Earl Cornwallis to the Court of Directors, 2 August 1789

HONOURABLE SIRS,

You will observe by Mr. Ives's correspondence that great pains have been taken to obtain the benefits that were expected to result to both parties from the commercial treaty with the Vizier by pressing the minister to carry it into full effect in his Excellency's dominions.

I have sufficient reason to believe that Hyder Beg Khan is anxious to preserve my good opinion of his public conduct by doing everything in his power to execute strictly all stipulations on the part of the Vizier with the Company, and to establish internal order and good government in his master's territories. But unluckily the Vizier's, early habits of dissipation and inattention to business have not yet entirely left him, and he is so apt to suffer his conduct to be influenced by very undeserving people, with whom he sometimes associates, that the wishes and intentions of the minister cannot always be completely executed. Inconvenient, however, as those defects in his Excellency's character may be, it is not easy to find effectual remedies for them.

Material omissions are generally corrected immediately upon my representation. But I think it infinitely more for the real advantage as well as more creditable to the Company, to bear deficiencies of no great importance on the part of his Excellency with a little patience, rather than attempt to renew the species of interference in the details of his government through the medium of our Resident, which has been so judiciously reprobated by your honourable Court, and from which I have ever most carefully abstained.

The causes to which I have alluded, occasioned some delay in reaping all the advantages that might result to both countries from the late commercial arrangements; but the mutual utility of the treaty is apparent, and our large and increasing collections of duties at the Customhouse at Maunjee are sufficient proofs of the particular benefits which have already arisen from it to the commerce of the provinces ....

Mr. Duncan's conduct has contributed to promote the extension of commerce and agriculture and great progress has been made in establishing a system for the regular administration of justice, which alone can secure the happiness of the body of the people in that valuable province.

The great additional resort of Deccan merchants to the mart of Mirzapore, and the applications that have been lately made for tracts of ground to increase the buildings at that place, have been very pleasing indications of the commercial improvements; and it has likewise been with peculiar satisfaction that I have lately received a convincing proof of the good effects of his judicious management upon the minds of the neighbouring powers by an application from Nana Furnavese, the First Minister of the Mahratta state, for leave to build a house for himself in the city of Benares, for the avowed purpose of resorting to it occasionally to perform religious duties; and this application has given me the more pleasure, as the resolution was deliberately adopted upon the report of Mhadajee Pundit, his own household Dewan, whom he sent privately last year with a caravan of pilgrims, to make his observations, and who it seems had given a most favourable account of the mildness and regularity of the British Government.

The future substantial interests of the Company, and the prosperity and happiness of millions of people, are so deeply concerned in the plan of settlement of land-revenues of those provinces, that before I should proceed to execute the orders contained in your revenue letter, dated the 12th April 1786, 1 thought it my indispensable duty to acquire every information in my power, and give the whole subject the most mature consideration.

Although Mr. Shore's precarious health has frequently interrupted his exertions, I consider it is singularly fortunate that the public could profit from his great experience and uncommon abilities upon this important occasion.

His exertions were no less able than laborious in obtaining the materials that were necessary for arranging the principles on which the settlement of the province of Behar is proposed to be made. But as the revenue letter from the Board gives you a full account of the plan of that settlement, I think it unnecessary to trouble you with a particular statement of it.

There will probably be very little alteration in the principles of the plan that will be adopted for the settlement of Bengal, and after having given the subject much serious consideration I think myself bound, in justice to my own feelings, and to my opinion of the true interests of the Company, and the British nation, to declare my strongest conviction that the outlines of the plan now proposed, are well calculated to secure and even increase your revenues, and at the same time to raise the national reputation, by its giving a prospect of comfort and happiness to the natives of those valuable dominions, far beyond that which they have hitherto enjoyed under any other masters.

Many subsidiary arrangements will be requisite to render the principles of the plan applicable to the various rights and customs that exist in different parts of those provinces, and they must be made by government, either as the propriety of them may appear to observation, or as cases may be brought forward by representation.

