138 Macanlay's Minute on Indigo Planting. 



contract freely, or under the fear of personal violence, 

 whether he had made it with a full knowledge 

 of what he was doing, or under the influence of 

 deception. If, on the other hand, the registration is 

 to be made really efficient, if the registering officer 

 is to exercise over the labourer the same species of 

 guardianship which, in England, the Judges of the 

 Court of Common Pleas exercise in certain cases of 

 contract over married women, if the parties are to 

 appear, if the ryot is to be privately interrogated, 

 assured of protection, encouraged to accuse the capi- 

 talist, the business would be absolutely interminable. 

 In some districts 30,000 contracts would probably 

 require registration in a year ; these contracts, I 

 believe, are generally made at one season of the year. 

 A great number of registrars would be necessary 

 to conduct the examination into all these agree- 

 ments. And the registrar, entrusted with the con- 

 duct of such an examination, must be no common 

 man. He must be not only a man of sense, but 

 what in this country it is hard to find a man of 

 independency and integrity, a man who will dare to 

 stand up for a poor native against a rich English- 

 man ; it would be hard to find such functionaries in 

 sufficient numbers. 



" It would be absolutely necessary to pay them well. 

 The charge would be immense ; and, after all, it may 



