The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-30 00:00:00

the oppression so great as is sometimes
stated, 1 cannot think that we should witness so con-
siderable a population and so much industry ;" and
when the Nabob was charged with exactions and
mismanagement, he shrewdly observed—" If the
British government had not deprived me of the two
millions which my father left in the treasury, I
should have been enabled to ease the people of their
burthens, and to meet without inconvenience what-
ever loss of revenue may arise from a reduced

assessment.
When, however, we were freely supplying our
urgent necessities front the Nabob's treasury, we
could not, for very shame, continue our abuse
of his government. There was a pause there-
fore in our im-tiutations ; but again, this did
not continue. W e soon recommenced our trade
against what was called his " nefarious rule," and
menaced him with annexation. And it is due to the
Home Authorities to say. that it was wholly owing
to their interposition that these threats were not
executed. But we had Indian statesmen then at the
Indian Bawd. Holz M weesate and lIENHV Rtes
saw through the pretexts which covered this g=
ing system and arrested it. There are no such el
upon abuse of power now, and as the Nabob hie
paid his bill, and owes as nothing, we have no
immethate plea for dealing with him, as we are
about to do with the Nizaw.
The "mismanagement of Oude" has been a standing
dish with the British government for the last halt'
century. By whom has it been served up? By the
Nabob's tinhjects ? Not at all. With all its faults,
they prefer their own government to that of the
Company's. It is the British Resident who has
always been employed in throwing dirt upon the
unhappy Prince; when the Resident himself reigus
with despotic sway over the whole country.
" The liritish Resident at Lucknow," said Lord
WILLIAM EF:NTINC:i, in 1831, " is more than king."
Ile is clothed " with a degree of state equal to that
of Ili-laity itself," and "allowed to act the part rather
of schoolmaster and dictator than of the minister of
a friendly power, professing to recognise the inde-
pendence of its Ally. The immense extent of ,p'uris-
dktion
exercised by the Resident at Lucknow
within the town itself, the actual residence of the
Sovereign, is totally incompatible with the royal
dignity and authority. Neither the officers of the
government, nor private gentlemen, are allowed
to visit the Itesuleney, from who:n the Itesi
dent might learn the true position of affairs, the
sentiments of the people, and the condition
el the country." And yet it is from "these)
rival Nabobs" that we derive all the information
respecting the affairs of our Allies. How is it dos-,
sible that any Prince can govern his country well
who is thwarted or over-ridden by such an overseer?
And who can doubt that the real remedy for such'
alleged misgovernment is his removal from the scene
of action ? " If," said the same honest man, Lord
WlLt.tast—" If the political agents were altogether
removed, I believe it would be for the comfort of the
Sovereign, for the advantage of good government,
sod for the real interests of both states."
Such is a faithful history of the connexion of the
last India Company with the State of Oude from its
commencement, now more than three-quarters of a
century ago, up to the prescut time. Let reflect-
ing men pause over the picture, and ask what advan-
tagethiseountry has derived, or what it is possible this
country could derive, from all this insatiable rapine
and rapacity? As well expect that the French na-
tion could have reaped profit from the merciless
razzias by which Algiers has been ravaged and de-
populaiea. Upon these atrocities of our rival and ,
m ighbour, we pour out a torrent of virtuous indig-
nation; for the crimes committed in India in the'
name of the British people, we reserve the most
callous-hearted indifference ; as if their ultimate re-1
mutts affected not ourselves but the inhabitants of
another planet, and as if they formed no link in the
chain of causes by which retributive justice over-
takes and punishes the mightiest among nations, as
surely as it reaches the lowliest among men.

