Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society July 1944 to April 1945

The first' was that the President had always been the channel of communication between the zamindars and renters on the one-hand and the members of the Council on the other and as such Rumbold's procedure was.normal.(1) Secondly if (1) See William Petrie's evidence before the House of Commons. [...] government at the instructions of the Court of Directors to investigate the corrupt practices of the Madras government during Rumbold's regime (31) the proceedings of the Councils of Lord Macartney and Davidson clearly show that Rumbold and certain members of his Council had received presents of a considerable value from the petitioner.(3) I cannot here enter into a minute examination of the sou [...] But the revenue and judicial proceedings instituted by Lord Macartney in compliance with the orders of the Court of Directors and as a result of the unfinished inquiry of Newman partially lifted the question from the acrimonious atmosphere created by the prceedings in the House of Commons even though they still indicate the crudeness of the administration of justice at Madras. [...] Paragraph 159 of this Dispatch enumerates the points which they deemed " detrimental to the interest of the Company ". They are as follows : " The abolition of the Committee of Circuit in violation of an express appointment of the Company ; the trouble and expense occasioned to the Rajahs and Zemindars by obliging them to prceed to Fort Saint George ; the letting of the Havelly lands to Sitter [...] On the whole the mode is not only insufficient in point of security but detrimental to the Company and ruinous to the zamindar." To mitigate the evils of this long-standing custom he advocated the institution of monthly kists from the zamindars and renters since in case of default the Company have the right and the power to reimburse themselves out of their patrimony.