'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎47] (78/481)

47
available to the public entirely free from all payment
whatever, must result eventually in a pecuniary return to
the' State.
Thus, by way of example, say one-third of the produce
of the land belongs to the State, and comes into the public
treasury; the country is not hall peopled, and not halt
cultivated; every increase of means of the people is
employed in increased cultivation: wherefore, everything
which adds to the means of the people, in like proportion
adds to the revenue.
Travellers and traders are attracted by good roads, good
accommodation, and safety. The amount which such
persons expend among the people is out ol all proportion
greater than any fees which could be collected from them :
one-third of such expenditure almost always finds its
way eventually into the coffers of the State ; while the
free passage of strangers through a country excites new
wants, new desires, and new efforts to gratify them, and
thereby adds to the energies as well as to the means
of the people.
On the other hand, the imposition of fees for accommo
dation is a merely deceptive gain : the impost, however
just it may appear, is assuredly unwise. I he amount
collected is itself trifling, but the injurious effect of such
collections may be very great. They tend to keep strangers
out of the country, and to impede their progress through
it ; and assuredly every rupee so received into the public
treasury keeps three rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. out of it.
This principle is a law of nature; its effects are certain.
Even the establishment for registering traffic on this fron
tier acts repulsively; and though we collect no import or
export duties, we actually pay an establishment to impede
trade and injure the revenue.—(1854.)