728937-1847-05-Jun-1847 — Page 3

THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.

gontient.

ently authoritatively submitted to government | yield a sufficiently remunerating crop; nor till we although supposed at the time to be still a lapa recommendations, compliance with which is physi Belly impossible; and lastly, that they have, from ignorance, mado savezal important misstatemen is, ientated to mislead the gullible English public, ready to hide the effects of its own selfish policy, by casting odium (however undeserved) on The fadan Executive.

With this preliminary, I proceed to the remarks."

Guzerat.

GA

Tha

So, it seems, if we are to look to the merchants of Bombay, who are dealing in cotton, for any inteligent or correct information on that point, we all be disappointed. But now a word on the new shade of settlement that has taken place lately in In reply to paragraph XVII of the letter of the Chamber of Commerce on the land-tax, the govern cent reriower remarks: On this important head suspect the authors are in error. There is a fred permanent assessment in almost all the land of every district, and it is move never liable to ariation according to the crop." We presume according to the nature of the crop, clearly not ac- cording to its quantity, because he goes on to say.... In some few districte this assessment being con- sidered too high, remissions are given in all but very good seasons, which in a degree leaves the amount if assessment uncertain, till after the settlement of the nual Jummabundy." Now, this is exactly what is fomplained of in Madras and elsewhere." pemanent assessment is too high; it is only when the produce is very abundant, and the price high, that the annual remissions are not made, and which, as the reviewer says, in a degree leaves the amount encertain. Who is to be the judge of the amount of revenue to be remitted? Why, the government collator!! and the landholder is assessed at the disertion of this officer, because the tax is so heavy i can only occasionally be expected to be paid. This is the improved condition of the cotton culti satoz ia Guzerat; we have seen what it was four- teen years ago, when, according to Mr Warden, the East India director, in his evidence before the House of Commons, previously to this latter ad- vantageous assessment, the cultivator paid 75 por cent of the whole crop to the government, which erfally left him the other 25 per cent to live, coltivate, and thrive upon. But the fact is, that though this is true, it is certain that cotton could not be grown at all under these circumstances, if it were the whole truth.

n referring to General Briggs's work on the Jard tax published in 1830, he observes, p. 331:- Ou the subject of the assessments, in general, of The most fertile paris of Guzeral, it seems desirable peneisate a little farther into the secret than one is at first capable of doing The Broach district, and fat of K are particularly mentioned as the most highly cultivated, and the husbandmen in the ars easy circumstances, although it is generally suunased that they pay a sum equal to the half of the produce (according to Mr Warden two-thirds). Portunately the surveys of these districts are com plete and are now lying before me, and by this meurs alone I am able to solve the enigma.

Breach Bergaoa.

asorat ditto

Allenated lands DAVIDE & Small quit rent or held

eBar

132,350 82,203 Okker ditto.

37,018GA Maira Collectorate: 410,8 5

Lands paying foll

revenne

two to un acre)

278,943 Broach 58,200 (district

54,173 1901,911

In the Broach district the revenue was realised by rating the crop, of which the Government took ; but out of 476.601 begas we find that 191,780 vegas being more than two fifths of the whole) are aast altogether exempt from tax. In the Kaira lectorate the land held tax free exceeds by more than a fourth the quantity that is liable to assess.

meat

less

have the contrary shown to be the case, by a real exposure of the expenses of these Government" farms, as compared with the produce which we can never hope to get, no English speculator in his senses would be caught by the bait of a nominal low We have seen two gentlemen, lately arrived from these southern provinces, who contrast the effect of the low nasessments of Coimbatore and

assessment.

