PUBLIC REVENUE. 
505 
presents, by the ministers of state, delegated governors, and other 
nobles. These are delivered at the Nowroose, in every possible 
shape of manufacture, natural produce, and even gold and silver. 
And the more enormous the value of these voluntary tributes, 
the more devoted is the duty supposed, of the giver; which 
produces the natural consequence of increased confidence and 
favour from the royal acceptor. By these easy means, governors 
and ministers of all kinds know how to acquire and to maintain 
the most distinguished places ; and, while rendering them ade¬ 
quately lucrative, the way is seldom considered, which increases 
the power of concealment in proportion to the rapacity of the 
collector. On this fatal system hinges all the distress of the 
Persian government: and that ancient usage has left even a 
single door open for redress, is only an occasion of further 
crushing the oppressed; so many of his injurers press forward 
to shut it. This single avenue lies in the law of listening to 
complaints; and however lavish a beglerbeg may be of his 
royal donations, he is not less liable to accusations from his 
district on account of any extraordinary extortions ; or from rival 
aspirants for his place, on any feasible plea; both complainants 
preferring their suit to the Derra-khanah. Therefore, to prepare 
for the turning aside of any such lions in his path, he has always 
another store ready for the coffers of his judges, which, if duly 
administered, seldom fails dismissing him from their tribunal 
with “ a white face !” the term for innocence in Persia. The 
judge being in danger of information against his purchased sen¬ 
tence, has in his turn, his pile of golden arguments in reserve, to 
fetter the grand court of appeal ; and to amass which, he had 
given a running order ol unsparing gleaning to the kelantour col¬ 
lecting the town and country taxes. This notable gentleman, 
3 T 
vol. ir. 
