A MISSIONARY'S RETURN TO HIS OLD STATION.

BY THE REV. W. BAILEY.

Berhampore, Ganjam,
April 6, 1872.

THE readers of the Observer will see that I have changed my place of abode and sphere of operation. Owing to the return of Brother Taylor, necessity seemed laid upon me to take charge of this station. I had purposed, as you are aware, spending the greater part of my time in direct work amongst the heathen, but the events of the last six or seven years have shown us the futility of making plans for the future. The trials and failures here have no doubt tried the patience and hope of our friends at home, and they have not done the less abroad. Health and life are beyond human control, and it is ever a comfort to know that "He who fixes the bounds of our habitation" can accomplish, by the feeble as well as by the strong, the purposes of His will. "He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength." His grace meets all exigencies, and the boundless wants of humanity can never exhaust it.

I left Cuttack with many kind wishes on the 2nd of March, and spent the following day (Sunday) with our

friends at Piplee. Our good brother Hill would have been very glad if my wanderings had come to an end here. Piplee is becoming increasingly important, and is one of our most interesting and hopeful stations. There is evidence, on every hand, of real progress. I had the pleasure on Sunday morning to preach to an overflowing congregation; and at the close six of the orphans were baptized. In the afternoon I gave an account of the work at Piplee. The schools here are under excellent management, and the fruit of so much careful training, and anxious toil, will be seen in years to come; a more hopeful band of children it would be difficult to find.

I continued my journey on Wednesday, and on Saturday evening reached Berhampore. Some of the elder boys came out for four miles to meet me; and when the mission premises were in sight I found quite a crowd of old and young to greet me. There was certainly no lack of attention and respect. The scene however of so much labour, trial, and suffering, produced very mingled feelings. It was pleasant to see those who had come out of heathenism, and others that I had watched from childhood and received into the church; but for some days I realized a sense of loneliness that I had never ex

perienced before. Constant work I have found the best antidote. I have received a cordial welcome from all the European residents, and especially from the pious officers in the regiment stationed here. The Madras army contains a goodly number of Godfearing men, and there are few regiments in this branch of Her Majesty's service that have not one or more witnesses for Christ. The faith of the Roman centurion received the highest commendation from Christ, and the faith of some of these soldiers ought to put many christians to shame; the holy life of an officer of Government is an immense gain to christianity in India. Godly men, either in civil or military employ, always command the most respect among the natives, and in some measure at least secure the same confidence among the Hindoos as Joseph did amongst the Egyptians.

The pious

officers here have a little chapel of their own, and once a week in turn, conduct a religious service; I have met with them, and have been deeply touched with their simple, earnest expositions of the Word of God.

Since I left this station, a little more than six years ago, very great improvements have been made; a municipality, by order of the government, has been created, and the town has been completely renovated. Those who remember the town a few years ago would scarcely recognize it now. Great concern was felt by the local officers a few months ago, in consequence of the failure of the rice crop. It was greatly feared that there would be a second famine. The Madras government sent, without delay, a special agent to make all inquiries, and provide for any exigency that might occur. Special relief works were commenced, the rent for all government lands was to be remitted, a large sum was sanctioned to provide seed corn, and a still larger sum was given for wells and irrigation. Grain is scarce and dear, but at present there is no cause for anxiety. There has been no rain in Berhampore for nine months, and the country all round presents such a scene of barrenness as I have never before witnessed. A few days ago pestilence broke out, and for a short time there was a dreadful panic. Medical science, with all its discoveries, has yet failed to provide an effectual remedy for cholera; almost every man

has a different theory, and the remedies which appear effectual at one time are useless at another. We have had five cases, and it has fallen to my lot, as it has done before, to be both doctor and nurse. One of the sufferers was a native preacher; and the anxiety I had over his case for twenty-four hours cannot be told. The symptoms were soon checked; but the most difficult work is to contend with the prostration that follows, and without constant watchfulness and care, the patient cannot rally. The first case proved fatal: an interesting famine girl, she died in five hours. There has been a change in the weather, and since then the plague has been stayed. I never knew what "sudden fear" was till I had to do battle with this terrible scourge. We are taking every precaution, and trust we shall be spared. The promise is as sure now as when it fell from the lips of the Hebrew bard, "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings thou shalt trust." I conclude, begging an interest in the prayers of dear friends in England.

REPLY OF GOVERNMENT TO CONFERENCE MINUTE.

Cuttack, April 1, 1872.

