1 230 SINDE.
2 by a considerable military force to act against the Ameers in case
3 of necessity. The Ameers hesitated, but ultimately the treaty
4 to evade or defer, The cession of territory is a grievance which, once sub-
5 mitted to, is in time almost forgotten; and in this case a large portion of the
6 territory to be demanded is of recent conquest, not a part of any ancient
7 possession.
8 “7, Another provision which it appears to me to be expedient to intro-
9 duce into a revised treaty with the Ameers, is one for the establishment of
10 uniformity of currency in their dominions.
11 ‘©8. The inconveniences and evils which arise from the intermixture of
12 currencies of various and changing values are constantly forcing themselves
13 upon my attention. I desire ultimately to establish one uniform currency
14 throughout India. This is a convenient opportunity for introducing a pro-
15 vision to that effect with respect to Sinde. I am aware that native States
16 attach much importance to the right of coinage. I shall endeavour, as far as
17 any feelings of pride are concerned, to save those feelings, by an engagement
18 to coin for the native States rupees, bearing on one side whatever inscription
19 or device they may prefer, but, on the other side, the head of the Sovereign
20 of England ; such rapees to be of the same intrinsic value as those which are
21 called ‘ Company's rupees,’ and the whole charge of the coinage to be borne
22 by the British Government.
23 ‘©9, The exaction of a provision to this effect is but a Jenient penalty for
24 the offences which the Ameers have committed, and to this I propose to add
25 another, strongly recommended by you,—a provision securing to us the right
26 to cut wood upon both banks of the Indus for the use of the steamers.
27 ‘10. At the same time I know that, on the part of the Ameers, there will
28 be more repugnance to this provision than to any other we could require ;
29 and I cannot but doubt whether it would not be found more economical to
30 make use of coal imported from England, than of wood to be cut upon the
31 banks of the Indus. However, for our own security, we must have this
32 provision. It would be expedient to make it as little painful to the Ameers
33 as possible, and to resort to the enforcement of the right to be conceded only
34 in the event of their not furnishing, at the price and at the places to be fixed
35 from time to time, the quantity of wood demanded by the officers of our
36 Government.
37 ‘11, The lands we might demand as an equivalent for the tribute we are
38 prepared to abandon, and those of which we may require the cession by Meer
39 Roostum Khan and Meer Nusseer Khan of Khyrpore, as the just penalties
40 for their designed hostility, are in value beyond what are wanted for our own
41 purposes; for it would be highly inexpedient for us to possess upon the
42 Indus any larger extent of territory than may be sufficient to afford full
43 security to the trade upon that river, and to give us the entire military com-
44 mand of it. It is to me a subject of great satisfaction that this circumstance
45 will afford the means of conferring a great reward upon our most faithful ally
46 and friend the Nawab of Bhawulpore.