We are requested by the Secretary of the Peace Society, Lonion, to submit the following to the consideration of our readers Some years ago a gentleman (now de-censed) used frequently to call at the office of the Peace Society to express his alarm at Russian progress in Central Asin, which he feared was greatly endanger safety of British Indi go evidently punic-stricken was he, full of his one topic, that he was habitually spoken of ax "our friend with Centeal Asia on the brain," And judging from a recent, Parliame debate, there still remain in the British Legislature one or two similarly panic-stricken worthies who alya have "Central Asin on the brain." That is to say, they seem pervaded by feminine terrors, lest Russia should suddenly pour down troops from the Pa region and overwhelm British Tndin But, as Sir Richard Temple showed on that occasion, the Painie territory, or rook of the world," is " vast mountain regi hundreds of miles long, and some twenty thousand fect high whose lerrest pass, in the direction of India, is 16,000 feet above the level of the sea, a height greater than that of any mountain in Europe, and it is blocked by snow and ied for the greater part of exch year, Hence there is little, if any, danger of Russian invasion from that quarter.
It is true, however, as Sir Richard Temple also remarked, that much further to the west, towards Cabul, the Pamir passes are more practicable. Hence hie urged that England should insist on Rassin's engaging to abstain from any invasion of Afghan territory by such routes.
But why should there be nervous appre-pensions as to either contingency? Why wid not the frontiers of Russia and British I.dia become actually conterminous and adjacent, without any greater risk of war than hitherto? For if Ruasia is at any time determined on war with Britain, in India, she can be more effectually resisted on Tndiau soil than on the territories of treacherous Afghans, or other border tribes, And both Russia and Britain may peacefully pursue great missions of eivilisation in Asin, even if touching each other's borders, without affording just occasion for alarm on either side, For strong as euch of these Great Powers is, it would be a most difficult undertaking for either to assail the other with any chance of success.
'Phere is, happily, much less of " Central Asia on the brain' amongst British statesmen now, than a few years ago; though the disease has by no means vanished, as the recent debate showed.
But, at the same time, it is important to notice' that very serious results of these Indian panies of a few years ayo remain, Those times of nervous apprehension were eagerly taken advantage of by interested agitators, in order to swell the military expenditure of India to an extent which continues to constitute a cruel imposition upon the poverty-stricken mail of that vist dependency of the British Crown, These poor creatures, multitudes of whom can barely obtain a subsistence, even on a cheap rice dietary, and whilst needing very little clothing, are mostopprs sively taxed in order to support exee armaments and the costly array of European officers attached to them. Many millie sterling have been exacted from poverty.) stricken Hindoos during the past few years, to pay for the additional troops raised in response to foolish and baseless panics, A further grievance of a similar nature is caused by the irritating procedure of some Indian officials towards the frontier tribes. This has repeatedly produced costly expeditions and petty wars, for which, again, helpless India has had to pay. An impartial official, Sir Griffith Evans, recently protested against this eagerness for war, manifested on the part of some of his European colleagues, Military officers on the outposts, at the head of well-organised regiments, are apt to be as anxious to flesh their weapons in the bodies of wretched aborigines outside the borders, as some of the London hospital doctors were, not long ago, to indulge in needless operations upon the limbs of their patients. And in both directions much cruelty has doubtless resulted.
'To make Indian burdens still heavier, the loc! authorities have enormous ex: penses foisted upon them by the very costly India Office in London, Millions of pounds' worth of purchases are made London on account of the Indian Government and people, for which no satisfactorily audited account is rendered. No one knows how much commission" may adhere, in one form or another, to the pockets of subordinate off or the Secretary of State for India cannot be expected to control details. But the official auditor has on several nceasions reported that he is unable to certify as to the correctness" of various expenditures at the India Office. The very splendour of that building is in keeping with the extra-vacant outlay which, in various directions, is indulged in at the cust, but without the control, of one of the poorest populations on the free of the earth.
The Indians are an intelligent, if physically weak, people, and they clearly see and bitterly feel the injustice with which they and their countrymen are being so cru: ly taxed, in order to allay the panic-fear and subserve the selfish interests, of the less noble ranks of Eng!
Inpran_axp Cevtox Teasiy Aare Pushing Ceylon Tea ut the Chicago Exhibition has already cost the planters and Government of that colony some £20,000, and it now appears that further sum of over £4,000 is required to complete the enterprise. This amount could be easily subscribed by the planters, even if it were thought inadvifrom the Ceylon Tea Fund, but doubts are ontertxined as to the neces: sity fora further expenditure. Such of the American people who have drank Ceylon tea at the Kiosk in the Exhibition have expressed themselves highly pleased with it, but it is feared that as soon as the tea drinking has lost the attraction of novelty they will revert to their usual beverage. Asa Colombo paper observes, the Aniericaus are not a great tea-drinking people such as the Australians or the Russians and_they have a strong prejudice in favour of Japan and certain Chinese teas, which will never be broken by avy coaxing on the part of Ceylon,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.