where appear in relief of this melancholy picture. Happily, a period has arrived to these barbarous excesses. For the first time, the blessings of universal tranquillity may be expected. That system of India, which could comprehend in one bond of mutual defence, and reciprocal forbearance, the predatory chiefs of this great empire, deserves the admiration of all the civilized world. That system, one of the noblest efforts of the wisdom and patriotism of a subject, which has founded British greatness upon Indian happiness, demands, in a particular manner, the thanks and applause of his country. I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient, And faithful servant, (Signed) W. BENTINCK. Fort St. George, May 2, 1804. 2d.-Address from the settlement of Madras. To his excellency the most nolle Richard, marquis Wellesley, K. P. governor-general, and captaingeneral, &c. May it please your Excellency, We, the undersigned British ininhabitants of the settlement of Madras, impressed with a just sense of the signal benefits which have resulted from the brilliant success of the late war, against the confederated powers of the Mahratta empire, Dowlut Rao Scindeah and the rajah of Berar; and from the glorious termination of that contest, have the honour to apFroach your excellency with our unfeigned congratulations, on events which have raised the splendor and renown of the British arms and achievements to a pitch of unrivalled pre-eminence and grandeur. At an early period of your excellency's administration over the affairs of India, the inhabitants of this settlement were called upon, by the sense which was impressed upon the minds of all, by the wisdom, energy, and success manifested in the measures which led to the subjugation of the French faction in the Deccan, and to the memorable conquest of the Mysore, to convey the tribute of their congratulations on the distinguished events which marked the commencement of your excellency's government. When your excellency assumed the supreme authority of India, we saw the territories of the British nation surrounded and menaced by formidable enemies, and her interests supported by precarious and doubtful alliances. But in the contrast of the present posture of affairs with the past, the contemplation of the change must fill every British heart with sentiments of elevation and thankfulness. In the course of six eventful years, we have seen the conquest of Mysore achieved; our powerful and inveterate enemy, the sultan of Mysore, who staked the fate of his empire in seeking the destruction of the British power, vanquished; and the legitimate prince, now our nearest ally, raised to the throne of the usurper. We have seen the power of the ancient house of Nizam Ally, which tottered to its fall, restored in security, under the influence of your excellency's measures, and the son succeed in peace to his father's possessions: we have seen the lawful representative of the Mahratta states, compelled by the feudatories of the empire to fly for safety under the protection of the British government, obtain the protection protection which he sought, and restored to the musnud of his ancestors: and we have beheld the powerful forces with which your excellency was called upon to contend, in support of the measures, humbled and subdued, after a series of triumphs, nnexampled in the annals of history. The confidence which we had been accustomed to repose in the conduct of your excellency's measures, had averted much of the anxiety which might have been entertained at the prospect of engaging in hostilities with the combined armies of the Mahratta empire: but. unlimited as was our confidence in the wisdom, foresight, and energy of your excellency's counsels, the auspicious conclusion of that war has surpassed the hopes that have been indulged in the most sanguine mind: and when it can scarcely have been known in Europe, that the British armies had been compelled to engage in hostile operations, victory and peace have followed a series of events, of which the brilliancy can alone be equalled by the rapidity of their succession. • While we admire the wisdom and vigour of your xcellency's counsels, in foreseeing the threatening danger, and in seizing the critical moment of action; while we admire, with sentiments which must endear their names to every Briton, those distinguished generals who led forth our armies to victory in Hindustan and Deccan, and discipline, preseverance, and valour of the officers and troops, who have, under your excellency's auspices, performed deeds, which, in heroism and glory cannot be surpassed; we beg to assure your excellency, that we are not less impressed with sen timents of admiration at the signal example of forbearance and moderation, which your excellency has manifested to the world, in stopping the career of victory, at the moment when the power of our adversaries was threatened with annihilation, and in restoring peace to the empire of India, on foundations which promise, under the favor