judges of infinitely lefs difcernment than their Lordships poffeffed could not but be ftruck with it. That Oude was a country of confiderable extent, would appear from this fact, with which their Lordships were well acquainted; that it was in length 360 miles, and in breadth 180; fo that it was nearly as long as England, and as broad as this kingdom, from the isle of Anglesea to the mouth of the Humber: it exceeded Ireland in length by 70 miles, and was rather broader than any part of that ifland. It was wealthy, because it produced in fome parts various articles for trade and manufactures, which were carried on to a very confiderable extent; and in other parts it was rich in tillago. Before its connexion with the Eait-India Company, it was able to defray the expences of all its eftablishments, without letting any run into arrear; and the fize of those establishments might be collected from this, that when a reduction in the army took place in Oude, the number of men still kept in pay amounted to 36,000 rank and file. Thus was the country rich and flourishing, while the Provinces were fewer in number than they afterwards became by the accefion of Douab, and the conquest of Rohilcund, or the country of the Rohillas; but this increase of dominion did not bring increase of wealth to the Nabob of Oude; on the contrary, his finances fell into diforder, he became aitonishingly embarrassed, and his country was ruined. actual state of that Prince and his territory. The Princeffes of Oude, as he had stated before, were ladies of high birth and quality. The Elder Begum, or grandmother of the reigning Prince, was the daughter of a perfon of ancient and illuftrious lineage, who was of fufficient power and confequence to be able to difpute the high office of Vizier of the Mogul empire with the Nizam of the Carnatic, and was at laft honoured by the Great Mogul with the title and office of Captain General of the Empire. Her father gave her in marriage to Sufter Jung, a man of very noble birth, who left to his fon Sujah ul Dowlah the dignity of Vizier, and from him it defcended to Afoph ul Dowlah, Sujah's fon, who now reigns over the territories of Oude. The younger Begum, or Princess's mother, was not of birth fo illuftrious as the former, but fill the was nobly born, and became the wife of Sujah ul Dowlah, and bore to him the reigning Nabob Vizier. From this fhort hiftory it appeared, that thefe ladies were of high rank, and intitled to great refpect, and to great eftablishments. They accordingly enjoyed both. That the eftates which they poffeffed belonged to them in propriety, and were not held by them in truft, fhould, Mr. Adam said, be proved to the entire fatisfaction of their Lordships. The bare poffefsion of the perfonal eftates or treafures which they had in their palaces, was a proof of the propriety; for as thofe treasures were depofited in the Zenana, or palace facred to the refidence of the ladies of the Court, it was impoffible that, according to the law of the country, any human creature of the male kind, except a husband, fon, or brother, could fet his foot within the gates of it: No compulfory proccfs, therefore, could be ferved or executed in the Zenana, and no one could enter it to take away the treafure. Would not, then, their Lordships admit, that the treafure which no one could take from them was really the property of the Princesses ? But the proof of the property did not rest upon thefe points only, ftrong as it was, By the laws of the Koran, the Nabob was not reftrained from giving eftates, both real and perfonal, in full property, to his mother and grandmother; and what one Nabob had given, another was pleased to confirm.The younger Princefs had lent her fon 26 lacks of rupees, for which he gave her his bonds: here was EVIDENTIA REI that the money fo lent was not the property of the borrower, but of the lender; for no man borrows his own money, and binds himself to repay it. The Nabob's affairs growing ftill more and more embarrassed, that Prince was still preffing his mother for money, and The origin of his connexion with the English was the Rohilla war. That war the Houfe of Commons in its wisdom had not thought proper to make the ground of a charge against the prifoner, and therefore he would not urge it against him as fuch: but he must make mention of it, for the purpofe of fhewing the origin of our connexion with the Nabob Vizier. When Sujah ul Dowlah formed the defign of adding Rohilcund to his dominion, he entered into a treaty with Mr. Haftings for the avowed purpose of exterminating the Rohillas; and the price of our affiftance was ftipulated at 40 lacks of rupees, or 400,ocol. The fun that faw the beginning and completion of this infamous