'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎116r] (236/502)

59
SCHEDULE No. 111.—continued.
Names of Claimants, &c.
General circumstances of each case.
This is one of the first cases which I had
to discuss with the Gaekwar Govern
ment on my arrival at Baroda. I had
several interviews with the Minister
regarding it, and one with His High
ness the Gaekwar and Minister to
gether. I was told by them that Colonel
Shortt had considered the whole case,
and that though the Government claim
ed 1^ lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. from the firm,
they had agreed to accept Rs.
75 ; 000 in settlement of all demands.
This they said had been Colonel Shortt's
discussion. The firm denied that they
had agreed to that decision, affirming
that several items in the State Loan
account were not acknowledged, though
bond fide transactions. I searched in
vain for any record of Colonel Shortt's
proceedings in the case^, and I therefore
repeatedly begged that a fair inquiry
into the accounts might take place with
a view to settlement. This was pro
mised, but never performed. Bond fide
debts to the firm by the State were as
far as I could see deliberately repudi
ated by His Highness and the Minister.
I believe myself that if just claims are
admitted, the balance will be in favour
of the firm, which has been ruined by
the apparently arbitrary and unjust
course adopted by His Highness' ad
ministration towards them. I was
called upon to support Colonel Shortt'
alleged decision without seeing the
complete accounts od both sides which
I declined to do.
State Loan Account;
sequence of this we returned from Kurjun^ and went in the
mixed train to Ahmedabad. The next day, 6th Shravun Sood,
the whole of my property was attached, information of which
was communicated to me by my Goomasta, Motilall Purshotum,
who, with Bhicaji, were confined for few hours. I should
probably have left Baroda through fear of being imprisoned
on account of the demand made against me; but the im
mediate cause of my doing so was^ as above stated_, quite acci
dental.
I have branch shops at Ahmedabad and Bombay, the business
of which have suffered considerably from this attachment. I
at once exerted myself to avert the ruin which had come
upon me^ and I mortgaged some of my jewels.
Some creditors of mine living at Baroda came to me at Ahmeda
bad and requested me to liquidate their claims. I told them
that I would do so on the attachment being removed from
my property. I then addessed a petition to Colonel Shortt, to
which no reply was received. I then sent a second one^ to
which Colonel Short replied that the matter being one of
accounts, it must be settled with His Highness the Gaekwar ;
and he sent for my Goomasta, Bhicaji Punt, and told him
that he should call his master's Mooktyar, and that he would
get the accounts privately settled. Bhicaji and Motilal on
this came to Ahmedabad and told me what had taken place,
sol sent my nephew, Tricumlal, as my Mooktyar to Baroda.
(Signed)
Before me_,
K PHAYRE, Colonel,
Resident.
May 30th, 1878.
No-. 2:
Statement of Motilal FursJtotum.
I am principal Goomasta of the firm of Samul Bechur, of which
Motilal Samul is now the proprietor. I have been in the
service for 28 years, for the last 15 of wdiich I have been
principal Goomasta. The firm banks with the Gaekw^ar
State. I was called upon to settle accounts with the last part
of June 1870, in the time of the Maharajah Khanderao,four or five
months before his death. All the accounts were then settled
with the exception of the State Loan account. This was not
settled, because the Furnees required me on the part of the
firm to credit to that account a sum of Rs 50,000 on account
of Baee Judal, the widow of Runchore. I replied that I
could not do anything without consulting my master; and
moreover, that a decree in favour of our firm had already been
given in that case by His Highness. Notwithstanding this,
the Furnees entered the Rs. 50,000 in the State books without
my concurrence ; but the account remained unsettled on our
side. Matters remained in this state when His Highness
the Gaekwar suddenly died, and the present Oaekwar came to
the throne at the latter end of 1870. No settlement
of accounts was called for in 1871; but in the month of May
1872, I was called by the Furnees to settle the accounts.
I went with Bhicaji, Karkoon, and the first account examined
was the loans account. I then said that I could not admit
the Rs. 50,000 which had been arbitrarily entered by him
therein. The Furnees told me that I must inform His High-