OUR friends will be interested to know that we have received from the Government of India a reply to our Conference Minute on the assassination of the Viceroy. We were afraid of appearing officious, and did not ask that the minute might be forwarded to the Government, or to Lady Mayo; but we thought it right to send a copy to the Commissioner, and in a private letter stated that if in his judgment it appeared desirable to send it to the Bengal Government, we should not object; but we wished him to use his discretion, and assured him that we should be satisfied with his decision, be it what it might. In reply, he said that certainly he should forward it to the Bengal government; and we now learn that it was sent by that Government to the Secretary to the Government of India, and by him laid before His Excellency the Governor-General in Council, who were "deeply touched by the expressions of regret and sym

"From C. U. AITCHISON, Esq., C.S.I., Secretary to the Government of India, To C. BERNARD, Esq., Officiating Secretary to the Government of Bengal.

Dated Fort William,

14th March, 1872.

Sir, I have laid before His Excellency the Governor-General in Council, a copy of the Minute adopted by the members of the Missionary Conference at Cuttack on the assassination of the late Viceroy, and forwarded under cover of Mr. Mackenzie's docket No. 945, dated 6th March, 1872.

In reply I am directed to request that his Honour the LieutenantGovernor will be so good as to inform these gentlemen that the Government of India is deeply touched by the expressions of regret and sympathy which they have recorded on behalf of themselves and of their flock on the occasion of the death of a statesman whose untimely loss must ever be regarded as a great national calamity. A copy of the Minute will be forwarded to the Countess of Mayo.

I have, &c.,

C. U. AITCHISON, Secretary to the Government of India.

THE LANDLORDS AND TENANTS
OF ORISSA.

BY THE REV. W. HILL.

Piplee, near Cuttack, March 18, 1872. IN a recent number of the Calcutta Gazette a long correspondence has been published in relation to certain illegal taxes which the zemindars, or landlords of Orissa, have imposed upon their ryots, or tenants. As this correspondence tends to throw light upon what Orissa was, and would be, under native rule, I will endeavour to present to the readers of the "Observer" some of its principal features. By way of preface it may be stated that some of the estates in Orissa are under the direct management of Government, but that a much larger number are under the immediate control of zemindars, or, as they are called by courtesy, rajahs. The amount of revenue which these zemindars have to pay Government is fixed for a term of years, during which period it cannot be increased. According, however, to the terms of agreement for the settlement of their estates, the landlords are bound to "conduct themselves with good faith and moderation towards their dependent talookdars and ryots, and to enforce the strictest adherence to the same principles on the persons whom they may appoint to collect rents from them." But that these rapacious and unscrupulous zemindars have long violated the terms of agreement on which they hold their estates has been patent to all who have lived among the ple; and more than twelve years ago* a ryot gave brother Bailey and myself an account of the oppression to which they were subjected under native rule. Owing, however, to the immense power of the zemindar, to the expense and delay of a law suit, to the fact that any ryot who instituted legal proceedings or gave evidence against his landlord would be ever after a marked man, and certain, sooner or later, to be ousted from his house and land; owing, I say, to these circumstances, it has been difficult to bring cases of oppression home, cases which the ryot to his cost knew, and which everybody else believed, to exist. With the poor tenant, therefore, it was simply the choice of evils. Either he must bear the illegal and crushing burden of oppression, or * See Observer for 1859, p. 354.

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he must place himself in antagonism to his landlord, a course which would probably result, not only in even greater oppression, but in absolute ruin. As the less of two evils he preferred the former course. It is possible, however, according to a Hindoo proverb, to 66 squeeze a lemon until it becomes bitter;" and to such an extent did these merciless zemindars, or their agents, squeeze their ryots, that the practice became simply unbearable, and come what might, they determined to speak out. Accordingly, as W. Fiddian, Esq., (a native of Loughborough, the son of a Wesleyan minister, and a liberal supporter of our Mission) assistant collector of Bhudruck, was on a cold season tour in a district not often visited by Europeans, a petition was presented by a number of ryots, in which complaints were made regarding the extortion of oppressive taxes by their landlords. On the matter being reported to his superior officers, Mr. F. was directed to make further inquiry with reference to the grievances complained of in the petition. Happily Mr. F., having a good knowledge of Oriya, was able to understand the people without the aid of an interpreter, and went thoroughly into the case. The result has been the establishment of the charges. The Secretary to the Board of Revenue in sending the case to the Government of Bengal remarks, that the correspon

dence reveals a state of relations between the zemindars and their tenantry which, though generally supposed to exist throughout Bengal in a greater or less degree, has never before been so clearly and definitely brought to the notice of Government."

The zemindars complained of, and whose names are published, are nine in number; and it appears that, in addition to the rent to which they are lawfully entitled, and which generally amounts to about one half the entire produce, these rapacious members of native aristocracy have been taking money for the following objects:

First-Regular exactions taken every year. 1. Postal fees.

2. Telegraph expenses.
3. School subscription.
4. Income tax.

5. Rent-day present.

6. Present to writer of receipts.

7. Present to zemindar's head agent. 8. Presents at a festival.

9. Present for renewal of leases. 10. Present to inferior writers. 11. Present for keeping up establishment for collecting rents. Second-Casual exactions on special occasions.