Dindigul with other parts of the Madras provinces They speak of the former as highly cultivated; the inhabitants comparatively wealthy, well clad. well looking, and contented, with neat comfortable houses, all having miléh stock in abundance, and grain and tobacco to spare, in their farm yards waiting for better prices. Many, nay, almost pl the fields on the approach to towns, well defeated with dense hedges of opuntia, euphorbia and wild aloes, impervious to naide; while shundance of good roads, intersecting the whole province, made by voluntary contributions from the people them. selves, point out this part of the Madras presidency as the model for the remainder. But what is the use of a model to a Government which acts as if it had no interest for the improvement of the conditione of the people? Nearly half a century has elapsed since this monstrous system has been cried down by most of the well-informed public officers of the State, but with no more effect than if it had realised the most sanguine expectations of the benevolent but ill-informed men who set it on foot,

We think we have said enough to show the obstacles arising from the land tax throughout India, excepting where the permanent sertlement has been made in perpetuity on whole districts, ag in Bengal, at an average of a certain number of years' revenue, leaving the land then abandoned, to be brought into cultivation at the risk and ex pense of the landholders, without being subject to additional taxation. Excepting in those districts, we repeat, we do not believe there is at present any opening for Europeans to embark capital in multi- rating collon. In the provinces I have alluded to, the facility of irrigation is so great, and of yielding

more valiable products so advantageons, that we despair of seeing cotton plantations supersede those of silk, indigo, or sugar, General Briggs suggested in his work on the land tax, p. 434, that, after ascertaining the superficial area of each commune or parish, and recognising and recording the extent and identity of every tenure in each village, that the government should, in every case where two- thirds of the land fit for cultivation had been occu-

picd, fix upon it for ever no assessment equal to the average received by the Government during the preceding thirty years of our ad ministration, leav ing the distribution of assessment to the village community itself The new settlement in the country lying between the Ganges, on the Jumna, has been made on this principle, but the average of assessment is taken from the land-tix realis?l within 10 years, and the settlement has been limited to 20 or 30 years. In the Madma provinces, he seems to be of opinion that the existing state of things would be less disturbed by first of all assum- ing the quantity which each acre of land might be supposed to yield of the ordinary farinaceous food of the people, assessing it at one-sixth of the average price of the whole where it is not irrigated by Go. vernment works, and as one-third, where so irri gate. In the first instance the Gevernment would receive the nominal half of the landlord's share,

India, where no settlements like those ander the Bengal Presidency are made, still continues liable

to these annual visits of collectors and assessore, to remit or exact to an amount assumed to be equal to half the crop, though we believe it never is so in reality, not only can we never expect that India will supply us with cotton, but we can never hope for the full developement of its resources.

We find we must postpone our remarks on the means of cotton transport to the coast for another

number.

COCHIN CHINA. (From the Singaporean,)

while, in the case of the crop being manured and irrigated by works maintained at the expense of the Government, the state might well claire an addi- tional share of the crop, equivalent to the expes; dure incurred in its production. The author is of opinion, that while, on the one hand, it would nominally confer on the state, as revenue, 108. in the pound on that portion of the produce usually A similar cause prevails in the Nizam's country, assigned as landlords' profits, yet, as the pecuniary assessment would have reference to the value of the and enables it to grow cotton and send it into and through our own cotton land districts; for notwith-ordinary food which might be grown on each acre standing that the Nizam's government has long of land, it would enable the proprietor to improve the soil, by rendering it fit for more valuable pro. and want of pro. been noterious for its oppression

ductions, without being liable to extra assessment tection, yet the landholders and the village com

