'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎115r] (234/502)

57
/&-
SCHEDULE No. III.
B ritish and B aroda S ubjects,
The following evidence is on record
No. 1.—Motilal Samul^ taken in May
1873. Head of the firm died in 1873.
No. 2.—Motilal Purshotum, Goomasta
of the firm.
No. 3.—-Tricumlal, Mooktyar of Motilal^,
his sister's son.
Names of Claimants, &c.
Case of the firm of Samul Bechnr,
Bankers of Baroda and Ahmedabad,
transferred from No. I. Schedule, British
Subjects, agreeably to letter No. 2,
dated 10 th November 1873, from the
Secretary, Baroda Inquiry Commis-
Motilal Samul, the last representative of the firm, die at
Ahmedabad about 2 months ago. He resided chiefly in the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. garden at Baroda from May last to the time of his
death, owing to the fact of the firm in the city of
Baroda being under attachment, together w T ith the whole of
the property of the firm. Motilal made the following
statement of his case before the Resident at the end of last
May. It was supported by two witnesses who are still alive :—
The present head of the firm is the infant son of Motilal; the
Manager is Motilal's son-in-law, Trikumlall Mooktyar.
This case was originally entered by the
Resident in Schedule No. I v British
Subjects, but it has been transferred
to this schedule by order of the Baroda
Commission.
It is respectfully submitted that under
the exceptional circumstances which
have occurred under the present admi
nistration of the Gaekwar State, the
interests of the British subjects residing
in, or having commercial relations with,
the Baroda Government, are not ade
quately protected, and that they have
no means of redress open to them, ex
cept that afforded by the present Com
mission, the advice of the Resident
to do justice to these persons having
been rejected.
The connection of the firm with the Gaek
war State, as State Bankers, was an
nulled by the present Maharajah soon
after his accession to the throne, but
no settlement of accounts has been
effected.
The firm of Samul Bechur and Co. has been in existence at
Baroda for the last century and upwards, during which they
have been employed as Bankers of the Gaekwar, which con
tinued up to August 1872—Sumvut 1928, Shravun Sood 5,
the whole of the property of the firm having been placed
under attachment from the 6th idem up to the present
time."
The cause of this sudden suspension of the extensive business
of the firm is explained as follows :—
15 g k
General circumstances of each case.
About the year 1923 ( a.d . 1868) a Goomasta named Motilal
Jeyta was discharged by the firm for misconduct in having
made away with certain documents. This man shortly after his
dismissal went and laid false information before His* Highness
the Maharajah Khunderao, to the effect that if the old books
of the firm for Sumvut 1885 ( a.d . 1829) were examined, a
sum of Rs. 64,000 would be found to be due to the Gaek
war State, on account of the Korul Purgunnah, which had
been leased to the firm for five years, viz., from Sumvut 1877
to 1882. His Highness Khunderao at once sent for the
petitioner, Motilal Samul, who explained the matter satisfac
torily to His Highness, who took no further notice of it, and
the matter dropped.
About four years after this H. H. Khunderao died, and the
present Gaekwar came to the throne, when the aforesaid
Goomasta, Motilal Jeyta, renewed his information in Sumvut
1928 (May 1872). At this time the head of the firm, Motilal
Samul, was absent at Ahmedabad, where he had gone to be
present at the marriage of his daughter. A Goomasta named
Motilal Purshotum was in charge of the firm in Baroda ;
and a mohsul was at once imposed on the firm by order of
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). , with instructions that the Banker was to settle
all current accounts with the Furnees. Motilal Samul on
hearing this at once proceeded to Baroda and waited upon
His Highness the Maharajah, and asked him why the mohsul
had been imposed on the firm. His Highness told me to
make up my accounts with the Furnees. This was about
June last year. I then told the Maharajah that my Goomasta,
Motilal Purshotum, had already been to the Furnees about
the accounts, and that the Furnees had told him that Rs.
50,000 was to be paid to the State on account of Baee Judal,
the widow of Runchore, as awarded by His Highness Khun-
derao; but that I declined to pay such Rs. 50,000, because