5thly. The introduction of an improved system of administration within his Excellency's reserved dominions with the advice and assistance of the British Government.

6thly. The concentration of the British military force to be employed within his Excellency's reserved dominions at a cantonment in the vicinity of Lucknow.

With regard to the 1st point, the payment of arrears of subsidy, his Excellency promised to discharge the amount of arrears actually due at the earliest possible period of time, but expressed a hope that some abatement would be made in the amount which had been stated, leaving that question, however, entirely to my decision.

With respect to the 2nd point, his Excellency readily professed his intention to proceed to the prescribed reduction of his military establishment.

His Excellency also signified his ready acquiescence in the exchange of territory proposed under the 3rd head.

With regard to the 4th point, the regular payment of the pensions, his Excellency denied that any irregularity had occurred in this respect, but expressed his disposition to conform to my wishes, when he should be furnished with the promised details.

With respect to the 5th point, the introduction of an improved system of administration within his Excellency's dominions, his Excellency professed the utmost readiness to proceed to the accomplishment of that important object, and requested me to furnish him with a plan for that purpose.

His Excellency made no material objection to the arrangement proposed under the 6th head, although he did not fully concur in the necessity or utility of concentrating the British force, appointed to remain within his reserved territories, at a cantonment in the vicinity of Lucknow.

My discussions with his Excellency were principally founded on the basis of the foregoing propositions, and my attention was particularly directed to obtain from his Excellency the immediate payment of a considerable portion of the arrear of subsidy, and to induce the Vizier to make an arrangement for the liquidation of the whole, within a specified period of time; anxious, however, that my discussions with his Excellency should be conducted with mutual cordiality and good will, and that his Excellency's mind should

be reconciled to the important arrangement which had been effected by the Treaty of Lucknow, I determined to regulate my communications with his Excellency by a spirit of liberal accommodation, to promote his Excellency's wishes in every mode consistent with the preservation of the rights and interests of the British Government, and to manifest a disposition to conciliate his confidence and regard, to assist in the arrangement of his affairs, and to secure the stability of his Government.

At a subsequent conference I communicated to the Vizier, at his Excellency's express desire, the outline of a plan for the future administration of his dominions. For this purpose I distinctly stated to his Excellency the evils and abuses which prevailed in the existing system of his government under the several branches of military establishment, judicial administration, and revenue, and pointed out to him the only means by which those evils and abuses could be remedied. For the information of the Board I annex to this minute a memorandum, containing the substance of my representations to his Excellency on that subject.* His Excellency admitted

* Memorandum of his Excellency the most noble the Governor-General's verbal Propositions to the Nawaub Vizier, for the improvement of his administration.

With a view to explain the Governor-General's outline of a plan for the introduction of a just and efficient system of administration within the Nawaub Vizier's reserved dominions, the Governor-General deems it to be expedient to state the principal causes to which the prevailing abuses in his Excellency's dominions are to be ascribed, and the means by which those causes may be removed, and those abuses may be remedied.

First. The undisciplined state and licentious disposition of the military, and the power possessed by the Aumils of employing the military force of the state for the purposes of oppression, and of resisting the authority of government.

The remedy for this evil has been partly carried into effect by the dismission of a considerable portion of his Excellency's refractory troops; it remains to complete the reduction of his Excellency's military establishment to the scale prescribed by the treaty of November 1801, and to substitute sebundies in the several districts, limited to the number absolutely necessary for the collections of the revenues.

Second. The want of a system of judicial administration for the protection of the lives and property of the subjects, for the detection and punishment of crimes, for the redress of grievances, and for the adjustment of disputed claims.

the existence of those evils and abuses, and acknowledged the expediency of the measures which I proposed for their reform, but complained of the want of sufficient authority within his own dominions, for the purpose of giving effect to the measures which I had suggested. I gave his Excellency

To remedy this evil, regular courts of justice should be established in all the districts under his Excellency's authority. These courts should be subject to the controul and superintendence of a general court of justice, to be established at the capital, similar to the Suddur Dewanny and Nizamut Adawlut, at Fort William.

The provincial courts should not be subject to the authority and controul of the Aumils; on the contrary, the Aumils themselves, as well as every other description of persons residing within the several districts, should be amenable to the court of justice established in those districts respectively. The judges of the provincial courts should be amenable for all acts done in their official capacity or otherwise, either to the superior court at the capital, or to intermediate courts constituted upon principles similar to those of the Courts of Appeal and Circuit in the honourable Company's dominions.

This arrangement should be combined with an efficient system of police throughout the country, calculated to secure the apprehension of offenders for the purpose of bringing them to justice.

It is not, however, the intention of the Governor-General, in recommending the establishment of this system of judicial administration, to propose to his Excellency the Vizier the adoption of the same code of laws which regulates the administration of justice in the Company's do

minions.

