They all laughed at the old man at the conclusion of my last speech,
and he confessed I was right.
'This is all true, sir, but still your Government is not considerate;
it goes on taking kingdom after kingdom, and adding to its dominions
without diminishing the burden upon us, its old subjects. Here you
have had armies away taking Afghanistan, but we shall not have one
rupee the less to pay.'[9]
'True, my friend, nor would you demand a rupee less from those honest
cultivators around us, if we were to leave you all your lands
untaxed. You complain of the Government--they complain of you.' (Here
the circle around us laughed at the old man again.) 'Nor would you
subdivide the lands the less for having it rent-free; on the
contrary, it would be every generation subdivided the more, inasmuch
as there would be more of local ties, and a greater disinclination of
families to separate and seek service abroad.'
'True, sir, very true--that is, no doubt, a very great evil.'
'And you know it is not an evil produced by us, but one arising out
of your own laws of inheritance. You have heard, no doubt, that with
us the eldest son gets the whole of the land, and the younger sons
all go out in search of service, with such share as they can get of
the other property of their father?'
'Yes, sir; but when shall we get service?--you have none to give us.
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