218 



Notes on the Duty of Government 



[April 



brought to the door of the village chitty, if there is capital, or agency in 

 the district, wherewith the demand of the labouring classes for food, can at 

 such seasons be met. In a society differently constituted, like that of Great 

 Britain,where more than one half of the population are non-agricultural, the 

 labourers, both manufacturing and agricultural can fall back upon their 

 employers ; and wherever there is a large manufacturing and commercial 

 class, there also, is a large grain trade, and a body of dealers accustomed 

 to import supplies, who in time of high prices will greatly enlarge their 

 transactions, and the increased demand of the people {ax foreign grain 

 can be met without difficulty. But in the circumstances of the rural 

 districts of this Presidency, I see no means of meeting a like demand ; 

 and hence there may be a necessity for Government interference whilst 

 society is in its present condition. 



Independently of the several considerations which have been already 

 advanced, I would also remark that it appears necessary to the establish- 

 ment of Dr. Smith's great principle of non-interference, that all the cir- 

 cumstances to which he adverts should exist combinedly. It is not 

 enough for example, that it is physically true in any country, that 

 scarcity only, and not famine is caused by a bad season ; but it must also 

 be established, that there is a total abstinence in that country 

 at the same time from unjust combination by the dealers in corn. 

 For if an unjust combination does exist, then I conclude, the Govern- 

 ment must and ought to interfere, for its interference can alone pre- 

 vent the starvation of the people, even in a period of scarcity. Again, 

 let there be no unjust combination, yet if a facility of intercommu- 

 nication does not co-exist simultaneously with perfect freedom of trade, 

 and all barriers to the ready transfer of the grain of one province, or one 

 market to another, are not removed; the Government may even in that 

 case, be called upon to interpose, in order effectually to secure the timely 

 introduction of the necessary supplies of food. So that in applying Dr. 

 Smith's principle, we must not look only to specific points ; but enquire, 

 whether the circumstances of a country are the same, or very similar 

 in all points to those he had under review, before we can recognize the 

 validity of his principle. If the facts in South India are, that in a bad 

 season, instead of scarcity, we have famine, and in lieu of an immense 

 body of traders, too numerous to combine, with abundant capital, and 

 intelligence equal to the greatest enterprizes, we have but comparatively 

 a small body, who can combine, of limited credit and capital, and not 

 ordinarily engaged in distant speculations. And if instead of a facility of 

 intercommunication between the different provinces, and distant marts, 

 there are great impediments existing, not to be readily surmounted by 



