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624 THE liEADEB. [No. 477, May 14,185a.
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INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS.
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COLONISATION IN INDIA. A N. OTHER very i...
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The Assam Company have held a successful...
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From the northern settlements and Sanita...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
624 The Lieadeb. [No. 477, May 14,185a.
624 THE liEADEB . [ No . 477 , May 14 , 185 a .
India And Indian Progress.
INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS .
Colonisation In India. A N. Other Very I...
COLONISATION IN INDIA . A N . OTHER very important measure connected - £ *• with Indian colonization is announced by Allen ' s Indian Mail . It is that Lord Stanley has obtained the sanction of the Horse Guards to allow regiments in India to take with them all their married women , instead of the allowance of four soldiers * wives to one hundred privates . It is stated that the consequence of this measure will be that four thousand women will be sent out , forming the nucleus of an English colony . , ¦ Without indulging in extravagant expectations , we cannot but look forward to great results from ibis wise and benevolent step . It is unfortunately true * that too many of these women are of low habits and abandoned characters ,, but nevertheless many of them are hardworking , maintaining their little children by the toil of their hands , witli small help or no help from their husbands . These v / ill form the true nucleus of colonisation , if but moderate care be taken . If these women and their children be stationed , as they ought to be , in . the MIL districts ^ they will there get employment in various pursuits from the English residents , to
whom they will be of material help , and by whom their moral training will be supervised and assisted . Thus in time they will be no burden on the Government . Merely as cooks , housemaids , nursemaids , nurses , iaundrywomeri , needlewomen , and dairymaids , there is employment ready for hundreds , and thejgirls will be brought up to assist them . At Simla , for instance , where many English ladies are resident , European female assistance to be obtained on moderate terms will be invaluable , and thus at once considerable remuneration will be afforded . Then , too , when an increased population of this kind is settled , It creates the demand for other
services , and these women will * besides such additional employment , have the opportunity of opening shojps in various trades of luxury and necessity which are pursued by women ; and the greater the population the further the subdivision of labour . At Simla , Darjeeling , Landour , Nynee Tal , Sopbathop , Murree , Matheran , Mahableshwur , Ootakamund , Poonah , Bangalore , and so at all the many smaller settlements and in the planting districts , these women and children can be distributed . A ^ considerable number of them travelling about with the trOops will likewise obtain casual employr xnent in the hill stations and the stations of the
plains . It will take some time , care , and consideration , to organise a system which shall be convenient to the soldiers and their wives , but it is most desirable , that children , as far as possible , should be kept in the hills . Besides , the Lawrence and other asylums , as the settled population increases in the hills it will be easy to farm out young children , and to get employment for the older children . In the end the soldier will obtain far greater comfort than now , while his wife and children will be so placed as to have the means of acquiring an independence . The settlement of a woman arid her children , in good employment , in
one of the hill towns * will make a provision for the husband on his retirement from the army , and so likewise the establishment of a few soldiers as fore ~ men on tea and coffee plantations , as mechanics , and even as planters , > rill exercise a favourable influence on the ranks , and lead the mass to consider it » p advantage that they have been brought to India . Thereby recruiting for Indian service will be rendered more easy , as there will be prizes to be held out by the recruiting sergeant beyond titie hazards of war , and just those prizes which
get a free passage to our colonies ,. nor can he' in most cases save the amount of the passage money to the preferable colonies , and he knows that in Canada or Nova Scotia the chances of employment are very small . A free passage to India , and the opportunity ' of marrying , with a free passage for his wife , would induce many a man to accept five years ' ^ service , and , as circumstances offered , he would either remain permanently attached to the army , by renewing his engagement , or he would form part of the in the hillseffectuall
local militia and serve , y contributing to our military strength . Such men would be a cheaper instrument for the authorities than full service men for India , as they need not receive such high pay or the same indulgences , as the object of the recruits would be to profit by the emigration bounty . It would be indeed desirable that , in short service corps , the remuneration should not be so high as in long service corps , and hence there would be . an inducement to some to enter the long service corps as an employment .
One advantage of the settlement of the soldiers after their retirement will be that further employment will be again created for the wives and children , and new openings for the employment of retired soldiers . We do not expect anything from military colonies , for our military colonies have always failed , and always will , it is by the dissemination of the soldiery among the civil settlers that the military settlers will be best provided with employment and madethe best settlers , and this training is of great value : for fifteen or twenty years of military Life , spent in habits of irresponsi-¦
bility and of routine " are a bad preparation , or rather a djshabituation ^ for civil pursuits . But India has some advantages for the employment of soldiers which Canada , New Zealand , and the Cape do not possess , India is already in possession of rude labour , but this requires intelligent superintendence . Alreadyy in some of the tea plantations , retired sergeants have been found useful overseers . Occupation of this kind will prepare the soldier for other employment , and in some cases he will acquire the special knowledge that will enable him to engage in the business himself .
We doubt very much if any good will be done by making grants of land to retired soldiers , unless in some cases where the man and his wife can manage a small dairy ' form ; but these are exceptions . We think it far better to trust to their absorption among the main body of settlers . In the case of officers it is different , and many a man would apply capital to . a grant of land and become a successful tea and coffee planter , as some already are in Darjeeling , Assam , and Kunaaon . The subject of settlement , which is now called colonisation , is again making way at home and abroad . In the Bombay Gazette there is a verj interesting article on the colonisation of India , m which the writer openly says that , in the sub-Himalayan tind other ranges , there are vast tracts suitable for
English colonisation , and that oven on the table lands there is good scope for p lanters and overseers of labpur . The writer points out the special advantages ef India for tea and coffee , of course , but he likewise dwells on wine making arid fruit growing . It is well known that in the Kashmeer and other like districts the vino grows well , and an experienced French wjno grower has stated that he had seen in the Himalayas thousands of acres on the hill sides well fitted for this culture . Just as the local demand for tea and coffee is supplied , and a considerable export is earned on , so , no doubt , before many years , the local demand will be furnished by Indian wines and an export trade bo opened . The mineral resources are likewise referred to .
