, 1875-12-03

In Afay, 1874, tho famine In Southern Hin
dostan was at Its height. Tho curse Of lack
Of hrcad, fozeseen for mouths, was felt
twenty millions Of people were suffering
moro or loss, and sensational dispatches
clronicled imaginary deaths by tho thousand
Inc Government Of 1Iindostan, which always
c1erta enormous powers, VIVA naturally c1-
nectod to put forth unusual efforts at such n
tirie OF panic and peril. Governmental in.
terferenco WINS takon for granted; the only
question was tho particular method of in.
tosfcronce. It was soon discovered that grain
was being exported from Hindostan, At
once cry went up for tho prohibition Of tl;a
practice. The whole native pross do.
,naudod It's inhibition. Many Of thu
English papers echoed tho demand,
Sir GEORGE CAMPBELL, who occupies
position next 10 TINT Of tho Viceroy, Lord
NoETrnnooK, was ardontly in favor Of the
prohibition plan. Aud certainly il there
ever was an occasion for interference with tho
free courBo Of commerce this was one. A
terrible emergency, which could not in the
nnture of things he permanent, waa at hand !;
the Interference was to be only temporary !;
it would oheapon thu price of grain by pre-.
vomiting diminution Of tho supply; it wonld
fayo tons Of thousandH Of lives. Arguments
such as heso vera advanced and supported
by all tho zeal aud intelligence of mon who
wero deeply convinced Of tho justice Of their
position. But Lord NonTnynooz, after
careful snrvoy Of the whole situation, refused
tho request A tremendous responsibility
rested upon him. A scratch of his
pen might DO tho donth- -wnrrant Of
tile population Of whole provinces. lilo roc
ognized tho responsibility, nni met it. With
wisdom beyond praise, he decided to loays
to tho FREQ operation Of natural lAws tho sup
ply Of food necessary to provent famine, aid
ing, nut thwarting, their operation by hts
Vicoregnl decroea. Exports Of rico woro not
prevented, and thousands OF toms were
shipped ont Of the country to China and olse-
where. What the Government did WAS four.
fold. It bought grain everywhere in tho
open market; 1t paid part of the cost Of car.
riago Of the grain shipped to the famine
stricken districts, and improved the roads; it
Issued instructions to tin people to saye nll
the food possible, md to proparo it in such
ways that tho maximum Of nutrition could be
got from the minimum OF material; and it
appealed to private charity to lend assist-
anco. The s,,ccoss Of this simple, ration
al plan Of operations was marvellous.
Tho fact that the Government, rs
we'll "a tic people, was In tho
market Us buyer, encouraged every owner
Of grim to ship 1t; tho low cost OF traus-
portation aud tho guarded FREQ distribution
of food by tho Government kept down "cor-
ncfs " and high prices; tho people, scared by
the shadow Of impending danger, wastol not,
and, therefore, wanted less md rich natiyos
showed generous ibsrnlity towards poor
ones. F1ae-trado was the salvation Of Him.
dostan. The damage was over By October.
Tho number OF doaths directly duo to tic
famine was only twonty-two, instoad Of mill
ions, as WIS predicted by the prohibitionists.
In other words, visitation which in former
times would have destroyed its millions Of
lives, WAS rendered entirely harmless By
giving freedom Of trnde full p1ay.