on that account. When we consider that land in munity succeed in concealing from the revenue collectors so large an extent of the land they bold, that, though they pay heavily for what is brought on the books, the whole amount paid is in reality per acre than in the British districts, where a Yast expense is incurred to survey and assess, where such means of evasion cannot be easily practised. The author of the review of the latter of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce says, and with treth, that By Act IV of the Legislative Council of 1836 or 1837 (he forgets which), Europeans are permitted to purchase land out and out, to any extent, and by section 2 of the same act, are vested with all the privileges appertaining to native holders of land." I am sure, under the description of the improved permanent settlement in Guzerat, where remissions are made annually, owing to oder Cagess. ment at the discretion of the Government assess and collector, Europeans ought to be most grateful to the Legislative Council for its Act of 1836-7, at the same time we are not much surprised at their evailing themselves of the boon. There is no law to prevent the peasant in Ireland from clearing thu waste bog of the landlord, only that the latter demands so large e rent for it, that the labouring fumer is compelled to quit without being remune rated for his improvement. This heavy assessment appears every where in these detailed settlements met una vida. The only exception we have met with occurs in the extreme south of India. There, it seems, the Mahomedan conquest never reached, and the lower Hindu assessment prevailed. la Ceylon we find the Government claim limited to one-tenth of the whole produce, being about 38 per cent on the landlord's rent, or 68. 8d. in the pound. In the province of Coimbatore, including Dindigul and Tonnivelly, the part of the country selected by Dr White of Madras for the Government experimental cotton farm, the Ryotwar assessment made by Mr Elurdie to the beginning of the present century was comparatively light, and it was this circumstance which induced Mr Hughes to rent laud of the natives, and to introduce the Bourbon estise, as well known as Madres cotton. The sou o as well as the Inx favourable for its produe tion, but as Mr Hughes never succeeded in obtain ing toore (list). 1:00 16x of clean cotton per nore, be at found it would pay and our conviction has book, The and still is, that the western colton grown so near and

The following particulars relative to the recent affair in this country are from an authentic source, We will stalo and may be therefore relied on the facts from the beginning

In 1845 Rear Admiral Cecille wrote to the pre- sent King of Cochin China, whose name is Tisa Tri, demanding the enlargement of the R. Rer. Dr Le Fevre, who was known to have been im prisoned by the King's orders; and at the same tima exhorting him to grant freedom of conscience to those of his subjects who had embraced the Christian faith, citing the example of the Emperor of Chim, who had lately, at the especial request of the French Ambassador, M. Lagrene, remored all restrictions upon the religious predelictions of his subjects. This letter was delivered over to the prefect of the province of Quan-Nam, by the Cap tain of the French corvette, L'Hemese bat no answer was returned, although the Bishop was re- leased.

Admiral Cecille being about to leave the Chine seas, his period of command having expired, was most anxious to get an answer to the letter altsudy

The Victorieuse anchored in the Bay of Turon on the 17th of the same mouth; but they difrenity was how to deliver the latter to the Prefect him elf, who positively declined coming in person to receive it, but wanted the Captain to deliver it to his inferior afficers. Nothing was as yet done when the Commodore, La Pierre, ranched Turon in the frigate La Gloire, on the 23d of the month, having left Macno on the 15th.

After some

The Commodore, fading that nothing had been done, resolved to have recourse to intimidation, as being the only means of compelling the acceptance of the letter by the Prefect. Accordingly the res sels present were pat through a number of naval manoeuvres, but this display produced no effect upon the minds of the Cochin Chineas. modore therefore determined upon a more active

The Comm course; and consequently deprived five Cockin Chinese vessels then in the harbour, and which were of European build, of their sails, so that they might not escape. This was not without effect On the following day, the 31st March, the Pre. fect made his appearance, and receirei with po. liteness the Commodore and bis suite. hesitation, be reluctantly consented to receive the letter, seeing that there was no other way of reca vering the sails of the five men-ofwar; and pro- mised an answer in the course of ten or twelve days. This interval passed without any incident: of importance. On the morning of the 12th April an inferior mandarin came on board the La Girire, and announced that a great mandarin had arrived from the capital with an answer; ead invited the Commodoro to go on store and receive it. The Commodore replied that he would not do so; hav ing sent his letter hy the second in command, ha considered it but just that the great mandaria should return the courtesy, and come on board himself with the answer; at the same time he assured the messenger that the mandarin would

he received with every respect. This, however, the Cochin Chinese would not consent to, ne would the Commodore accept of their invitating.

