to its interests and to those of its allies, and will be compelled to adopt corresponding measures of precaution and defence; and you will signify to Dow. lut Rao Scindia, that his intended interview with Ragojee Bhomslah will not be considered as a sufficient plea for postponing his return to Hindustan, unless preceded by the most satisfactory proofs of the pacific designs of those chieftains. You will inform Scindia, that his Excellency the Governor General has addressed a representation, in the spirit of these instructions, to the Rajah of Berar, and has expressed to that chieftain his resolution to anticipate any sinister project on his part with the utmost degree of promptitude and alacrity.

22. You will also require from Scindia an explanation with regard to the object of any confederacy, meditated or concluded between him and Jeswunt Rao Holkar.

23. You are already in possession of the instructions of the Governor General for the eventual negotiation of the terms of a defensive alliance with Dowlut Rao Scindia. It will be proper, on this occasion, to renew the Governor General's propositions to Scindia for that purpose, informing him, that his Excellency is disposed either to admit Scindia as a contracting party to the treaty of Bassein, or to conclude a separate subsidiary alliance with Scindia; and stating to Scindia the manifest advantages. to the stability of his government, and to the prosperity of his affairs, which the proposed connection is calculated to secure: but if the dictates of an erroneous policy should induce Scindia to reject those proposals, you will assure him that the British government

will not be offended at his refusal ; that he is at liberty to remain en tirely unconnected with the British power, and that this govern. ment will continue to maintain the relations of amity and peace which have so long subsisted between the two states, and to abstain from any attempt to injure his rights or to controul his independence, unless the circumstances of his conduct should compel the British govera. ment to pursue an opposite course of measures. You will, at the same time, apprize Scindia of the determined resolution of the Governor General to resist, with the full force and energy of the British power, any attempt on the part of Scindia, or on that of any other power or state, to obstruct the ope ration of the treaty of Bassein, or to injure the interests of the British government or of its allies; and that the formation of any confederacy, or the prosecution of any military operations on the part of Scindia, in opposition to the repeated remonstrances of the British government, will compel the adoption of measures of precaution on our part on every boundary of Scindia's dominions.

24. The first pledge of Scin dia's amicable intentions, even if he should be disposed to accede to the treaty of Bassein, must be his immediate return to the northward of the Nurbuddah, excepting under the circumstances stated in the first paragraph of this dispatch; you will, however, be particularly cautious in regulating your con. duct by the tenor of any of those exceptions which have been admitted by the Governor General, rather for the purpose of remov ing any undue obstacle to the exercise of your discretion under any local exigency which may

arise,

arise, than from any expectation that Scindia can afford to the British government any satisfactory security for his pacific disposition, while he shall remain with an army to the southward of the Nurbuddah. The expediency of Scindia's return to the northward may be enforced by an exposition of the danger to which Scindia's dominion and possessions will be exposed, by his perseverance in a system of policy which must be considered to be hostile to the British government, and its allies.

25. The nature of the existing connection between the Honour. ableCompany and his Highness the Nizam is so well known to Scin. dia, that he must be aware of the consequences of any aggression against that ally of the British government; but it may be proper to remind Scindia on this occasion, that any attack on the territories of his Highness will be considered to be an act of hostility against the British government, and will be resented with the whole force of the British power.

26. His Excellency the Gover. nor General confidently expects that the amicable representations which you are instructed to make to Scindia, will convince that chief of the justice and moderation of our views in concluding the late alliance with his Highness the Peishwa, and will induce him to refrain from the adoption of any measures directed to the subversion of that alliance, and injurious to the rights and interests of the British government and its allies. 27. Scindia must be sensible of the peculiar disadvantages under which he would enter upon a contest with the British arms, although supported by the combined power

of the Rajah of Berar and of Jes wunt Rao Holkar; and must be aware that his temerity, in provoking the resentment of the British government, must expose to imminent hazard the existence of his own power.

28. You have already been furnished with a copy of his Excellency the Governor General's detailed instructions to the Resident at Poona, and you will have been apprized by those instructions of the precautionary measures which have been adopted, with a view to eventual hostilities with Scindia, Holkar, or the Rajah of Berar.

