, opening as much as possible all employments in
the civil administration to the educated classes of Oude. The
military and police establishments would consist almost exclusively
of Oude men. Under such a system more of these classes would be
employed than at present, for few of the officers employed in the
administration are of these classes--the greater part of them are
adventurers from all parts of India, without character or education.
The number of such officers would be multiplied fourfold, and the
means of paying them would be taken from the favourites and parasites
of the Court who now do nothing but mischief.

Such a change would be popular among the members of the royal family
itself, who now get their pensions after long intervals--often after
two and even three years, and with shameful reductions in behalf of
those favourites and parasites whom they detest and despise, but whom
the minister, for his own personal purposes, is obliged to conciliate
by such perquisites. It would be popular among the educated classes,
as opening to them offices now filled by knaves and vagabonds from
all parts of India, It would be no less so to the well-disposed
portion of the agricultural classes, who would be sure of protection
to life, property, and character, without the expensive trains of
armed followers which they now keep up. But to secure this, we should
require to provide them with a more simple system of civil judicature
than that which we have at work in our old territories.

The change would be popular, with few exceptions, among all the
mercantile and manufacturing classes. It would give vast employment
to all the labouring classes throughout the country, in the
construction of good roads, bridges, wells, tanks, temples, suraes,
military and civil buildings, and other public works; but above all,
in that of private dwellings, and other edifices for use and
ornament, in which all men would be proud to lay out their wealth to
perpetuate their names, when secured in the possession by an honest
and efficient Government; but more especially those who would be no
longer able to employ their means in maintaining armed bands, to
resist the local authorities and disturb the peace of the country. On
the whole, I think that at least nine-tenths of the people of Oude
would hail the change as a great blessing; always providing, that our
system of administration should be rendered as simple as possible to
meet the wants and w