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444* Hajee Nubbcc Khan stated that Hajee Muhammad Baker
" of his own accord wrote the title deed of the property," and “ as the validity of such
documents depends upon their having the seal of' Lion and Sun/ Hajee Muhammad Baker
himself took the document to the Foreign Agent's office and had it signed with the
glorious signature,”
after it had been signed by the law officers and principal merchants.
445. On 23rd August 1873 Hajee Nubbee Khan represented that the term of
grace had expired without the payment of the debt, and solicited the good offices
of the Resident in procuring the transfer of the property to him. Some objec­
tions were raised by the Prince Governor and the Foreign Agent to the right
of Hajee Nubbee Khan to British protection : these were satisfactorily answered,
but nothing was settled on the plea that Hajee Muhammad Baker wished to go
to law again. In May 1874 another petition from Hajee Nubbee Khan was
forwarded to the Foreign Agent, who replied that he hoped to arrange the matter
without referring the parties to law, and in June following the property was duly
transferred to Hajee Nubbee Khan.
446. It remained in his hands till the 5th January 1875, when it was forcibly
taken from him and given to Hajee Muhammad Baker. The circumstances under
which this occurred are, that on 20th December 1874 Hajee Nubbee Khan sent
a message to the Residency to the effect that the Foreign Agent had sent his
servants to assist the relatives of Hajee Muhammad in taking forcible possession
of his house, but that he, Hajee Nubbee Khan, had received a promise of
support from the Prince Governor of Bushire. The Resident therefore did not
think it necessary to move in the matter. Subsequently the Prince Governor
ascertained that the Foreign Agent had misrepresented the case at Tehran;
he therefore telegraphed to the Sipah Salar in hopes of explaining the case.
447. On 4th January rumours reached the Residency that the Foreign
Agent had again made preparations to seize Hajee Nubbee Khan’s house. The
Resident asked the Prince Governor to prevent anything being done without
his knowledge; he was informed in reply that the Prince Governor had received no
answer to his telegram, but wished the Resident to make the necessary representa­
tions.
448. In reply to a message from the Resident warning him against interfer­
ing in an arrangement effected by the authorities with the knowledge of the
Residency, the Foreign Agent stated that he had acted under the orders of the
Prince Governor of Fars and was now acting under orders from the Capital.
The house was occupied directly after the messenger left. A formal protest
was addressed by the Resident to the Foreign Agent, who replied giving an
account of the circumstances of the case and stating that
“the imprisonment of Hajee Muhammad Hassan and the realization of Abdool Nubbee’s
claim were not settled through the Residency, but according to the orders of the
Zil-us-Sultan.
449. With regard to the bill of sale he wrote—
11 Muhammad baker however told several Moollahs and merchants of this place before
witnesses that he was forced (or obliged) to act in this matter as he had.'*
He added that certain evil-minded persons had persuaded the son of the Persian
Governor of Bushire, then acting for his father, to confine Muhammad Baker and
throw him and his family out of doors, the latter had therefore complained to the
authorities at Tehran, and they had directed reparation to be made to him.
450. The Resident telegraphed to Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran
suggesting that the house should remain in the possession of its legal owner,
Hajee Nubbee Khan, pending a full enquiry. Mr. Thomson replied enquiring
what appointment Hajee Nubbee Khan held, and whether the local authorities
were aware of his holding it, and whether, as stated, the Prince Governor had
accepted a bribe from Hajee Nubbee Khan.
451. Mr. Thomson was informed by telegram, in reply, that Hajee Nubbee
Khan was confidential agent for the Arab coast and had been so since January