Page:A General Biography of Bengal Celebrities Vol 1.djvu/92

 HIS EVIDENCE BEFORE THE INDIGO COMMISSION. You have tad occasion to watch with interest the late Indigo Crisis, have you not 1— Tee. B*uring the crisis, have any ryots, of other parties applied to you for advice f— Yes, numerous persons, Eemindars, middle men, and ryots have come to me for advice from several districts. They applied to me personally. Will you state the questions on which they generally come to seek your advice t— Before the Act for the summary enforcement of Indigo cultivation was passed, the point on which the majority of ryots sought my advice was, how they could best avoid Bowing ; after the Act was passed the point on which they chiefly sought my advice, was how they could best resist the coercionary measures taken under it latterly, the point that they have generally sought my advice on is, how they can avoid taking advances, and being made to grow Indigo next year. Besides these there have been particular oases in which I have assisted them with advice audi written out petitions and applications to various authorities. Can you state the general line of advice* that you gave to the ryots on the points above referred to ? — I invariably advised them to apply to the district authorities in the proper form for redress, and to go to the next appellate authority* if they found na redress at the hands of the district authorities. I cautioned them against ever committing any breaches of the peace, or committing themselves in any manner by acting illegally. I explained to them that the operation of the Act was temporary, and that better measures would be devised next year, when I was sure they would be free to take or not to take advances. I generally advised them to seek for redress 1 in the civil courts, a mode of proceeding which I found was much less resorted to, than it should have been* I mean the Act for damages. As Editor of a paper published in English* and" therefore Iikety to be read by Englishmen, had you many communications by letter from parties in the Mofuail detailing their grievances, and asking for your advioe 1 — All letters addressed to the Patriot were received and opened by me, and many of them contained statements of the kind referred to in the question. Are you in a position to state whether more letters of the kin*
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