29. In the present situation of affairs, it is of the utmost import ance that your communications with the HonourableMajor-Gene ral Wellesley, and with the Resident at Poona, should be conduct. ed by the most expeditious channel of conveyance, and you will accordingly make every effort in your power to accelerate the Dawk from Scindia's camp to Poona, and to the camp of General Wellesley.

30. Copies of these instructions will be transmitted to the Honourable Major-General Wellesley, and to the Residents at Poona and Hydrabad. You will be careful to apprize his Excellency the Commander in Chief at Cawnpore, from time to time, of the temper and disposition of Scindia, and of the effect of the remonstrances which you have been directed to address to that chief.

31. You will receive by this dispatch, from the Persian depart. ment, a letter which his Excel lency the Governor General has thought proper to address to Dowlut Rao Scindia on the pre sent occasion. You will deliver that letter to Dowlut Rao Scindia

at

at such time as you may judge most advisable.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Fort William, 3d June 1803.

N. B. EDMONSTONE,
Sec. to Gov.

No. 3.

Letter from the Secretary to Government, to Dowlut Rao Scindia; June 3d, 1803.

I HAVE received the satisfactory intelligence of his Highness the Peishwa's actual restoration to the Musnud of Poona, under the pro. tection of the British power, and in conformity to the treaty of defensive alliance concluded at Bassein between his Highness and the British government.

You have long since been apprized of the general nature of the engagements concluded with his Highness the Peishwa, and I received with great satisfaction, from Colonel Collins, the information of your entire concurrence in the expediency and wisdom of the measures undertaken by the British government for his Highness's restoration,accompanied by a declared intention on your part to abstain from any measures calculated to obstruct the completion of the arrangements established under the treaty of Bassein.

This resolution manifested your wisdom as well as your good faith: and your declaration to Colonel Collins was conformable to the principles of prudence and policy which dictated your direct application contained in your letter (received 13th December 1802), for the co-operation of the British power for the purpose of restor. ing his Highness the Peishwa to the Musnud.

Withthis experience of your pub.

lic declarations, and in possession of your authentic letters under your signature and seal, I am disposed to discredit the reports which have reached me of the formation of a confederacy between you, the Rajah of Berar, and Jeswunt Rao Holkar, directed to the subversion of the arrangements concluded at Bassein; nor can I credit the ru mour of your supposed intention to meet the Rajah of Berar on the frontier of his Highness the Nizam's dominions, in order to concert with that chieftain the measures to be adopted for the purpose of defeating the treaty lately concluded between the British government and his Highness the Peishwa. The credit of these reports is, however, in some degree sustained by the information which I have received, of your having actually marched in the direction of the Nizam's frontier, and of the Rajah of Berar having entered his tents with a design of meeting you.

Compelled reluctantly to direct my attention to reports, of which I still hope that you will enable me to detect the falsehood, the obligations of friendship, as well as the laws of prudence and precaution, require that I should declare to you, without reserve, my sentiments and resolutions in the event of your actually entertaining the design of interfering between the British government and any of its allies, especially the Nizamı or the Peishwa,or of violating the rights or possessions of the Company, or of any state connected with it by alliance or friendship. The interposition of the British power for the restoration of his Highness the Peishwa to the Mus. nud, and the arrangements con cluded between his Highness and the British government, in no de

gree

gree disturb your just rights and authority, or the general interests and prosperity of the Mahratta empire. Before this dispatch can reach you, you will have been apprized of the full extent of the engagements concluded between his Highness the Peishwa and the British government, by the treaty of Bassein. An examination of the articles of the treaty will de. monstrate the justice, moderation, and honourable policy of those engagements; and a review of the late transactions in the Mah. ratta empire will be sufficient to convince you, that the interposition of the aid of the British government for the restoration of his Highness the Peishwa to the Musnud of Poona, far from having a tendency to subvert the order of the Mahratta state, ailorded the only means of averting confusion, and of providing for the future security and tranquillity of every branch of the Mahratta power.

