land has. This man got to himself those lands by a fraudulent, and probably forged, deed, for that is charged too; but whether it was forged or not, this miserable minor was obliged to give the lands to him he did not dare to quarrel with him upon such an article; because he, who would purchase, could take. The next step was to get one of his nearest relations to seem to give a consent; because taking it of the minor was too gross. The relation, who could no more consent by the law of that country than the law of this, gave apparently his consent. And these were the very lands, that Mr. Hastings speaks of as "lands entirely at the disposal of government." All this came before the council. The moment Mr. Hastings was gone, India seemed a little to respire; there was a vast oppressive weight taken off it,—there was a mountain removed from its breast; and persons did dare then, for the first time, to breathe their complaints. And accordingly this minor rajah got some person kind enough to tell him, that he was a minor,-that he could not part with his estate; and this, with the other shocking and illegal parts of the process, was stated by him to the council, who had Mr. Hastings's recommendation of Gunga Govin Sing before them. The council, shocked to see a minor attempted to be dispossessed in such a manner by him, who was the natural guardian of all minors, shocked at such an enormous daring piece of iniquity, began to inquire further, and to ask, how came this his near relation to consent? He was apparently partner in the fraud. Partner in the fraud he was, but not partner in the profit; for he was to do it without getting any thing for it; the wickedness was in him, and the profit in Gunga Govin Sing. In consequence of this inquiry, the man comes down to account for his conduct, and declares another atrocious iniquity, that shows you the powers, which Gunga Govin Sing possessed." Gunga Govin Sing," says he, "is master of the country; he had made a great festival for the burial of his mother; all those of that cast ought to be invited to the funeral festival; he would have disgraced me for ever, if I had not been invited to that funeral festival." These funeral festivals, you should know, are great things in that country, and celebrated in this manner, and, you may depend upon it, in a royal manner, by him, upon burying his mother any person left out was marked, despised, and disgraced. "But he had it in his power, and I was threatened to be deprived of my cast by his register, who had the cast in his absolute disposition." Says he, "I was under terrour, I was under duresse, and I did it." now. Gunga Govin Sing was fortified by the opinion, that the governour, though departed, virtually resided in that country. God grant, that his power may be extirpated out of it I doubt it; but, most assuredly, it was residing in its plenitude when he departed from thence; and there was not a man in India, who was not of opinion, either that he was actually to return to govern India again, or that his power is such in England, as that he might govern it here. And such were the hopes of those, who had intentions against the estates of others.-Gunga Govin Sing, therefore, being pressed to the wall by this declaration of the rajah's relation, when he could say nothing against it, when it was clear and manifest, and there were only impudent barefaced denials, and asseverations against facts, which carried truth with themselves, did not in his answer pretend to say, that a zemindary might be parted without the consent of the government, that a minor might be deprived of it,that the next relation had a power of disposing of it. He did indeed say, but nobody believed him, that he had used no force upon this relation; but as every one knew the act would be void, he was driven to Mr. Hastings's great refuge; he was driven to say, "The government in this country has arbitrary power, the power of government is every thing,-the right of the subject nothing;-they have at all times separated zemindaries from their lawful proprietors.-Give me, what Mr. Hastings has constantly given to other people without any right, or shadow, or semblance of right at all." -God knows, it is well, that I walk with my authority in my hand; for there are such crimes, such portentous incredible crimes, to be brought before your lordships, that it would hardly be believed, were it not, that I am constantly, as I hope I shall constantly be, guarded with evidence, and that the strongest, that can be, even the evidence of the parties themselves. "From your inquiry (Gunga Govin Sing says to the council) every circumstance will appear in its true colours. With respect to the alienation of parts of zemindaries, the extent and consequence of the great zemindars depend, in a great measure, on the favour and countenance of the ruling powers. "By what means did this zemindar of Dinagepore get possession of purgunnah Buttassim after the death of Rycobad Chowdry in 1158, of purgunnah Coolygong after the death of Sahebrance Chowderanne, in the same year, notwithstanding his heirs existed; and of purgunnah Suntoe, &c. during the life-time of Sumboonant, the zemindar, in 1167, all without right, title, or pecuniary consideration? This has been the case with many purgunnahs in his zemindary, and indeed exists in many other zemindaries besides since the company's accession. Ramkissen, in 1172, got possession