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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [83v] (171/502)
The record is made up of 1 volume (249 folios). It was created in 1 Nov 1873-14 Feb 1874. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
5 I have therefore to request that you will have separate Schedules pre
pared of the two classes of complaint above adverted to, no cases being included
therein except such as would have to be enquired into under the terms of tW
preceding remarks, and that you will have the goodness to furnish the same to
me at the earliest possible date.
6 As it is of importance that as little delay as possible should occur in the
commencement of its work by the Commission, I trust that you will have a suffi
cient number of the first class of cases, viz., those affecting British subjects,
readv, to enable us to proceed with them as soon as the arrangements for the
accommodation of the Commission at Baroda, now in progress under the orders of
the Bombay Government, are completed.
7. It is only necessary for me to add, in reference to the complaints of
British subjects that may be brought forward for enquiry by the Commission,
that the right of the complainant in each case to the pi otection he claims as a
British subject, should, we are of opinion, be duly enquired into and decided by
yourself before such case is inserted in the Schedule. Without this precaution,
complications and waste of time may occur which it is desirable to provide against.
8. Though the Commission is decidedly of opinion that it should limit its
enquiry to cases of the description already adverted to, it will of course be open
to you to lay before it separate supplemental Schedules of both classes ot cond-
plaints, which, though not of a character to demand special enquiry, may yet be
regarded by you as of sufficient importance, in support of the general allegations
against the Gaekwar Government, to render it proper that they shall form part
of the general case brought before the Commission. No complaints of a frivo
lous, vexatious, or petty character should, however, find a place in these supple
mental Schedules.
9. There may probably be some cases of a specially grave character, which,
though not falling under either of the two classes already adverted to, may yet
be of so serious a nature, as in your opinion to necessitate their being laid before
the Commission, as part of the general subject for enquiry. If there are any
such cases, it will be convenient that they be recorded in a separate Schedule for
the consideration of the Commission, which will be guided by the merits of each
such case as to the course it should take in dealing with it.
You will doubtless give each case of this class due consideration before
inserting it in the Schedule, so as to limit the entries in it strictly to such instances
alone as ought clearly to find a place therein.
10. I trust it may be generally made known to, and be understood by, the
persons complaining, or desiring to prefer complaints, against the Baroda Govern
ment, that this Commission can receive no complaints direct, and that it is only
empowered to enquire into, or otherwise deal with, such cases as are laid before
it for that purpose by yourself as British Resident,
11. I will do myself the honour of forwarding in a separate communication,
a letter to the Gaekwar's address, intimating to him the assembly of the Com
mission, and the course generally we propose to adopt in carrvins" out the object
of its deputation.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) R. J. MEADE,
President of Special Commission.
^ The case of the Contingent will form the subject of a separate lettei.
About this item
- Content
Report of the Baroda Enquiry Commission on the administration of the government of Malharrao, Gaekwar of Baroda. The Commission comprised Richard John Meade (President), Edward William Ravenscroft, Mumtazul Dowlah Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Faiz Ali Khan, Colonel Alfred Thomas Etheridge and Thomas Duncan Mackenzie (Secretary).
The report comprises a letter from the members of the Baroda Enquiry Commission to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department presenting their report on the results of the proceedings and submitting copies of correspondence, reports and statements relative to the enquiry (ff 5-19):
Appendix A, Part I
- Schedules I-III: Complaints and grievances against the Gaekwar's Government from individuals and groups (ff 21-78).
- Appendix B, Schedules I-III: Cases of complaint and grievance which the commission did not look into during the enquiry (ff 79-81).
- Appendix C: Letter from Colonel Richard John Meade, President, Special Commission of Enquiry on Baroda Affairs, to Colonel Robert Phayre, Resident at Baroda, 1 November 1873 (ff 82-83).
- Appendix D: Translation of an amended notice issued by the Resident to complainants desirous of appearing before the Baroda Enquiry Commission (ff 84-85).
- Appendix E: Schedules presented to the Commission along with Colonel Phayre's introductory statement regarding them. (ff 86-131).
- Appendix F: Letter No. 1128 of 1873 from Colonel Phayre to the President, Baroda Commission regarding the cases already submitted to the Commission, the List of undisposed petitions to be attended to by the Resident which could be used as additional cases if required and the statements that he had yet to make on cases under enquiry by the Commission (ff 132-133).
- Appendix G, Schedule I: Statements from witnesses with cross examination statements from the Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). on behalf of the Gaekwar and statements from the Resident as to the accuracy of the information provided (ff 134-229).
Appendix Part II (ff 231-245)
- Letter from James Braithwaite Peile, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kattywar [Kathiawar] to T D Mackenzie, Secretary, Baroda Commission, 13 December 1873 regarding papers requested by the Commission and informing them that the outstanding paper will be forwarded as soon as they are received. Enclosed with the letter are a memorandum from Peile for reconstitution of His Highness the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar, 13 December 1873 and Rule for the guidance of the Officers and Kamdars appointed to the Contingent of Horse of His Highness the Gaekwar, serving in the various Tributary Mahals according to treaty.
- Letter from Peile to Mackenzie, 6 January 1874, forwarding a report and returns received from Colonel Walker, Superintendent to the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar and stating that he does not concur with the Colonel's opinion. Enclosed with this letter is a letter from Colonel Chamberlen William Walker, 30 December 1873, providing the information on the Contingent requested by the Commission and enclosing an extract of the Contingents annual report for 1871 and a statement of the men within the Contingent on duty under officials paid by Talukdars etc, 06 March 1872.
- Letters from John Whaley Watson, Acting Political Superintendent Pahlanpur [Palanpur], Captain Henry Nicholas Reeves, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Rewa Kanta [Rewa Kantha] and Major Philip Harrison Le Geyt, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Mahi Kanta [Mahi Kantha] to the secretary of the Baroda Commission 19 December 1873 to 9 January 1874 reporting on the Gaekwar's contingents serving within their districts and commenting on numbers of men, pay and conditions. The letters all refer to enclosed returns, but only the return for Mahi Kanta is included in the report.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (249 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main sequence of foliation consists of a small pencil number in the top front right hand corner of each folio enclosed in a circle.
There is also an original sequence of foliation which consists of larger pencil numbers also in the top front right hand corner of folios, however the sequence is not consistent and some of the numbers may be filing references rather than foliation numbers.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F126/78
- Title
- 'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:248v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence