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Yar Jung, who had come in purpose to inform
me of the fact. His Exalted Highness was at
last persuaded to issue a Firman ordering re-
examination and re-valuation of some of the
areas already allotted to people. A Commission
was appointed to enquire, but its report was not
satisfactory; so another enquiry was ordered,
and again the report was that no valuable forest
area had been given away. I had my own
opinion of the Commissioners, and time made
its own comment on their report. We continued
to hear for a long time afterwards that timber
worth lakhs of rupees was being sent away quietly
from those parts. Such was the anti-climax of
the Reclamation Scheme.
The somewhat impulsive offer of Franchise
which His Exalted Highness had been induced
by Sir Ali to make prematurely, seemed to me
a little rash. Prudence would have suggested
that the object aimed at, should be approached
by gradual stages and that something substantial
should be granted by instalments as conditions
improved, instead of hastily promising what
sounded grand and raised immoderate expecta-
tions in the minds of clamorous reformers. I
ventured to advise that the draft submitted by
Sir Ali be re-considered, pointing out to His
Exalted Highness that the word ' franchise ' had
an ominous import, that its history had not run
smooth in other countries, and that it was not
consistent with caution to make such a large
promise before we were able to decide how far