383 



not retire until they have secured such a competency 

 as will enable them to bid good-bye to India, and 

 live in their native land. This has been the rule 

 hitherto; and the result has been England's gain, 

 but India's loss. Under any circumstances, the 

 number that would elect for India, would probably 

 not be excessive: but it is but justice to India to 

 give the country a fair chance. 



It ought not to be forgotten, moreover, in the 

 scramble for Indian loaves and fishes which seems 

 to be commencing, that the holders of property, 

 and especially of property in the soil of any 

 country, have certain responsibilities to discharge 

 in regard to that country, which it is the duty 

 of Government to control; and that one of the 

 first of these is residence. A man may have 

 landed-property in half a dozen countries. He can 

 rt^ide, at the same time, however, only in one. 

 Residence, therefoie, can, with difficulty, be made 

 a compulsory condition to the acquirement of landed 

 property. Non-residt nee, nevertheless, may be 

 accompanied by certain restrictions that will place the 

 resident on somewhat better terms than the non- 

 resident ; and this would seem to be only fair. A very 

 I great outcry was raised against what was called the 

 double income Tax. Yet nothing, in my judgement, 

 could be more equitable; for, if an Absentee tax is 

 good for Ireland, I cannot see why some such 

 provision should not be good for India also. Very 



