Board of Revenue Proceedings, 22nd-25th April, 1788
About this text
Introductory notes
The early records preserved in the West Bengal State Archive pertains to the administration of the land revenue system by the East India Company. The Company attained the revenue rights of the Province through the Grant of Diwani in 1765. The records in the repositories of the Archive date back to the Select Committee Records in 1768. In the early the revenue administration was managed by various intermediary agencies, these committees reflect the early experiments and confusion of the East India Company over revenue collection.
The Court of Directors decided to reconsider the revenue administration in 1785. On this line the Court wrote in their General Letter, dated 21st September, 1785, that, there would be a Board of Revenue comprising of one of Junior Member of Council, and four other senior servants of the Company. The department would manage the whole administration of settlement, collection and receipt of every branch of the Revenue department together. The Board of Revenue at the Fort William operated from 1786 to 1822.
Selection details
The Court of Directors decided to reconsider the revenue administration in 1785. On this line the Court wrote in their General Letter, dated 21st September, 1785, that, there would be a Board of Revenue comprising of one of Junior Member of Council, and four other senior servants of the Company. The department would manage the whole administration of settlement, collection and receipt of every branch of the Revenue department together. The Board of Revenue at the Fort William operated from 1786 to 1822.
1.
1.1. Agreed copy be sent to the Governor General in Council with the following Letter
[...]We have called on the Collector to Report the amount of the Indulgence granted to such of the Inhabitants who have suffered by the late conflagration.
22nd April 1788We are & ca
1.2. Read the following Letter from the Collector of Dacca
In reply to yours of the 4th Instant covering a letter addressed to the Governor General in Calcutta from the acting Majistrate of the Motion Relative to the late fire and in consequence granting the sufferers a remission of Ground Rent for [Page 57] Twelve months – Permit me with all due deference to your superior judgment to submit any opinion on it.
From long residences at Dacca & consequently local knowledge I may venture to affirm that not a year passes that quarter part of the straw houses of the City are burnt to the Ground, either from carelessness or design. It is notorious that the straw merchants have their secret emissaries to promote by fire the sale of that commodity and at this Present moment the acting Majistrate has a man in confinement who was detected in the very fact.
The late conflagration has indeed been more severely felt than any I have remembered in consequence of a high wind that prevailed at the instant – yet not withstanding there have been repeated fires since, [Page 58] & no doubt there will be more.
No Complaints was made or Petition tended by the Inhabitants on the occasion, the Company’s Rice Golahs escaped- I did not therefore deem it incumbent on me to make any representation on a matter from which no loss to Government was likely to move and am extremely concerned you should have construed into apparent negligence an omission I shall on all occasions endeavor to avoid.
His Lordship being apprised that the late Conflagration is nothing uncommon may in consequence deem the indulgence he has humanely extended to the Inhabitants more than adequate to the necessity- I have therefore presumed to withhold the execution of his orders, unable I shall have the honor being further advised.