§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDE (Dublin Co., S.)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether Nayat Ali Khan, brother of the Nawab of Maler Kotla in the Punjaub, was deprived in the year 1872 by the Indian Government of judicial and police powers within his own Jaghire; whether Nayat Ali Khan was divested of these powers during his minority and without his consent or knowledge; whether that Jaghirdars do exercise judical and police powers within their own Jaghires; and, whether Mr. Kavanagh memorialised the Indian Government and the Secretary of State for India on behalf of Nayat Ali Khan, and upon what grounds were the memorials rejected?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)Prior to 1872, by an old barbarous usage, each descendant of the original Nawab of Kotla exercised semi-independent powers in the jagirs which fell to his lot. The result was, as might be expected, perpetual conflict of authority and continual disputes and hostility between the various members of the family. To put on end to this state of things the Government of India, in 1872, centred all jurisdiction, criminal and civil, in the hands of the Head of the State alone. Nayat Ali Khan, at that time a boy of 12, was liberally provided for, and it was arranged that he should, on coming of age, exercise such police and civil 169 powers as his brother the Nawab might delegate to him. In 1882 Mr. Kavanagh memorialized the Secretary of State, and was advised that his client should address himself to the Government of India. It appeared afterwards that this course had been adopted by Nayat Ali Khan; but his Memorial had been rejected for the reasons of State above-mentioned, which were fully explained to him.