of Nurrulloor, the zemindary of Mahomed Ali : the purgunnah of Ichanguipore, &c. was in three divisions in 1173. The petition of Govin Deo Sheopersaud was made over to the son of Bousser Chowdry, possessour of the third share. Purgunnah Baharbund belonged to the zemindary of Rannee Bhowanny, and, in 1180, was made over to Lucknaut Nundy. All these changes took place in the life-time of the rightful possessours, without right, title, or purchase." Your lordships have not heard before of Lucknaut Nundy. He was the son of a person, of whom your lordships have heard before, called Cantoo Baboo, the banyan of Mr. Hastings. Mr. Hastings has proved in abundance of other cases, that a grant to father and son is the same thing. The fathers generally take out grants in the names of their sons; and the Ranny Bhowanny, possessing the zemindary of Radshi, an old lady of the first rank and family in India, was stripped of part of her zemindary, and it was given to Lucknaut Nundy, the son of Mr. Hastings's banyan; and then (you see the consequence of good examples) comes Gunga Govin Sing, and says, I am as good a man as he; there is a zemindary given; then do as much for Gunga Govin Sing, as you have done for Cantoo Baboo. Here is an argument drawn from the practice of Mr. Hastings. And this shows your lordships the necessity of suppressing such iniquities by punishing the author of them. You will punish Mr. Hastings; and no man will hereafter dare to rob minors, no man will hereafter dare to rob widows, to give to the vilest of mankind, their own base instruments for their own nefarious purposes, the lands of others without right, title, or purchase. My lords, I will not after this state to you the false representation of the value of these lands, which this man gave in to government. He represented it to be much less than it was, when he desired the grant of them; as shall be stated, when it comes before your lordships, at the proper time. But at present I am only touching upon principles, and bringing examples so far as they illustrate principles, and to show how precedents spread. I believe, your lordships will conceive better of the spirit of these transactions by my intermixing with them, as I shall endeavour to do, as much as possible of the grounds of them. I will venture to say, that no description, that I can give, no painting, if I was either able or willing to paint, could make these transactions appear to your lordships with the strength which they have in themselves; and your lordships will be convinced of this, when you see, what nobody could hardly believe, that a man can say, "It was given to others without right, title, or purchase, give it to me without right, title, or purchase ;-give me the estates of minors without right, title, or purchase, because Mr. Hastings gave the estates of widows without right, title, or purchase." Of this exemplary grant, of this pattern for future proceedings, I will show your lordships the consequence. I will read to your lordships part of the examination of a witness, taking from a report of a committee of the House of Commons. "Are you acquainted with the situation of the zqmindary of Baharbund?It lies to the eastward of Dinagepore and Rungpore. I was stationed in that neighbourhood. whom did it originally belong?-I believe, to the zemindary Το of Radshi, belonging to ranny Bowanny. For what reason was it taken from the ranny of Radshi and given to Cantoo Baboo?--I do not exactly recollect: I believe, on some plea of incapacity or insufficiency in her to manage it, or some pretended decline in the revenue, owing to mismanagement. On what terms was it granted to Cantoo Baboo or his son ? -I believe it was a grant in perpetuity, at the revenue of rupees 82 or 83,000 per annum. What amount did he collect from the country?—I cannot tell. The year I was in that neighbourhood, the settlement with his under-tenants was something above 3,53,000 rupees. The inhabitants of the country objected to it. They assembled in a body of about five thousand, and were proceeding to Calcutta to make known their grievances to the committee of revenue. They were stopped at Cossimbuzar by Noor Sing Baboo, the brother of Cantoo Baboo, and there the matter was compromised, in what manner I cannot say.” * * * Your lordships see, Mr. Hastings's banyan got this zemindary belonging to this venerable lady, unable to protect herself; that it was granted to him without right, title, or purchase. To show you, that Mr. Hastings had been in a constant course of such proceeding, here is a petition from a * for some person called * favour from government, which it is not necessary now to state. In order to make good his claim, he states what nobody denied, but which is universally known in fact. Says he, "I have never entertained any such intention or idea;" that is, of seizing upon other people's zemindaries, "neither am I at all desirous of acquiring any other person's zemindary in this country," &c. * * * [The document, read here, is wanting, ending] “as several Calcutta banyans have done," &c. * * He states it as a kind of constant practice, by which the country had been robbed under Mr. Hastings, known and acknowledged to be so, to seize upon the inheritance of the widow, and the fatherless. In this manner did Gunga Govin Sing govern himself upon the direct precedent of Cantoo Baboo, the banyan of Mr. Hastings; and this other instru |