It was uncertain how things would terminatd.

officers went on shore to take a walk, in the greise of which they encountered a respectable lovking old Cochin Chinama, who, afer baring ascer- lained that none of his countrymen were watching him, made alarning signs to the officers, not her ing able to comprehend his messing, one of the officers gave him a pencil and paper that he might write what he was desirous of caramucicating. He then wrote four or five characters, the sense of which was, during the entertainment all the pre- ple will attack you; for, as we have observe, the Commodore bad been invited on shore to to ceive the letter, and himself an I suite were to hare been entertained by the Prefect.

when, on the evening of the same day, some French

On the following day, the 18th April, the Com- motore had not yet had an interview with the Pre- feet, when perceiving that preparations for war were being carried on as they ware sending gans and ammisition on board the fire vessels already named, be sent a bost to intercept the guns, dec and in one of the boss intercepted a letter was found contained in a small box, which was brought to the Commodore. It had three Mandarin chops ou it, in diffent places; and the purport of the latter was the plan of a conspiracy against the French, the substance of which was as follows. the captain and his officers are conferring on shore with the prefect, should they not be feand sunt ciently respectful and submissive, then all the pro pls are to fall upon their rassels, and destroy them and thus impress the barbarous Eeroptans with such terror, as will prevent them from again com ing to the country!" Then followed the devils of the manner in which the attack was to have been prosecuted.

• When

The Commodore caused an authentic caps of this paper to be male, and sent it to the profess, demanding an explanation. But no satisfactory answer was returned; the Prefect merely observing that he would take good care to punish the inpra Jence of the parties who had permitted the letter to fall into their hands -Here was policy! What better proof did the Commodore require to convince him of the fact of the Prefect being privy to the letter in question f Had the prefect been a Chinese mandarin, he never would have committed himself so far. But the Cochin Chinese are not compara- ble to the Celestials in diplomatic transactions; perhaps, owing to the restricted enture, of their in. tercourse with Europeans. Things remained in this position: esch party preparing for war, when on the morning of the 15th the French were reduced to the following alternatives either to dy shamefully, permit themselves to be surrounded by the whole force of the enemy, or to begin the attack when they could do so advantageously. They of course chose the last. Consequently a fire was opened on the Cochin-Chinese, between the hours of 11 and 19 They were well prepared to return the compliment, which they did in a manner that exceeded the expectations of the Freach-bot as may be anticipated this availed them nothing: for in the brief period of 70 minutes, no less than 800 balle had been discharged from the two French Out of the fire Cochin Chinese men. mean of war, of war, one was sunk, another blown up, and a third barnt during the engagement; the remaining two having hoisted a far of trace the French, men of war ceased fringer weet co board, took the wounded no brand their own vessels, and after humanely dressing their wounds sent then on shore. The remaining Cochin Chinese frigates

wore allerwards ouent. A COROMOTO given by the wounded mish, there we 1,500 hands on board the Coon Ca out of which number the few wodn had beau teker Du bon to be

For though ther

alluded to; but he was prevented from prolonging his stay and therefore erputed his successor, Com. 1on stres mxlore La Pierce, to demand 16. On the 10th of the March last the Commodore soat the cervello Fice Forts ones to

letter request!

to that

the line, though equally good in staple, will not Leary, not even to the Rt. Rev. Dr Li Dee Dee

!

send any one on share wila a might be murdered." Being Lany longer in the bay, he

be written on a pear of pape bar as the hiter observed that it wa to write it on a

of chadh, as it was ap in a Pagain in the neighbourhood

prece

modoratore, in the spint of the moment, a bit of cloth of the breast of his shin, and deered the In- terpreter to write upon it The Commander of

the French men of war, the Envoy at the King of Cochin Chine. This is a remembrance of the respect and submission of the barberings, whom

ficient for thee, I am quite ready to give thee & better on. This was hung up in a Pagoda on one of the small islets in the bey; after which, the two Frech corelles left Taron

