

iii. 



maintained that Government had no concern 

 whatever in the matter." 



It is unnecessary that I should allude to the 

 results of this, to me, seemingly mistaken policy. 

 You are well aware that they have been an amount 

 of oppression, cruelty, desease and death it is painful 

 to call to mind/' 



It would be ridiculous to argue that the system 

 of Government now maintaining in England, would 

 have been suitable for the people of England, two 

 centuries back, and I need not endeavour to demon- 

 strate, that those who would attempt to apply it, 

 in its full integrity, to India in its present stage 

 of development, could hardly expect the happiest 

 results. I know that this is not allowed gener- 

 ally in England, and I am aware that it is only 

 partially admitted in India. Still I conceive that 

 it is only because it is believed that the people of 

 India are not yet sufficiently intelligent and 

 enlightened, to know and understand what is best 

 for their own interests, and with a view to protect 

 them from being crimped and kidnapped for the 

 benefit of others, that the law of 1839 prohibit- 

 ing emigration, is still retained in the statute 

 Book. Such, at least, is the conclusion I draw 

 from the tenor of the late debate in the Council 

 of the Governor-General, in which the principle 

 of freedom in labor as in other things, \vas fully 

 recognized," 



