The great man was
selected without any reference to his knowledge of, or fitness for,
the duties entrusted to him, merely because he happened to be of a
certain standing in a certain exclusive service, which entitled him
to a certain scale of salary, or because he had been found unfit for
judicial or other duties requiring more intellect and energy of
character. The consequence was that for every one rupee that went
into the public treasury, ten were taken by these harpies from the
merchants, or other people over whom they had, or could pretend to
have, a right of search.[5]
Some irresponsible native officer who happened to have the confidence
of the great man (no matter in what capacity he served him) sold for
his own profit, and for that of those whose goodwill he might think
it worth while to conciliate, the offices of all the subordinate
agents immediately employed in the collection of the duties. A man
who was to receive an avowed salary of seven rupees a month would
give him three or four thousand for his post, because it would give
him charge of a detached post, in which he could soon repay himself
with a handsome profit.
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