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.
Pages:
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184