tion was carried, and Mr. Ruffel was appointed. But the oppofition, determined to fruftrate or revoke this appointment, propofed, though contrary to the orders of the Company, that the Committee of Circuit fhould immediately enter upon their inquiry into the ftate of the country fubject to the Company, before the affairs of Tanjore were fettled. This propofal was made, because the orders of the Company had appointed Mr. Ruffel one of this Committee. At the fame time it was propofed and carried, that Colonel Stuart fhould take the military command in Tanjore. After this, the immediate departure of the Committee of Circuit, and, of Colonel Stuart, was urged with great vehemence, and voted by a majority of seven to four. The Prefident, who faw the motive and drift of these violent proceedings, and knew that their fuccefs must be attended with the entire defeat of the intentions of the Company with respect to Tanjore, firmly refufed to give his confent to the departure of Colonel Stuart as Commandant, till Mr. Ruffel fhould have received his inftructions as Resident at Tanjore.

It will here be neceflary that we interrupt the course of the narrative, while we take notice of fome objections made to his Lordship's conduct.

With respect to the Nabob, befides the complaints already examined, it is faid, that Lord Pigot appointed his fervants to feize a certain Dobbeer, a principal fervant of the Nabob, and his attendants, and carry them away prifoners, with all the Nabob's papers in their charge. This is afferted to have been inconfiftent with the independent rights of the Nabob, acknowledged by the treaty of Paris, and with an act of parliament. But it appears that the treaty of Paris only acknowledges Mahommed Ally lawful Nabob of the Carnatic, and not an independent Prince: this action, therefore, was no violation of independent rights. Nor was it a breach of the act which forbids hoftilities against any Indian Prince, except by exprefs orders of the Council or Company: the action was not hoftile, for the officer was sent by Lord Pigot to escort the Dobbeer to Tanjore, and he attended him with his free-will and at his requeft: and this Dobbeer was not a fervant of the Nabob; he had been long before a fervant of the Rajah, and was now principal financier of Tanjore. But had it been an act of hoftility, it, was not committed by order of Lord Pigot, who only appointed the officer to go to Vickarum, a part of the Rajah's dominions, where he apprehended the Dobbeer to be at that time, and not to Arrialoor, where he was found: and it was an act which it would have been dangerous to poftpone; as without the Dobbeer the accounts could not be adjusted, and therefore came within the cafes excepted by the act.-Another charge against Lord Pigot is, that he by proclamation prohibited the people of Tanjore

from

from affording protection or affiftance to the people of the Nabob. This charge is denied. No fuch proclamation was iffued by Lord Pigot. It is farther alleged, that Lord Pigot's dependents had treated the ancient fervants of the Nabob with indignity. But no one officer is named who was ill-treated; no proof is produced; and the fact is denied.-Another act of violence attributed to Lord Pigot, is the feizure of fome of the Nabob's Reiats by night from the door of his houfe. The truth here was, that he exerted himself to rescue an unhappy woman and her attendants, who, within the bounds of the Company, befought his protection from the people of the Nabob, by whom fhe had been ftolen, and from whom the expected torture.Laftly, Lord Pigot is accused of feizing Hebray Khan, a fervant of the Nabob-but without the least appearance of proof.

Lord Pigot is, in the next place, charged with inflicting arbitrary and inhuman punishment upon Comera Dubafh, a man of note in India.-This fact was as follows: This Comera, a broker or money-lender in Madras, on the night of Lord Pigot's arrival at Tanjore, intruded upon the Rajah, to give him his advice (in which he said he was fupported by feven members of the Council) not to accede to the propofitions of Lord Pigot; at the fame time offering to lend him any fum of money. The Rajah, confidering him as an emiffary employed by the Nabob, complained to his Lordship of his intrufion and infidious propofals; in which Lord Pigot cut his machinations fhort, by ordering him to be chabucked on the public parade.

