MANUAL OF THE NILALIlEI DISTRICT. 



351 



These orders still regulate the assessment on lands, whether for CHAP. XIII, 

 building or agricultural purposes, occupied within the canton- P- ^^T II. 

 ment of Ootacamand. Bevenue 



It is unnecessary to recount the position occupied by European ' 



settlers in relation to the Todas during the five years ending 1842. Radical 

 The close of this year, however, marks an era in the history of ^j^^ policy of 

 European settlements in South India. The difficulties which Government 

 existed in the issue by the Government Registrar of permission 

 certificates ^ for lands acquired on the Hills was ascertained 

 to be due to the fact that the rights of the ancient occupiers of 

 the soil had never been defined, and that the existing land 

 arrangements did not adequately provide for schemes of extensive 

 improvement and the settlement of capitalists on the Hills. In 

 issuing fresh rules and laying down new conditions, the Govern- 

 ment appear to have calculated on the concurrence of occupiers ; 

 but, supported by the lawyers, they naturally demurred to accept 

 conditions which more or less affected the validity of their titles 

 and the value of their properties. The whole question was referred 

 to the Court of Directors in despatches of 27th December 1842 

 and 15th February 1843. The Court's reply of the 21st June 

 following has already been referred to at length in the matter of 

 the Todas' claims, but this document is of equal historical moment 

 on account of the policy which it laid down for the disposal of 

 waste lands. That pohcy is detailed in a despatch dated 23rd 

 February 1842 regarding the grants of wastelands in Dehra Doon, 

 and this Government were directed to act, as far as circumstances 

 would admit, in accordance with the instructions contained in that 

 despatch ; but it was observed that before such instructions could 

 be systematically acted upon, it would be necessary to survey 

 and map the Hills, ''distinguishing the lands in the occupation of 

 Government and private individuals, those brought under cultiva- 

 tion by the Burghers, those which are to be left in the permanent 

 occupation of the Todas, and those entirely unoccupied, over a 

 portion of which the Todas have been accustomed to pasture their 

 herds." This work was to be set in hand at once, but in the 

 mean while the Government were permitted to accept eligible 

 proposals for cultivation, care being taken that the rights of other 

 parties were not infringed and the general rules laid down by the 

 Court were observed as far as practicable. The Court also directed 

 that the rates fixed for enclosui^es for dwelling-houses in Ootaca- 

 mand should be charged for similar enclosures outside the limits 

 of that cantonment. 



' The riiles regulating the issue of these certificates in the provinces were 

 promulgated in April 1835, and will be found in Appendix No. 4, Maskell's edition 

 of Circular Orders of Board of Revenue, 1855. 