bargain had rifen in avarice; its meridian was in cruelty, and its fetting in blood. From fuch a connexion nothing good could be expected; and, accordingly, from that day forward the Vizier began to run into debts, which daily increased, but were never fuffered to diminish. His embarrassments difabled him from fulfilling his pecuniary engagements with the English, and gave them a pretence for meddling with the internal government of his country, and reducing him, as it were, to a cypher. Such was the laying laying claim to part of her treasures, as the property of the crown, which his deceafed father could not will away. His mother, to relieve his diftreffes, and to fecure to herself the peaceable enjoyment of a part, at leaft, of her fortune, entered into a treaty with her fon, to which the English were parties and guarantees; for without their guarantee the would conclude nothing. By this treaty the agreed to cancel her fon's bond for the 26 lacks fhe had already lent, and further, to pay 30 lacks more, or 300,000l. making in the whole 560,cool. fterling. In confideration of this immenfe fum given to the Nabob, that Prince released all claim to the landed and remaining part of the perfonal eftates, left by his father, Sujah ul Dowlah, to the Princefs his widow. The full enjoyment and poffeffion of the cftates fo confirmed to the Begum, by the Nabob her fon, were guaranteed to her by Mr. Haftings. Whatever therefore might have been her title to this property before, her right under this treaty and this guarantee became as legal, as ftrong, and as binding, as the laws of India and the laws of nations could poffibly make it. The property of the elder Begum, or Princefs, grandmother to the Nabob, ftood exactly in a fimilar predicament, and on a fimilar foundation. She enjoyed her eftates under a folemn treaty, and a folemn guarantee on the part of the English Government. But nothing legal, nothing facred, could refift the lawless rapacity of Mr. Haftings, as thefe Princeffes foon expe rienced. As the reprefentative of the government that had guaranteed the treaties which fecured to thefe ladies their property, it was his duty to interpofe his authority and influence in their behalf, if any attempt was made to fpoil them of their fortune, in violation of the treaties: as a man, he was bound by every obligation of friendship and generofity to be the declared protector of the younger Princess: that lady, in a letter which fhe wrote to him, and which would not difcredit the genius of an Elizabeth, or the abilities of a Cecil, fated, that when Sujah ui Dowlah was in his laft moments, the approached, his bed, and lamenting the misfortunes which were likely to befal her and his young children, who were going to be deprived of their only fupport, he bid her not to afflict herfelf fo much for his lofs; he would leave her a generous and firm friend and supporter in the person of Mr. Haftings, who would be a father to his children. This letter was written at a time when her fɔn Afoph ul Dowlah was endeavouring to spoil her and his grand-mother of their property. Mr. Haftings was moved at the perufal of it, and wrote to the Nabob in behalf of his parents. In this letter he was clear and explicit upon the obligation that children were under to honour and refpect their parents, and the duty which nature itfelf dictated to all relations, to love and affift one another: that duty, he said, was enjoined, not merely by the laws of this or of that country, but by thofe of all nations; it was proclaimed by the voice of nature itself. Here Mr. Adam obferved, that when Mr. Haftings was speaking the language of nature, no man could speak it more forcibly, or deliver it more intelligibly; but when he was endeavouring to palliate actions of his own, which the laws neither of God nor man could warrant, his ftile was ambiguous and his language obfcure, fetting all fair construction at defiance, under the fhew of fplendid high-founding but unmeaning diction. When the prifoner wrote that letter, had he changed his nature? or could the man who afterwards compelled the fon to become his inftrument to rob his parents, have dictated fo humane a letter? Pards bred pards, tygers begat tygers, and the dove never was hatched under the vulture's wing: nature might sleep for a while, but must be nature till: and therefore, tho' the prifoner had for a time put on the femblance, and adopted the language, of humanity, it was only for a time; he foon threw off the mask, and displayed the fame horrid difpofition that dictated the treaty for the extermination of the Rohillas, and the fame barbarity that marked the progress of that abominable war. Mr. Haftings expected that the country of Oude, exhausted as it