354 



in its effects to afford protection to the weak and 

 ignorant, and generally to ameliorate the evils of 

 a traffic, which a sense of honesty compels me 

 to say has not been very creditable to any one 

 concerned, we have the guarantee that it was framed 

 and introduced by a gentleman so distinguished in 

 the cause of philanthropy as the Hon'ble Ashley 

 Eden.* 



But there is yet a phase of this case, which viewed 

 from an Imperial point, is perhaps of greater import- 

 ance than any yet noticed. I have already explained 

 the condition of India to be that of a mighty penin- 

 sula, larger than England, France, Spain, and Ger- 

 many put together, having a moderate population, 

 but so unequally distributed as to be congested 

 in some places, while others are waste and 

 unoccupied. The Indian question which has occu- 

 pied the greatest attention in England for the 

 last few years, has been the reclamation of these 

 wastes, and the Indian Government and Her 

 Majesty's Ministers have declared themselves to be 

 so deeply interested in the result, as to be prepared 

 to make great sacrifices to accomplish it. Now 

 for the attainment of this much desired end, 

 two things are vitally necessary. Population and 

 Capital; but primarily population. In these two then, 

 consists the real wealth of India ; and of the two 

 population is the most valuable, for without labor, 

 * Since the above was written this Act has become Law. 



