178 COTTON IN THE MADBAS PEESIDENCT. [cHAP. V. 



American Cotton. The Cliayroot renters then de- 

 manded compensation. The matter was brought to the 

 notice of the Court of Directors by the Manchester 

 Commercial Association ; and the Directors instructed 

 the Madras Grovernment to relieve Mr. Lees from any 

 demand in excess of the regular assessment ; and on 

 the renewal of the Chayroot farms to restrict the renters 

 to the uncultivated lands. The Madras Government, 

 however, had already anticipated those orders, by can- 

 celling the existing Chayroot farm, and by restricting 

 the terms of future farms in such a way as to debar the 

 renters from all lands under ctiltivation. The matter 

 led to some further correspondence as to the propriety 

 of levying an assessment on the lands producing Cot- 

 ton, equal to what was levied on lands producing Chay- 

 root. As, however, it subsequently appeared that Mr. 

 Lees's experiment had proved a failure, the quantity 

 obtained being insufficient to pay the cost of culture, 

 no alteration was made in the assessment, and things 

 remained as they were. 

 260 Siscussiou respecting the purchase of American 

 Cotton on Government account from the Eyots of Tin- 

 nevelly. — In April, 1852,*a correspondence arose respect- 

 ing the purchase of American Cotton from the Eyots 

 in Tinnevelly. It seems that Mr. Bird, the Collector 

 Dr. Bird's of Tinnevelly, had applied to Dr. "Wight 

 Apilfilsl^ for some fifty or seventy bags of New Or- 

 Pari.'nietarn leans Cotton seed, to be distributed amongst 

 (i8S7),p.233. ^.jjg jjyots of the district. At the same 

 time Mr. Bird had represented that if the Government 

 would permit him to purchase the produce of the seed 

 on their account at the rate of nine annas a toolam (2-J- 

 maunds) on the spot, — ^being the rate which had been 

 previously paid by Mr. David Lees, — ^he was satisfied 

 that the Eyots would accept the seed and cultivate it 

 freely; and he added that unless a certain market 

 were placed before the Eyots of Tinnevelly, they would 

 never undertake the cultivation of the New Orleans 

 plant. Dr. "Wight forwarded Mr. Bird's letter to Go- 

 Br. ■Wight's vernment, and recommended that the au- 

 Ap^mt tliority requested should be granted. He 