of Divine Providence, the long and undisturbed enjoyment of that invaluable blessing. In this last great measure of your excellency's government, we recognize, with sentiments of national pride and satisfaction, a bright example of the operation of the principles of virtue and justice, which have so eminently characterized your excellency's administration. Splendid as the success of the British arms has been, your excellency's fame will gather an encreased lustre from the inviolable attachment to public faith, and the disposition to cultivate and extend the arts of peace, which have formed so proud and elevated a feature in your excellency's character; and while the conquests which have been atchieved under your excellency's guidance have been great and important beyond former example, the glory of those deeds will shine more conspicuously pre-eminent, from your excellency's humanity and munificence, in softening the fallen fortunes of the vanquished enemies of our nation. In conveying to your excellency our acknowledgements of the unexampled talents, energy and success, with which the foreign relations of the British power in India have under your excellency's administration been upheld, invigorated and enlarged; for the greatness, to which the fame of our power has been raised abroad; for the *b 4 uprightness Basil Cochrane, W. Dowdeswell, A. Campbell, Js. Rees, G. Buchan, Edward V. Greenway, Thomas Parrs, J. Brunton, for W. Cullen, Terric Hamilton, J. M. D. Ogilvie, Henry B: Grant, capt. royal artillery, R. Clarke, J. Oliver, colonel, Allan Grant, Fran. Gowdie, colonel, G. G. Keble, R. M. Dickens, colonel, commg. 34th regt. R. A. Maitland, Walter Grant, Richard Yeldham, J. Binny, J. Brunton, Benj. Roebuck, Henry Monckton, Cecil Smith, Wm. Harington, J. Grant, J. A. Hurdis, Wm. Douglas Brodie, Edward Wood, C. M. Lushington, Hy. Wm. Radcliffe, Thomas Chase, John Chinnery, Wm. Chaplin, Charles Ellis, capt. Sir John Sinclair, bart. E. Collins, major general, J. Goldingham, Geo. Maidman, P. Bese, capt. commg. cadet company, John Hodgson, S. D. Totton, Hay Macdowall, J. Campbell, J. Munro, Rev. Mr. Leslie, Wm. Hart, G. Teswell, C. James, P. A. Agnew, J. Macleane, J. Vans Agnew, Edward Dent, J. J. Miller, Geo. Hay, J. Hoseasan, Henry Hall, C. H. Sheed, J. Leith, J. W. Miller, George Johnston, S. H. Delamain, 19th N. I. Patrick Brown, Wm. Abbott, Richard C. Sherwood, Adrian de Fries, Thomas Trent, George Lys, Robert Dennision, Colin Mackenzie, John Tod, of Calcutta, Thomas Fraser, lieut. engineers, Thomas Paterson, It. col. 22d light dragoons, John T. Paterson, A. Anstruther, C. H. Higginson, Arthur Gore, lieut. col. 33d foot, J. Fitzpatrick, capt. commg. bat. pioneers, R. C. Rose, Thomas Fraser, Edward Jones, Richard Seardon, George Arbuthnot, Geo. Garrow, Wm. Ord, Rob. Orme, P. Bruce, C. Rand, capt. 16th regt. Thomas Blyth, St. John Fandourt, lieut. col. 34th, James Johnston, John C. Francke, lieut. art. John Lindsay, It. 12th batt. James Colemous, Wm. Serjeant, paymaster 34th regt. Robert Sherson, Robert Sherson for George Stratten, Jeffery Prendergast, G. E. Askin, Herbert Compton, Wm. Berkeley, D. M. Gibson, lieut. H. Y. Kent, Wm. Kinsey, James Balfour, H. Temple, John Hunter, E. Trapaud, S. H. S. Conway, Alex. Boswell, A. M'Kenzie J. Tulloh Ed. Coxe, Zechariah, Polack, Thomas Hickey, Fownes Disney, Wm. Faurre, J. W. Malcolm, Walter Balfour, Wm. Horsman, J. Long, lieut. col. J. Long, for colonel Torrens, J. Turner, lieutenant, G. Ellis, K. Dalrymple, Thomas Marriott, major 1st regiment N. I. R. Charleton, capt. art. Alexander Orr, F. Acheson, H. Hope, G. Reynolds, K. Griffiths, E. H. Fallofield, Jas. Anderson, P. G. F. W. Ellis, J. K. Lane, E. Roebuck, R. H. Keer, chaplain, J. D. Haviland, capt. eng. John Underwood, J. B. Seward, capt. J. Hodgson, C. Armstrong, capt. W. Macpherson, 12th foot, Thomas Evans, Jas. Hepburn, J. Hepburn for D. Court, Thos. de Mello, Alexander Kennedy, C. W. Munro, lieut. G. Bradley, Henry Dickens, John Goldie, Edward Edward Woodford, J. George Ravenshaw, G. Gowan, Geo. Thomson, H. G. Wright, Cha. Watters, J. Sutherland, Peter Whunnell, Thos Hogarth, W. Ravenshaw, lieut. N. Falconar, Charles Langton, artillery, W. D. Baillie, W. Cooke, Maxwell Thomson. Geo. Chinnery, Mark Roworth, M. Davies. J. B. Hurdes for Wm. Macleod, W. Dowdeswell for Geo. Wescott, esq. George Haliburton, Gilbert Falconer, Arthur Anderson, George King, John de Fries, Alex. Cockburn, Ed. Watts, Ed. Watts for Gilbert Rickets, David Smith, George Hodow, Webb Stone, Edward Wood for Augustus Floyer, major John Hodgson for David Cockburn, William Jones, William Rose, J. Burdon. 3d.