was by the immense fortunes that had found their way from it into Great Britain, by the extravagant military establishments that were kept up in it, and by the fubfidies paid to the Company, fhould be as full of wealth and refources as it was before its connection with the Englith, when its revenue, exclusive of that of the Douab and Rohilcund, exceeded three crores, or THREE MILLIONS STERLING, a-year. That revenue, when the Nabob's dominions were lefs extenfive, defrayed all the expences of government, and the state was not a rupee in debt: but fuch had been the drain of wealth from Oude after its connection with the Company, that though the produce of the Douab and of Rohilcund was by the conquest of those countries added to the revenue of Oude, the whole was infufficient to the charge of its establishments, and the Nabob was plunged in debt, from which he faw no refource of extricating himfelf: but Mr. Haftings, more quick-fighted, or lefs fcrupulous than the Prince, faw a great great refource in the real and perfonal estates of the Begums, and infinuated to him, that if he would feize them, he would be able to relieve himself from his embarrassments, and pay off a confiderable part of his debt to the Company. The Nabob was shocked at the infinuation; as a son, he felt a degree of horror at the idea of becoming the plunderer of his parents; and as a MAN OF HONOUR, he could not bring himself to violate a treaty which he himself had made, and confirmed with an oath, and for which the Princeffes had given a valuable confideration. The fentiments of that Prince on the occafion were very strongly expreffed by Mr. Middleton, the English Resident at his Court, in these words, in a letter from Lucknow, dated the 6th of December, 1781; in another, dated the following day; and in a third, dated the 9th of the fame month : "Finding the Nabob wavering in his de"termination about the refumption of the "jaghires (the landed eftates of his parents), "I this day in prefence of, and with the "Minifter's concurrence, ordered the ne"ceffary perwannahs to be written to the "feveral Aumeels for that purpose; and it "was my firm refolution to have dispatched "them this evening, with proper people to "fee them punctually and IMPLICITLY "carried into execution: but before they "were all transcribed, I received a message "from the Nabob, who had been informed "by the Minifter of the refolution I had "taken, entreating that I would withhold "the perwannahs until to-morrow morning, "when he would attend me, and afford me "fatisfaction on this point. As the lofs of "a few hours in the difpatch of the per"wannahs appeared of little moment, and "as it is poffible the Nabob, feeing that the bufinefs will at ALL EVENTS BE DONE, "may make it an act of his own, I have "confented to indulge him in his requests; "but be the refult of our interview what"ever it may, nothing shall prevent the or"ders being iffued to-morrow, either by him ❝or myself, with the concurrence of the "Minifters. Your pleasure with respect to "the Begums I have learned from Sir Elijah "Impey; and the measure heretofore pro"pofed will foon follow the refumption of "the jaghires. From both, or indeed from "the former alone, I have no doubt of the "complete liquidation of the Company's "balance." declared to the Nabob, in prefence of the "Minister and Mr. Johnson, who I defired "might bear witnefs of the conversation, "that I conftrued his rejection of the mea"fure propofed as a breach of his folemn "promise to you, and an unwillingness to "yield that affiftance which was evidently "in his power, towards liquidating his "heavy accumulating debt to the Company; "and that I muft, in confequence, deter"mine, in my own juftification, to issue "immediately the perwannabs, which had "only been withheld in the fanguine hope "that he would be prevailed upon to make "that his own act, which nothing but the "moft urgent neceffity could force me to "make mine. He left me without any re"ply; but afterwards fent for his Minister, "and authorized him to give me hopes that "my requifition would be complied with; "on which I expreffed my fatisfaction, but "declared that I could admit of no further "delays; and unless I received his Excel"lency's formal acquiefcence before the " evening, I fhould then most affuredly issue my perwannahs; which I have accord"ingly done, not having had any affurances "from his Excellency that could justify a "further fufpenfion. I fhall, as foon as "poffible, inform you of the effect of the “perwannahs, which, in many parts, I am "apprehenfive it will be found necessary to "enforce with military aid. I am not, "however, entirely without hopes, that the "Nabob, when he fees the inefficacy of "further oppofition, may alter his conduct, "and prevent the confufion and disagreeable "confequences which would be too likely to "refult from the profecution of a measure "of fuch importance without his concur❝rence. His Excellency talks of going to "Fyzabad (the refidence of his mother and "grandmother) for the purpofe heretofore "mentioned, in three or four days. I wish "he may be ferious in his intention, and 66 you may rest affured I fhall fpare no pains "to keep him to it." DEC. 9, 1781.