thou wantedst to exterminate! If this be wethaf

The Commodore coumlins, of course haga pushed matters farther, and indeed, the facbarce he had all along secret towards die Cochin Chinees, and their errogant betrasigur mouse cut thereng, war -- rauled the measures be adopted Alhouet the cor- tainly did not effect the voted at his prail, get it will suffice to operate as a waring to the King 31 Cochin China, to be that wore cuittéens du futura toward Europeans and bore all it well teach him not 10 Thioutras no cartegy and po. itteness of civilized countrier, of any particular regard for his potency, for us doy,, IM Ostja Chinese authorities so interpreted the farosrange and reluctance of the Centendre to barg recu LE in alterior massares They have been urged apone him, through a regations procratisation 3 £5 answer to a simple suggested marje by the former French Naval Coder in Chand to the estuct that the king of Cochin China would persoll relv. gious tolerativa la bis coedty, as the Eraperor of China bail. It was entirety optical with the kar whether he gave his aswent to the request or not; and it is not, of course, to be supposal, that his mere refusal to accede to the proposition would hare given

ries is the serious proceedings already detailed, but he would not even ranchosle 32 snowes, fiber me estirely or affirmatively.

Although the Commodore, es observed, del not effect his object-rel he has, however, be his proma- titie, saved the lives of the men under bis cod. mand, and ably maimained the hour of the Flag : for, had be left the port without acting as he did there is no qucmion, bet that big conduct would have led to supercession. Asmay be gathered frava the particulars it wres not je svange the blood of the Missionurice as stated by the Straits Times-it the they might have done long befure, but the affair originated out of the armegint and contemptum es manner, in which the Cochin Chinese authorities

rewed the bonourable attempts made by the pre-

Bent and former French Nival Comasiandenie. Chief as friendy negodation.

The Commodore how awaite iomructions from his Government; we presume, the Cochin Chinese will be revisited by their old acquaintances: who, we doubt not, will be Cally empowered to treat them. in a more peremptory manner, as they richly merk,

By the lart mell Mr Dronke of Barewak received despatches from the English Government spolup deg him that he had been appointed Her Majesty's Commissurer and Consal-General to the indepen- dent states of Bereen. Mr Brooke embarked on the H. C. Steamer Nemesis on Monday last, under a selate of 0 guns, for the purpose of visiting Sarawak and Brund. He returns bere shoot the Bath of next. month, and will proceed to England by the July

Mail.

This appointment, besides the advantages which por faterests in these parts may expect to derire from the experience and shibuy of Mr Brooke, is satisfactory sa marking that the British Govern- ment are not disposed to give way to the extrava- gant and unbest pressions of the Dutch; but that, on the contrary, it is intended to maintain our righ to an equal foxing in the Archipelago, and to all the commercial and political advabagss which may Arise from the exercise of a legitimate influence, We hope that M. Brooke's sapointment is only the Arst of a series of measures for effecting such a dev sirable ead.Singapore Free Prum, May 13.

10:

At his residence in Macaoy on the Sad inst. Capt. Thes 1. Unborne, lately at the Calmette, agen 30 years, deeply regretted by his hiends.

ICE COMPANY,

Meeting of the Sharebeaders of the Homeoxy

ICE COMPANY, will be held at the House of Mess DENT & Co, on Houday bext, the 7th inst., at 5 F. M., for the purpose of appointing & Committee of Management, and receiving a report of the affairs of the Company. Hongkong, 3rd June 1847.

}

TO LET FOR A FEW MONTHS. THE Upper Flour of a HOUSE commending &

fpe riew of the Bay, Sasisting of

of a suite of fre handsome Rooms, with Bathing overs, Cook- houses, dec, &c.

FRANKLIN & MIENE.

Victoria, 4th Tue, 1847

TO LET VERANDAH COTTAGE, Cosisizing 3 Rooms with Carden, etached kärbes, $(S- bles, &c, ed West of the Magistracy, in the Cid Base

Rent $3 per Mentor

Victoris, 4th Jene, 18-7

SHEATHING CO

ER MICHELL

St