Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council, 1st June-29th June, 1773
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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. Between 1769 and 1786 the revenue administration was managed by various intermediate agencies like the Resident at the Durbar, Provincial Council of Revenue, the Calcutta Committee of Revenue. 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.
On May 1772, the Court of Directors decided to hand the revenue administration to a board, consisting of the President and four other members, while the title of the supervisor was changed to that of the Collector. The whole council that was constituted, to sit two days in the week, or if necessary more; the members of the council were appointed to act as auditors of accounts, each a week in rotation, The Revenue Board in the Whole Council continued to operate till 1774.
Selection details
On May 1772, the Court of Directors decided to hand the revenue administration to a board, consisting of the President and four other members, while the title of the supervisor was changed to that of the Collector. The whole council that was constituted, to sit two days in the week, or if necessary more; the members of the council were appointed to act as auditors of accounts, each a week in rotation, The Revenue Board in the Whole Council continued to operate till 1774.
1.
1.1. Read the following Letter and Inclosure from the Resident at the Durbar
To disregard the numerous Complaints which are daily preferred to me of the ill treatment and extortion exercised by the Peons who are deputed on the Business of the Moorshedabad Adalut. Would reasonably subject [Page 1943] Me to the imputation of the Injustice and Inhumanity. I have now the Honor to transmit for your Approbation the Deliberations of Rajah Dooleram and myself on this Subject, and hope that either the Mode of Redress proposed therein, or any more Salutary and effectual which your Knowledge and Experience may suggest, may be immediately carried into Execution.
The Regulations enclosed, altho’ they may at first view appear severe yet when it is considered that the subsistence for the Peons or in other Words the Costs of Suit, on a trifling Cause, by the present System often greatly exceed the Amount litigated for, and that this Hardship is only felt by the poor, who in default of giving Security for the contested Sum, or Bail for their Personal appearance are obliged to maintain the Peons of the Court, till their Dispute is brought to a decision and that by the Nature of Collecting their daily fees and Opening is left for the Practice of severity and Extortion, they will upon the whole be found simple and [Page 1944] moderate, and have this great Advantage to recommend them, that they leave no room for the admission of Abuses.
Although I see no probability at present that the fund to be levied by the percentage of 5 Rs should ever prove insufficient to defray, the Charges of the new establishment of Peons, in case a Deficiency should happen, the Balance ought I think to be made up by the Company, and I hope the general case and relief which all Petitioners for Justice will experience, from the Insolence and Importunity of a sett of unprincipled Wretches will be an argument of sufficient weight to overbalance the seeming Impropriety of enhancing the Expences of our Hon'ble Masters.
1.2. Agreed we write the following Answer
We have received your Letter of the 24th Ulto.
For the reasons you have therein assigned we agree to your entertaining a Number of Peons at fixed Wages for the Business of the Adawlut and defraying the Expence by a Fee of 5 per cent upon all Suits but we desire that the Proportions [Page 1949] to be paid by the Plaintiff and Defendant may be regulated as follows. When the Defendant is cast in part or in whole he is to pay three fourths, and the remaining one fourth is to be paid by the Complainant. But in suits which are dismissed the whole charge should fall on the Complainant and the Defendant should be exempted from every Claim. Whatever is collected and paid on this Account should be inserted in your Treasury easily observe if the Collections are adequate to the Charge and that the Company are put to no additional Expence on this Account.
Fort William 11th June 1773We are etc.