186 . 



Section VI. — Certain alleged evils in the present economic 

 ■position and remedial measures considered. 



68. In this section, I propose to make a few remarks on 



., . ,, certain special evils which are alleged to 



Alleged evals m the , n , , i . j^ ji • 



present economic posi- retard, to a greater or less extent, the im- 

 ^^^o'^- provement of the condition of the masses of 



the population. These are, first, periodical revisions of land 

 assessment ; second, the uncertainty of the tenure of ryots 

 in zemindaries ; third, the increasing dependence of ryots on 

 professional money lenders, the stringency and inelasticity of 

 methods of revenue collection, and the absence of a developed 

 system of credit ; fourth, the decay of domestic industries, the 

 absence of diversity of occupations, and the dense ignorance 

 of, and want of enterprise among, the agricultural and indus- 

 trial classes ; fifth, the excessive cost of litigation ; and sixth, 

 the disintegration of village communities and the decay of 

 the spirit of co-operation so necessary in a poor country for the 

 purpose of carrying out large undertakings and for providing 

 safeguards against common dangers, and the absence of a 

 machinery which would serve as a safe and trustworthy gauge 

 to Government of the necessity for undertaking legislation in 

 matters affecting the laws of inheritance and domestic 

 relations of the people, corresponding to the rapid changes 

 that are taking place in their economic condition. I shall 

 endeavour to state to what extent the evils enumerated exist 

 and are the outcome of the present regime, what measures 

 have been taken by Government to remove them or mitigate 

 their effects, and what further remedial measures are 

 practicable. 



I. Periodical Revisions of Land Settlement. 



69. The Settlement department in this Presidency was 

 The circumstances Organized in 1856, that is, at a time when 



under which the Settle- it was just beginning to recovor from the 

 l^J:rrSTj::. eff'ects of an acute agricultural depression. 

 rai principles laid down The old asscssmcuts had bccu exccssive 

 for its guidance. ^^^ f^^ bcyoud what the ryots could pay 



regularly in all seasons, and their incidence, notwithstanding 

 the reductions made from time to time, had, owing to the 

 great fall in the prices of produce, become oppressive. A large 

 extent of land, often of superior quality, had fallen out of 

 cultivation in consequence of the unequal pressure of assess- 

 ments on the different classes of soil ; and cultivators who were 

 unable or unwilling to cultivate lands were forced to do so. 



