1849.] STOPPAGE OF THE COTTON EXPERIMENT. 181 



of Council suggested that the land might be worked during CHAP. 



the coming season, but not beyond the season. Sir Henry _'_ 



Pottingfer however insisted upon the immediate transfer of 



Mr. D. El- 



the Farm to the Collector; and he expressed his surprise liot t's M *- 



' nute, 12th 



that Dr. Wight, who had once recommended a remission of ^ a a r [ 1 ^ 

 half the land assessment, should now have actually agreed p" r 2 n i 3 ( . 1857) 

 to pay, not merely the whole of that assessment, but an Para 121 

 additional compensation of one half more, and in some cases 



\ Sir Henry 



a rent amounting in the aggregate to double the assess- ^"njg^' 8 

 ment ; a proceeding which it was impossible for the people M U a ' ^J* 

 to understand, and which could only deter them from com-t 

 peting with the Government who possessed such a command p< 

 of money and means. The Government order was then c 

 drafted in accordance with Sir Henry Pottinger's first re- ?u?e isiJ! 

 commendations. Dr. Wight appealed. He explained that turn (i85*j 

 when procurable he had obtained Government waste land ; 

 but that otherwise he had been compelled to rent lands of letter, 1 ? ith 

 the Puttahdars, or Ryots, who were to all intents and Pari. iie'- 



turn (1857) 



purposes, proprietors of the land. This practice had been P- 216 

 in force prior to his undertaking the charge of the Farms Para 39. 

 at Coimbatore, and was altogether unavoidable ; as the 

 lands could not be obtained without the payment of com- 

 pensation to the Ryots, and the amount of compensation 

 had been fixed before he was appointed. Dr. Wight also 

 represented that his Farm had been repeatedly ploughed for 

 the coming season, and that consequently from two-thirds to 

 three-fourths of the expense had been already incurred ; all of 

 which would be lost unless the crop was grown. He added 

 that this pecuniary loss would be small in comparison with 

 those injurious effects on the agricultural community, 

 which were likely to follow the abrupt breaking up of an 

 establishment, which had been in operation for many years, 

 and when it was generally known that nearly all the ex- 

 penses of the crop had been incurred. He therefore begged 

 that the establishment might be kept up for one season long- 



OF THE 



UNIVERSITY 



OF 



