I am a loyal Englishwoman; I love my country. It is because of my great love for her that I mourn so deeply over her dishonour in the promotion of such legislation and practices as this book exposes, and that I will not cease to denounce the crimes committed in her name so long as I have life and breath. I thank God that the writers of this book have been raised up to plead the sacred cause of Justice and of Womanhood; and I rejoice to know that God has bestowed on them a measure of the fearless spirit of the faithful prophets and prophetesses of old, to rebuke national sin and to preach repentance to the people. JOSEPHINE E. BUTLER. _Feb., 1898._ FROM MR. HENRY J. WILSON, M.P. DEAR FRIENDS, I am glad you intend to reprint "The Queen's Daughters in India." It brings home to many who will never read Blue Books the terrible facts about officially-authorized vice; and it shows the moral aspects of the "Regulation" system, which Blue Books never show. I remember very clearly how your first Report, in 1892, of what you had seen, impressed us all as a very careful record of a very careful investigation. Then, in 1893, I was a member of the Departmental Committee appointed to hear your evidence, when your clear testimony, which no cross-examination could shake, gave abundant evidence of your close observation and the accuracy of your records. The impression this made on me was only deepened when, in India, in 1894 (on the Opium Commission), I saw one of the places you had described with such remarkable closeness of detail. It is deplorable that we should have to fight this battle again. But so it is. Princesses and Titled Ladies have added their influence to that of the panic-mongering materialists, in the endeavour to "make the practice of prostitution, if not absolutely innocuous, at least, much less dangerous"--for that is, in the language of the Royal Commissioners of 1871, the object in view. I thank God, therefore, that you are able to visit this country again, to help us both by voice and pen in the renewed agitation which is forced upon us. Yours faithfully, HENRY J. WILSON. _Feb., 1898._ CONTENTS. PAGE DEDICATION iii PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION v FROM MRS. JOSEPHINE E. BUTLER vii FROM MR. HENRY J. WILSON, M.P. ix I. CANTONMENT LIFE IN INDIA 13 II. SEEKING THE OUTCAST 32 III. THE HABITATIONS OF CRUELTY 45 IV. THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS 64 V. PLEADING FOR THE OPPRESSED 86 VI. SOME ANGLO-INDIAN MORAL SENTIMENTS 99 APPENDICES 113 THE QUEEN'S DAUGHTERS IN INDIA. I. Cantonment Life in India.