पान:आंग्ल प्रभा.djvu/18

1.13 paid off, Under the earlier Peishwas, the systeril of forced labour or Wetha was extensively in use, and caused great annoyance to the poorer classes and artisans who were subjected to it. In the first Madhaorao's time, these grievances were partially redressed, and money payments WCl'C allowed to be substituted, to the convenience of both the parties. The State in this respect was more liberal than private matters: The general impression, left on One's mind by the study of the revenue portion of the record in these Diaries, is on the whole very favourable, and it will be difficult to show that there has been, during the last eighty years, any decided improvement in his respect. Besides the land-tax, a number of other cesses Were levied, chief among them being the house-tax, and shop-tax, called the Mohturf. In the Konkan Districts, toba imports were taxed at the Revadanda and other ports. The manufacture of salt was made to yield a small income at Nagot na and at Bhyndar near Bassein, the duty being at Nagotna Rs. 2-10-0 per Khandy, and at Bhyndar Rs. 1-6-0 per Khandy on salt produced. These rates Were 20 to 31 times lighter thall what are now charged by Government, Toddy and Cocoanut trees were taxed when, tapped for drawing liquor, in Bassein and the territories held previously by the Portuguese on the Konkan coast. This last tax had been introduced on the express representation of the Bhandaris and the rayats of those parts, who complained that they could not carry on their trade without the se of some kind of liquor. No revento Y derived form Abkari except in the Konkan, and a little receipt from liquor farms near Poona itself. There were similarly petty taxes Ol the production of ghee, grazing fees, marriage fees, the buffalo tax and the right of catching fish in some places. The ferries were in general free of all charges, being kept by the State, but in some cases, farms were given for the collection of revenue from the more frequented ferries. These were very late creations, suggested by the greed of petty farmers, and yielded very scanty revenue. When the Ijara system was introduced by the second Bajirao, the abuses consequent on the farming system necessarily multiplied, and must have caused considerable annovance and oppression. Under the Kamavishi system, which prevailed before, the inducements to oppression Were is stated above, not so powerful, and they were checked by the Subhas and Sir'subhas COrresponding with our Commissioners. There were 5 such officers in the Konkan, Forced labouto Oio wetha. Other taxes. Salt. Abkari. FeTries.