[ 78 ] 



for, and most of those in whicli it is needed would be 

 found to present minor peculiarities, requiring a corre- 

 sponding adjustment of details. In some cases it 

 would only be necessary to deal with the indebted- 

 ness of the landholders, in others only with that of 

 the cultivators ; while in some all classes of agricul- 

 turists need protection. All this would be for the 

 decision of the local administrations in consultation 

 with their revenue and agricultural officers ; all that 

 it is here pretended to give, is the cloth ; if it is to 

 wear well the coat must be carefully fitted in every 

 instance. 



The broad principles are, that whenever and wher- 

 ever agricultural progress, on which the future welfare 

 of the empire must, in a great measure, depend, is 

 impeded or rendered impossible by the indebtedness 

 of any or all classes of agriculturists, all questions 

 connected with such indebtedness shall be removed 

 from the cognisance of the civil courts, and their sum- 

 mary and final adjustment provided for by the instru- 

 mentality of respectable native judges versed in rural 

 affairs, aided, but not governed, by the advice of the 

 local elders in the village where the debtor resides ; 

 no fees of any kind to be paid ; no stamps to be re- 

 quired ; no pleaders or lawyers to be allowed to take 

 any part in the transactions; decisions to be given 

 effect to (equally without charge) by the revenue 

 officials of the circle as speedily as is consistent with 

 not ruining the debtor, and these officials to possess, 

 in regard to amounts decreed, the same powers that 

 they do in regard to arrears of land revenue. Adjust- 

 ments once effected, arrangements to be made, either 