-Letter from the governor general, to the right honourable, lord William Cavendish Bentinck. The right honourable lord William Cavendish Bentinck, Sc. Sc. My Lord, I acknowledge with sentiments of the most cordial satisfaction and gratitude, the honor of your lordship's letter, received by major general Dowdeswell, together with the address of the British inhabitants of the settlement of Madras. To that able and animated address, I have publicly delivered my answer, which I have requested major general Dowdeswell to transmit to your lordship, for the purpose of being communicated to the chairman of the meeting, at which, this distinguished mark of public regard was conferred upon me. In receiving from your lordship the generous and liberal expressions of your concurrence in the sentiments of that meeting, I am highly sensible of the encreased honor, conveyed to me by the addition of a testimony, equally disinterested and respectable: the public sentiments, which accompany this testimony of your lordship' favorable opinion, considerably enhance its importance and value in my estimation. Your lordship has been pleased to derive your approbation of my conduct, from the genuine principles of British justice, public faith, humanity, and benevolence. Approbation, proceeding from such a source must be esteeemed among the most honorable rewards, which public service can receive. The spirit of your lordship's sentiments, the integrity, zeal, judgment, and firmness, which you have already manifested in contributing to maintain the prosperity and glory of our country in India, afford a confident expectation, that the course of your lordship's administration will promote the public principles which you have applauded, and that your conduct and example will add stability, energy, and vigour to the system of policy, which you have approved. It will be the pride and happiness of my life to facilitate the progress of your lordship's public spirit and virtue, and to be associatad with your lordship in the completion of every public measure, calculated to extend the fame and power of our country in India, upon the solid foundations of general tranquillity and order. I have the honor to be, 4th.-Answer to the address from the Settlement of Madras, Gentlemen, Madras, during the contest with the hostile power of Mysore. Under these circumstances, it is highly satisfactory to me to receive this distinguished mark of the continued confidence and esteem of a settlement which has abundantly supplied the means and instruments of the success of my administration, in every exigency of difficulty or danger; and I accept, with particular pleasure, the cordial as The British inhabitants of the settlement of Madras are entitled to the most public demonstration of my sincere gratitude and respect. The zealous, and honorable support, which I received from Fort St. George at the commencement of my administration, constituted an efficient cause of the success of our counsels and arms, in augment-surance of your participation in the ing the glory and power of our country, by the seasonable restoration of our alliances in the Deccan, by the splendid and auspicious conquest of Mysore, and by the happy settlement of that valuable kingdom. The recollection of those memorable transactions is indelibly fixed in my mind: at this distance of time, I reflect with increasing pleasure, upon the splendid series of events which terminated in the prosperous settlement of Mysore, and established the main foundations of our glorious success in the late contest with the Marhatta power. Our recent triumphs therefore have revived and confirmed my grateful remembrance of the useful assistance which I received during the critical period of my residence upon the coast of Coromandel, from the loyalty, public spirit, active zeal, and eminent ability, which characterize the civil and military service, and the British inhabitants of Madras. The success of our military operations in the Deccan, during the war with the Marhatta confederates, was essentially promoted by the continuance of the same happy spirit of concord and union which animated the conduct of the government and of the settlement of exalted sentiments of national glory, inspired by the illustrious achievements of our generals, officers, and troops, during the war, and by the principles of British justice, humanity, and honor, which have regulated the conditions of the peace. The welfare of each of the presidencies is equally the anxious object of my solicitude and duty. Under the advantages of restored peace, I shall continue to apply my diligent attention to the important purpose of extending throughout this empire, every practicable improvement in the internal administration of public affairs. In the progress of this salutary work, I contemplate the rising prosperity of the great settlement of Madras with peculiar interest and satisfaction. During the course of my administration, extensive, valuable, and populous provinces have been added to the government of the Fort St. George; its importance in the general scale of the empire has been considerably encreased; its military, financial, and commercial resources augmented and improved; and its external security firmly established, under a system of foreign relations, calculated to protect peaceful industry, to cherish the growth of private property, and of internal |