POSTHUMOUS MEMOIRS OF HIS OWN TIME. BY SIR N. W. WRAXALL, BART. AUTHOR OF "MEMOIRS OF MY OWN TIME." SECOND EDITION. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON. RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, 1836. POSTHUMOUS MEMOIRS OF MY OWN TIME. 1786. January.-Early in the month of January, Lord Macartney arrived in England from Calcutta. His return to Europe excited much surprize, he having been appointed, nearly twelve months before, to succeed Mr. Hastings as governor-general of Bengal, whenever the latter should quit India. But, notwithstanding this nomination, various weighty reasons precluded him from claiming the chair. His original appointment had not been carried at the East India House without great difficulty; the directors, in a pretty full court, being so equally balanced, that the question was decided in Lord Macartney's favour by only one vote. From Leadenhall-street it was therefore evident that he could not look for any steady or VOL. II. B unanimous support. Nor had his public conduct in throwing up the government of Fort St. George, rather than submit to execute the orders sent out by the board of control, tended to conciliate the protection of Dundas. In order to explain this last assertion, it is necessary to state that Mahommed Ally, Nabob or Sovereign of the Carnatic, was induced in the year 1781, when the armies of Hyder Ally had occupied and desolated his dominions, to assign over the administration of his revenues to the Madras government. So extraordinary a mark of confidence, by which he in fact made a temporary resignation of his political authority, transferring it to the East India Company's servants, was however given under a solemn engagement that his territories should be restored to him immediately after the termination of the war. Nevertheless, Lord Macartney, apprehensive lest the nabob's finances might be thrown into disorder under his own management, which must prevent his making the regular kists or payments due from him to the company, refused to restore the Carnatic to Mahommed Ally. That prince loudly complained of such an infraction of national faith, and reclaimed the interposition of the Bengal government. Hastings and the supreme council taking part with the nabob, enjoined Lord |