XX. 1772. change and gold coinage, and of taking prefents from CHA P. Mir Jaffier. Of all these accufations, he fhewed the futility and want of foundation; and particularly, as to the laft, he proved, that inftead of receiving money from the nabob for his own ufe, he converted a legacy, amounting to feventy thousand pounds, together with forty thousand more, which he prevailed on the nabob to bestow, to the purpose of establishing a military fund for the relief of invalid officers and foldiers, and the fupport of their widows. BUT the most interefting part of lord Clive's defence was that where he analized the ftate of India, and defcribed thofe enormities which degraded the British name, and impoverished the company, while individuals were fuddenly enriched, and the natives grievously oppreffed. The germ of the evil was truly and forcibly difplayed in the animated portrait which he gave of a young adventurer first feeking the fhores of Afia. "Let us for a moment," he said, “confider the education of a youth destined for India. The advantages arifing from the company's fervice are now generally known; and every man is defirous to get his fon appointed a writer to Bengal ; which is ufually at the age of fixteen. His parents and relations represent to him the certainties of making a fortune, inflaming his ambition by reference to peers and commoners, who have amaffed great treafures in fhort periods. Thus are their principles early corrupted; and, as they generally go in confiderable numbers, they mutually inflame their expectations to fuch a degree, in the courfe of the voyage, that before their arrival the period of return is fixed. Let us now view one of those writers arrived in Bengal, and not worth a groat. As foon as he lands, a banyan, poffeffed perhaps of one hundred thoutand pounds, defires he may have the honour of ferving this young gentleman at four fhillings and fixpence per month. The company has provided chambers for him, but they VOL. H. C ale XX. 1772. CHA P. are not good enough; the banyan finds better. The young man, in walking about the town, obferves that other writers, arrived only a year before him, live in fplendid apartments, or have houfes of their own, ride upon fine prancing Arabian horfes, and in palanquins and chaifes; that they keep feraglios, make entertainments, and treat with champaigne and claret. When he reports his obfervations, the banyan affures-him he may foon arrive at the fame good fortune; furnishes him with money, and acquires over him abfolute power. The advantages of the banyan advance with the rank of his mafter, who, in acquiring one fortune, generally fpends three. But this is not the worft; he is in a state of dependence on the banyan, who commits acts of violence and oppreffion, under the pretended fanction and authority of the company's fervant. And hence arifes the clamour against the Englifh gentlemen in India.” Reply. Renewed attack on lord Clive. LORD CLIVE, in conclufion, exhibited, in detail, all the advantages to be derived from the fituation of the English in India; fhewed the dangers which menaced their profperity, and indicated the means of avoiding them; he difplayed the utility of his own reforms, and demonstrated that a temperate pursuit of a fimilar fyftem was alone requifite, to render the British empire in Afia permanent, honourable, and advantageous. A REPLY was made by governor Johnstone, but the effect of lord Clive's fpeech was not materially diminifhed; it was regarded as a complete exculpation, and a noble leffon of political wisdom. THE fyftem of perfecution against lord Clive did not here terminate, but his laft government was no longer the object of attack; it was thought proper to recur to a more diftant period; to the depofition of Surajah Dowlah in 1757 *• * See Smollett's continuation of Hume, vol. iv. p. 116. XX. THE examination of evidence before the felect CHA P. committee introduced the difcuffion, and the opponents of lord Clive feized the favourable opportunity 1773. of attempting to turn to his prejudice and difgrace 30th Mar. those very circumstances of his life from which he derived the greatest honour. 1773. Third report GENERAL BURGOYNE, on prefenting the third 8th April. report of the felect committee, declared it contained of the felect an account of crimes fhocking to human nature. committee. He first moved fome general propofitions affirming that all acquifitions made under the influence of a military force, or by treaty with foreign powers, do of right belong to the ftate; that to appropriate acquifitions obtained under the influence of a military force, or by treaty with foreign powers, to private use, is illegal; and that great fums of money had been obtained by fuch means from the fovereign princes in India. These refolutions were carried, though not without confiderable oppofition. General ON a fubfequent day, General Burgoyne returned 21 April. to