The  assistance  which  a  Hindu  ruler  would  give  to
the  Brahmanic  faith  or  a  Muhammadan  ruler  to  the
Moslem  faith,  in  the  shape  of  grants  from  the  trea-
sury or  endowments  in  land,  is  not  given  to  either
by  the  British  Government;  except  that  all  private
endowments  are  religiously  guarded,  and  some  pub-
lic endowments  in  the  shape  of  the  right  to  collect
the  land  revenue  in  certain  villages,  made  by  kings
and  emperors,  have,  after  verification  of  title,
been  allowed  to  continue.  Otherwise  the  British
scrupulously  hold  aloof  from  the  Native  religions;
and  merely  preserve  neutrality.  This  neutrality
it  holds  to  be  quite  consistent  with  its  open  profes-
sion for  itself  of  Christianity.  On  the  other  hand
the  Government  gives  no  support  to  its  own  religion,
Christianity,  either  for  propagating  or  sustaining  it
among  the  non-Christian  or  heathen  nationalities;
except  that  it  maintains  an  ecclesiastical  establish-
ment of  the  Church  of  England  and  defrays  the
charges  of  other  Protestant  Ministers  and  of  some
Roman  Catholic  priests  for  the  sake  of  its  own  ser-
vants and  soldiers.  In  this  conscientious  abstention
it  differs  from  every  Native  ruler  that  has  existed
in  the  country.
Inhuman  rites,  and  actions  which,  though  done
under  religious  sanction,  would  yet  come  within
criminal  jurisdiction,  it  has  suppressed,  and  so  far


84      PROGRESS  OF  INDIA,  JAPAN  AND  CHINA.
has  ultimately  succeeded  in  carrying  the  best  Na-
tive opinion  with  it.  Otherwise  it  has  been  sedu-
lously considerate  to  the  customs,  the  forms,  the
prejudices,  the  caste  distinction,  among  the  Natives;
except  that  it  has  never  allowed  such  distinctions
to  bar  the  access  to  its  own  service.
No  man  can  be  arrested  or  detained  without  pro-
cess of  law;  the  possible  proceedings  in  cases  of
alleged  treason  or  sedition  are  jealously  restricted.