The details of the system which his Lordship recommends must necessarily be regulated by local circumstances, and adapted to the constitution of the government, and the actual condition of the people. The Resident will be prepared to offer his sentiments and opinion upon the subject of those details, and to assist his Excellency in carrying the proposed system of judicial administration into complete effect.

Third. The abuses prevailing in the administration of the revenues, arising principally from the destructive practice of anticipating the revenues, of assigning the charge of the collections to persons who offer the highest terms, or the largest amount of nuzzerana,* from the uncertain tenure by which the Aumils hold the charge of their respective districts, the violation of the engagements contracted between the Aumils, Zemindars, under Renters and Ryots, the arbitrary and oppressive exactions which pervade the whole system of the revenue, through every gradation from the Aumil to the Ryot, the defective and injudicious constitution of the whole system of revenue, and the injurious mode of making the collections.

Pecuniary offering from an inferior to a superior, on the occasion of the latter conferring a government or an office on the former.

every assurance of support, on the part of the British Government, in the exercise of his just authority; and I encouraged him to explain to me, in the most confidential and unreserved manner, the nature of those restraints which impeded the due exertion of his legitimate power, for the reform of the acknowledged evils and abuses of his administration.

To remedy these abuses, a complete reform in the system of revenue is indispensably requisite.

The assessment of the lands throughout the country should be regulated by the real assets of the several districts, to be ascertained by actual investigation, and that assessment should be increased only in proportion to the augmentation of resources in the several districts, which may be expected to arise from an improved system of administration in all its branches.

The practice of anticipating the revenue; of assigning the districts to the charge of persons who propose to pay the largest amount of revenue, or who offer the largest nuzzerana, without regard to the character and qualifications of those persons, or to the actual resources of the lands, combined with the limited and uncertain period of the Aumil's tenure, impairs the sources of production, and encourages injustice, violence, and oppression. The Aumil, solicitous to derive the greatest possible profit from his temporary situation, and possessing no interest in the prosperity of the country, plunders and oppresses without restraint.

The districts should be given in charge to persons of established and respectable character, and of undoubted qualifications. Their tenure should be extended and secured to them while their conduct should continue to merit the confidence of their sovereign.

Salaries should be assigned to them; and their further profits should depend upon the augmentation of the resources in their respective districts.

Above all, every Aumil should be compelled to adhere to the engagements which he may contract with the Zemindars, Renters, and Ryots, and the inferior landholders and farmers of every description should be equally compelled to a strict fulfilment of their engagements with others. The executive power should be the guarantee of those engagements, and should exercise that guarantee through the channel of the public courts of judicature established in the several districts, where all complaints of undue exactions, of injustice and oppression in the realization of the revenue, and of violated engagements should be investigated and redressed.

The rights of property of all descriptions of landholders should be defined, and the definition of those rights should form a basis for the adjudication of disputed tenures.

(A true Copy.)

N. B. EDMONSTONE,
Persian Secretary.

My endeavours to obtain from his Excellency a verbal explanation upon this subject were unsuccessful; his Excellency, however, stated his intention of committing his sentiments to writing in a paper of requests, which he proposed to prepare on various points connected with this subject of discussion.

Accordingly, on the 15th of February, his Excellency transmitted to me a paper of propositions, a translation of which is annexed.*

* Translation of a Paper delivered by his Excellency the Nawaub Vizier, on the 15th of February 1802.

Several points which have occurred to my mind I now commit to writing without ceremony, for the information of his Excellency the most noble Marquis Wellesley, in order that those points may be satisfactorily accomplished. Whereas, unless the authority of the Sovereign be so established that all persons, considering him the source of authority, may be led by the impulses of hope and fear to yield him due obedience, a proper arrangement of the affairs of his government cannot be expected; therefore, I have committed to paper the detail of this general position, in order that it may be carried into effect, and that my government may be duly and permanently regulated.

First. That whoever may be the Resident at this place, he will openly and inwardly act cordially and in concert and union with me. Although, out of my friendship and regard, I am disposed to conduct the important concerns of my government with the advice and counsel of the Company's officers, yet it is indispensably requisite that the consultations should be conducted with perfect cordiality and friendship. The mode in which such consultations should be conducted is this: I will consult the Resident upon every measure which I propose to adopt; until we shall have consulted together upon the proposed measure, let it not be communicated to any one else; after we shall have decided in concert what is advisable to be done, orders shall be issued accordingly by me, and, if it should be necessary, those orders shall be carried into effect with the aid of the Resident. On whatever point the Resident wishes to give me advice, let him not, in the first instance, make any communication whatever upon such point to any other person. Let the Résident

state to me personally, without the presence of any other -person, what

he has to propose; let us discuss the subject together, and whatever course may be decided by mutual consent, the necessary measures for its adoption shall be carried into effect by me. By these means it will be made apparent to the world that mutual confidence subsists between us, and my authority will not be subverted.

[First. This arrangement is unobjectionable, and shall be adopted in future, provided it be understood that the Nawaub will not act in