Appendix I. 



[Extracts from a Minute of Sir Richard Temple, Governor of 

 Bombay, dated 30th Augmt t 1878.~\ 



By our despatches of the 19th January and the 4th February 

 last we submitted to the Government of India a draft Bill for the 

 relief of the indebted ryots in certain districts of the Deccan, 

 together with Minutes and papers relating thereto : among which 

 was a Minute of my own, dated 12th November last. 



2. By a despatch dated the 1st July last, the Government of 

 India sent for our opinion a Bill which they propose to be substituted 

 for our Bill, and which we are invited to accept as a satisfactory 

 mode of dealing with the questions at issue. 



3. While thankfully admitting the advantages proposed to be 

 given to the ryots by the Bill of the Government of India, I am 

 obliged to represent that this Bill is not sufficient to fulfil the objects 

 which the Government of Bombay had in view when proposing 

 legislation, and therefore cannot be regarded by us as a satisfactory 

 mode of dealing with the questions at issue. In general terms, it 

 must be described as omitting the most essential of the several provi- 

 sions which we devised for the protection of the ryots, and therefore 

 as taking some of the heart kernel and substance out of our measure. 

 I am sure, therefore, that my Honourable Colleagues will concur with 

 me in submitting a further representation to the Government of India 

 on the subject. 



4. Our proposals are justly summarized in paragraph 3 of the 

 despatch of Government of India of 1st July, thus 



(a) to compel the courts, in cases where agriculturists are sued 

 on bonds or for money due, to go behind the terms of 

 the bond, to enquire into the justice of the claim, and 

 to take into consideration the equity of the interest 

 charged, even though it may have been distinctly agreed 

 to by the defendant j 



(6) to make it illegal to award compound interest, or more 

 interest than the amount of the principal found to 

 be due ; 



(c) to limit the liability of a ryot for debts incurred by his 

 ancestors ; 



