31 DfcU.MBLK 175$ 353

given Mr. Handle, and forbid his distilling or selling any more <»r permitting
others to do it. In case that iarm h not confirmed to Mr, Handle, we shall

take hib can; into consideration and make good the lo*& he may have suffered
by suppressing his distilling after giving Jhinn a license for 3 years,

117. Conformable to Your Honours* orders for separating the post of
Zemindar of this settlement we abolished that office on the receipt of the
Warrens packet t and appointed William Frankland E&qr. Collector of the
rents and revenues with directions to follow the instructions and orders con-
tained in your commands of the 8 March 1758.

118. We likewise ordered a publick advertisement to be affixed for the
i>ale of such farms as Your Honours have not abolished on the 20 instant
which we shall be able to advise you of more fully in the supplement of this
letter.

119. In the 151, 152, 153f 154 and 155th paragraph^ of your commands
of the 3rd March 1758 you offer to our consideration methods similar to those
practised at Bombay and Madrass ior increasing the farms of tobaccu,
cocoanut trees, beetle and arrack at this settlement. Your Honours may rely
on our carrying into execution, vour directions as far as lays in our power
and encouraging the planting of cocoanuts, beetle and tobacco. The former
we imagine may by proper management in a course of years yield a large
revenue by throwing part of die new lands into plantations of cocoaauts,
which we shall take unaer consideration and do the best we can for the Com-
pany's interest. The soil of our grounds we believe is not so proper for beetle
and tobacco; if we find upon tryall that beetlenutt trees may be raised with
advantage we shall not fail to piant them, but we are at a great lo&s in what
manner to raise the tobacco farm to any thing near the sura it pays the
Company at Bombay. Your Honours will ind that it was the opinion of the
committee (appointed to take those regtiiatkms into <x>dsideratiaix} tibat it
would be proper to abolish the salt and tobacco farms, and they are great
essentials of life with these country people, and it would be a heavy grievance
to the poor to continue those farms and collect the customs likewise on tobacco
and salt. We shall however take care that no tobacco or salt is brought into
the place without paying the duty of 4 per cent which will we believe bring
in a very handsome revenue.

120. Your commands respecting the 4 per cent customs to be in fumne
collected at this settlement on all exports and imports shall be carried into
execution unless we find any apparent grievance result from It to the settle-
ment and for the Company's interest, in which case we shall take the liberty
to ease the merchants of that duty in part, being conscious your intention
was not to distress or ruin the trade of this once flourishing colony which has
been declining for many years, and possibly may wi admit of such a heavy
impost* We shall however be guided by 00 private views ia a thing oi dai&
kind, mm deviate from your QrtŁer$ without being very dear that it would be
a real injury to the cdbay atxl quite destroy die little aremains of tnwie «db*
sisting in it.

12!. Captain Brohier last year transmitted Your Honours a plan of the
citadel he had tt««mmei3*laet to be erected for the defence of

against an Enra^ean enemy witfe an estimate of the OTfa@ce it woaM amount
Voi