of the natives,--but for a year only. The
contractors were to supply a certain quantity of opium at a given price.
Half the value was to be paid to those contractors in advance, and the
other half on the delivery.

The proceedings on this contract demonstrated the futility of all the
principles on which the monopoly was founded. The Council, as a part of
their plan, were obliged, by heavy duties, and by a limitation of the
right of emption of foreign opium to the contractors for the home
produce, to check the influx of that commodity from the territories of
the Nabob of Oude and the Rajah of Benares. In these countries no
monopoly existed; and yet there the commodity was of such a quality and
so abundant as to bear the duty, and even with the duty in some degree
to rival the monopolist even in his own market. There was no complaint
in those countries of want of advances to cultivators, or of lawsuits
and tumults among the factors; nor was there any appearance of the
multitude of other evils which had been so much dreaded from the
vivacity of competition.

On the other hand, several of the precautions inserted in this contract,
and repeated in all the subsequent, strongly indicated the evils against
which it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to guard a monopoly
of this nature and in that country. For in the first contract entered
into with the two natives it was strictly forbidden to compel the
tenants to the cultivation of this drug. Indeed, very shocking rumors
had gone abroad, and they were aggravated by an opinion universally
prevalent, that, even in the season immediately following that dreadful
famine which swept off one third of the inhabitants of Bengal, several
of the poorer farmers were compelled to plough up the fields they had
sown with grain in order to plant them with poppies for the benefit of
the engrossers of opium. This opinion grew into a strong presumption,
when it was seen that in the next year the produce of opium (contrary to
what might be naturally expected in a year following such a dearth) was
nearly doubled. It is true, that, when the quantity of land necessary
for the production of the largest quantity of opium is considered, it is
not just to attribute that famine to these practices, nor to any that
were or could be used; yet, where such practices did prevail, they must
have been very oppressive to individuals, extremely insulting to the
feelings of the people, and must tend to brin