Page:Twelve men of Bengal in the nineteenth century (1910).djvu/67

Rh the Trust on a satisfactory footing. Anxious to interfere as little as possible with the intentions of the original founder, Government adopted this only as a temporary measure, and a few months later again restored full management to the two Mutwallis, certain rules for their guidance being laid down. They were not long, however, in proving how little they deserved this clemency on the part of Government, continuing their course of peculation and embezzlement with renewed vigour. Finally in 1818, the Collector of Jessore in whose district a large portion of the Trust property lay, ejected them from the management with the approval of the Board of Revenue. The Mutwallis made every effort to retain so profitable a stewardship, bringing their case repeatedly before the courts. On the decision of the Sessions Judge of Hooghly being given against them, they appealed to Calcutta and finally to the Privy Council. The original judgment was, however, consistently upheld and its confirmation by the Privy Council in 1835 at length set the matter at rest.

Since March, 1817 the control of the Mahomed Mohsin Trust estate has thus been in the hands of Government. In order to fulfil the original intentions of the founder as far as possible, a Mutwalli was appointed to have charge of all that concerned the Imambara and the religious side of the endowment. Syed Ali Khan Bahadur being