the fubject, and directed a motion perfonally against Burgoyne's lord Clive, which was fupported by Sir William motion; Meredith, and refifted by Mr. Wedderburne, who ably expofed the impropriety of accufing an individual of delinquency, on the bare report of a felect committee. The motion was not then difcuffed on its merits, but it was ordered that evidence fhould be heard at the bar. Clive, WHEN information had been thus obtained, General 3d May; and charge Burgoyne, after recapitulating the facts difclofed, faid, against lord he regarded the depofing of Surajah Dowlah, and the revolution in favour of Mir Jaffier, as the origin of all those evils which operated to the temporary diftress, if not total deftruction, of the company; he enlarged upon the perfidy employed to bring about that revolution; ftated the fictitious treaty, forged in order to elude the payment promised to Omichund (a black merchant and confident of Surajah Dowlah, whom lord Clive and C 2 XX. 1773. CHA P. and the felect committee in India prevailed upon to join in a fcheme to dethrone his master): expofed the conduct of lord Clive, in caufing admiral Watfon's name to be figned, contrary to the admiral's exprefs inclination, to this treaty; and added, that the perfidy toward Omichund was of the blackeft dye. He concluded with moving, that, " Robert lord Clive, about the time of deposing Surajah Dowlah, nabob of Bengal, and establishing Mir Jaffier on the mufnud, did, through the influence of powers with which he was intrufted, obtain, under various authorities, fums amounting to two hundred and thirty-four thoufand pounds, and in fo doing, abufed thofe powers, to the evil example of the fervants of the public." Some amendments were moved, and in the debate, lord Clive made a masterly defence of his conduct. His defence. He investigated, with minutenefs, the reports of the committees, fo far as they applied to him, and, in answer to the furmifes attempted to be established, read irrefragable documents, proving the manner in which his conduct was viewed at the time, and by thofe who were beft qualified to judge. They confifted of the nabob's letters to him, as prefident of the felect committee, the committee's letter to the directors, and finally, the letter of approbation from the directors to him. He fhewed the remiffness of former adminiftrations in neglecting the affairs of the Eaft India company, and pointed out the perfonal malevolence which produced this untimely and unfounded crimination. The directors," he faid, " for two years past, either through ignorance or defign, had kept the affairs of the company a fecret; they had rioted at taverns, diffolved in diflipation and luxury, but entirely neglected their duty, employing a man to think for them, to whom they allowed four hundred pounds per annum; hence many of their orders were fo abfurd and contradictory, that their own fervants were almost justified in refufing obedience." XX. 1773. His lordship then exposed the invidious manner in CHAP. which the committees pursued their inquiries, limiting them entirely to his conduct, inftead of exploring fubjects of general utility; he was examined before them, he faid, more like a fheep-ftealer than a member of their own houfe. He vindicated the receipt of prefents, as being, at that time, perfectly legal, and univerfally practifed; and proved, that if avarice had been his paffion, he could have realized a fortune too great for a fubject. He entered into a detail of all the transactions in which he was engaged; and after difplaying the def perate fituation of the company's affairs, when it pleafed God to make him the inftrument of their delivery, related the circumftances of the fraud practifed on Omichund. "We foon discovered," he faid, "that Surajah Dowlah only waited for the departure of the fleet to exterminate the English. But the nabob, like other treacherous men, was furrounded by persons of the fame caft and difpofition. Omichund, his confidential fervant, told his mafter of an agreement made between the English and Monfieur Duprée to attack him, and received for that advice four lacks of rupees. Finding this to be the man in whom the nabob entirely trufted, we confidered him as a moft material engine in the intended revolution. We therefore made fuch an agreement as was neceffary for the purpose, and entered into a treaty with him to fatisfy his demands. When all things were prepared, and the evening of the event was appointed, Omichund applied to Mr. Watts, who was at the court of the nabob, infifting on thirty lacks of rupees, and five per cent. on all the treafure that fhould be found; threatening, unless this demand was immediately complied with, to disclose the plan to the nabob; and that Mr. Watts, with the two other English gentlemen then at court, fhould be put to death before the morning. Mr. Watts immediately dispatched an exprefs to me at the council. C3 |