The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
"I some time ago wrote you the particulars of the conduct of the
officers, and now write them again. The officers and gentlemen who
are at Cawnpore, and Futtyghur, and Darunghur, and other places, by
different means act very tyrannically and oppressively towards the
aumils and ryots and inhabitants; and to whomsoever that requires a
dustuck they give it, with their own seal affixed, and send for the
aumils and punish them. If they say anything, the gentlemen make use
of but two words: one,--_That is for the brigade;_ and the
second,--_That is to administer justice_. The particulars of it is
this,--that the byparees will bring their grain from all quarters,
and sell for their livelihood. There is at present no war to
occasion a necessity for sending for it. If none comes, whatever
quantity will be necessary every month I will mention to the aumils,
that they may bring it for sale: but there is no deficiency of
grain. The gentlemen have established gunges for their own
advantage, called Colonel Gunge, at Darunghur, Futtyghur, &c. The
collection of the customs from all quarters they have stopped, and
collected them at their own gunges. Each gunge is rented out at
30,000-40,000 rupees, and their collections paid to the gentlemen.
They have established gunges where there never were any, and where
they were, those they have abolished; 30,000 or 40,000 rupees is the
sum they are rented at; the collections, to the amount of a lac of
rupees, are stopped. Major Briscoe, who is at Darunghur, has
established a gunge which rented out for 45,000 rupees, and has
stopped the ghauts round about the byparees; and merchants coming
from Cashmere, from Shahjehanabad, and bringing shawls and other
goods and spices, &c., from all quarters, he orders to his gunge,
and collects the duty from the aumils, gives them a chit, and a
guard, who conducts them about five hundred coss: the former duties
are not collected. From the conduct at Cawnpore, Futtyghur,
Furruckabad, &c., the duties from the lilla of Gora and Thlawa are
destroyed, and occasion a loss of three lacs of rupees to the
duties; and the losses that are sustained in Furruckabad may be
ascertained by the Nabob Muzuffer Jung, to whom every day complaints
are made: exclusive of the aumils and collectors, others lodge
complaints. Whatever I do, I desire no benefit from it; I am
remediless and silent; from what happens to me, I know that worse
will happen in other places; the second word, I know, is from their
mouths only. This is the case. In this country formerly, and even
now, whatever is to be received or paid among the zemindars, ryots,
and inhabitants of the cities, and poor people, neither those who
can pay or those who cannot pay ever make any excuse to the shroffs;
but when they could pay, they did. In old debts of fifty years,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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