The retail trade of Calcutta is chiefly in the hands of the Banians, Sarkars, and Writers, who go about hawk ing their commodities, and searching after cheap pur chases; and such is their eagerness for money, that every species of low cunning and deceit is employed to over-reach the purchaser. So far, howel er, is impo sition in this way considered as any discredit among their countrymen, that those who are noted for it, obtain the appellation of pucka adme, men of strong parts. Yet these people often sell their goods at a lower rate than they can be purchased from Europeans. This they arc easily enabled to do, as their wares arc generally bought at sales, where they are often procured, on very mode rate terms ; and also from the low rents of their shops, which being situated in the common bazars, must be infinitely cheaper than the splendid apartments of the British merchants. Indeed, the charges of rents, clerks, freight, insurance, with the innumerable items of go down, deeply effect the profits arising from mercantile concerns in this city. Not many years ago, a house barely sufficient to accommodate a genteel family, could not be procured under six or eight hundred pounds a year. This, together with the wages of a numerous train of servants, which the superstition of the natives, by ch terring them from performing service beyond one specific kind of work, has rendered absolutely neces sary, greatly swells the annual expenditure of a fa mily. The exorbitant rents, however, have of late been reduced, in sonic measure, by the speculation of house-building, which has been carried to an immense extent ; hut this reduction can never be very great, for, considering, the rate of interest in this country, a con siderable annual income is lost in the capital stink in building.
But notwithstanding the heavy expenses to which the British merchants and other inhabitants of this city are exposed, their acts of munificence and charity to indigent persons equal, if not surpass, those of any other body of men whatever. Numerous useful and benevolent in stitutions have also been established, and are supported entirely by their liberality. Among these arc, an hospital for the reception of such natives as, from accident or disease, may stand in need of medical aid; two for the relief of the orphans both of the pri ates and officers in the military service of the Company, at from six to seven hundred children are educated and main tained ; a free school, which educates 400 children, besides others of inferior note.
The college of Fort William, which was established by the Marquis Wellesley, has been partly abolished by the court of directors. This seminary was intended by its noble founder, not merely for the education of the junior servants of the company, but also to watch over their conduct, and to preserve them from the many dangers and temptations to which young men are expos ed on their arricul in India. What is retained, regards chiefly their instruction in the native languages. It assumes no controul over their actions or their expendi ture. In these respects they are left entirely at their own disposal ; and we need not wonder that, from their little experience in life, the scenes of extravagance and dissipation in which they am led to mingle, and the facility of receiving money in this country, many are involved, at an early period, in difficulties and embar rassments from which some of them, by many succeed ing years of economy, are scarcely able to extricate them selves. Were it indeed possible, by such an institution
as was at first proposed, to preserve these young men from the contamination of bad example, and from those vices and follies in which at such au age, they are too apt to indulge, we must regret that the directors should have been prevented, either from a principle of economy or of jealousy, (with which they have been charged,) from carrying the original plan into full execution. " I lad Lord Wellesley's plan of a college," says Lord Valentia, " been acceded to, this desirable end would have been attained ; and the young men, subject to the restrictions and discipline of such an institution, would no longer have met with those facilities in raising money, with which their present situation so often presents them. They must, in consequence, have been obliged to con fine their expenditure to the liberal allowance of the East India company, till called to the higher appoint ments, when, unincumbered in their affairs, and uncor rupted in their minds, they might rapidly and honestly hat c acquired, at an early period of their lives, that opulence, which would ensure them affluence and com fort in their native country." But Dr Tennant seems to hold very different opinions from those of his lordship respecting the utility of this college. When speaking of it in his Indian Recreations, he says, '- As it is for business and not education that these gentlemen are sent to India, it is difficult to foresee any benefit that CN er result from this measure. Instruction in the native dialects is, in general. all that is necessary to qualify them for the exercise of their duty, and this they hate hitherto received from Moonshees, at the spare hours that are not employed in their different vocations. The pi'actice of their professional duty of itself, greatly assis ted them in acquiring the language of the natives ; while it prevented the loss of several years, and a great ex pellee, which is incurred at this dissolute seminary." The directors, however, seem to have been convinced of the expediency of some other establishment, at which their junior servants might be qualified for their particu tar appointments ; and consequently a college has been lately established at Hertford in England, upon a plan somewhat similar to that of the original insitution. But however well qualified the young men may be in respect to education, and a knowledge of their profession, when they leave England, they are still liable, upon their arrival in India, to be infected with the vices and extravagance of a dissolute capital. The most effectual remedy, we presume, for the evil complained of, would be, an im mediate appointment to some situation ; instead of allow ing them to linger in Calcutta, without employment and without a guide, exposed to the contamination of pro fligacy and folly.