The security of property, however, and the certainty which each individual will now feel of being allowed to enjoy the fruits of his own labours must operate uniformly as incitements to exertion and industry; and I have purposely in this settlement proposed to withdraw the Gunges from the zemindars, and to place them in the hands of government in order that it may at all times have an unrestrained power to raise or lower the internal taxes, or duties on particular articles of produce or manufacture, as may be found most suitable to the general interests of commerce; but above all, as the land-revenues, when the Jumma is once fixed, cannot increase, that the Company may, through the medium of duties upon an increased consumption of the necessaries and luxuries of life, participate in the wealth and advantages, which, I trust, will be consequences of a permanent revenue settlement to the inhabitants of this country.

The humane and liberal sentiments which dictated the instructions upon which the present plan is founded, will prompt you to receive the highest gratification, if my hopes of its producing wealth and happiness to the intelligent and industrious part of the individuals of the country shall be realized; and, independent of all other considerations, I can assure you that it will be of the utmost importance for promoting the solid interests of the Company, that the principal landholders and traders in the interior parts of the country should be restored to such circumstances as to enable them to support their families with decency, and to give a liberal education to their children according to the customs of their respective castes and religions--that a regular gradation of ranks may be supported, which is nowhere more necessary than in this country for preserving order in civil society.

I am sorry to be obliged to say that agriculture and internal commerce has for many years been gradually declining, and that, at present, excepting the class of Shroffs and Banians, who reside almost entirely in great towns, the inhabitants of those provinces were advancing hastily to a general state of poverty and wretchedness.

In this description, I must include almost every zemindar in the Company's territories, which, though it may have been partly occasioned by their own indolence and extravagance, I am afraid must also be in a great measure attributed to the defects of our former system of government.

The settlement, in conformity to your orders, will be made for ten years certain, with a notification of its being your intention to declare it a perpetual and unalterable assessment of these provinces, if the amount and the principle upon which it has been made shall meet with your approbation.

The circulation of specie in this country has been so long embarrassed with so great a variety of rupees of different qualities and denominations, that the Shroffs have found an ample field for practising their arts in extorting an extravagant batta upon almost every pecuniary transaction in which they are concerned, to the heavy oppression of individuals, and in many instances to the great detriment of the Company's revenue; and there appears to be no effectual remedy for the evil but of a general new coinage of all the circulating silver of the country into rupees, or subdivisions of rupees, of exactly the same weight, standard, and denomination.

Amongst the other preparatory steps that have been taken to carry this measure into execution, it has been determined that all revenue settlements shall be made in Sicca rupees, and you may be assured that I shall spare no pains, and neglect no percaution to accomplish with safety this salutary work.

As the opium contract terminates this season proposals f or a new contract for the term of four years, as before, have been called for by public advertisement.

The opium ryots were by the terms of the late contract left so much in the power of the contractor, that it has been chiefly owing to the moderation and forbearance of Mr. Heatly, who held that contract, that they have not for some time past suffered great vexation and distress.

A regard for the true interests of the Company, no less than the irresistible claims of humanity, rendered it necessary to give these poor people the protection of the laws against personal violence, and to enable them to make an equitable bargain with the contractor for the produce of their labours.

I think it probable that the relief which has been given to the ryots may occasion some decrease of price on the offers that will be made by the candidates for the contract, but I am persuaded that the loss upon that head will be more than compensated to the Company by the encouragement which will be given to the ryots to extend the cultivation of the poppy, and by the measures which have been adopted being calculated to promote the general prosperity of the districts in which it is produced.

I thought that upon the whole it would be more beneficial for the Company that the Benares opium should also be provided in future by contract, and it is accordingly offered to the fairest bidder on the present occasion, under nearly the same conditions for securing good treatment to the ryots as those that are prescribed for Behar and Bengal.

An infamous traffic has, it seems, been carried on in this country by the low Portuguese, and even by several foreign European seafaring people and traders, in purchasing and collecting native children in clandestine manner, and exporting them for sale to the French islands and other parts of India.

I have at different times taken steps to prevent the continuance of practices which are so shocking to humanity, and so pernicious to your interests, and in order to deter all persons under the authority of this Government from being concerned in that species of trade, I lately directed that a commander of a country vessel, who carried off some children last winter, should be prosecuted criminally before the Supreme Court; and I likewise published a proclamation to give notice, that any person living under the Company's protection, or in any shape under the authority of this Government, who shall be convicted of carrying on, or aiding, or abetting the barbarous traffic that I have mentioned, will be certain of meeting with the most exemplary punishment.

