INDEBTEDNESS OF THE LAND-HOLDING CLASSES. 27 



to income is heavier than that stated to exist in other provinces, 

 and about two-thirds of the debt is said to be secured by mortgages 

 of land. 



14. By the Act which has recently come into force for the relief 

 of the Deccan agriculturists, village registrars are to be appointed, 

 before \vhom agriculturists are to execute all instruments relating to 

 obligations for the payment of money or charges on property, and all 

 conveyances and leases : any deed not thus registered and attested is 

 not to be deemed valid. Agriculturists are entitled to demand receipts 

 for all payments, as well as yearly statements of account, or pass- 

 books in which their account shall be written and attested by the 

 money-lender. The local Government is empowered to appoint 

 village munsiffs, with jurisdiction in small suits of which the subject- 

 matter does not exceed ten rupees, a system which has been found to 

 work well in the Madras Presidency. Suits of larger value will be 

 tried by additional subordinate judges who, when the defendant is an 

 agriculturist, will, as a rule, inquire fully into the history of the debt, 

 take a separate account of principal and interest, credit the debtor 

 with any money repaid, - disallow all interest which the Court deems 

 unreasonable, follow, in decreeing the amount due, the principle of 

 Hindu Law known as dam- dupaf, under which the interest must not 

 exceed the principal, and fix instalments for the payment of the sum 

 decreed. The Government will doubtless exercise the powers provided 

 by law for reducing the expense of stamps and fees in these 

 Courts. If the decree is for less than 50 Rupees the Court may 

 discharge the agriculturist at once on payment of as much as he is able 

 to pay. If the defendant is found to owe 50 Rupees, or upwards the 

 Court may treat him as an insolvent, and any agriculturist whose 

 debts are of similar amount may be declared an insolvent on his own 

 application. In such case all claims against him are called in, and 

 the amount to be recovered from him is ascertained by inquiry into 

 the history of them all. No agriculturist can be arrested or imprison- 

 ed in execution of a decree for money, nor can his immoveable 

 property be attached or sold unless it has been specifically mortgaged. 

 In the latter case the Court may direct the Collector to let the 

 property for a period not exceeding 20 years, if thereby a premium 

 can be obtained equal to the amount of the secured debt, or otherwise 

 to sell it. If the debts are not secured by mortgage, the Court may 

 direct the collector to manage any immoveable property (other than 



