y are
homogeneous. He cites, strangely enough, Ireland, where these moral
influences, which are of themselves generally sufficient in England
and Scotland, are supplemented by wholesale evictions on one side and
murders on the other. But the law of landlord and tenant is, I
believe, the same in Ireland as in England, and it is quite possible
that a little _particular_ legislation, which would have given either
of the parties the protection of positive law against injuries which
can now be redressed only by a rude process of reprisals (one outrage
balancing another until the account is squared), might have proved
ultimately a benefit even to the party against which this particular
legislation seemed to be, in the first instance, directed.

The planters say, we have a grievance attributable to special
circumstances arising out of our relations with our ryots; unless you
give us a special remedy to meet our special grievance, we fall back
on our general powers as landlords. Are we quite sure that in refusing
the special remedy, we are consulting the interest of the weaker
party, viz. the ryot?

Of course, this is all general. There will remain the questions: Is
there a grievance at all? Is it one which has any claim to a special
remedy? I quite agree that the _onus_ of answering these questions
satisfactorily rests on the advocate of special legislation.

* * * * *

_To Sir Charles Wood._

Roorkee: March 19, 1863.

[Sidenote: Duty of officials in missionary matters.]

The religious question is, no doubt, a very difficult one; and I am
glad that you approved of the course which I took with reference to
the great missionary gathering at Lahore. I spoke to Sir R. M---- on
the subject when I met him at Delhi. He seemed to think that it had
done more harm than good to the missionary cause, as the presence of
high officials was sure to raise suspicions in the minds of the
natives. I told him that as regarded the acts of officials in such
matters, my opinion was this:--If an official says to me, 'I think
that I may, with perfect propriety, in my character of official, do so
and so, or take such or such a part in furtherance of an object which
I believe to be right,' I am quite ready to meet him on this ground,
and to join issue with him if I differ from