There are many obstacles in the way against abolishing slavery entirely in the Company's dominions, as the number of slaves is considerable, and the practice is sanctioned both by the Mahomedan and Hindoo laws.

I have, however, a plan under consideration, which I hope to be able to execute without doing much injury to the private interests, or offering great violence to the feelings of the natives, and which has for its object the abolition of the practice under certain limitations, and the establishing some rules and regulations to alleviate as much as may be possible the misery of those unfortunate people during the time that they may be retained in that wretched situation.

The system for the administration of criminal justice under the direction of a Naib Nazim has long attracted my serious attention and is in my opinion in a most exceptionable state.

I am sufficiently sensible that great caution will be necessary in endeavouring to reform so delicate a branch of the civil government; but I feel myself called upon by the principles of humanity, and a regard for the honour and interest of the Company and the nation, not to leave this Government without endeavouring to take measures to prevent in future, on one hand, the cruel punishments of mutilation, which are frequently inflicted by the Mahomedan law, and on the other to restrain the spirit of corruption which so generally prevails in native courts, and by which wealthy offenders are generally enabled to purchase impunity for the most atrocious crimes.

In making such alterations as may appear to be necessary for effecting the above-mentioned purposes, you may be assured that the utmost care shall be taken to render the expense as light as possible to the Company.

I conceive that all regulations for the reform of that department would be useless and nugatory, whilst the execution of them depends upon any native whatever, and that it will be indispensable for the good government of this country that there should be general jail-deliveries once or twice a year, and that two or three respectable Company's servants should be selected to act as superintendents of the criminal trials, which may be conducted, under their inspection, by native judges, with the assistance of learned Moulavies and Pundits, in strict conformity to the laws and customs of Hindostan.

Should these appointments appear to be expedient after further consideration, some reduction may be made in the present establishment of the Foujedarry department, from which the amount of the salaries that it will be proper to allot to the superintendents may in part be defrayed. The salaries, however, ought at all events to be liberal, as upon the general principles that have been already applied to the arrangement of the other departments, the income of the superintendents should be limited to fixed and open allowances, without receiving any kind of perquisite whatever.

In establishing these principles for regulating the allowances of your servants in all the branches of your service, I trust that I have acted upon the soundest maxims of public economy.

It is neither your expectation, nor would it be possible, to obtain the services of men of experience, ability, and character in this climate, where a continuation of health is so precarious, without granting them rewards in some shape sufficiently liberal to enable them to live in a decent and comfortable manner, and to make such annual savings as to give them a prospect of being able in a moderate number of years to return to spend the latter part of their days in easy circumstances at home.

The generality of men would prefer making such a fortune by means the most open and avowed, and no mode can be more honourable than that of annual savings from an established public salary.

When the allowed salaries are evidently inadequate to the above purposes, and in a country where your principal servants are surrounded with temptations, it could not easily be denied that it seemed to be expected, though not regularly sanctioned by Government, that they should look to some other sources of income; and in the pursuit of unauthorised gain by individuals in this country the public finances have often suffered great injury, and the poor natives in many instances very cruel oppressions.

The toleration of perquisites is likewise detrimental to the discipline of the service, for even when there is only an implied permission to take them, it is not easy to punish abuses, as after a beginning is suffered, distinct limits are with difficulty prescribed for the practice; but when liberal salaries are allowed and accepted as a complete compensation for services, a Government can, without scruple, disgrace and remove from their offices all those servants who shall be detected in deviations from the straight line of private honour and of public duty . . . .

The public credit of this Government has improved beyond the most sanguine hopes that I could have indulged a twelvemonth ago. The discount upon our certificates has not for some time past amounted to one and a half per cent . . . .

I received a letter from Mr. James Macpherson, who styles himself agent for the Nabob of Arcot, enclosing a long remonstrance against the decision of this Government in the succession to the late Rajah of Tanjore. I enclose a copy of my answer to Mr. Macpherson, which will, I trust, meet with your approbation.

I am, &c.,

CORNWALLIS.

From: A. Berriedale Keith, ed. Speeches and Documents on Indian Policy, 1750-1921. Vol. I. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1922, 155-165.