翻刻
四郡奉行
御奉行
〇今般御年限被相立御勝手向御取直之御趣意追々被仰出儀ニ候然処御暮方并御
家中御扶助第一之御収納御本立之儀往古ゟ相定有之免合ニ候処近年在々困窮
申立強御救を相願候様成行候旨相聞候年々左様ニ成行御収納御取劣ニ相成候而ハ
不相済事共ニ候尤格別大難相顕吟味行届候村方ハ御救可被下事ニ候然処近年御救
村々一旦御救被下候而御手当之目も見得候ヘハ一段之事ニ候へ共左様之村方ハ多分不相聞候
右体成行候ハ何分共村々庄屋役人不締ゟ事起り候前々至而令困窮候村方格別之
御救も不被下近年村切之趣意相立第一農業令出精奢ケ間敷儀相互ニ相省一村
〆り方宜御納所筋古来へ復シ律義ニ相勤常時無難之村方ニ成立も粗相聞候
左候ヘハ至而困窮ニ而御難題ニ相成村方ハ御代官役所ゟ■込精誠遂穿鑿村人
得与申諭一村ツヽも成立候儀専一之事ニ候無申迄候得共御収納之儀ハ往古ゟ相定有
之儀ニ而豊凶ハ格別御取箇相減候儀ハ不相済事ニ候一体村役人并小前之百姓ニ至迄
古来ゟ之御条目不相心得徳分有之山高を質流或ハ内証売等ニ致別而他領他村
へ徳分を被奪候様ニ而ハ其村相応之免合も不相勤道理ニ候右之儀を等閑ニ取計
【二行読めず】
味可被申達候尤是迄迚も油断ハ有之間敷候へ共以来ハ格別ニ念を入取扱可被申候
右之趣御代官共厚可被申談候
九月三日
狛帯刀
有賀小右衛門
〇御意被成候御勝手向之儀甚御苦労被
思召当年ゟ格別厳重ニ御〆り方被仰付候
ニ付各乍太儀今般御趣意御勝手掛り被仰付候依之猶又連々厚被申談永久之
御為筋被取計候様被仰出候
九月七日狛式部方宅
右之通被仰出候処御請之儀演説書付を以被申上委細達御聴候処尤之事ニ被思召候
然処亦復御厚キ思召を以被仰出候御書付十月二日御家老中被致演説候処右
之趣御請有之御役人共へも申聞候
但右御書付委細之儀ハ別紙ニ相認御内御用箱へ入置
〆
現代語訳
四郡奉行
御奉行
○今般御年限を相立てられ御勝手向き御取り直しの御趣意追々仰せ出される儀に候。然るところ御暮らし方並びに御家中御扶助第一の御収納御本立ての儀、往古より相定め有之免合に候ところ、近年在々困窮申し立て強く御救いを相願い候様成り行き候旨相聞き候。年々左様に成り行き御収納御取れ劣りに相成り候ては済まざる事共に候。もっとも格別大難相顕れ吟味行き届き候村方は御救い下されるべき事に候。然るところ近年御救い村々一旦御救い下され候て御手当ての目も見得候えば一段の事に候えども、左様の村方は多分相聞えず候。
右の体成り行き候は何分とも村々庄屋役人不締りより事起こり候。前々至って困窮を致し候村方格別の御救いも下されず、近年村切りの趣意相立て第一農業出精致させ奢侈間敷き儀相互いに相省き一村〆り方宜しく御納所筋古来へ復し律義に相勤め常時無難の村方に成り立ちも粗相聞き候。
左候えば至って困窮にて御難題に相成り村方は御代官役所より立ち込み精誠穿鑿を遂げ村人によく申し諭し一村ずつも成り立ち候儀専一の事に候。申すまでも無く候えども御収納の儀は往古より相定め有之儀にて豊凶は格別御取箇相減じ候儀は済まざる事に候。一体村役人並びに小前の百姓に至るまで古来よりの御条目相心得ず徳分有之山高を質流し或いは内証売り等に致し別して他領他村へ徳分を奪われ候様にては其の村相応の免合も相勤めざる道理に候。右の儀を等閑に取り計らい【二行読めず】
味申し達されるべく候。もっともこれまででも油断は有之間敷く候えども以来は格別に念を入れ取り扱い申されるべく候。
右の趣御代官共厚く申し談ぜらるべく候。
九月三日
狛帯刀
有賀小右衛門
○御意を成され候御勝手向きの儀甚だ御苦労を思召され当年より格別厳重に御〆り方仰せ付けられ候に付き各々太儀ながら今般御趣意御勝手掛り仰せ付けられ候。これに依り猶また連々厚く申し談じ永久の御為筋取り計らい候様仰せ出され候。
九月七日狛式部方宅
右の通り仰せ出され候ところ御請けの儀演説書付を以て申し上げ委細御聴に達し候ところもっともの事に思召され候。然るところまた復た御厚き思召しを以て仰せ出され候御書付十月二日御家老中演説致され候ところ右の趣御請け有之御役人共へも申し聞かせ候。
但し右御書付委細の儀は別紙に相認め御内御用箱へ入れ置き
〆
英語訳
Four Districts Magistrates
Honorable Magistrates
○Recently, term limits have been established and the policy for financial reconstruction has been gradually announced. However, regarding the fundamental matter of tax collection, which is the primary source for supporting the domain lord's household and retainers, while tax rates have been established since ancient times, in recent years rural areas have been claiming hardship and strongly petitioning for relief. If tax collection continues to decline year after year in this manner, it will be an untenable situation. Of course, villages that face exceptional difficulties and have been thoroughly investigated should receive relief. However, while some relief villages that have received aid once show signs of recovery, which is encouraging, such villages are rarely heard of.
The reason for this situation is that it stems from the negligence of village headmen and officials. Previously, villages in extreme hardship did not receive special relief, but in recent years the policy of village-by-village management has been established. Priority has been given to diligent farming, mutual restraint from extravagance, proper village administration, restoration of tax payment to ancient standards, and conscientious service, and we have heard that some villages have achieved stable conditions.
Therefore, for villages in extreme hardship that have become problematic, district magistrate offices should investigate thoroughly with sincerity, properly instruct the villagers, and work to establish each village one by one - this is the essential matter. It goes without saying that tax collection has been established since ancient times, and except for exceptional crop failures, reducing the tax amount is unacceptable. Generally, from village officials down to small-scale farmers, they do not understand the ancient regulations and mortgage or secretly sell profitable mountain lands, particularly allowing profits to be taken by other domains and villages, making it reasonable that such villages cannot fulfill their appropriate tax obligations. Taking such matters lightly [two lines unreadable]
...should be reported. While there should have been no negligence until now, from now on special care should be taken in handling these matters.
The above points should be thoroughly discussed with the district magistrates.
September 3rd
Koma Taitō
Ariga Koemon
○His lordship has expressed that financial matters are extremely troublesome and has ordered particularly strict fiscal management from this year. Therefore, although it is burdensome for each of you, you have now been appointed to financial management according to this policy. Accordingly, you are ordered to continue consulting closely and handle matters for the long-term benefit of the domain.
September 7th, at Koma Shikibu's residence
When the above was announced, the acceptance was reported through a written statement, and the details reached his lordship's attention, who found it most appropriate. However, once again with deep consideration, his lordship issued another written order which was presented by the senior retainers on October 2nd, and this matter was accepted and communicated to the officials as well.
Note: The detailed contents of the above written order are recorded separately and placed in the private official document box.
End