It remains that we examine the charge against Lord Pigot, refpecting his conduct at the Board, that he claimed and exerciled a right of putting a negative on every act of government which appeared to him ruinous to the interefts of the Company. To vindicate Lord P. in the exertion of this power, it may be obferved; that it is not, as has been declared, tantamount to an affumption of all the powers of government; that it is not a dangerous power, being fafely exercifed in the British government; that it is not a power which it is likely a Governor should abuse, there being checks abundantly fufficient to prevent fuch abuse; that it is not a greater power than is intrufled to the Presidents of other political bodies, particularly to the Governors of our settlements abroad; that it has been given as an opinion, by Mr. Thurlow and Mr. Dunning, in a fimilar cafe (that of Fort William, the conftitution of which was at that time the fame as that of Fort George)," That the Prefident and Governor was an integral and effential part of the Council, without which no Council could be legally holden :" that in the commiffions of government, ancient and modern, this power is exprefsly conveyed to the Governor; that by the royal charters of justice of George 1. 1726, and George il.

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1753, he is invefted with the fame power; that from the commiffion of Lord Pigot, the general letter fent out with him from the Company, and their letter transmitted at the fame time to the Nabob, it appears that he is fuppofed to ftand in that degree of refponfibility to the Company, which neceffarily involves this power; and that there is nothing in the exertion of it inconfiftent with the ftanding orders of the Company, the usage of the Board, or any precedent in the affairs of Madras, the records of which for an hundred years do not furnish a single inftance, where a majority of Council without the Prefident was confidered as a Board. From these confiderations we infer the exiflence of this power in the Governor, and the confequent legality of Lord Pigot's exertion of it.

To return to the narrative, the Prefident renewed, in the ftrongest terms, his earneft with that Mr. Ruffel might proceed to Tanjore, if it were only for a few days, to relieve the diftreffes of the Rajah: but, though the appointment of a refident was not refcinded, it was again determined that Mr. Ruffel should not proceed. The Prefident, on this, refufed to give his fanction to any inftructions to Colonel Stuart, and to put the queftion concerning them. The oppofition immediately entered minutes of their approbation of the inftructions, and refolved that a letter fhould be written to Colonel Harpur to deliver over to Colonel Stuart the command of the garrison of Tanjore; hereby claiming a right to do acts of government without the concurrence of the Prefident. This Board was held the 20th of Auguft. On the 22d the majority delivered a minute, cenfuring the Prefident's refufal to put the question for taking into confideration the inftructions to Colonel Stuart. Of this minute Lord Pigot took no notice; but propofed that the matter fhould be fuffered to reft, till the pleasure of their honourable mafters could be known. This candid propofal was rejected. Mefirs. Stratton and Brooke figned a letter to the Secretary, directing him to fign the inftructions and letter, by order of Council, and fend them to Colonel Stuart: this exercife of a power which only legally belonged to the President and Council, laid Lord Pigot under the neceflity of putting a stop to thefe proceedings immediately. He therefore took the letter, as foon as it was figned by Meffrs. Stratton and Brooke, folded it up and put it in his pocket: and, being prepared for all probable events, produced a written charge againft Meffrs. Stratton and Brooke, "For having been guilty of an act fubverfive of the authority of government, and tending to introduce anarchy, in the figning orders to the Secretary to give inftructions to Colonel Stuart, which had not been approved and paffed by the Prefident and Council." The gentlemen, not admitting the charge, and refufing to give any answer to it, were fufpended.

