कर्नल फेर यांस विषप्रयोग केल्याबद्दलची चौकशी. ( १९१ ) कामावरून बरतर्फ करणें, व तशाच प्रकारची दुसरी कृत्ये करणे, यांत त्यां- स कांहीं विशेष अडचण पडली नाहीं. नानासाहेब खानवेलकर, हरींबा गायकवाड, दामोदरपंत नेने, नानाजी विठ्ठल, वसंतरामभाऊ, आणि दुसरी जुनी कामदार मंड ळी यांस त्यांनी कैदेत टाकलें; आणि त्यांपैकी कित्येकांच्या घरांवर जप्त्या बसविल्य होत्या. मल्हारराव महाराज यांच्यासाठी जे कोणी उद्योग करतील, असे त्यांस वाटलें, त्यांस त्यांनी कैदेत ठेवलें; आणि भाऊ शिंदे व गोविंदजी नाईक यांस महारा जांनीं विषप्रयोग करवून व यातना देववून मारल्याची चौकशी करून ते दोष महा. राजांवर स्थापित करून ठेविले; व या कामांत जे लोक होते असे त्यांस वाटलें, शं- सत्यानीं कैदेत ठेविलें. विषप्रयोगाच्या प्रकरणांतून महाराज मोकळे झाले, तरी त्यांस पुन्हा गाढी मिळं नये, अशासाठी ही सर्व तयारी करून ठेविण्यांत आली होती. विषप्रयोगाची ज्या न्यायसभेपुढे चौकशी होणार होती, त्या न्यायसभपुढे मल्हारराव महाराज यांच्या मा- गील वर्तनांबद्दल कांहीं एक चौकशी होऊं नये, असा गवरनर जनरल यांचा ठ राव झाला होता. पण तो फक्त त्या न्यायसभेपुरताच होता. त्या हुकुमानें सर लुई- स पेली यांची सत्ता कांहीं मर्यादित केली नव्हती, असे दिसतें.
- चाळीस लाख रुपयांच्या संबंधानें सर लुईस पेली यांनी सरदार लोकांपुढे
जी चर्चा केली त्यांत त्यांनी असे बोलून दाखविले कीं, महाराजांनी एका वर्षांत ए- क कोट एकाहत्तर लक्ष रुपये खर्च केले असून, राज्याची जमा काय ती ९४ ल-
- “ It appears that the Senaputtee in the presence of the Gaekwar gave a receipt
for notes and afterwards concealed them in the two boxes in the palace in such a manner as that even had the boxes been opened no one would have suspected what was in them. At the time of this concealment only Rupees 2,000 were found in the Central State Treasury. All the money belonging to the State ought to have been handed over to me as Administrator of the State. The concealiment of the money f the State funds. The Gaekwar says the was culpable, was in fact a malversation money was Khangee, but this plea is inadmissible, when His Highness has during the past year spent 171 lakhs against a revenue of 94 and has only left Rupees 2,000 in the Central State Treasury. (Sirdars —undoubtedly it is the property of the State.) Again the conduct of the Senaputtee has been very wrong as against myself : while my officers in the city were placing the fullest confidence in him, and he was pretending to show them every- thing, he was actually concealing this sum of forty lakhs. How do I know that if these notes had remained concealed when the State was restored to a native admini- stration that the Senaputtee would not hare played another trick on me, and said, “ I left this money in the palace, Sir Lewis Pelly must know what has beeome of it." I cannot trust the Senaputtee any longer. (Sirdars-quite right.) The appointment is one of recent date, is an innovation on the ancient State administration,and I now abolish it; its duties can be performed by the two Bukshees of Silledars and Sibun- dees. (To this the Sirdars fully assented, and added that the appoitinent had only been introduced in the last 12 years.) I think it right to mark my displeasure at the Senaputtee's conduct, though from his position as brother-in-law of the Gaekwar I am sorry to be compelled to do this. As to whether he shall be requested to leave the town, and as to his Jaghires, I shall consider further. The Sirdars appeared warmly to approve of the Senaputtee's removal from office and the abolition of the appointment." (Baroda Blue Book No. 6 Page 81.)