-" I had the honour to "addrefs you on the 7th inft. informing you "of the converfation which had paifed be"tween the Nabob and me, on the subject of "of refuming the jaghires, and the steps I "had taken in confequence. His Excellen<6 cy appeared to be very much hurt and "incenfed at the measure, and loudly com"plains of the treachery of his Ministers; "firft, in giving you any hopes that fuch a mcafure would be adopted; and, fecondly, "in their promising me their whole fupport "in carrying it through: but, as I appre❝hended, rather than fuffer it to appear that "the point had been carried in oppoûtion to "his will, he at length yielded a nominal "acquiefcence, and has this day ifucd his "own perwannahs to that effect; declaring, "at the fame time, both to me and his "Minifters, that it is AN ACT OF COM"PULSION." Thus their Lordships would fec, that though this Prince had a regard for his character as a fon, a man, and a Prince, and felt a horror at the idea of violating an oath, Mr. Haftings was above all fuch TRIFLES of confideration, and was not fatisfied till he FORCED this unfortunate Prince to break through all the ties of nature and religion, and reb thofe of the means of fupporting life from whom he derived his exiftcnce. In the remaining part of Mr. Adam's fpeech he ftated the hardships and diftrefs which the other children and wives of his father were made to endure by the Nabob. Such was their want of food, the Princeffes who had hitherto fupported them being plundered, that the brothers of the Nabob begged that they might be fuffered to go forth into the world, to earn their bread by their daily labour; and the women, who in India think the fight of a man, not their hufband or near relation, a downright pollution, expiable only by death, were become fo outrageous for food, that they forced their way out of the Zenana, but were beat back with bludgeons by the fepoys. Fe could not fay that all these cruelties, were committed by the express order of Mr. Haftings; but they were perpetrated by the order of the English Refident, who was the mere creature of Mr. Haftings, who acted under his authority, and who, with the knowledge of the Governor-General, had engroffed the adminiftration of every deparent in the flate of Oude, civil, military, judicial, and of finance, and left the Nabob but a fhadow of power: he knew alfo, that when all thefe particulars were afterwards communicated to Mr. Haftings, he did not take one fingle step towards punifhing those who had acted with so much barbarity. In the narrative which Mr. Haftings drew of this whole tranfaction he had FALSIFIED dates, in order to inipute guilt to the Be gums, which could not be imputed to them if the true, dates were fet down. While the latter affertion was made by Mr. Adam, that temper which had marked, and fo meritoriously marked, the deportment of Mr. Haftings, left him for a moment, and across his box, to a gentleman in it, he whispered, "that the affertion was false !” At these words Mr. Adam grew more impetuous. แ "What, fa'd he, fhall I hear, my Lords, “ and bear, that my, affertion shall be con"tradicted? Shall I, who ftand here as "the delegated Manager of the Commons, "be told that I am advancing what is un"true? In the fituation in which I ftand"and from that degraded man at your bar, "loaded with crimes, and groaning under "his enormities-I will not bear it.-To your Lordships I appeal for PROTECTION!"[Here various perfons in the Court rofe up-and a brother Manager touching Mr. Adam, he recovered himself, and went on more calmly.]" No, my "Lords, my affertions will prove to be true: "I will trace the guilt of Mr. Haftings "from the firft attempts at expedience"from the trial of a measure, and the fear "of its failure, to the joy at its execution, "and the triumph at its fuccefs:-I will "fhew him to you, falfifying his truft"defrauding the Eaft-India Company :-I "will prove him guilty of FORGERY and Mr. Hastings no longer MURDER fhewed any emotion. After various quotations from Latin Authors, by which Mr. Adam attempted to enforce his fpeech, and which he quoted and intermixed fo rapidly with English, that it was almoft impoffible to diftinguish the "dead from the living," he proceeded to that part of the Begum