HC Deb 01 July 1859 vol 154 cc538-9
MR. KINNAIRD

said, he would beg leave to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Proclamation confiscating the soil of Oude to the Crown is being acted upon, so that, while the rights of the talookdars have been restored in many instances, those of the peasants are considered to be forfeited?

SIR CHARLES WOOD

said, there was no foundation for the fears of his he n. Friend, and he would shortly state what had taken place. During the first ten months after the re-occupation of Luck-now, in March, 1858, a great many talookdars gave in their allegiance, and they were, for the moat part, admitted to a settlement (on the basis of the summary settlement made in 1856–57), their tenure being made conditional on their rendering active assistance to the British Government in all matters of police. From this there was some reaction; but, after the issuing of the Royal Proclamation a new impetus was given to the returning allegiance of the landlords, and many fresh settlements were made. Some of the great landholders, however, held out, and others wore suspected of having participated in the murder of Europeans. Their estates were confiscated, and new settlements either made with friendly chiefs or with the under proprietors; but no estate had been confiscated in Oude, the proprietor of which had tendered his allegiance under the terms of the Proclamation. The number of actual confiscations was very small. The settlement was made principally with the talookdars on the principle of a general restoration of the stale of things which was found on the first annexation of the province; but regard was paid to the claims of the village proprietors (who, during the rebellion, had in many cases voluntarily acknowledged the authority of the talookdars), and a certain quota of the net profits of each estate was fixed as their share, while the talookdar was left without the power of enhancing his demands upon them beyond the sum fixed in the village rent-roll. By these arrangements it would appear that the rights of all parties are protected, the object having been, while reverting to the old talookdaree system, to afford, at the same time, increased protection to the village proprietors. The old talookdar system had been restored, but the interests of the under tenants, or proprietors, had been cared for by fixing their proportion of the rent, beyond which the talookdars could claim nothing from them.