302 BRITISH SOCIAL SYSTEM. 



CHAPTER IX. 



British Social System in India 



JJ'i ?•,?- f Dangers o Eu ravagance-Society in the great Cities 



of Calcutta ^Charac tero he E, ^JLrSalUme of „ le Scrip . 

 B^«y««^^T he ^P^™^' h 7 r S Millenary Sodety- 

 \SSmlSlZSSS R^uTof MiSBidne-AoeWitm of Suttees 

 —Its Effects— Pilgrim Tax. 



The British inhabitants of India form a population of a 

 verv peculiar description. They are completely the ru ,ng 

 class; perform all the functions of government, and nil all 

 daces of power and profit. Yet the country ,s m no de- 

 Tee he r own ; they' cannot hold an acre of land unless in 

 fhe close vicinity of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay nor 

 vi.hou special permission make it their permanent abode 

 Tv consider their residence there as an exile, feeling hat 

 they belon, to another people, separated by the nav.ga ,on 

 of half the° "lobe. In short, their object .s to go out to 

 Ind a Lfo* twenty, and to return before fifty wt.h a for- 

 tune! or at leas, an independence, which they may enjoy ,n 



tH ?„! yo« e ng n nin who go thither in the hope of return.ng 

 with wealth or competence, belong to three professions,- 

 Z military, civil, and medical. The K-t of these, ""««£ 

 cadets, receive their appointmente Irom the court of direc- 

 tors. Those destined for the artillery and engineer depart- 

 ments are nominated to the company's military school at 

 Addiscombe, though their particular serv.ee is not deter- 

 mined until they have undergone a publ.c exanunat.on 

 Every candidate must produce a certificate of h.s b.rth -he 

 must not be under fourteen nor above eighteen years of age, 

 _ m ust have no bodily or mental delect ^ disqualify h,m 

 for military service, -be able to write a good legible hand, 



