Letter from the undersigned Sirdars, etc. of the Baroda Sate to Philip Sandys Melvill, Agent to the Governor-General of India, Baroda [‎24v] (16/18)

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the Malioraedans; the greater portion of the population of this State consists of
these two classes; and the ruler of the State himself is a Hindu by religion. These
facts are sufficient to convince your Honour that the measure of reduction in
question will create a widespread dissatisfaction in the State.
21. Lastly, we beg to submit that during the short time that the adminis
tration of this State was in charge of Sir Lewis Pelly, the claims of several here
ditary hakddrs were investigated, and were each and all sanctioned without any
reduction by him. Want of sufficient time, however, prevented him from inquir
ing into our grievances and those of several others. This inquiry was subse
quently made by the present Ministry, and, as we have already said, the result
has been totally disappointing to us.
22. In conclusion, we pray for justice at the hands of your Honour, and
trust that our grievances will meet with the consideration they deserve.
After the above was committed to writing. His Excellency the Dewan once
intimated his desire to visit some of us for some reason which we are unable to
ascertain at present, whether it might be that His Excellency came to know of
our intention to appeal against his decision, or that His Excellency was anxious
to reconsider some of our grievances in a personal interview which had not
taken place for a long time past. In compliance with his desire, we visited
His Excellency on the 27th of April 1S78, when His Excellency produced a
Memorandum of our previous representations to him, and began to express his
opinion on the subject. It is necessary to state here that this Memorandum
seemed to us to differ in several respects from our original verbal statements,
which, we believe, must have been misunderstood at the time the memorandum
was made. As we could not follow His Excellency in his remarks, which were
delivered orally and at considerable length in the Marathi language, we requested
His Excellency to furnish us with a written copy, so that we might be able to
comprehend their nature, and to make further representations, if necessary, on
the subject. This request was complied with, and we were then asked to return
our reply within a week. Subsequently we received, in reply to our statements.
His Excellency's yad, dated the 27th April, in para. 19 of which we found it
stated that no further representations should be made on the subject. Relying,
however, upon His Excellency's express promise to receive our representations
within a week from the date of our last interview, and having subsequently
received an intimation from His Excellency, some of us proceeded to visit His
Excellency at his residence on the 4th May 1878. On this occasion, not only
did we fail to achieve our object, but the reception we met with was most unbe
coming to our rank and dignity. We cannot but allude here to the custom,
usual on such occasions, namely, that the prince on the gadee receives some of us
at some distance from his seat, and others by rising from the same. But on this
occasion we observed a complete indifference on the part of His Excellency, who
did not enter the recepr,ion-hall till after we had taken our respective seats.
After some time His Excellency arrived, and we respectfully rose to receive him.