Viswanatha Sastri, J.-The plaintiff appeals against the decree of the Court of the Subordinate Judge of Devakottai, dismissing his suit for declaration of his title to a quarter share of a large residential house in Devakottai and for setting aside an adverse order of the Subordinate Judge dated 26th March, 1943, in E.A. No. 510 of 1942. This litigation has had an antecedent history to which a brief reference is necessary in order to appreciate the contentions in this appeal.

The parties to the suit belong to the Nattukottai Chettiar community. Ramanathan Chettiar the grandfather of the plaintiff was an affluent person owning considerable property and a money-lending business conducted through agents in several places in South India and also in Rangoon and Saigon, with the vilasam of “RM.M.ST” There was a branch of the business at Madras which received deposits, lent out monies and cashed hundies. Ramanathan Chettiar died leaving two sons, Chidambaram Chettiar and Vairavan Chettiar, on whom the entire family properties devolved by survivorship. The banking business was continued by his two sons till 1907 when Chidambaram Chettiar died and thereafter by Vairavan Chettiar himse