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2 was formerly Superintendent of the Division, and.gave much time to
3 the unravelling of the tangled skein.
4 36. Under the former Government the Sayer of the Ashtagram
5 Division, or Fouzdaree, was put up to auction, and ,
6 rented sometimes, by single Talooks, sometimes
7 in a number combined, and sometimes the whole in one lump, to
8 the highest bidder. The renter had to find security, and both renter
9 and security had to execute Moochilkas. In general the security was
10 the real renter, but sometimes both were merely agents of a third party,
11 -who did not choose to come forward. There were occasional but rare
12 instances of particular Talooks being kept under Amanee.
13 Ashtagram Division.
14 37. When the Moochilka and Security Bond. were executed, orders
15 ‘were issued to place the renter in charge of the various items of re-
16 ~venue which he had farmed. This being done, he proceeded to sub-let
17 them in any manner he pleased, or to retain the management in his own:
18 hands if he preferred it.
19 ' $8., The Government does not appear to have reserved to itself any
20 ‘right to interfere in the arrangements of the renter, and as each of his
21 -sub-renters on appointment became an acknowleged public servant, and .
22 adopted a seal of Office, it may easily be supposed in how many ways
23 “they had it in their power to interfere not only in the trade of the coun-
24 try, but in the private affairs of every individual. Jt was in fact, as
25 observed before, the system of tyranny and interference thus generated,
26 which rendered the Sayer monopolists mor@ detested than on account of
27 their pecuniary exactions.
28 39. The same confusion existed with regard tothe items which con-
29 stituted Sayer as in the Nuggur Division. It was nominally divided into
30 the heads Marg and Puttady. Under the head of Marg, properly
31 ‘speaking came all the items which we should call Land Customs, with
32 multifarious additions, varying in each Talook and in particular parts of
33 ‘the same Talook, Among them may be mentioned the Shady Kootky
34 rents, or taxes on marriage, concubinage, births, deaths, and other
35 domestic occurrences,
36 40. Of more than ene hundred items which came under the head of
37 ‘Puttady, there was not a single one which ought rightly to have- been
38 ‘included in the Sayer. They were all of them money assessments, mostly
39 petsonal in their nature, and levied direct from the ryots. They con-
40 _sisted of taxes on individuals on account of their-castes or professions,