1. Levy for supplies to camp of magistrate when he visits the estate. 2. Levy for supplies given to regiments marching through the district. 3. Levy for zemindar when he visits his estate.

4. Sum raised when zemindar goes to bathe at Jajipore festival.

5. Cost of building temple.

6. Fees when ryot's son or daughter is married.

7. Additions to rent when zemindar is in want of money.

8. Cost of feeding zemindar's horses. 9. Expenses when zemindar goes on pilgrimage to Pooree.

10. Sum to meet any sudden demand on the zemindar.

11. Cost of keeping zemindar's elephants.

12. Sum levied to fee officer who serves a notice on zemindar.

13. Sum levied when officer is sent to make an investigation or measure land.

14. Sum levied when police visit the

estate.

15. Fee levied by headman of village. 16. Salary of messengers employed by zemindar.

17. Payment for presents of sacred rice brought back from Pooree. Each ryot has to take a handful, and pay for it.

Some zemindars, it is stated, take more than these; and though they are not all taken on all estates, many of them are universal. As an illustration of the way in which the poor ryots are gulled reference may be made to the telegraph expenses and the school subscription. Though the zemindars are at no charge whatever by the line of telegraph passing through their estates, the sight of the posts and wire suggested to some one that they might be useful as a means of getting money. Again, the "school subscription" is a tax imposed to meet an annual subscription promised, but in many instances never paid to the Government School at Bhudruck.

Though the above contains a list of

the principal taxes imposed, the zemindars extort money or money's worth from their ryots in various other ways.

1. Ryots are made to supply the zemindar with cloth and other articles at rates far below the market price.

2. The zemindar takes rice at low rates in payment of rent.

3. The zemindar lends rice to ryots and takes back eight times the quantity. 4. The ryots are made to work without payment.

5. Receipts for rent are withheld and falsified till the ryots do not know how their accounts stand.

And so a person might go on trying to fathom the depths of cunning and iniquity common to the zemindars of Orissa only with this result, "that below the lowest deep another deep is found." Indeed their depths of villany are simply unfathomable. When called upon for explanations with reference to their course of procedure these native princes denied many of the charges, and attributed them to malice on the part of the ryots; but as many of them are sustained by documentary evidence, and others by the testimony of one hundred and fifty-nine ryots who were examined, there can be no doubt but that they are substantially correct.

His Honour the Lieutenant of Bengal observes, "It is intolerable that people in the position of the Orissa zemindars should exercise such tyranny as is depicted in this correspondence over people who stand in relation to Government which their ryots occupy," and they are formally warned that if they continue to make any of the exactions described, Government, exercis. ing its powers, will bring their estates under its direct management. The correspondence, as well as information which has reached him from other sources, "leads the Lieutenant-Governor to fear that the zemindars of Orissa are a specially unscrupulous and incorrigible set of men, in dealing with whom strong measures are necessary. As regards the past, Government still reserves to itself the power of treating cases which as peculiarly aggravated and fitted for example render such a course desirable; but before passing definite orders the Lieutenant-Governor desires that the zemindars named may be called upon to state any reasons which they may be in a position to give why their estates should not,

CORRESPONDENCE.

[It will be understood that we are not responsible for the opinions expressed by friends who favour us with communications for this Department.]

THE ROMAN MISSION.

To the Editor of the Missionary Observer.

Dear Sir,-It is with great reluctance that I write a few lines to you, but I do feel so interested in the proposed Mission to Rome that I cannot forbear. I have read with great interest in the pages of your Magazine all the remarks your correspondents have made since Mr. Cook first introduced it, and I do feel with many others that it is of the utmost importance that we send a right good man there and sustain him well. I am sure, Sir, we are well able to do it. If it is attempted, I have no doubt but that twenty £1 1s. subscribers a year might be secured in this district. I am a poor man myself, but would make one of the twenty. There are a number of others who would do more even than this if appealed to. I might say further, that I would give to the best of my ability towards the erection of a new chapel, if the attempt is made to establish a cause in Rome. I do hope that at the forthcoming Association some practical steps will be taken as soon as it is possible to do so. Believe me, dear Sir, Yours very sincerely, JAMES GUTTERIDGE. Coalville, 14th May, 1872.

To the Editor of the Missionary Observer.

Dear Sir, I have read with sorrow and wonder the recent letters respecting a proposed G. B. Mission to Rome, and, now that it seems likely that the matter will be really mooted at the Association next month, I feel impelled to ask a question which has forced itself upon my mind. Have the friends who desire the denomination to enter upon a new field forgotten the urgent and pathetic appeals for assistance which have, once and again, reached