connected with parliamentary control, I look to the Directors' Letter of April 1786, for their conftruction of the act of 1784. 66 They " apprehend the design of the Legislature was merely to declare general principles for the regulation of their conduct towards natives, not to introduce a novel fyftem;" and that the 39th fection of the act required an inquiry "into the caufes and foundations of the complaints, and to fend orders to redrefs the fame, confiftent with justice and the customs of the country." I am enabled to trace with what comment this conftruction was adopted in Bengal by Sir John Shore. Mr. Law obferves "how lately the Zemindars were publicly adjudged devoid of property in the foil*." "In limiting the land tax, the British nation voluntarily has granted a novel tenure to a clafs of fubjects who had only a fallacious title to Ufufruct, while the quantum depended upon the def * Sketch of late Arrangements, p. 115. 66 pots confcience *, (for laws between emperor and fubject are ideal)." "Laws and conftitutions of India is a general expreffion. It cannot be supposed that the British administration had then any determinate rule in view; permanancy was the object, and a definite fyftem+." My opinion is, that the Zemindar is indisputable proprietor of the foil, and the Reyut but a Vall or peafant, who becomes a part of his neceffary property." The Pottabs of my plan are for one year, confirmable in perpetuity if approved from Great Britain. The political ends and pecuniary advantages I have already enumerated; the question appears to me rather what system should be adopted, than what has exifted §." "In granting Mocurrerees, Government confers a novel poffeffion ||." And Sir John Shore obferved, "that the plan propofes nothing specific for the fecurity of the Reyuts; but, confidering the impofitions to which they have been fubject, will not * Sketch of late + Ibid. p. 131. Ibid. p. 116. Arrangements, p. 155. Ibid. p. 51. § Ibid. p. 133. some be neceffary in the commencement ? The operation of the principle in time will, I doubt not, be a fufficient fecurity, and perhaps the plan relies upon this "*. Mr. Law, to offer fome analogy to the native Pottabs, quotes the origin of copyholds"the common law, of which cuftom is the life". And Sir John Shore appears fatisfied, that the New Dewanne "courts, by a limitation to ten or more years, will gradually decide all inferior rights, and their decrees fix ultimately every tenure" ‡. It forms no part of my review to inveftigate how far deviation of individuals from their duty, has eluded control, fince the year 1784. It can be no reflexion on Government, if particular inftances of private peculation or breach of duty, shall be traced in individuals; for to fuppofe, that none have existed, is to fuppofe all mankind honeft; but the integrity of the Governor General is above fufpicion, and where the fource is pure, the different branches to Sketch of late Arrangements, p. 101. + Blackstone. Sketch of late Arrangements, p. 100. which it extends progreffively, must partake of its purity; and for the credit of the Company's service, the most rigid investigation of the worst periods proves, that the abuses in India have not arisen from a general depravity or dishonour of the Company's British covenanted Servants, but from the abuse of power and peculation in some of the higher departments: and this security will always remain to the natives of British India, that young men of good birth and education, will carry out good principles, and until, encouraged in extravagance, they give themselves up to a native Banyan, avowedly to participate of an abuse of power without confidering the objects of rapacity, from common British fentiment they will abftain from the miserable gleanings and fhabby plunder of an oppreffed tenantry: but when bad system shall have pampered up a Nabob or a Zemindar beyond his most extravagant pretenfions, the magnitude of the prize will baffle every check to disunite Afiatic rapine from British system. The comparison which I have made, probably did not efcape Mr. Dundas's ob fervation, and, if I may guefs, not having the opportunity to know his private fentiments, it tended to induce him to difcover the bafis of his opinion and fyftem more fully than his duty to the public and official documents, connected with his annual report to Parliament, required. The volume, published this year by his permiffion, is evidence of the minifterial investigations of the Board, and of the difficulty of digesting voluminous official documents, or of connecting parliamentary reports and private information. If I have been encouraged by its perufal to overrate my own opinion, I certainly should not have brought it forward to the public eye, if Mr. Dundas had not overrated the profperity of the natives of British India, and, by the preceding extracts from his fpeech, he had not stated to Parliament his belief, that no extraordinary neceffity now exifted of protecting the mass of native subjects in British India from oppreffion. What farther fhall be stated in illuftration of the benefit of parliamen * Introduction, page XXI. |
