New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-03

been raised in the British House Of Commons, on
motion which, after considerable debate, was
adopted, for the appointment of Select Commit
tee, to take Ito consideration the prospects and
feasibility of that operation. 1t wss assumed by
Mr.. EwaIt, who made the motion for the Commit
tee, that in what are kBO WI as the bill countries,
embracing al the northern portion Of India, and
the lines Of the Eastern and Western Ghauts, there
must be many districts highly favorable 70 the
European constitution and sfording tracts OF land
open to colonization and cultivation BY European
labor, or, at least, uDder European superntendence
1t was assumed that the establishment Of European
settlements in these districts somewhat on the plan
Of the Roman colonies might add greatly to the mil
tary hold Of England on India furnishing force at
hand ready to pour down from the bills whenever
their services might be required, and. when
not employed in military service, able to support
themselves by agricultural labor The introduction
Of railroads into India-an experiment which was
going on successfully, and which, contrary to eSpec-
taton, was eagerly ayaled Of by the Hindoo Popuia
tion-would, it was suggested afford facilities for
the establishment Of such colonies snd means OF
communication between them hitherto unknown
Nor would they be of benefit merely in a military
point of view. These colonies would naturally be-
come the stes of churches schools and Libraries,
whence the knowledge OF the English language and
the ideas of European civilization might be difused
among the natives. The occupation OF the Him
alsys districts by European colonies might also
afford barrier against Russian invasion, and might
lead to trade and intercourse with Central Asia,
from which Eugland was now entirely excluded.
These suggestions, however, as 70 the fessb1i-
ty of European coOnxi alton in lEda-though no
opposition was made to the appointment OF the
Copmittee-did not receive much Endorsement
from those member, Of the House connected with
the East India Company or the Board of Control.
AT the ,sme time they took occasion expressly to
dscaim any inclination on the part of the Com
pany or the Indian authorities to discourage or put
any obstacles in the way of the settlement of Eu-
ropeans in India. The idea of such policy had
come down from the time when the Company was
a purely commercial association, which mOnOpO-
lzed the trade of India and Chins, and, like all
similar bOdies, regarded interlopers with great
jealousy. But since 1913, when the Company lost
the monopoly of the India trade, sni more espe-
cslly since 1894, when it had ceased to trade at
all, every motive of interest had induced the In
dian authorities to encourage the settlement
of Europeans in India, and the extension Of
agriculture ard manufactures, a. leading directly
10 sn increase of revenue. Neither was it
true, as was so often asserted, that there any
thing in the land tax that operated to discourage
settlement and cultivation. The old system of
raising the assessment the land in proportion to
the crop had been abandoned, the assessment being
fixed at moderate rate for period Of Thirty years.
Jungle land might be obtained in perpetuty BY
those wishing to cultivate it at yearly rent not
exec edDg half dollar the acre. The land, how
ever, in India did not belong to the Government the
greater proportion of it being as much private prop
erty as the land in England, many of the natives
holding their estates by titles six or seven hundred
years old. 1t was only in certain districts where
were large tracts of waste land, in which no indi
yidual had an interest that the Government hed
any power to make land granite.
As to settlement among the hills, ~ a pecuniary
operation, the inducements would be small. Colo
nists would find there rugged aud barren cOdntry,
" hch no amount of cultivation would render pro-
ductye. In those rough districts, cultivation WAS
carried Oh by terraces, ard it was rarely that
SQUARE plot of more than hundred yards could be
thus obtained One peculiarly Of the l1malays
Mountains was that valleys we're scarcely to be
found in them. The country consisted OF hills
r.ipg over hills, The consequence wss, that very
small portions Of the land were available for cult
walton, and over almost every acre OF such land
rights already existed.
Even MS 10 climate, the lower range OF bills wss
as ptstcntial as the plains. There was point IN
the elevation of the coun2ry called fever range,
below which European could only reside at the
Iisk of life. Unfortunately above that range the
country became 80 rugged End precptate, that 1t
was impossible to construct roads while, as already
stated the amount Of land cspabe OF cultivation
was very limited. Even in the hill districts Al
reports concur in stating thai the European race
does not proong itself beyesd the third generation
If these statements are to be taken as correct,
the prospect " planting European settlement in
the Himalays range Of mountains would not seem
very promising.
TIL, Times bsa n decided propepsity to