and that nothing but the necessity of self-defence could have induced Mr. Bristow to make publick another, and much stronger, instance of the same, it is to be violently presumed, that where these two, or either, or both, necessities did not exist, many evil and oppressive practices of the said Hastings do remain undiscovered. That if it had not been for the contests between him, the said Hastings, and the Resident Bristow, not only the before-mentioned particulars, but the whole of the expensive civil establishments for English servants at Oude would have been for ever concealed from the Directors, and from Parliament; and yet the said Hastings has had the audacity to pretend so complete an ignorance of the facts, that, representing the Vizier as objecting to the largeness of the payments made by Bristow, and stating a very reduced list, which he was willing to allow for, amounting to £. 30,000 a year, the said Hastings did affect to be alarmed at the magnitude even of the list so curtailed, expressing himself as follows, in his Minute of the 7th of December 1784-" før

my own part, when the Vizier's minister first "informed me that the amount, which his master "had authorized, and was willing to admit, for the

466

charges of the Residency, and the allowances of "the gentlemen at Lucknow, was 25,000 rupees per month, I own I was startled at the magnitude of the sum, and was some days hesitating in my

mind whether I could with propriety admit of it." Whereas he well knew that the three sums alone, of which the necessities aforesaid had compelled the discovery, did greatly exceed that sum, of which, at the first hearing, he affects to have been so exceedingly alarmed, and thrown into a state of hesitation, which continued for some days ; and although he the said Hastings was conscious that he had at the very time authorized an establishment to more than four times the amount thereof.

XCV.

That in the said deceits, prevarications, contradictions, malicious accusations, fraudulent concealments, and compelled discoveries, as well as in the said secret, corrupt, and prodigal disposition of the revenues of Oude, as well as in his breach of faith to the Nabob, in continuing expensive establishments under a private agent of his own, after he had agreed to remove the Company's agent, the said Warren Hastings is guilty of an high offence and misdemeanor.

THAT it was the declared policy of the Company, on the acquisition of the Duannee of Bengal, to continue the Country-government, under the inspection of the Resident at the Nabob's Durbar, in the first instance, and that of the President and Council, in the last; and for that purpose they did stipulate to assign, for the support of the dignity of the Nabob, an annual allowance from the Revenues, equal to four hundred thousand pounds a year.

II.

That, during the Country government, the principal active person in the administration of affairs for rank, and for reputation of probity, and of knowledge in the revenues and the laws, was Mahomed Reza Khân, who, besides large landed property, was possessed of offices, whose emoluments amounted nearly, if not altogether, to one hundred thousand pounds a year.

IV.

That the Company's servants, in the beginning, were not conversant in the affairs of the revenue,

and

d

and stood in need of natives of integrity and experience to act in the management thereof. On that ground, as well as in regard to the rank, which Mahomed Reza Khân held in the country, and the confidence of the people in him, they, the President and Council, did inform the Court of Directors, in their letter of the 30th of September 1765, that "as Mahomed Reza Khân's short administration

was irreproachable, they determined to continue "him in a share of the authority;" and this information was not given lightly, but was founded upon an inquiry into his conduct, and a minute examination of charges made against him by his rivals in the Nabob's court, they having insinuated to the Nabob that a design was formed for deposing him, and placing Mahomed Reza on his throne; but on examination the President and Council declare, that he had so openly and candidly accounted for every rupee disbursed from the treasury, that "they could not, without injury to his character, હૃદ and injustice to his conduct, during his short administration, refuse continuing him in a share of "the government.”

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V.

That the Company had reason to be satisfied with the arrangement made, so far as it regarded him; the President and Council having informed them, in them, in the following year, in their letter of the bas

24

9th

9th of December 1766, that " the large increase of "the revenue must, in a great measure, be ascribed "to Mr. Sykes's assiduity, and to Mahomed Reza "Khan's profound knowledge in the finances."

2

VI.

That the then President and Council, finding it neceffary to make several reforms in the adminis tration, were principally aided in the same by the suggestion, advice, and assistance of the said Mahomed Reza Khân; and, in their letter to the Court of Directors of the 24th of June 1767, they state their resolution of reducing the emoluments of office, which before had arisen from a variety of presents, and other perquisites, to fixed allowances; and they state the merits of Mahomed Reza Khân therein, as well as the importance, dignity, and responsibility of his station, in the following

manner:

*

“Mahomed Reza Khân has now of himself, with great delicacy of honour, represented to us the evit (6 consequences, that must ensue from the continu

ance of this practice; since, by suffering the princi"pal officers of the Government to depend for the support of their dignity on the precarious fund "of perquisites, they, in a manner, oblige them to

pursue oppressive and corrupt measures, equally "injurious to the country and the Company; and