with 

 their means/f he thought it must also be sound 

 in India; and on these points no one will dispute 

 with him. He was aware of the success which 

 had attended the application of this principle, 

 to a tax on income, in England, and that 

 no tax there was more easily collected, or better 

 calculated on any sudden emergency, to enable 

 a Chancellor of the Exchequer to turn a deficit 

 into a surplus. Why the same very simple rule 

 should not hold good here, though informed by 

 the writer of these remarks, as well as by many 

 other abler men he could not imagine. Now 

 the late Mr. Wilson was undoubtedly a very able 

 man. He sa\v before him a yawning chasm, he 

 saw also that it was hourly widening, and that unless 

 immediate and extraordinary measures were taken 

 to fill the void, it would involve him in ruin. He 

 set himself manfully to his task, and the desperate 



* I quote from memory of a speech delivered in England, previous 

 to his sailing 1 for India. 



t Speech by the Right Hon'ble James Wilson, in the Legislator a 

 Council of India, 18th February 1860. 



