Enclosures of Letter to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India, No.213, dated 27 November 1874: Nos. 3 to 31 of Abstract of Contents, from Foreign Department, Fort William [‎38r] (75/102)

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No. 29P., dated Poojia, 7tli September 1874<.
From—Secretary to the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. ,
To—Resident at Baroda.
I am directed to acknowledge your letter No. 264A. of 28th ultimo, re
plying to the remarks of Government contained in my letter No. 25P. of
24th ultimo, on your action with regard to the appointment of Nana Saheb
Khanvelkur to the honorary post of Pritinidhee, and of Mr. Dadabhoy
Nowrojee to the Dewanship of the Baroda State.
2. You now explain that your whole opposition to the Gaekwar's desire
to appoint Nana Saheb Khanvelkur to a purely ceremonial office applied to the
question of his receiving military honors on the part of the Resident. "All
else," you write, "it was in the Gaekwar's own power to give without reference
to us," and you argue that as the Government have now themselves directed
that no military honors should be paid to Nana Saheb Khanvelkur in virtue
of any ceremonial office to which the Gaekwar may appoint him, your pro
ceedings have been in accordance with the views of Government, and are not
open to censure.
3. In reply to this explanation, I am directed to make the followino-
quotation from paragraph 2 of your Report No. 255 of 13th ultimo.
"The Maharaja sent R. S. Bapoobhai to me to press me in regaid to
Nana Saheb's appointment as Pritinidhee. Bapoobhai said that as yet the
usual Poshak or dress of honor had not been conferred on Nana Saheb, because
His Highness had been waiting for a recognition of his appointment by the
British Government. He added that the Maharaja had been on the eve of
granting him the Poshak at 4 p.m . yesterday at Mr. Dadabhoy's suggestion,
1 presume, independently of me; but that Bapoobhai had stopped the ceremony
pending another reference to me. I again repeated that the act of promoting
Nana Saheb to a higher office than that from which he had been displaced on
the advice of His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor General which they
professed to respect and obey, would be a direct mark of disrespect to His
Excellency the Viceroy, and that it would be regarded as such. Bapoobhai
then argued that the Maharaja was left to do as he pleased, and why this
restriction about the appointment of Pritinidhee ? I replied that the Maharaja
might do as he pleased, but that if he did this, as contemplated, I should ^write
a yad to the effect that I considered it to have a nullifying effect upon His
Excellency the Viceroy's advice, &c."
4. The Government could not infer from this passage that you restricted
your commnuications to merely declining to recognize the proposed Pritinidhee
by military honors. Whatever you may have intended by them, your observa
tions to Bapoobhai clearly implied that, if the Gaekwar were to appoint Nana
Sahib to be Pritinidhee without your recognition, the act would be regarded as
a direct mark of disrespect to the Viceroy. This communication constituted
a very serious threat to the Gaekwar, as regarded his conduct in a matter which,
as you admit, was within his discretion, and as such, it was disapproved by
Government. The explanation now offered cannot be pronounced satisfactory.
5. As regards your opposition to the appointment of Mr. Dadabhai as
Dewan, you have explained that the Gaekwar being in a painful state of doubt
consulted you on the subject; that you honestly gave your opinion that Mr.
Dadabhoi wanted the necessary qualifications, " at the same time remindintr
H is Highness of his entire independence in the matter."
6. Had you restricted your communication to this effect they would have
received the full approval of Government, but your reports show that you made
other communications which were inconsistent with the Gaekwar's independence
in thechoice or otherwise of Mr. Dadabhai. Tn your Report No. 247 of 11th ultimo,
when writing of an alleged attempt on the part of Mr. Dadabhai to secure to
himself full power for effecting reforms by a writen agreement with the
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