318 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XIII, assessment of Rupee 1 per acre, wliile tlie Burgher can at any time 

 PART I. take up a portion at rates of assessment generally below that sum, 



there is clearly no reason why any further concession should be made 



History. to the latter. 



' " As regards " grazing puttas " the Board strongly urged the 



inequity of restricting unnecessarily the privileges of the hill 

 cultivators in regard to grazing rights. " The abuse of privilege " 

 they observe^ ''is to be guarded against^ but is not sufficient 

 reason for withholding what general principles of good policy 

 would concede^ and that the original occupants of d,ny particular 

 locality have certain preferential rights of common over new- 

 comers is recognised in every civilized system of polity. That 

 such a right has been paid for by a villager should certainly 

 strengthen his claim rather than weaken it. The paramount 

 importance in an agricultural community of a sufficient extent 

 of grazing land to maintain an ample stock is even more than 

 ordinarily indisputable in a naturally poor country like Coimba- 

 tore, where the requisite extent must be greater to provide the 

 same amount of nourishment for the cattle, and the necessity for 

 an abundant supply of manure is more imperative, and the Board 

 would strongly deprecate any innovations which might tend 

 unduly to restrict the facilities for attaining these objects.'^ But 

 they were anxious to throw no unnecessary difficulties in the 

 way of intending bond fide cultivators ; and to prevent a ryot 

 from paying temporary full assessment instead of one-quarter in 

 order to defeat a settler from obtaining land, they proposed that 

 whilst the land continued in the puttadar's possession no reduc- 

 tion fi'om full assessment should be allowed, except in regard 

 to the " ain grass '' fifth, and that the putta should be required 

 to be renewed annually. The " ain grass " privilege, it will be 

 noted, was to be preserved intact. 



The Government did not deal with the suggestions regarding 

 "shifting " puttas, but as regards " grazing puttas '■' they 

 questioned the validity of the Board's reasons, holding that, as 

 the Badagas did not desire to take up the land with any intention 

 of permanently improving it, their tenure should be regarded as 

 annual, and as giving no preferential title ; and, even as regards 

 the immemorial " ain grass'' privilege, the Government would 

 not admit that so small a payment should secure more than the 

 right of pasturage for a year. A preferential right would enable 

 the Badagas virtually to exclude strangers, for whilst they held 

 that in the plains, where boundaries are definitely fixed, there 

 would be little risk of abuse, it was otherwise on the Hills. 



This order of Government did not touch the question of 

 assessments, which, together with the general question of restnct- 



Decision of 

 Government. 



Revision of 

 assessments. 



