§ MR. KINNAIRDsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, What is the present state of the question about a Contract Law for India, whether any legal opinion in England has been taken as to the principle of enforcing Indigo and other Agricultural Contracts by penal enactments; and, if so, whether he has any objection to lay that Opinion upon the table of the House?
VISCOUNT CRANBOURNEA Bill, Sir, has been sent home from Calcutta, making a renewed attempt to settle this difficult question. It was submitted to the Indian Law Commissioners, and I am sorry to say they reported that, in their opinion, the principle it represented was not a sound one, that it was liable to abuse, and that it was not advisable it should be adopted. If the hon. Gentleman will move for the papers no objection will be made to the Motion. No despatch has yet been sent to the Government of India on the subject, because we have not yet surrendered all hope that we shall be enabled to discover some means of giving to the planters the redress which they undoubtedly require, keeping also in view a due regard to the protection of the ryots.