$3] 
* dual will now feel of being allow- 
“ed to enjoy the fruits of his own 
« Jabours, muft operate uniformly 
«€ as incitements to exertion and in- 
« duftry.”’—This, Mr. Francis faid, 
was a pretty plain confeflion of the 
mifery and oppreffion the inhabi-. 
tants had Jong fuffered. 
The letter proceeded thus: «I 
«have purpofely, in thefe fettle- 
«ments, propofed to withdraw the 
« gunges irom the zemindars, and 
«to place: them in the hands of 
government, in order that it may 
power to raife or lower the in-' 
ternal taxes or duties on par- 
ticular articles of produce of ma- 
nufactures, as may be found moft 
fuitable to the geneval interefts 
of commerce; but, above all, 
as the land revenue,- when the 
jumma is once fixed, cannot en- 
creafe, that the company may, 
«through the medium of duties 
*< upon an encreafed confumption 
of the neceffaries and luxuries of 
life, participate in the wealth and 
advantages, which, I truft, will be 
the confequences of a permanent 
revenue fettlement to the inhabi- 
tants of this country,’ Upon this 
he remarked, that Lord Cornwallis 
gave the people of the country a 
guietus in an effential point, viz. in 
a-permanent reveaue fettlement, or 
fixed land-tax, and at the fame time 
advifed the company to tax the ne- 
ceffaries and luxuries of life. Would 
ke have them encreafe the tax on 
alt? and as to luxuries, what were 
the luxuries of life to a Hindoo? 
‘Did they expect to get any thing by 
a duty on betel-nut and tohacco? 
Or would they tax oil and ghee? 
Tn the next fection of the letter, 
Lord Cornwallis affures the direc- 
tors, “ that it-will be of the utmoft 
importance, that the principal land- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
at all times have an unreltrained: 
_ ago, 
17 GQ. 
holders and traders in the interior 
parts of the country fhould be re- 
ftored to fuch circumftances »as to 
Bier them to fupport their families. 
with decéncy.”? Had the right ho- 
nourable gentleman been year after 
year. boaiting of the profperity of 
the province of Bengal, (atked Mr. 
Francis) and wasit only in the year 
1790, that it was recommended that 
the principal Jand-holders:and trad- °° 
ers in the provinces fhould be re-: 
ftored to the power of {fupporting 
their families with decency ? Thiss 
was a frefh proof of the miferable 
9 ruinous ftate of Bengal. 
t paragraph confefied, that agri- 
culture and internal commerce had 
for many years been gradually de- 
clining, and that at prefent, except-— 
ing the clafs of Shrofts and Ban-) 
yans, the inhabitants of thefe pro- 
vinces were advancing haftily toa 
general ftate of poverty and wretch- 
ednefs; and Lord Cornivallis faid, 
‘The- 
acta ee lm a i, Yet BF at og 
os 
«in that defcription he muft alfo» M 
include almoft every zemindar in the» 
company’s territories.””. Thefe facts, 
Mr. Francis faid, he told them long. 
and therefore he concurred « 
with Lord Cornwallis, when he faid, » 
in the fame paragraph, “ that thefe 
miferable effects. were owing to the” 
bad management of the late pores 
ment.”” 
Mr. Franeis next : mentioned, ihe 
paragraph relative to opium; “ he. 
(Lord Cornwallis) doubted not but 
the relief given to the Ryots, may 
occafion fome increafe of price en: 
the offers that will be made by dew 
candidates for the contraét; but he 
was periuaded, that the lofs would 
be more than compeniated to the: 
company, by the encouragement that. - 
would be given to the Ryots to out 
tend the cultivation of the poppy.” 
Thus, faid Mr. Francis, Lord Sami 
wallis dares not tell the company || 
of 
a 
