68 



Notes on Ryoiivar, or 



[Jan. 



It should be considered as an extra demand, to be regulated at the lowest 

 scale compatible with the exigencies of the state, and it would be found 

 when tried by the test of general principles, the best present available 

 source of revenue. For the extra tax would be imposed, only, when the 

 surplus wealth of the people is largest, and not like the permanent tax 

 of ryotwar, often when their means are lowe»it ; and one of its chief 

 effe cts would probably be, to divert into the coffers of the state a por- 

 tion of the sums now wasted on marriage festivals, and in similar occa- 

 sions of large personal expenditure ; for it is in that mode, that the extra 

 gains of profitable years in lieu of being husbanded, are at present ex- 

 pended by the ryot. 



The system here proposed is in force irs its leading fealares, in several 

 of the best managed properties in Scotland and England, and a refer- 

 ence to the evidence annexed to the last Report of the Committee on 

 Agriculture of the House of Commons (1836) will shew its beneficial 

 effects. Its first principles, a corn rent wdth a fluctuating commutation 

 price within a defined limit, are contained also in the Co'o ngoo system 

 of Tanjore, introduced nearly 15 years' back, which has been, and still is 

 in operation throughout a Lirge portion of that province. It could not 

 meet therefore w^ith any serious diflfieulties in practice, indeed the ryot- 

 war, as it is termed, of Tanjore, recently introduced, also contains some 

 of its essential elements ; and it is in favour of the plan, that the merasi- 

 dars of that province, w ho are without doubt competent judges of what 

 is necessary for their permanent interest, have rejected a fixed annual 

 money rent, and required a modification of the ryotwar tax of the na- 

 ture here suggested, in order to meet the necessities of unfavourable 

 years. 



The chief objection which would attach to the plan, is the obvious 

 evil of the occasional changes of settlement required, in order to adjust 

 the commutation price. To obviate this objection, we might take as our 

 guide, an average of only the low, or medium prices of the previous 

 seven or ten years, and fix the standard price at this rate. Owing to 

 the circumstances repeatedly adverted to, particularly the large excess 

 of the agricul:ural population over all other classes, which make low 

 prices the genervil rule, and high price the exception in this country, 

 the Government would lose but little, in excluding from the commuta- 

 tion average, years of high price, and two most important advantages 

 would be gained. 



The ryot, or merasidar would be secured against over demand; and 

 it would not be necessary to interfere with him frequently, for it would 

 probably be found, that the rent fixed on a commutation taken at this 



