The Writings and Speeches of Edmund BurkeThis 12-volume set contains the complete life works of EDMUND BURKE (1729-1797), Irish political writer and statesman. Educated at a Quaker boarding school and at Trinity College in Dublin, Burke's eloquence gained him a high position in Britain's Whig party, and he was active in public life. He supported limitations on the power of the monarch and believed that the British people should have a greater say in their government. In general, Burke spoke out against the persecutions perpetuated by the British Empire on its colonies, including America, Ireland, and India. Burke's speeches and writings influenced the great thinkers of his day, including America's Founding Fathers. In Volume X, readers will find the continued speeches in the impeachment of Warren Hastings, Esq., for his role in the illegal activities of the East India Company. |
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Common terms and phrases
accusation act of Parliament affairs agent appear appointed authority banian believe Bengal bonds bribery Calcutta called Cantoo Baboo character charge circumstances Clavering Committee Company Company's concealment conduct consequence consider corruption Council Court of Directors covenants crimes Debi Sing declared defence dewan Dinagepore discovery duty endeavored evidence evil extortion favor forgery fraud give given Governor Governor-General guilt Gunga Govind Sing hands Hastings's honor House of Commons India ings inquiry knew lac of rupees Larkins letter Lords Mahomed Reza Khân manner means ment mind Munny Begum Nabob nature never Nundcomar occasion opinion oppression paid Patna peculation person presumption pretended principle proceedings proof prosecution prove province Rajah receiving bribes regard revenue sent servants Sir Elijah Impey Sir John Clavering situation suffer sum of money taken tell thing tion transactions trust ul Dowlah Warren Hastings whole zemindary
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Page 144 - My Lords, these are the securities which we have in all the constituent parts of the body of this House. We know them, we reckon, we rest upon them, and commit safely the interests of India and of humanity into your hands. Therefore it is with confidence, that, ordered by the Commons, I impeach Warren Hastings, Esquire, of high crimes and misdemeanors. I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled, whose Parliamentary trust he has betrayed. I impeach him in the...
Page 145 - I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose laws, rights, and liberties he has subverted, whose properties he has destroyed, whose country he has laid waste and desolate.
Page 141 - ... were cruelly oppressed. I charge him with having committed to the management of Debi Sing three great provinces ; and thereby, with having wasted the country, ruined the landed interest, cruelly harassed the peasants, burnt their houses, seized their crops, tortured and degraded their persons, and destroyed the honor of the whole female race of that country.
Page 32 - ... sweeps away the food of the widow and the orphan, his eyes overflow with tears, and he converts the healing balm that bleeds from wounded humanity into a rancorous and deadly poison to the race of man.
Page 5 - My lords, there never was a man, who thought he had no law but his own will, who did not soon find, that he had no end but his own profit.
Page 142 - My Lords, what is it that we want here to a great act of national justice ? Do we want a cause, my Lords? You have the cause of oppressed princes, of undone women of the first rank, of desolated provinces, and of wasted kingdoms. Do you want a criminal, my Lords ? When was there so much iniquity ever laid to the charge of any one ? No, my Lords, you must not look to punish any other such delinquent from India.
Page 142 - Lords, that the sun in his beneficent progress round the world, does not behold a more glorious sight than that of men, separated from a remote people by the material bounds and barriers of nature, united by the bond of a social and moral community — all the Commons of England resenting, as their own, the indignities and cruelties that are offered to all the people of India...
Page 46 - There are crimes, undoubtedly, of great magnitude, naturally fitted to create horror, and that loudly call for punishment, that have yet no idea of turpitude annexed to them; but unclean hands, bribery, venality, and peculation are offences of turpitude, such as, in a governor, at once debase the person, and degrade the government itself, making it not only horrible, but vile and contemptible in the eyes of all mankind.
Page 84 - That the punishments inflicted upon the ryots, both of Rungpore and Dinagepore, for non-payment, were in many instances of such a nature that I would rather wish to draw a veil over them than shock your feelings by the detail, but that, however...
Page 141 - I charge him with having formed a committee to be mere instruments and tools, at the enormous expense of 62,0001. per annum. I charge Mm with having appointed a person their dewan to whom these Englishmen were to be subservient tools, — whose name, to his own knowledge, was, by the general voice of India, by the general recorded voice of the Company, by recorded...