1 ( 82)
2 suits relating to rent, or proceeds or possession of land, decided by the’
3 Revenue Officers (called Summary Suits), have for the last three years
4 averaged 21,352 per annum,. and Miscellaneous Administrative Cases
5 have averaged 101,541 per annum. This business too is increasing.
6 Annual records are kept for all villages, showing: each man’s holdings
7 and liabilities, and his account with the Government. In the setiled
8 Districts these are being rendered with method and punctuality, and for
9 the keeping of them Village Accountants have been carefully trained.
10 . Besides its assessment, operations already touched upon, the Settlement
11 General business of the Department has, within the last three years, mea-
12 Settlement, sured field by field some 6,000 square miles, decided
13 17,910 suits relating to landed property, and prepared an elaborate
14 record of rights for 4,100 estates. The connexion of this Department
15 with the Revenue Survey has been explained in former Reports. These
16 Survey operations will however be touched upon in that Section of the
17 Report which relates to Surveys.
18 ' Part Il.—Customs, Excise anD OPIUM.
19 52. Next after Land Revenue, there follows the heading of Customs.
20 There are now no Customs levied in the Punjab,
21 with the trifling exception of a duty on certain
22 drugs passing the Kangra Frontier. Under the Sikh Government, the
23 Customs duties on all articles of foreign produce were most’ numerous.
24 Entire abolition of hese were forthe most part remitted under the
25 Customs, Regency. In Part II. Chapter VII. of the First
26 Punjab Report, it was explained how. commerce was freed from these
27 trammels, at the same time that all internal Transit duties and many
28 Excise imposts were also swept away. Now foreign -articles from all
29 quarters pass into the Punjab, duty free, from Affghanistan and the
30 countries beyond it on the West; from Goolab Singh’s dominions
31 and Ladakh and from Thibet on the ,North; from Hindoostan on
32 the East ; from Bhawulpoor-and Sindh on the South. External, as
33 well as internal, commerce has gained new life since the Annexation
34 of the Punjab.
35 Customs,