1867.
Ar. 53.

578

LIFE OF OUOBDEN. [omar

common sewer for London, is it likely to cover India with
canals for irrigation? If Catholic and Protestant can’t live
together in Belfast, excepting under something like martial
law, are we the people to teach Christian charity and tolerstion
 to the Hindoos? With such views as mine, what am 1
to do in public life in the midst of all this excitement
and enthusiasm for reconquering and Ohristianizing India?
I confess I think myself lucky that I can, with a fair ples;
exempt myself from the task of speaking at all in public or
the subject, for not having the responsible trust of M.P., I
am not bound to shock people with my sentiments, For 8
politician of my principles there is really no standing:
ground. The manufacturers of Yorkshire and Lancashire
look upon India and China as a field of enterprise which call
only be kept open to them by force, and indeed they are
willing, apparently, to be at all the cost of holding open the
door of the whole of Asia, for the rest of the world to trade
on the same terms as themselves. How few of those who
fought for the repeal of the Corn Law, really understand
the full meaning of Free Trade principles! If you talk
to our Lancashire friends they argue that unless we occupied
India there would be no trade with that country, or that
somebody else would monopolize it, forgetting that this i8
the old protectionist theory which they used formerly t0
idicule. India was a great centre and source of commerce
for the civilized world before Englishmen took to wearing
breeches, and it was the renown of its wealth and producliveness
 which first attracted us there. I am by no means
80 clear as some people, that we have added greatly to its
commerce. Certainly the trade of European countries has
increased in a greater ratio than that of India during the
last century,
“ However, I have wearied vou with my abstractions.
The practical business in hand is to put down the military