$66 



acres of land, the result would be a greater security of property, 

 and superior encouragement to industry; an increase of people, 

 and the clearing immense tracts of waste land, which now cover 

 the half-desolated country of Bengal. 



" As our European system of landed tenure is unknown in 

 Asia, and inasmuch as it is highly favourable to the prosperity of 

 the people, so it would be opposite to the principle of public re- 

 venue in India, where the revenue is the rent of land. When 

 once mankind had felt the good effects of this policy, it would be 

 to their interest that it should be durable ; hence would arise a 

 dread of again being under the dominion of a native power. To 

 say that it would make them independent enough to enable them 

 to raise the hand of rebellion against us, would testify ignorance 

 of the temper and genius of the people. It would also imply 

 that the servants of the Company would not know how to govern 

 the whole community by balancing the different orders of society 

 against each other. The increase of confidence towards the govern- 

 ment which such a measure would cause, must render the accumu- 

 lation of wealth and the establishment of a funded property more 

 easy, and create a fresh tie on the fidelity of the subject. It must 

 animate him by every motive of interest, in the defence of a 

 government on which his prosperity and happiness depended. 

 To this system it is that Great Britain owes its stability in the 

 midst of the revolutions which have convulsed all Europe. Man 

 is in many respects the same under every climate, and the mo- 

 tive of personal interest is certainly the surest pledge of his 

 fidelity. 



" In a country where the great body of the people are poor 



