________________
15 ween the two parties which cannot but result in acrimonious accusations against each other? They, therefore, insisted upon the parties coming to an agreement, with a definite fixed lump sum payment every year in full discharge of all claims. In 1820 the sum of Rs. 4,000 was deemed * to be sufficient. Forty years later, it was increased to Rs. 10,000 (1863), and in 1886 the same was fixed at Rs. 15,000 for a period of 40 years. The levy from the pilgrims direct, which was taken up by the Agency in 1881 as a provisional or experimental measure, was the result of very exceptional circumstances, and was discarded by the agreement of 1886.
MR. WATSON'S ORDER. When the agreement of 1886 expired op Ist April, 1926, the Thakore applied to the British Government to allow him to impose what would practically amount to a Poll Tax of Rs. 2 on every Jain from British India visiting the Hill, and Rs. 5 for every Jain visiting the Hill from the Thakore's own territory. The Jains, through the firm of Sheth Anandji Kalianji, submitted a rejoinder urging that the Thakore was not entitled to any pilgrim tax, and that the payment hitherto made had been in the nature of a contractual obligation under the agreement accept. ed and acted upon by both parties. The mat. ter was put for bearing before the Agent to