Charge which brought in the name of Sir Elijah Impey. "If I refpect the Law, faid Mr. Adam, "of which I am a Member; if I revere its "doctrines, or am proud of the profeffion "how muft I, and how muit every lover "of the Laws or Conftitution, around me, "feel, when we reflect upon fuch a man"fuch a lawyer, and fuch a being in the "character of a Judge, as is Sir Elijah Impey throwing afide the unfullied er After fpeaking three hours and a quarter -Mr. Adam drew towards the conclufion, which he pointed as follows: "If what once drew attention at this Bar, "in the perfon of Lord Lovat: if then-the "fame fummary mode of proceeding which "Mr. Haftings chofe in India, had been "adopted--what would your Lordships "have thought-or, what would future "times have faid of our memories ?-If that "Lord Lovat, instead of being brought to "own Politician; his own General; his 66 own Divine; and his own Judge! "That in duties fo numerous and fo com"plicated, the beft abilities might err: his "talents have not that boaft; and therefore "fhould his errors, if fuch were found, "meet the pardon of his country? "If a plea fimilar to the Earl of Strafford "be taken up by Mr. Haftings-then will I "adopt the answer of one of the greatest "men this nation has ever had to boast-I mean Mr. Pym. He fays-and with justice he urges it--We afk not for pre"ternatural abilities, nor expect them: but "here, there is tranfgreffion against every "rule: The light of Nature: The light of "Reason: The light of common Huma"nity: all might have led him into a better "path; but wilfully, he chofe to stray from "the fafe road, and if danger should await him, it is his own feeking." LL a fair and honourable trial, had been in"ftantly deftroyed by his conqueror-the ' great Duke of Cumberland-would not your Lordships, with one voice, have pro"nounced it unneceffary and inhuman de"ftruction? Not lefs fo was the conduct of "Mr. Haftings against the Princeffes of "Oude :-unfortunate in having no Law "but the Will of their Conqueror :-and 4 whofe Will had no Feeling for its "guide !" "At the clofe of his own written De"funce," faid Mr. Adam," Mr. Haftings “has taken up an address fimilar to that of "the Earl of Strafford :-He tells you, that "he was fent young to India, and almoft "unacquainted with its nature and its man66 ners that in the moft trying fituations, "he was forced to be his own guide; his :-- Mr. Adam then addreffed himself to the Lords, and adjured them, in the different capacities of Judges, Fathers, Sons, Peers, Englishmen and Men, to find Mr. Hastings guilty". Mr. Pelham would now have continued the Charge; but the Court finding that it was four o'clock, adjourned. [To be continued.] JOURNAL of the PROCEEDINGS of the FIFTH SESSION of the SIXTEENTH PARLIAMENT of GREAT BRITAIN. HOUSE OF MARCH 17. THERE was nothing of confequence to take up the attention of the Houfe, excepting hearing counfel upon the Exeter poor bill, after which the Houfe adjourned. MARCH 18. Sir John Sinclair rofe, to make his promifed motion refpecting the parliamentary representation of the counties of North Britain. So much difference of opinion prevailed on the conftruction of the feveral Acts of Parliament for the regulation of the Scotch elections, that it had been deemed advifeable to apply to the Hoafe on the occafion. The de cifions of the Courts of Law in Scotland, on contefted points relative to elections, had been various and contradictory. He was, therefore, juftified in the motion he would now make, that a fpecial Committee be appointed to take into confideration the laws now in being for regulaing the elections for COMMON S. the Scotch counties; and that they make a report of their proceedings to the Houfe. Sir William Cunnynghame faid, that he would defer his remarks on the fubject till after the report of the propofed Committee fhould have been be received. Sir John's motion was then unanimoufly agreed to. Mr. Baftard rofe to move for the production of certain papers. He faid, he should poftpone till a future day, the bringing up of a petition from fuch Captains in the Royal Navy as had been fuperfeded in the late promotions. His firit motion was, that there be laid before the Houfe, a copy of the appointment of thofe Captains in his Majefty's Navy, feniors to Captain Richard Braithwaite, who were included in, or affected by, the late promotion of Flag-officers. His fecond was, that copies be laid before * Mr. Adam was up three hours and an half, and was heard with great attention. In many parts he deforved it. In parts there was a vickace liberal men do not love. The Commons were more numerous than ufual. The female part of the audience were in greater numbers than have lately been teen. VOL. XIII. the |