§ 1. Sir JOHN JARDINEasked the Secretary of State for India whether the Champaran Agrarian Bill, passed on 4th March last by the Legislative Council of Behar and Orissa, has received the sanction of the Governor-General of India; whether he can say what are the changes it effects in the present system of cultivating the indigo plant, and especially as to alteration of the period of validity of existing contracts and future contracts between the planter and the cultivator; and when the new law will come into operation?
§ Mr. PRATT (Lord of the Treasury)As the previous sanction of the Government of India had been given to the passing of the Act, the assent of the Governor-General may be presumed; but the Secretary of State has not yet received an authentic copy of the Act. Its effect is to abolish the system under which the landlord has, by contract or incident of tenancy, the right to select annually a specific portion of the tenant's holding, and require indigo to be grown thereon and delivered to him at a fixed rate. It makes void conditions in existing contracts between landlords and tenants, which require the tenant to set apart land for the cultivation of a particular crop, and also makes void future contracts under which the tenant undertakes, for a term exceeding three years, to supply his landlord with produce at a fixed price or rate. The Act has validity from the date of publication of the Governor-General's assent.
§ Sir J. D. REESHave the terms of the Report of the Committee gent to investigate this matter been closely followed in. the Bill?