1845-49.] DE. WIGHT S FOUR YEARS IN COIMBATORE. 75 



added to the price given for the Cotton when produced, 

 in lieu of a reduction of the rent of the soil. Dr. 

 Wight however had already offered this increased price 

 for the American Cotton, but without effect. Dr wight's 

 Accordingly he applied to the Madras Go- letter, 20th 

 vernment to renew, for a further period of pari'Return 

 five or ten years, the orders of 1833, grant- (i857),p.i53. 

 ing 50 per cent, remission on all lands under American 

 Cotton cultivation. 



Marquis of Tweeddale in favour of the remission. 122 

 — The Marquis of Tweeddale was in favour of the pro- 

 posed remission. He considered that if 



f i j «i it i . \r ' i Minute of 



granted, it would only bring a larger the Marquis 

 breadth of land under the plough ; inas- ^le^rd* " 

 much as a foreign demand for the Ameri- Sept., 1847. 

 can Cotton of India would in no way in- ^sf^l^ 

 terfere with the Indian demand for its own 

 raw produce ; consequently the same extent of land 

 would still be cultivated to meet the wants of the home 

 consumer, and the same rental would be received by 

 G-o vernment ; the only difference being that more waste 

 land would be taken into cultivation to meet the foreign 

 demand for American Cotton of Indian growth. 



Court of Directors decide against the remission. — 123 

 The Court of Directors refused their consent to the 

 proposed remission. They considered it j) eS p atcll 

 would be an obvious violation of the gene- from the 

 ral principle, which prescribes that the as- rectors?4t?" 

 sessment shall be regulated by the capa- July, i^s- 

 bility of the land, without any reference to ^857)fp?i8o! 

 the particular description of produce which 

 might be raised from it. Again, even supposing that 

 American Cotton could be cultivated with profit only 

 when half the rate of assessment was remitted, and 

 that this profit would cease when the rate of assessment 

 was again raised to its original amount, this fact would 

 simply prove that the remission was forcing a factitious 

 cultivation, which under ordinary circumstances could 

 not be carried on. However, it was the belief of the 

 Directors that no such reduction was required in the 

 province of Coimbatore ; for the out-turn of American 



