Many objections occur to the
farming of any branch of the public revenue in Bengal, particularly
against farming the salt lands. But the dilemma to which government by
this system is constantly reduced, of authorizing great injustice or
suffering great loss, is alone sufficient to condemn it. Either
government is expected to support the farmer or contractor in all his
pretensions by an exertion of power, which tends of necessity to the
ruin of the parties subjected to the farmer's contract, and to the
suppression of free trade,--or, if such assistance be refused him, he
complains that he is not supported, that private persons interfere with
his contract, that the manufacturers desert their labor, and that
proportionate deductions must be allowed him.
After the result of their examination into the general nature and effect
of this monopoly, it remains only for your Committee to inquire whether
there was any valid foundation for that declaration of Mr. Hastings
which we conclude must have principally recommended the monopoly of salt
to the favor of the Court of Directors, viz.
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