Reformation
necessary.
“ and. the subordinate, chief^i of'every. description, ^assume the right of.dis-
“ posing of ’ thej s e rie s , gff tiievCoramon;,p^ple^as they_thin^ f P^$p-^;,rf.^n,d
“ themselves employ 'many of -them^im, menial rlabpur^of a]l i d,e^eripimpsi*
“ from whieJ^tj arises, that'.the number of pppj^ej^ployei-away. frpm their
homes, on what is calledipublic services,; is almost incredibleyttC
“ It is_ thoEeforei ipor^ jthan rime and highly‘^p£e|ga^,^th.afc an,.end;be put
“ ■■to this fnonstrous ^stemvof, government. j|lumanity^j.pp^§-ffo>;^ard*rwith
f* pleasure to.this, step.- Government* whp^re^ essentially, interested',..fyave
« the .most perfect , rightft90t^ e jit; , but. th;^ chapge; m u i t ^ ^ ^ ^ a n c l
“ radical., Where-the machipplis entirely bad, it would be^yai^^afcternpt
?ifttheJ repair of a few of the ’parts of wbjph it is conappse^n thefwl^ole;?would
■ffisrill remain worthless, and-it would only r£§tfult, that?t^mairi^^ect^bring
“-’hidden by ,a 'specious covering^the-whole 1 abour.*weud(cLpe -vvojse jtiian
.“ .thrown away.”
The British government did accordingly alter the whole^ystem^of tevp-
hue. The subject was foree&bPPp; its^afj^.ntion, 9^ 9nl^y*thgij desire
which every humane and liberal administration musti-feeWte .protn oie, Mp
happinessfof its subjects, but' by considerations of a iWl^OTH^tnatureUjThp
‘resources of the. country had sunk under a- caprictpuscand tyrannical system
of exaction; industry was paralyzed, and confidence; ^Was destroyedM^hfe
opportunity for effecting a reformation was .favourable.
and we had nothing; to, dread from tbe\oppqtitioqre£^p§eijinterested.fip
supporting abuse's;-: it was, ■ therefore,_fcrj^lVedyjp..l|M
faxes, and to come immediately upon tlm-soil for th^ejsupport of S ie s ta .
blishments, -by appropriating a fixed portion of ^i^ n f o du&ej.'.leaving ithp
full ;enjoymeiitc,of the remainder tqj the cultivator, with eye® jfimnity
for turning, his industry to 'account, ^ h a t was . dqne.rih fE^^mnetfce^ily
the land reyenne arrangements, has'been seen. int^he^account given of
landed tenure. ■ -
‘ The; subjects o f the colony were freed from .the sway heir^hiefs, who
were no longer permitted to.demand at pleasure .their.,services or .their property.
- These chiefs were compensated for the loss of-theiy,fcrrn)|r jn'fii^n.ce
by salaries-in money .or. allotments qf land,. whicb^they;ei,ther. helfl- on con»
dition of performing the police duties, or collecting the revenue. •.’fflben
paid -by the rent_of-land, they,were permitted" to. exact.no .more ;tban
the assessment settled by government^ No arbitrary power was allowed
■... .them
This was the practice of the Europeans also.
thega tp, 'disturb ,fhe\peasant in-the, enjoyment, of .the- remainder, or.tp .drag
him frqrn his home, andjhfa his, famil^|!s?rthe. purpose of swelling
theirti^l^ipomp, or. performing ijgps* about,- their person or household.
Th^(Z|up[esie.jfarmersrofjthe..i;evenuRi inj Ghdnpon and; others districts, ■> having
oppressed the people^ by,oyei’y> rapafcious and,, tyrannical expedient were,
by thefdiscontmuance- of the farms-,;tdeprivgd^ ;qf the' power they had exer-
cisedj§yer thq*pgr&qu^a^4 -property!,oftthe, natives; o; Forced ^servicesjand all
del^qyjqs , produqq, .at »inadequate. rates uont,,goyehdtn%nt4.iaccount' Were
whatever goloniaf prodi^eiOrtisupplies might.be -required
fgr the public^ service,-.t|^ffa|rj market price was ordered to be paid. Duties on
the transport of goodsfrptq, qnqjpart < qf the cou n try .»to - an oth er, and ;on the sale
ofjgp/pmo^ifiiBS,at markets.or-bazar^.jW.ere^^foy^hn-njo'st part,)abolished,-uifi,
to, trade anddi§cp,u/aging(,tq(;^riqujturaLindustrys5ti*®fe.'sysfcemof
filming the.,import and«eg;ppi?t duties^; which existed under 'the; Dutch’, was.
likewise ajmulled, gaud collectors wei^ppqkitedi to .receive rtMe dutiesimme-
diaMyjfgr gpve^ngtent. Infernal duties» ofith.ematurefpfrtolls, and markfetidues,
hadjs.been,universally, though secretly, .lpvicdnby timuChinese;, in -Ghhibow^
andiofher pj^cqs,;,in direct-opposition rtolthe.orders-cof govern mpntiand. the>
terms, of their .engagement.^ ^Whis-abuse, engrafted on thfev farming .^system,-
inc^citlably -aggravatedfits.;evils and called .loudly for iRedress. vaThg farmer
tljri^thi^apac,iouls hand^intqrAyg® place where there was. the, least prospect-
Ofj gain, and limited his demand only by rthpi capacity, of the mercharA/to
sat isfy-or by spfcill-defiaed custom,-' wh-icM,/-inight!, be \perverted almost- at
pleasure, so as,.,to -anepmmodat^ i^qlf;ito, any enaction, >' »evils resulting
frprq this mode qfj-raising a revenue may easily-pei calculated1, when it is
stated, that, fop a very trifling contribution, fpcg^er-ijjRgpt by the. farmer,
duties were levied upon internal transport amounting-to nearly fifty per :ceuti!
qkjthe.^alue of .’the commodities .transported. : ffticej on: utSiitr ansp.orfi i ;ftoni.
one part of .the island to another, had bneri?Iiable?tO'duties -of mahout-.forty-
six per cent. Regulkions were made for fixing the amount o f dmport-.''du*i
ties,;,and equalizing them-over the island,,., ■ ,
. •The1festpration.;qf' t^q Dutch ; Indian-jempireK-tq -the sovereign -of the
Netherlands, at a peripd when these important changes were only in progress*
niay have perhaps prevented, the full accomplishment-by .the English of the
details i n; some, districts, [bqt the principles uo|jjtheir®ew- -system were not
only introduced and .thoroughly understood in all. the more populous districts
2 R - under