55 



ciple, is, that a liberal and friendly aid be afforded Letter to 



Bengal, 



to the commercial interest of such countries, when- 28 Aug. isoo. 

 ever that aid is not given at the expense of the 

 interests of our own provinces. 



25. European skill and enterprise have formed 

 the present indigo manufacture and indigo trade 

 of India. To these, both Oude and Bengal are 

 indebted for the share they possess in the exports 

 of that article, and on these, there seems reason 

 to believe, the trade in both countries will continue 

 to depend. A trade thus raised and supported, 

 greatly to the benefit of those countries, by persons 

 not natives of them, who have a right to be there 

 only by our permission ; a trade which, on its 

 present great scale, con be conducted only by 

 shipping employed or licensed by us ; a trade, in 

 short, which the Company have fostered at a con- 

 siderable expense ; such a trade we regard as 

 naturally more subject to our direction and modifi- 

 cation, than if it had been established by the 

 natives themselves : and this observation, we think, 

 applies still more strongly to the allied country of 

 Oude than to Bengal. 



26. In whatever degree, also, the indigo trade 

 of Oude is carried on by the capital of Bengal, 

 that is by advances furnished from thence, so far 

 the Government of Bengal acquires an additional 

 right of interference in this trade ; especially if 

 Bengal itself is capable of employing that capital 

 in the indigo manufacture. 



27. If 



