The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-29 00:00:00

for his motto, " Nothing extenuate, nor set down
aught in malice," and the result was certainly satis-
factory, so far as it went, since ho ,contrived to in-
sinuate remarks, make suggestions, and give hints
that, less skilfully introduced and less humorously
commented on, would infallibly have excited angry
feelings, and marred the " fair form of festal days"
by discontentment and complaint. There is a potent
influence in manner ; it is not what is said so often
as how it is said that creates disturbance and causes
confusion. He who possesses a happy style of
speech and can discuss pleasantly upon awkward
topics, is a great social reformer, for he can teach
while he seems only joking, and points a moral
while he adorns a tale. With this faculty the
member for Liskeard is largely endowed, and he
gave a striking instance of his powers on Tuesday
at the East Cornwall Agricultural Society.

It is unfortunate that questions affecting our
Indian Empire do not excite more general interest
among us. It was remarked by Lord STANLEY,
during a recent debate, that although the house was
discussing two most important questions—the Re-
demption of the Land Tax and the Sale of Waste
Lands—the thinness of the beaches showed the
general indifference of the members.. Much of the
misgovernment which has retarded India in her
progress is no doubt owing to this, for matters are
left almost entirely in the hands of a few persons,
whose minds are often biassed by long residence
abroad or time-worn prejudice. This wasespecially
the case during the reign of the Company, and mat-
ters have little mended of late years. The voices
of several able and enlightened men have been
heard, and their influence has been beneficially
exercised, still that it will take years to atone
for our previous neglect and to develope
fully the resources of India, no one can doubt.
'rhe obnoxious land-tax has been one of the ob-
stacles in the way of improvement. The obligation
of paying the land revenues on a fixed day on pain
of forfeiture produced a sense of insecurity in pos-
session which bad a most injurious effect, especially
on Europeans. The Quarterly _Review, in a very
able article on " The Resources of India," says on
this subject—" At present the landholder, whether
native or European, as a rule, takes no interest
whatever in agricultural improvement; he spends
neither trouble nor money on the soil ; he extracts
from his villagers, or, still worse, from middlemen,
who themselves deal with the ryot, the actual cul-
tivator, as much as he can ; but he seldom considers
it his interest to make improvements at his own
cost for the sake of prospective gain." It is easy
to see how ruinous such a system must be in its
effects upon any country, but most especially in
India, where, in every department, the reformer
and improver is so greatly needed. The common
necessaries of trade, agriculture, and manufacture
are wanting—irrigation, roads, and canals, and
able trustworthy agents. The various modes of
cultivation which modern agricultural science has
brought to light yet remain to be tried, bat who
will expend time, money, and labour on land that
may be another man's property next year ? Yet
that able and original administrator Sir CHARLES
WOOD thinks the actual money received from the
land tax a sufficient compensation for the clog it
puts on the wheels of progress. Another great
want is the assistance and superintendence of Euro-
peans. The article we have already quoted gives
some very striking statistics respecting the indigo
trade. This, as we all know, has for centuries
been one of the regular products of India, yet no
sooner was it introduced into the West Indies and
Central America than the Western supply drove the
Bengal indigo out of the market. Some eighty
years ago, the companies thought proper to endea-
vour to resuscitate the old trade, and 10 years after,
under the management of competent Europeans,
Bengalese indigo was reckoned superior to any
other. The Hindustani, always anxious for profit,
have done their best to be equally successful, yet,
notwithstanding all the advantages which they
possess, their indigo is worth 30 or 40 per cent. less
than that produced under the management of Euro-
peans. This fact speaks for itself, while silk and
other manufactures afford still further evidence. The
great extent to which a regular system of adultera-
tion is carried on by the natives may have
some influence on these results, but much more
is owing to the vast difference of Euro-
pean skill, science, and resource. There is us
question that there is room in India for a class of
active, enterprising, intelligent Englishmen whose
advent would be no less beneficial to the country
than advantageous to themselves. The difficulties
which have always been put in the way of indepen-
dent Englishmen settling in India, have contributed
much to the slow progress of the country, and
although much of this blame lies at the door 3f the
old East India Company, we fear our present
Secretary of State can by no means be exonerated.
The mineral resources of the Empire offer tempt-
ing prizes to the bold capitalist, but treasures as
great lie dormant in the untilled soil. Like the
old French fable, the indolent or incapable na-
tives are ignorant of the wealth beneath their
feet. Who can read of the rapid effects
produced by the scanty attempts hitherto
made at irrigation, or improved cultivation
of the land, without seeing that we have been
hitherto playing the part of the idle husbandman ?
Mr. DICKINSON, in a recent pamphlet, which we
have referred to on a former occasion, comments
strongly on the effects produced by the Ganges
Canal. No one, he says, could have witnessed the
wretchedness of the people and crops on one side of
the Kisimah district, where they can with difficulty
obtain a scanty supply of impure water, and
then have passed to the Godavery side, and com-
pared this state of things to the splendid crops, the
pure and abundant water, and the comfort of
the people, without recognising what a price-
less blessingmeans of transit, has been
too,beenc i conferred
isfer invaluableredbyth
is. I
cant
is canal.
Asa
well known that the late COl. BAIRD SMITH in his
report on Indian journeys, declares that the opening
of a railway line in 1861 saved thousands of lives
during the famine in that year. At one time while
wheat at Allahabad was selling at the rate of 2s.
for 181bs., at a distance of only 120 miles 2401b5.
could be had for the same money. This fact alone
shows the terrible want of means of internal com-
munication throughout that vast empire, and it is a
disgrace to England that after the country has been
more than a century under her rule, the need should
still be so great. How this neglect has been avenged
in the cotton famine we have all felt. An earlier
attention to the capabilities of our Indian empire, a
freer and more enlightened administration, the cul-
tivation of the waste lands and the encouragemen,
of English enterprise would have saved Lancashire
from months of pauperism. It is little less than a
national misfortune that the affairs of India are not
committed to the hands of the most able instead cf
the most influentially connected, statesmen.

ent writes
rite
of
to us "Everybody has heard of t
FREEDOM OF THE CITY.—A correspndhoe
freedom
the City, but few know what it really is. Probably some
s
well-informed citizen will obligingly enlighten the igno-
rant portion of mankind on the subject, in order that they
may know What mysterious rights and privileges the free-
.men of the City enjoy, which their fellow-creatures without
the walls know not of; for, judging by the grandeur of the
ceremonial always observed when the gift is bestowed, the
happy recipients are, to all appearance, elevated in the
social scale.