That the charge was juft, is evident from the nature of the action, which was a direct affumption of a power in the Council, or a majority of the Council, to do pofitive acts of government by their fole authority without the concurrence of the Prefident. Nor do there appear any circumftances in the affair to render the fufpenfion illegal. The fact was fully proved, and was of fuch a nature that no time was required to answer it. The suspension was a regular act of the Board, that is, of all the members then present having a right to vote. The question was put by the President; the votes of all the members prefent who had a right to vote were taken; they were equal, four to four: the Prefident then, befides his vote, gave his cafting vote. The members accufed, according to the ftanding orders of the company, could not vote: the fufpenfion therefore was carried regularly. The next day, a proteft was figned, in which the party in oppofition to Lord Pigot, after cenfuring the proceedings of the two laft meetings fay, "We the majority of the Board do confider ourfelves as the only legal reprefentatives of the Honourable Company under this prefidency, and as fuch we have no doubt but all the fervants of the Company will regard us:"-hereby virtually fufpending Lord Pigot, and four other members of the Board. The next day (Aug 23.) at four o'clock the Prefident and Council affembled again. Before this time, the oppofition had circulated copies of their proteft, among the commanders of his majefty's fhips, the officers of the main guard, &c. This being juftly confidered by Lord Pigot as a direct affumption of all the powers of government, civil and military; it was refolved to fufpend Meffrs. Floyer, Palmer, Jourdan and Mackay, and that Sir Robert Fletcher, being a military officer fhould be ordered into arreft, and the command of the troops was given to Colonel Stuart. Thefe measures, the object of which was to put a stop to the confufion and anarchy which threatened the government, were legal, and though vigorous, were neceffary.

Before Lord Pigot had met the first Council, after the sufpenfion of Meffrs. Stratton and Brooke, the faction of feveņ affembled, and agreed upon the form of a proteft, and a letter to be written to Bengal. Early in the afternoon they affembled again, and at three o'clock figned a refolution to arreft the perfon of Lord Pigot, and to appoint Colonel Stuart, on whom they conferred the command of the army and garrifon, to execute this defign. This act was prior to the fufpenfion of the remaining members of the majority, and therefore could not be, as has been infinuated, the effect of that fufpenfion. They appear to have been hurled into this measure by the Nabob, with whom they had frequent intercourfe, and who in a letter written four

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days before the arreft of Lord Pigot, had strongly urged his removal from the government.

Colonel Stuart, to whom the execution of this business was committed, fupped with Lord Pigot as a friend on the evening of the 23d of Auguft. The next morning he breakfasted with his Lordihip, and after breakfast delivered to him an obfcure and ambiguous letter, requesting information concerning his duty. He returned again to a friendly dinner. To make every thing agreeable to him, Lord Pigot invited him to the confultationroom at fix. The intervals between these hospitable meals and friendly meetings the Colonel employed in completing his plan. Having concerted the whole operation, he came to the Council, where he held a vague converfation: after which he accepted an invitation to fup with Lord Pigot, and having no conveyance of his own, requested his Lordship to take him in his chaife, Lord Pigot, who had not the fmalleft apprehenfions of any defign upon his perfon, gave him a feat in his carriage. About eight o'clock, Lieutenant Colonel Edington, and Captain Lyfaught, attended by a company of Seapoys, stopped the chaife. Colonel Stuart feized the arm of the Governor, and faid, "Go out, Sir." Captain Lyfaught received him as his prifoner, and conducted him to the mount; while Colonel Edington conveyed the news of their fuccefs to the Seven. On this, they iffued a Proclamation, declaring themselves, under the Company, poffeffed of the fole power in the Government, enacting that George Stratton, Efq; is according to the order of the Company, Prefident of the Council and Governor of Fort St. George, and pronouncing the powers of Lord Pigot, and Meffrs Ruffel, Dalrymple and Stone, annulled. They next proceeded to remove Lord Pigot from his own houfe to Chinleput, and gave Colonel Stuart an indefinite power to take any farther meafures he might judge neceffary for the fecurity of his Lordship's perfon. They paid every mark of refpect and attention to the Nabob. They treated the Rajah with neglect and infolence. They discovered unremitting hatred, and implacable rancour, against Lord Pigot.

In the preceding abftract we have given our Readers the fubRance of the facts and arguments which this able Apologist has brought together in defence of Lord Pigot. To give our judg ment, or even opinion, on this affair is unneceflary, and at prefent would be thought premature.

To the body of the work is fubjoined an Appendix containing authorities at full length, in fupport of the principal points on which the Author infifts in the course of this defence.

E.

ART.