The success of Jeswunt Rao Holkar had completely established the ascendancy of his power in the Mahratta state; and his views have been demonstrated by his attempt to destroy the Peishwa's government, and to assume the entire authority of the Mahratta empire. You must acknowledge the danger to which your interests, and those of the other Mahratta chieftains were exposed by the extraordinary success of Jeswunt Rao Holkar. In the moment of his victory your prudence and wisdom foresaw the approaching ruin of your own pow. er; and in the persuasion that the progress of his success must destroy your dominions, you solicited and obtained the powerful and seasonable aid of the British

government. The Mahratta ema pire, and your power, have been preserved by the timely interposition of the British government at a moment when the distance of your army from the scene of action precluded the possibility of any effectual aid from you.

The arrangements, connected with the interposition of the British government, have effected the restoration and provided for the future stability of the Peishwa's just authority, and have afforded additional security for the legiti mate and separate rights of the feudatory chieftains of the empire.

Under the treaty of Bassein those chieftains are effectually protected against any molestation, either on the part of his High ness the Peishwa or the British government, unless any chief should place himself in the condition of a public enemy to the state; at the same time an option is afforded to all the principal chieftains of participating in the defensive alliance.

The constitution of the Mahratta state, and the authority of various precedents, have esta blished the independant right of his Highness the Peishwa to contract with foreign powers all such engagements as shall not affect the separate rights and interests of his feudatory chieftains. That right is inherent in the supreme executive authority of the Mahratta state.

The objects of the treaty of Bassein are to secure the British dominions, and those of our ally the Nizam, from the dangers of contiguous anarchy and confusion; to fulfil the duties of friendship towards our ally the Peishwa; and to provide at the same time for

the

the safety of the several branches of the Mahratta empire, without disturbing the constitutional form of the state, and without affect ing the legitimate independence of its feudatory chieftains. This course of policy is calculated to strengthen the bonds of amity and alliance with your govern ment, as well as with every other branch of the Mahratta power.

Under these circumstances, therefore, I deem it necessary to signify to you my determined resolution to accomplish the provisions of the treaty now concluded with his Highness the Peishwa; any attempt on the part of any state or power to obstruct the operation of that treaty, any combination among the Mahratta chieftains directed to that purpose, must be deemed an act of hostile aggression against the Peishwa and the British government.

I have been informed by Colo. nel Collins, that it is your intention to proceed with your army to Poona. The original object of your march towards that capital having been completely accomplished by the exertions of the British power, the prosecution of your march to Poona is obviously unnecessary for any purpose connected either with your own security, or with the interests of his Highness the Peishwa. I shall therefore be justified in considering that measure to be an unequivocal indication of your resolution to attempt the subversion of the late arrangement concluded between his Highness and the British government, and in that event the British go. vernment will be compelled to adopt measures calculated to counteract such unwarrantable designs.

For the same reason, your con

tinuance to the southward of the Nurbuddah at the head of a pow erful body of your forces, is equally unnecessary, and is calculated to excite apprehensions with regard to the nature of your designs. I confidently expect, therefore, to receive early intelligence of your having commenced your return to the northward of that ri

yer.

The British government is disposed to arbitrate, on principles of equity and justice, any demands which you may have on his Highness the Peishwa. The settlement of such demands, therefore, can, not be considered to be a justifi able plea for your proceeding to Poona. The British government is also willing to arbitrate any dif ferences which may subsist be tween you and Jeswunt Rao Holkar, with whom it is my wish to maintain peace, provided he shall manifest a disposition to relinquish every inordinate pretension, and to accept reasonable terms of ac commodation with the Peishwa and with the other powers, whose dominions he has invaded, and whose rights he has violated.

If the reports of your intention to enter into a confederacy with the Rajah of Berar should be well founded, the British government has a right to expect that you will explain the motives and objects of such a confederacy, with the same degree of candour which I have manifested in communicating to you the views and intentions of the British government,infconcluding the late arrangements with his Highness the Peishwa. I deem it necessary to apprize you, that I have addressed to the Rajah of Berar re presentations similar to those contained in this letter. I have expressed to that chieftain my solicitude