New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-23
BRITISH FREE TRADE In INDIA.

We yesterday published the letter Of cor
respondent. who complains that in what We
have said of India we have done injustice
to the British Government and people, and
in prOef that we have done so adduces the
propriates the enormous sum of $4l5,O0O per
annum to the diffusion of knowledge throughout
Bengal and the southwest provinces, whose
population we find to be 65, 10000 Dividing
among them this magnificent sum, we discover
that it is almost precisely three ffths of a cent
per head. Thus the yearly allowance for
educating hundred HindOOs is sixty cents-for
a thousand six dOllars-and for a population
like that of this City about five hundred dollars.
In the times that preceded the British rule it
was otherwise. On this head we will quote
from Sir Alexander Johnston, deseryedy re-
garded as of high authority:
Education always from the earliest period of their
history had been object of public care and of pub
lie interest TO the Hlndoo Governments IN the PENN
sula of India. Every well regulated village under
those Governments had public school and public
scLoomaster. The system of instruction in them was
that which in consequence OF Its efficiency, simplicity
and cheapness was. few years ago introduced from
Madras into England, and from England into the rest
of Europe. Every Hindoo parent looked upon the
education of his child as solemn duty which he
owed TO God and his country, and placed him under
the scboolmaster of his village as he had at
tanned bis fifth year. The ceremony of introducing
him for tie first time TO the schOOmaster and his
scholars publicly recorded and was attended with
all the soempity of a religious observance; prayer
being publicly offered up the occasion to the figure
OF Ganesa the Hindoo God of wisdom, which was at
the head Of every Hndoo school, imporng him to aid
the scholar in bis endcavor to learn and become wise.
. Again, Sir Thomas Munro, than whom there is
no higher authority, told the English people,
forty years since, that he did not "exactly know
"what was meant by civilizing the people of
India" but that if ga good system of agricul-
"ture-if unTivaled manufactures-if a ca
"pacity to produce what convenience or luxury
"demsnds-if the establishment Of schools for read
sing and eriting-if the general practice of hos
"pitality-and above all, if a scrupulous respect
"and delicacy toward the female sex are among
"the points that denote civilized people, then
the Hndoos are not inferior in civilization to
"tbe people of Europe"
If we desire at the present time to find any
thing at all corresponding with this description,
we must look to those parts of India in which
Great Britain has until now had little power. In
those in which she has for the longes. period
controlled the movements Of the people there
is, as we told by high authorities, the gre at
est amount of depravity and crime; but when
We reach the Pupjaub, but recently subjugated,
we find the people good cultivators, reading and
writing with facility, and as free from crime as
appropriation of equal numbers. proof this
we beg to refer our correspondent to the recent
works of Col. Sleeman and Mr.. Campbell both
of them officers in the service of the Company,
and filing the most responsible stations.
flour correspondent will next refer to Orme,
who is high authority for the condition of India
in the early part Of this century he will there
find evidence of great internal trade that I'M
der the present system can have no existence
The account of the cotton manufactures, as he
says, "involves no less than description Of the
"lives of half the people Of Hindostan." Thet
country then supplied the world with cotton