E have received communications from farmers
and others upon the subject of tithe rent-charges,
which show that considerable dissatisfaction exists
amongst tithe-payers. 'lhe commuted rent-charge,
now for the most part payable instead of tithe, is a
variable yearly payment, the amount of which is
regulated by the average prices of wheat, htrley, and
CISEII during the previous seven years. The effect of
suit an arrangement of course is. that when there.
has been a aeries of years during which the prices of
grain have been high, followed by another series of
years of low priced corn, the tithe payer finds him-
self burthened with a payment calculated upon prices
considerably higher than he can obtain for the crops
by the sale of which he must get the money required
to pay the tithe rent-charge. That is precisely the
ease at this moment ; and the result is. that farmers
very loudly and generally complain that the tithe
rent-charges they have to pay arc too high in pro-
portion to the prices they receive for their grain.
Of the accuracy of the facts on which they found
their complaints there can be no doubt ; how fur,'
and by whom a remedy can be provided, are different
questions.
A short statement of facts and figures will put the
reader in possession of all the requisite data on this
subject.
'flee prices of corn per bushel, upon which the
commutations of tithes are based, are the average
of the prices of the seven years next preceding
Christmas, 1835. These prices were Is. Old. wheat,
3s. 11 barley, and 2s. Pd. oats the bushel ; and
upon such prices the apportionment of the rent-
charges has been made. Each year, in January, a
now average of the prices of these grains is Own'
kir seven years immediately before the time of
t.kiag such average, and the average so taken forms
the value of the apportioned tithe rent-charge during
the then current year. That average is, according to
the provisions of the Tithe Commutation Act, pub-
lished in the London Gazette. For the present year
1101, the average, as published in the Gazette of the
3rd of last January, gave the prices per bushel of
wheat Os. &td., of barley 45., and of oats 2s. tid.,
being the average of the preceding seven
years. To show how that operates upon the tithe-
payer, we may state that a tithe rent-charge of 1001.,
apportioned according to the average of the seven
years next preceding Christmas, 1833, will during
the present year be of the value of 961. 11.. 5d., or
about three-and-a-half per cent. lower than the
apportioned rates. The average prices of grain for
each single year of which the seven years' average is
compounded will be most concisely given in a
tabular form :
Wheat Barley Oats
per bushel. per bushel. per bushel.
1914 6i. 41d. 4s. 2'd. 2s. 9 d.
1814 Gs. 4"d. 35. 111 d. 2s. 9d.
1846 (4 . 2s. l t d.
1847 SS. 811. ss. 6 d. 3s. i.
1948 Gs. 31.1. 3s. 11 d. 2s. 65d.
1949 fps. 6'd. 3s. sd. 2s. 21d.
1850 ss. old. 2s. 11 . 2s. 0 d.

From the above figures it will be obvious that the
high prices of 1847 are mainly instrumental in
keeping up the seven years' average so high as it still
rules; and this high-priced year will act upon ,
the tithe averages for four years yet to come.
Averages for the year 1843, for which those of 1830,
are the substitutes, were—wheat, Bs. 3d. ; barley,
34. 8 ; oats, 21. 3' d. ; and the lower payment,
on account of the tithe rent charge which will fall
due this year, as compared with that of last year, is
due to the difference between' the prices of 18-13 and
the prices of 18.50. Should the average prices of
wheat, barley, and oats for the current year rule, as
is most probable, lower than the average prices of
the same grains iu 1814, then next year there will
be a further reduction in the tithe rent-charge ; and
in this way, should prices continue moderate a few
years longer, the payment in respect of the tithe rent-
charge will be brought down to a proportion equiva-
lent to the prices of grain. In the mean time there
can be no question that the farmer who calculated on
receiving prices for his grain considerably higher
than he has received during the last two years, and
higher than he will in all probability ordinarily re-
ceive, does seem to have some claim to an allowance
from the tithe-owner who gets the benefit of an
income calculated on high prices, while that income
has become much enhanced in real value or purchas-
ing power by the lower prices which now prevail.
On the other hand it is fair to remember that system
for which the tithe rent-charge forms the substitute.
Before the commutation took place, the tithe-owner
was entitled to take one-tenth part of the gross pro-