6th.—The revenue is much above the proper current expenses, including an allowance of a million a year to meet the cost of famines.
7th.—The income of India is rapidly increasing from the extension of irrigation, the investment of British capital in tea, coffee, &c., and the diminished cost of transit by the construction of roads and canals.
About two millions a year are being spent in irrigation, sufficient to irrigate near a million acres, giving an income of produce of at least two millions a year, besides saving in transit on about 1500 miles of steamboat canals.
The Chinese now permit the cultivation of opium, urging, I suppose, that if opium is forced upon them by us, they may as well keep the profit on it, instead of paying it to us. But if we prohibited the cultivation, probably they would stop it too.
In Sir G. Campbell's Adn Report of Bengal, for '72–3, page 309, he says: "The Lieutenant-Governor views with regret the increase, small though it is, which is observable in the consumption of Excise opium." And again: "He is, however, consoled to know that opium is really not largely consumed in these districts." Thus the Governor of the region where opium is produced is himself very anxious that the curse of it should not fall on his own people.
Pray excuse my offering these suggestions.