In the Universal JReviexo is a special article on Indian colonisation , in which a wxuter who is practically acquainted with tea planting gives his experiences . Assam is , however , the chiof object of ma attention , though he speaks highly of Caclmr , Sylhet , Almoroh , and the Deyrah Dhpon . Ho holds out the greatest promise tp the tea planter , and there can bo no doubt that tea planting has now so far attracted public attention in this country that it wiU become a favourite pursuit .
will tell most sensibly on the agricultural labourer or even on those men employed in those lower and commoner trades for which the remuneration is restricted at home . Offer the shoemaker or tailor a fair prospect of employment in a thriving colony ftfjter' a few years' pervice , and it will bo imoro attractive than a money bounty , because it ia a bounty in itself . TPKe course of the colonial legislatures with regard to emigration is well calculated to favour short i ^ rvico corps for India . Now that the emigration commlBBJioife ^ fl of , $ * p , cplQniofit pick and choose , it is Aunost impossibte'for a mechanic'i n most trades to
The Assam Company Have Held A Successful...
The Assam Company have held a successful meeting , their crop having turned out rather larger than they expected , though the price lias been rather lower . There has been , however , a little revolution in that company , of which the press has not spoken . The old monopoly of the direction has been broken in upon by some of the old employees of the company , and it is to be trusted this will be a means of introducing a more liberal system . . Although the Assam Company has done a good deal for itself , yet through the spir it of monopoly and jealousy it has n ot done what it might for Assam , but has rather served to discourage private enterprise .
The appointment of Mi * . J . R . Martin to the important office he now holds is calculated to promote bill settlement , as he is now enabled to carry out his views for the extension of bill sa nitaria , and has directed a series of inquiries to be carried on as to hill sites and hill climates , ' which will result in the discovering of many suitable localities for cantonments , jmd will thereby extend the ' . range of settlement . Dr . Grant has published a valuable report on the same subject , and Dr . Bird is about to read a paper at the United Service Institution on the effect of the hill climates of the Dekkan on the health of the soldiery and their efficiency for service . It is theopinion of many that cantonment in the humid climate of Mahableshwur and the like places will unseason the English soldier for service in the plains when required , and this seems likely ; but sonie are disposed to go a stage further and discourage hill cantonments altogether , except as sanitaria . .. Certainly the experience of the Himalayan sanitaria does not encourage the local conclusions of the Bombay authorities . The United Service Institution are about to publish , with a map , Mr . Hyde Clarke ' s paper on the adaptation of tlie lull regions of India as the bases for its military defence .
From The Northern Settlements And Sanita...
From the northern settlements and Sanitaria there is little recent news . Mr . Montgomery , it is said , will go to Murree , and Major Lawrence , the Military Secretary , will accompany him . Mr . Reginald Saundersis appointed to the charge of the Kangra district , which is now assuming some importance , and he takes theplaco of Mitjor lv . laylor , promoted to Leia . .. . Mr A . G . W . Harris , Assistant Commissioner m Nagpore , has received charge of the Chindwarra district , in succession to Captain C , C . K p bertson . We trust that the resources of the hill districts 01 Nagpore will not remain long neglected . fn the Neilghorries the Kev . 1 * . S . Clarke hn been appointed chaplain of the military station ol Jackatafla . Mr . tl . D . IS . Dalrvnmle , uinste attendant at the Madras Dockyard , hus received leave for the Neilghemes . . Lieutenant K . A . Stradling . of the Indian fcavy , has leave to April next year . _ . Major J . Fowler , 8 th Madras L . 0 . Ins six months leave to Bangalore . , . .. Sattorn- has some visitants for health , and Cnptam B . M . Westropp , Major of Briffado « tC nndeisn , has leave there and for Mahableshwur . Uu A . U Senton , mate in tho Indian navy , hns been o wo lattei' place . Mahableshwur is lucky again , ns leave is likewise given to Lieutenant 0 . » . a * n , 2 nd Bombay Grenadier N . I ., ami to Cnpl » " } a . Oliver , of tte - Bombay Native 1 ?^"™™^ These aro short leaves . Mr . W . K . V ^ Svinff allowed to go to Mahableshwur while studying Hindostanco , , -i » i „« "W I Captain E . C . Bealo , of the 22 nd Bombny JN . a ., has leave to Sattara . r ftVV Lieutenant G . N . P . Mason , of tho Iiuunn navy , has leave on medical certificate , lor one yeni , w coasts of Persia and Arabia . i ^ vwiali Wo regret to state that Aurungalmd , a ievow and hot place in the Bombay W ™\<\ ono , h 'J ™ 9 . a station ^ or place of murder , tor fcnglw trooj ?» Troops on tho march at Bombay contmuo to p forwarded by railway . On the 28 th and WJ March H . M . G 4 th bo arrived at Bombay on thou return from Agra , and woro emborkoU toi tx rnchco .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 14, 1859, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14051859/page/20/
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