A letter from Candra Śamśera to H.J. Wilkinson regarding the establishment of compensation funds for the abolition of slavery (CE 1924)
ID: HDNB_0001_0001
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translated by Axel Michaels
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Manik Bajracharya
Created: 2018-09-23;
Last modified: 2018-10-31
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Abstract
This is a letter from Prime Minister Candra Śamśera to the British envoy to Nepal Hugh J. Wilkinson-Guillemard proposing to establish the Great War Memorial Tri Chandra Hospital Fund and the Slave Emancipation Fund.Diplomatic edition
[1]
1On Slavery2Emancipation of slavery - Abolition of slavery 1Nepal 20th July 19241My dear Mr. Wilkinson,
2In order to meet the annual recurrent expenditure
3of the newly erected the Great War Memorial Tri Chandra Charitable
4Hospital as also to provide a fund the income of which is to be
5applied in compensating owners for emancipated slaves till such
6time as the whole fund may have to be withdrawn to meet compensation
7on the general liberation of slaves it is intended to denote seven
8lakhs of rupees for the former and eleven lakhs for the latter fund.
9The first fund will be named Great War Memorial Tri Chandra
10Hospital fund and the second the Slave Emancipation Fund.
11These amounts are proposed to be invested in the Government of
12India G.P. Notes or Loans and on completion of the investment
13to convert the securities into stock certificate to be held in the
14joint names of Trustees to be appointed in their official capa
15cities. I request your kind help to put the matter through in
16the same way and on the same lines as in the two other trust
17funds viz. the Shivaratri pilgrims help fund and Aurvedic
18Education fund as arranged in 1921-1922 through the then British
19envoys here. If you please refer to the correspondence on the
20subject you will find that: --
211. The Trustees are to hold the fund ex officio so that any
22change in the personal will not necessitate re-endorsement.
23and thus not interfere with the rellivation of the interest.
25and the proper administration of the funds.
252. The interests due are to be payable six monthly at the
26Nepal British Legation Treasury, where the interest war
27rant are to be received by the British Envoy for the time
28being to the Trustees in their official capacities.
29 3. As these trust funds are created for a charitable purpose
30the interest income are to be made exempt from income tax
31as in the previous trust referred to.
32I shall be glad and thankful to have the promise
33of your help in the matter, so that I may send the securities
34when received for conversion and necessary action.
35With kind regards yours very sincerely
36श्री Chandra
Synopsis
[1]
In this letter, Prime Minister Candra Śamśera writes to the first British envoy to Nepal, Hugh J. Wilkinson-Guillemard, because he wants to establish two trusts: the Great War Memorial Tri Chandra Hospital Fund and the Slave Emancipation Fund for which he provides seven lakh rupees for the first and eleven lakhs for the latter,1 which are meant to compensate the loss of the slave owners. The letter is written on July 20th, 1924, i.e., before the official announcement of the abolition of slavery which followed on November 28th, 1924.2 Candra asks for Mr. Wilkinson's help to invest the money in the Government of India G.P. Notes or Loans3 . According to the letter, such guarantee loans were previously made for the Shivaratri Pilgrimage Help Fund and an Ayurvedic Education Fund. For the technicalities, Candra refers to the correspondence on these instances.
Commentary
This document is part of a the correspondence between Candra Śamṣera and Hugh J. Wilkinson-Guillemard, the first British envoy in 1924-31 regarding the establishment of an Slave Emancipation Trust Fund. For more documents related to this, see HDNB_0001_0001 to HDNB_0001_0010 and so on.