( vii ) 



habits of the people of India which in European countries it 

 took centuries- to accompUsh. This part of the volume con- 

 cludes with a valuable comparison between the economic condi- 

 tion, of India and that of European countries and closes "with 

 the. hope that, having regard to the wonderful improvement 

 which has taken place in England'during the last three centu- 

 ries, a similar advance in prosperity may be attainable here. 



7. In the next place •the author proceeds to consider* 

 ^„ . ^rr ■ certain alleajed evils in the present eco- 



* Section VI. . ". , '■ 



nomic position and to suggest • certain 

 remedial measures. Prominent among the suggestions here 

 made are .those which relate to the principles recently enunci- 

 ated for the revision of land assessments in future years. The 

 author points out that while it would be impossible to have 

 rules regarding revisions of a.ssessment conceived in a more 

 liberal spirit than those at present in force, yet these rules 

 are not generally known and that it is very necessary that 

 they should be widely published. Before doing so, how^ever, 

 he considers it essential that the initial standard schedule of 

 prices, with reference to which future revisions- of assessment 

 are to be regulated, should be fixed. He shows that the 

 commutation prices adopted for the existing settlements have 

 been calculated in dififerent ways and should not therefore be 

 taken as the standards for the future revision of assessments 

 with reference to prices. He suggests that the average 

 prices of a definite period prior to each settlement should be 

 taken as' the initial stcindard, and that the prices thus arrived 

 at should be compared with those of a like period preceding 

 any future revision. His Excellency the Governor in Council 

 regards this suggestion, as well as that which would- ensure 

 the publication in the official Gazettes of the rules regarding 

 the revision of assessments, as sound and practical, arid 

 proposes to take action in the direction indicated without loss 

 of time. The Government consider^, however, that there is 

 no need for legislation in this matter. 



8. The proposals to improve the position of zemindari 

 tenants on the one hand, by the amendment of the law of 

 land-lord and tenant, and on the other to arrest the rapid 

 dismemberment of zemindari estates have -been anticipated 

 by Government. A draft Tenancy Bill and a draft Encum- 

 bered Estates Bill have been recently drawn up and will be 

 introduced into the Legislative Council at a very early date. 



9. The remarks regarding the advantages of 'banking 

 facilities are of a practical character. The question of estab- 

 lishing what are known as Agricultural Banks has been 



