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\82 TH jB LE AP.EB. INo ,-309, Saturbat,...
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[XT* THTS DEPARTMENT, A3 AM OPINIONS, HO...
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There ia no learned man cut will oonfesa...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
The Nawab Of Surat And The East India Co...
jf" affairs was . entrusted to a Naib , or chief aianager , appointed by themselves . Notwithstanding those anomalous relations between the Nawab and the Bombay Governraent , no great inconvenience was experienced uiitil the total wreck of the Mogul . Empire . They had hitheito stood on parallel . lines , Onl
which now threatened to converge . y one consequence could possibly ensue . The weaker power must be absorbed , or effaced , by the stronger . The Nawab saw , and submitted to , ' Ms ' fate . He consented to hold directly * of ; the English , as he had formerly held of the Empefor of Delhi . The objectionable office of Naib was then abolished , and
the Nawab was permitted to mis-govern his people after his own fashion—Ms merchantmasters guaranteeing him against all foreign foes , in consideration of a certain annual subsidy . J & fter a time , however , it was discovered tits * the stipulated sum \ vas inadequate to the exigencies of the case . Frequent disputes
thence arose ; but the Bombay Government was , spared the pretext for either violence or fraud by the death , of the Nawab , wKo was sgee | ily ; followed to the grave by his fcifarrt Son * J > ' THie last reigning prince , it is true , had Wtb a brother , wlio , according to the ^ anqminedan law , might reasonably fexpect to succeed to the Musnxtd . But the British
Government apprised Min * bf Ms mistake , by intim ^ tro g th . at the office was not hereditary— -the GriKEAT Mogul having appointed whom he " woiitd at each recurring vacancy , they , as tie successors of that illustiious potentate , we ^ e equally entitled to exercisq / their pleasure ox discretion . Their requisitions were such as lid prince could accept without hope of evasion ; but to evade them ^* under such a mflitary despotism as the British , was an idea too chimerical to Tie entertained . They were ,
consequently , refused ; and the East India Gpinpany took possession of the ^ revenues and government of Surat , conferring on the heirapparent to that dignity the title of Nawab , and a pension of . £ 15 , 000 a-year , for himself and his heirs for ever s or until such heirs became extinct . This is acteowledge < l by Mr . Dun-CAisr , the Glpyernor , of Bombay , who signed the . Articles of Agreement , on the 13 th of Hay , 180 Q , in the name and by the authority of the ne \ yr Governor General , the Marquis of " Wellesjlet .
The annuity of j £ 15 , 000 was regularly paid the Nawab , and , likewise , to his son and successor , until the death of the latter in 1842 . N 6 ^ , j & ijiLR A ^^ ui ^ oqjjew K . HA 3 S , aied without umle issue , and also ., intestate . IJis twodaughters had been " married to the sons of Meer Surfakaz Alee , " a distinguished general in the service of his Highness the
Grui-OOWAK , with , the distinct understanding that these young noblemen shoxild inherit the property of their father-in-law , and that one of them should succeed to Ms title . The question here naturally , arises , had the Nawab the power to make such an agreement ? That he himself entertained doubts upon the subject is apparent from his letter to Mr . Wil-MA 3 ns , the Resident at Baroda , After
announcing the marriage of his daughters , he says : — "I anx exceedingly pleased with them ( his sons-in-law ) , and have appointed thorn my successors . I request the same of the ijTonpurable tTho Government , and for the S & W 9 reason I beg of you to lceop this matt < * ' 4 I ? h 7 p reflection . " Mr . Williams yet moiQ 9 lejfirly assumes that it rested with lus Gpyernmqnt to sanction or annul this
settle-^^ i ; , . ThpsQ are his words : —<« In thia tt ^ jttta . * , fwrite to you , as a friend , that I will Wp au ' tfc £ waeavows in my powor with the honouraW Qoyfitnmen t , in the obieat Jvbovg oxto 4 j you . sWJd think of no omission
on my part , as a sincere friend . " It does not appear what was the result of the Resident ' s application , or that he ever made any . However , on the death of one of the Nawab ' s daughters her liusband waived all claim to the succession , - and his brother , Meer Jaffjjer Alee was left sole heir to his father-in-law . This prince unfortunately died suddenly from an attack of cholera , without having made a will , though his intentions in favour of Jaffier Alee had been long and vuiiversally known .
Sir George Arthur , then Governor of Bombay , declared in an official minute that the Government was " bound in honour and dignity to continue the pension of £ 15 , 000 to the Nawab ' s family , " and recommended that the amount should , be divided between the surviving daughter and certain collateral members of the . family . This recommendation was only in part acceded to by the Governor-G-eneral , who logically reasoned that if the office was extinct the pension should also
ex-3 > ire , but his Lordship was willing to continue its payment as " a bounty" Strange to say , the Government of Bombay now declined to recognise Meer Jaffier ' s claims " either as ; a bounty or a right . " They went still further , and actually seized xip on the private estate of the late Nawab , and even upon the property he had presented in his lifetime to his daughter and her mother . Upon this Meer Jaffier came to England , in 1844 , and urged his claims upon the justice and generosity of the Court of Directors , That honourable Board
decided , however , by a majority of one , that the Governor-General's opinion should be sustained , but the Chairman personally assured the claimant that only a small portion of the pension would be withheld . Grateful for small mercies , Jaffier Alee returned to India only to learn that the local authorities set at naught the orders of the magnates of Leadenhall-street . The Bomhay Government had the audacity and meanness to offer him a pension of £ 1 , 200 , and the same sum for his two daughters during their respective terms of existence . And these
payments were to be accepted as a definitive satisfaction of all claims . This glaring act of injustice necessitated a second appeal to the Court of Directors , in 1848 , who repeated their former orders , and insisted upon their execution . The Bombay Government now resolved that £ 4 , 000 should be deducted from the annuity of £ 15 , 000 , to represent the amount expended on State ceremonies , wh i ch would not be expected from tho present claimant . This resolution , though manifestly arbitrary , would still leave a pension of < £ l 1 , 000 ; instead of which only £ 5 , 200 was actually paid .
