MANUAL OF THE NtLAGIRI DISTRICT. 355 



Not only is there marked differences in the tenvires of the several CHAl'. XlJl, 



properties, but many properties are occupied under several PA RT II. 



tenures ; whilst much land, especially in the Native portions of the Revenue 



station, is held under a squatting tenure, which, until recently, was Histoky. 



no recognised tenure at all, but simply an implied permission 



on the part of Government to the squatter to retain possession of 



the space originally occupied without permission. The ordinary 



rate for puttas for lands held by Native cultivators in Ootacamand 



is Rupees 1-18-G, and for squatter tenure in the station Eupees 10 



per acre. The partial exclusion of the stations from the operation of 



the Waste Land Rules further complicated matters, and there can 



be little question that order will never be obtained until a complete 



settlement is effected on defined principles. Such a settlement 



is as much needed in the stations as it is in the district. 



After the mutiny, for political reasons, the land systems of Discussion ou 

 India were much discussed. This discussion was focussed by the poiiit^of 

 Secretary of State's (Lord Stanley) despatch of 3 1st December Governmeut 

 1858 ; it raised three questions— [heMuthiy. 



(1) The redemption of the land-tax generally. — Lord ^ 



(2) The expediency of permitting " grantees of waste lands, despatches. 



under existing rules, to commute the annual payments 

 stipvilated under the rules by a single payment at the 

 time of receiving possession of the grant.'' 



(3) The expediency of disposing of waste lands in perpe- 



tuity, free of all prospective charge for land revenue. 



Lord Stanley, in March 1859, desired information regarding 

 the extent of land capable of cultivation, but uncultivated, at the 

 disposal of Government in British India ; and at the same time 

 required the Government of India to state *■' the conditions which, 

 having regard to the diffei^ence in revenue administration prevail- 

 ing in the respective localities, they would recommend for 

 disposing of such lands either for a term of years or in perpetuity, 

 to persons desirous of binnging them into cultivation.-" 



The Madras Government, whilst deprecating the redemption 

 of the land-tax generally, resolved to deal with certain lands in 

 accordance with the policy indicated by the Secretary of State. 

 Their determination was (1) to put up to auction all lands required 

 for building purposes at an upset price of twenty times the assess- 

 ment of the land, (2) to allow lands occupied wholly or in pai*t 

 by buildings to be converted into freehold on payment of twenty 

 times the annual assessment, (3) to give a fee-simple title in 

 certain cases without payment {e.g., lands included in village 

 sites), (4) to make the orders applicable to the Nilagiris and 

 the Wainad, the Shevaroys and the Pulnis. 



For nearly two years the Government of India had under —Lord Can- 

 discussion the questions raised by Lord Stanley. In October 1861 J^'°s'^ ^'i^o- 



