§ SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE (Kensington, N.)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Patwari Bill, now under the consideration of a Select Committee of the Bengal Legislative Council, will not have the effect, if passed into Law, of largely adding to the number of officials in Bengal, and of increasing the public burdens, which already weigh on the Native community; whether Her Majesty's Government will produce the whole correspondence on the question of Patwaris, including the Minute of Mr. Grote and the Memorandum of Mr. M'Neile; and, whether, before the final passing of the Bill, full time will be allowed for the translation into the vernacular of the report of the Select Committee, and its circulation among the classes interested, without regard to the retirement of the Government to the hills before the heats of summer?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir UGHTRED KAY-SHUTTLE-WORTH) (Lancashire, Clitheroe)The Patwari Bill is to apply to one district only in Bengal, and the local Government believes that it will not increase the public burdens in that district. The Secretary of State does not think it advisable to produce the Correspendence, which is very bulky and highly technical. It is for the Bengal Legislative Council to take such steps as it may consider necessary for the due promulgation of information on the subject of the Bill.