GRANT OF LOANS AND ADVANCES TO AGRICULTURISTS. 55 



"We propose that the Government of India should have the power 

 to place conditions on those companies, to ensure that their business 

 shall be carried on in a proper and reasonable manner ; and, if those 

 companies fulfil the conditions imposed upon them, the Bill is so 

 drawn as to enable them to take advantage of its provisions for 

 the recovery of the advances ; in fact, their loans will be secured and 

 will be recoverable in the same manner as if the money had been 

 advanced by the Government. 



This is the Bill which I ask leave now to introduce, and I hope 

 that the Council will give me permission to introduce it, because, 

 although I think it is open to doubt whether it will lead to a very 

 great extension of advances by Government, I think it is quite 

 probable that it may open the door to private enterprise in the matter. 

 For my own part, I fear that, until the causes which prevent people 

 from improving their lands are removed, namely, in the case of 

 tenants, the want of security that the profits which are derivable from 

 their improvements will not be appropriated by the landlord ; I think 

 that, until the provincial laws are altered in this respect, there is not 

 much hope, so far as tenants are concerned, that they will take 

 advance either from the Government or from private companies ; but 

 I think that, when this Bill is passed, we shall have done all we 

 can in a direct way to make the system of advances popular. 



THE HON'BLE SIR STEUART BAYLEY said : 



I have only a few remarks to make in confirmation of the 

 proposals of my hon'ble friend, MR. CROSTHWAITE, in connection with 

 this Bill, which, I quite agree with him in hoping, the Council will 

 give him permission to introduce to-day. 



He has told us of the origin of the Bill, but there was also 

 another reason for bringing it in which he omitted to mention, 

 which was a small technical omission, regarding the recovery of 

 interest on loans, which was brought to our notice by one of the 

 Local Governments. But, in reading the papers connected with 

 the Bill, I was very much struck by the unanimity of all those 

 consulted as to the fact of the old law having failed in accomplish- 

 ing the objects with which it was established, though there was 

 considerable difference of opinion as to the reasons of that failure : 

 reasons were given of all kinds. Some gentlemen, I observe, 

 actually stated that the agriculturists did not require loans for the 