Nor was this all . It has already been mentioned that the Nawab ' s private estate -was placed under sequestration soon after his decease . But seven years afterwards the Government discovered that thoy had acted illegally , and were liable to an action for damages l ) eing laid against them in the Queen's Bench . r Jhey , therefore , obtained from the Legislative Council of India a special act of indemnity , couched in tho following torms : —'" The Governor of Bombay in Council is empowered to act-in tho
administration of the property of whatever nature left by the lato Nawab of Suilat in regard to the settlement mid payment of debts and olaims standing against the estate of the late Nawau at the time of his death , and to makfl distribution of tho remaining property among his family . And no Act of tho Haid Governor of . Bombay in Council in respect to tho administration to , and distribution of , such property , from tho date of tho death of tho said late Nawau shall bo liablo to be questioned in any Court of Law or Equity . " In other
\ yords , the Legislative Council of India assumes to itself the power of suspending the fundamental laws of the British Empire . It pretends to deprive a British subject or the right of appeal . It might as well suspend the action of the Habeas Corpus Act in any individual case , or deny an accused person the privilege of "being tried by his peers . But these acts of arrogance , this spirit of aggression , must ever be expected so long as the present system of Government prevails in India . If the
authorities can screen themselves from investigation into th . eir many deeds x ) f arlntaiy violence and oppression , it is vain to ask of the natives to revere the religion , to cultivate the civilisation , to respect and love the institutions , customs , or persons of their rulers . Uness the direct government of the Crown , actingthrough a responsible minister , be speedily extended to those immense territories , the British public will be perpetually startled and shocked by disgraceful exhibitions . of cupidity , meanness , and insolent oppression .
In spite of this Legislative Council and its special acts , Meer Jaffjcek Alee has the spirit to appeal to the justice and good fooling of the British nation . It has long since " been decided that he should aeceive one-half . of £ 11 , 000 a-year—the other moiety being distributed amongst collaterals . But , as it appears by the " custom " of the family , which in India is held superior to either Mahoniinedan or Hindoo law , that these collaterals are not entitled to inherit ,
he demands that both moieties shall be paid to himself alone . He further asks that the decision of the Bombay Government with respect to the private property of the late Nawab shall be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council . These questions will be brought before the House of Commons oil Tuesday next , when the
representatives of the British people will have an opportunity of proving to their fellowsubjects in the far East , that no act of injustice can be perpetrated with impunity within the bounds of the empire , however powerful the oppressor , however insignificant the victim . A simple act of justice is sued for at their hands . They cannot , in the face of Europe , turn a deaf ear to the cry .
\82 Th Jb Le Ap.Eb. Ino ,-309, Saturbat,...
\ 82 TH jB LE AP . EB . INo ,-309 , Saturbat , - — - —?— - ¦ ; —! 7-= * i ^ 1 ' ¦ .. ; .... i . ., . ..., ; , i I , „ ... in . t . . i . , i „ .- .,... . \ — __
. -^-~- ^ =-.-=-.= (Fijjiptt (Cntlttulf *
( Dttetr Cattttril
[Xt* Thts Department, A3 Am Opinions, Ho...
[ XT * THTS DEPARTMENT , A 3 AM OPINIONS , HOWEVER KXTREirF ARE ALI-OWJSD AN EXPRKSHION ' , SUE El > JL'COIt NECHSBAJUI . V HOLDS KIMSKIYIi RESPONSIBLE TOB NONE , ]
There Ia No Learned Man Cut Will Oonfesa...
There ia no learned man cut will oonfesa he hath much profited by reading controversies , his aenae .-i awakened , and his judgment sharpouod . If , then , i ' , be profitable for him to r-cacl , why should it not , at least , be tolerable for his adversary to write ? —Milton . THE NATIONAL GALLERY—THE NEW PURCHASE . { To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sjb , —I have scon to-day , for tho first time , tho now picture in tUo National Gallery , attributed to Paul VoronoHo . Ah one of tho witnesses examined by tlio " . Solent Committee on tho National Gallery" of 185 !} , and as one ofthosowho , in 1865 , signed tho " Prolont nurl Counter-etatomout" against the report of tlmt Committee ,, I now protest against tho jpurolmso , ( U cony price , of a picture bo bad , and ho " saouroil ami ro-^ aintod as tho ono in question , To expend public money upon so- wovUiIohh a picture , iH rjot only a groaa misapplication of tliu rovejiuu , but ifc it ) uIho oaloulntad to bring tho miXiou into contoinpt , aa OfitubliHhiug . prosumptuouhily , Hud works of tho lowont type are tuts moat eongoniul U > un , and that in aelootiny even theso , wo nro inoompclont to difsfcinBiuuli the goimino from tho Hp ^ uioiiB . It h « a boon stated , oflioioljy that one thousand ?" '«<• hundred and aevcnty-scvmi pounds Wore paid for thin picture I -will venture to unsort , that no piuturuvaluer worthy of credit would appmi ho it at oiiu-umth of that sum ; but , I repoafr , that , at no price , mi ^ it to havo boon purohaaod . Even at a f / ifl it would not bo worth tho spaco it oooupioH in thy National Uul-Jory . YourH , & o ., WlI < l , lAM CONINUHAM . Kemptown , February 20 , 18 fiO .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 23, 1856, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23021856/page/14/
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