1.1. Read the two Letters from the Resident at Burdwan dated 5th & 19th Instant the first enclosing abstract of the Claims of the Farmers of that Province for Losses sustained last Years.

I have received your favors of the 22nd & 20th December in compliance with your orders I have examined the accounts of the Farmers for the loss they have Sustained by the ruin of their Crops, it was not before I had twice [Page 112] Scrutinized theme that I made the reduction which I had the Honor to transmit you in my Letter of the 11 December I am sure Gentlemen that it is not in my power to reduce the Claims further than I have already done, what is proposed to be allowed will not I am Satisfied be more than what is necessary to indemnify the Farmers, and I am fully persuaded that they have given up a great part of their Claims upon my adjustment with them from the Consideration of its being an indulgence of Government for an unforeseen misfortune which though they require as a Support they cannot Claim as a right. For the same reason Hon'ble Sir & Sirs is still rests with you whether to allow them anything or not, but as they will be unable to pay the Demands of Government without such aid on account of their losses, I formerly recommended the Situation of the Farmers to your favorable Consideration & now beg leave to enclose you an abstract of the account I formerly sent which distinguish the demands of the Farmers for what they have a right to Claim accordingly to their Writings, and what they now expect for the loss of their Crops so as to enable them to go on with their payment This province has hitherto paid its rents remarkably well and it the accounts [Page 113] of the Farmers are clearly adjusted by allowing their reasonable demands, so as to ascertain the remaining Kists it will I am convinced this year yield a Malguzarry equal to former Years. But if this is not Speedily attended to & recourse is had to Severity the Ruin of several Farmers will be inevitable which must occasion a heavy Balance at the close of the year, I therefore hope Gentlemen to be favored as speedily as possible with your determination on these Claims & I will then be enable finally to settle the payments of the Farmers s throughout the Year.

1.2. Agreed that the following answer be written

We have received your Letters of the 5th & 9th Instant the latter accompanying a Dispatch of Treasure.

We are still of Opinion that the Claims made by your Farmers for the accidental losses sustained on their Farms for which there is no Clause in their agreement should not be admitted as a Deduction on the part of Government- you will therefore give them no reason to expect any further indulgence on this account than present remission in the payment of their Kistbundees which we desire you will settle in the best manner you are able acquainting the Farmers that they must ultimately be responsible for their full Jumma excepting for the amount of the Claims included under the Head of Nudde Shecust & Ballooparra Ground amounting in all to Rs 55,204,,-11 according to the accounts you mention to have examined.

Fort William 19th January 1773

We are Sir your humble servants.

1.3. Read the following letter from the Collector of Nuddea

I have the honor of transmitting you enclosed, a Statement of the Collections to the latter end of Poss, and the Monthly accounts should have accompanied it, but that I cannot finally close them for want of Purkies of the Khalsa to know what Credit the Province to receive for the Several remittances made of Treasure.

One cause to which the Farmers attribute the present backwardness of their payments, is the Encroachment the River has in many places made upon the Lands, and thereby reduced the established Jummas of a great number of Villages. As it is particularly Specified, in the 19th Article of the Aumilnoma, that in Case of such an Encroachment they shall be allowed a Deduction in their Rents, they do now in Consequence thereof demand, an Enquiry be made by Aumeins to be dispatched into the Moffusil, and till such time, as these papers are Demand upon them of more than 45,000 Rupees- This is so extraordinary a sum, that before I could give them any positive Reply, I think it necessary to take your Instruction, how I am to act upon this Occasion. From this [Page 239] best Intelligence that I can get, and what I have seen Myself, about Kishengaur, I believe the River may have made great Encroachments upon the Province and I don’t find in an Examination of the Bengal Papers since the Year 1172. That more than 6000 Rupees has been struck off the Jumma of the Province, on this account. Nevertheless I think a fair and candid enquiry by Trusty Aumeens on the part of Government will scarcely turn out to that Amount.

In the Account Statement I have wrote off R 12007, 4,,12,,1 in consequence of the public orders of the 17,, Nov, 1772, prohibiting any Collections being made on that Score till the 1st of Bhadun.

The farmer of Munsebpore having given much Cause for Complaint to his Ryotts, and his Security having represented that, if he is continued in the Management of the Purgunnah, he must petition to withdraw himself from having any Connection with the Concern. We have therefore, disposed him till Enquiry, is made into his conduct, and for the present as the Security has produced a Bondsman for his good Behaviour. [Page 240] we have made over to him the Management.

1.4. Agreed that we write the following Answer

We have received your Letter of the 23rd Instant enclosing a statement of your Collections for the Months of Augun & Poos.

We will not admit of the large amount of the Claim made by your farmers for the damage they have sustain’d by the Encroachment of the River as we are well convinced it is an exaggerated account and would be not only an immediate loss to the revenue but also a precedent for future deficiencies. When we consider the report you lately sent us of the Aumeens appointed to examine into the State of the Lands held by the Talookdars. We are confident that no dependence can be put in this mode of Enquiry.

We direct therefore that you depute your Assistant into the Mofussul with Orders to make an exact Scrutiny [Page 242] into the claims of your Farmers who can have no Pretension to a deduction for Encroachments made by the River previous to their present Lease. When this concluded you will transmit the particulars of it to us & you may assure the farmer that every reasonable Allowance will be made them agreeable to the Terms of the Amulnama, but in the meantime we will not consent to any suspension of their Rents which it is evident they are not entitled to form any Real loss which they have sustained but have grounded their Hopes of imposing this Charge on the Government on the like Indulgence which they see lately granted to the Farmers of Burdwan.

Fort William

We are Sir