8
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. I.
Connection between hemp drugs
and violent crime.
10. In regard to the alleged connection between hemp drugs and violent
crime, the Commission, in addition to sifting the
written and oral evidence, have examined the judicial
and other records of cases which have been alluded to by the witnesses as forming
the basis, or part of the basis, on which their opinions were framed.
Native States.
11. As stated above, the Commission were precluded by the orders of the
Government of India from holding formal sittings in
Native States, but nevertheless they have endeavour-
ed to obtain full and complete information from all the most important Native
States in India. In the case of Native States in political relation with the Gov-
ernment of India, the Commission, in some cases in personal communication
with the Agent to the Governor-General or the Resident, and in other
cases by letter, arranged for the collection of the required information. In some
of the larger Agencies and States special officers were appointed, through
the courtesy of the Agent to the Governor-General or the Darbar, to
collect and compile the available information, and much useful information has
thereby been placed at the disposal of the Commission. In the smaller States,
and in States under the political control of Local Governments, a memo-
randum of the system in force, together with statistics so far as avail-
able, has generally been furnished by the Political Agent or a responsible
officer of the State. Beyond giving the States in question such advice and
assistance as they desired in respect to the best methods of conducting their
inquiries, indicating clearly the points on which information was desired and
supplying lists of questions where required, the Commission did not interfere
in any way with the course of these inquiries or select or examine witnesses
for themselves.
The Army.
12. One of the most important questions with which the Commission had to
deal was the investigation of the proportion of
the population which indulges in the use of hemp
drugs, and of the classes among whom the use is prevalent. The Native Army
appeared to offer a suitable field for inquiry in regard to this matter, and accord-
dingly, with the permission of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, a series
of questions dealing with this and other questions bearing upon the Commission's
investigations was issued to all regiments of the British Native Army. The
inquiries were made and the answers filled in by the Commanding Officers
either with or without the assistance of their medical officers. The results obtain-
ed will be found in Chapter VIII.
Sketch of the proceedings of the
Commission.
13. The Commission first assembled at Calcutta on 3rd August 1893, and
after agreeing upon their general plan of operations,
and concluding their preliminary arrangements,
including the distribution of questions to witnesses, started on the preliminary
tour described in paragraph 8 above. The provinces visited were the North-
-estern Provinces, the Central Provinces, Bombay, Madras, and the Punjab.
The Commission were in the North-Western Provinces from 22nd August to 1st
September, and had their head-quarters at Allahabad, where the principal Revenue
officers of Government were assembled to meet them. During this period the
asylums at Patna (Bengal), Lucknow, Bareilly, and Lucknow were visited by