38 RESTRICTIONS ON THE ALIENATION OF LANDS. 



by a very much stronger demonstration of the necessity and utility of 

 the provisions (to this effect) than has so far bean brought to notice.' 



There is the further consideration of the mischievous effects 

 which are likely to ensue unless the statutory agriculturist is eliminated. 

 The agriculturist of the Act belongs in the great majority of cases to 

 the money-lending class from whose encroachments we specially desire 

 to protect the Punjabi peasant, and there are indications which clearly 

 point to the necessity of protecting the latter against the statutory 

 agriculturist. There appears to be every probability that, unless we 

 interfere, considerable quantities of land would before long pass from 

 the agricultural to the privileged portion of the money-lending class. 

 There is the further real danger of the privileged agriculturist taking 

 over the debts and mortgages of other money-lenders who have not 

 the favoured status and then proceeding to acquire the lands of the 

 indebted peasants. 



I should add that when the Punjab Act was extended to the 

 North West Frontier Province in 190i the provisions relating to the 

 statutory agriculturist were cut out. Again, in the Bundelkhand Act, 

 (1903) there is nothing to correspond to the agriculturist of our Act, 

 while in framing the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905, we studiouslf 

 avoided the insertion of any provisions based on the presumption 

 that the statutory agriculturist was a permanent feature in our 

 legislation. 



For the reasons which I have detailed, not, I hope, at too great 

 length in view of the importance of the matter, the general conclusion 

 has been accepted 'that the introduction of the agriculturist into the 

 legislation of 1900 was unfortunate, and that the artificial provisions 

 then inserted may now be abrogated as being unnecessary, inconvenient 

 and mischievous.' The main object of the present Bill is to give 

 effect to that conclusion. 



The opportunity has at the same time been taken to provide for 

 certain minor alterations in the Act which the experience of the last 

 six years has shown to be required. These alterations fall under 

 six heads, concerning 



(t) the effect of the Act on occupancy rights ; 

 (it) the treatment of gifts for religious or charitable purposes; 



c 



(m) the authority required for notifying agricultural tribes. 



