184546.] ME. FINNIE ON COTTON CULTIVATION. 113 



money invested in the purchase of a labourer in America, CHAP, 

 added to the actual cost of his maintenance, would pay for ' 

 nine able-bodied men in India. It was true that the Ame- 

 rican labourer, as one of many, not only provided for the 

 comfort of his master, and supported himself, but he actually 

 enriched his master; whilst the nine Indian labourers 

 would not produce enough, in their capacity of servants to 

 the European, to pay their own wages, to say nothing of 

 paying the land-rent and affording a profit to their employ- 

 er. But still, if the people of India could only be induced to 

 undertake themselves the improved cultivation of the 

 American Cotton, the advantages they possessed in nume- 

 rical strength, and in the trifling cost at which they could 

 be supported, more than counterbalanced the advantages 

 possessed by America in the shape of greater quantity of 

 Cotton produced per acre and a finer quality of Cotton wool. 



Reduction of the Indian land-tax on Cotton 160 

 grounds would neither benefit the Ryot nor extend 

 the culture. As regarded the land tax in India, or 

 Government assessment upon the lands, Mr. Finnie said 

 that there was no land tax in America. At the 

 same time he expressed an opinion that a general re- 

 duction or abolition of the land tax on Cotton grounds, 

 would neither benefit the Ryots nor extend the cul- 

 ture of American Cotton. There might be individual 

 cases where the land-tax was oppressive, and where the 

 load ought to be removed ; but a general reduction would 

 effect nothing. At present the Ryot goes into debt to the 

 extent of his means ; if his means are increased, his credit 

 is increased in a like ratio ; and he avails himself of his 

 credit to the fullest extent, and his banker reaps the bene- 

 fit. Therefore, if Government did not collect a pice of re- 

 venue, the " poor oppressed Indian Ryot" might cease to 

 be the theme of declaimers and grievance mongers, but he 



