a divifion, confirming the former vote, and explicitly declaring, "that the speaker, in his fpeech to the king at the bar of the houfe of peers, did exprefs with juft and proper energy, the zeal of the commons for the fupport of the honour and dignity of the crown, in circumftances of great public charge." About a fortnight after [May 22] a late transaction of a very extraordinary nature in the Eaft Indies became the fubject of parliamentary debate, and ferves to throw fome light on the first cause of Mr. BURKE's deteftation of Mr. HASTINGS. In confequence of fome contested accounts between the rajah of Tanjore and the nabob of Arcot, the latter, who had acquired an overruling, if not boundless influence in the council at Madras, obtained a decision not only in favor of his claims, but in fupport of a war which was declared to enforce them. The rajah was little able to withstand the united force of the company and the nabob. His capital being taken after a brave defence, the unhappy prince was stripped, without pity or remorse, of every thing but life. His kingdom was feized by the nabob; his treasures were applied to the expences of the war and the purpofes of corruption; whilft his fubjects, who were among the most industrious people in India, experienced all the cruelty and rapacity of a Mahometan conqueft and government. The account of this proceeding, with all the circumstances of the spoil and ruin of a friend and ally in fo unexampled a manner, excited the just indignation of the company in England. That visible afcendency over the counfels and actions of their servants, of which the nabob had now given a very dangerous proof, was another alarming confideration. Good policy, therefore, as well as justice, pointed out the propriety of setting fome bounds to his ambitious career, by restoring the rajah to his dominions. D d The The company, at the fame time, were far from wishing to fall out with the nabob, if it could be avoided; nor were they difpofed to urge matters to any extremity with their fervants for what was past. A reparation of the outrage and wrong seemed likely to answer every purpofe; but it was apprehended that a vigorous profecution of the delinquents would involve the company's affairs in the utmost perplexity. In order to execute fo delicate a commiffion with equal prudence, fafety, and honour, it was refolved to fend out lord PIGOT, as governor and prefident of Madras, the company very reafonably fuppofing, that the appearance of fuch a man upon that ground which had been the scene of his former power and glory, where his name and actions were ftill fresh and alive, and where the principal and most dangerous party was little more than the creature of his own making, would have been attended with eminent advantages; and that he might have performed those acts without envy or jealoufy, which would have been opposed or refented in other hands. The time that unavoidably elapfed before lord PIGOT's arrival in his government, afforded a full scope for the exercife of the nabob's ability in intrigue. Though the part already taken by the council would neceffarily influence their conduct in endeavouring to fupport or confirm their own former act, he thought it prudent to intereft them ftill more deeply in the measure of fecuring to him the perpetual poffeffion of Tanjore. He accordingly borrowed vaft fums of money from feveral members of the council, and fome others whose weight and concurrence might be requifite for the completion of his fcheme; and directly or indirectly mortgaged to them the revenues of Tanjore, as a fecurity both for the principal, and for a prodigious intereft intereft arifing on it, which amounted annually to near one third of the original debt. Lord PIGOT did not reach Madras till the latter end of the year 1775; but notwithstanding the previous measures which had been taken, and the violent oppofition he experienced, he succeeded so far as to restore the rajah to the juft poffeffion of his ancient and hereditary dominions. His lordship had now to encounter the mortal enmity of the nabob, and a corrupt combination of the majority of the council, who were farther ftrengthened by the dangerous power lodged in the hands of the commander in chief of the forces. The difputes grew hotter from day to day, and the cabals with the nabob grew clofer and clofer. It was of the greatest moment to fend a proper officer to Tanjore. The oppofition part of the council at first agreed with the governor on the measure, and defignation of the perfon. They foon changed their minds about the latter, and infifted, that being the majority of the council, they had a right to do every thing, regardless of the governor's opinion or diffent. Lord PIGOT, finding them actuated by no other principle than that of traverfing all his endeavours for carrying the orders of the company into execution, took a very bold ftep, for which nothing but the exigency of the moment could afford any excufe; and having put the queftion, carried the suspension of two of the council by his own cafting vote. He also put fir ROBERT FLETCHER, the commander in chief of the forces, under an arreft for difobedience of his fupreme authority in the fortress. Instead of waiting the decifion of the company on these meafures, a plot was formed by the offended party for seizing the person of the president, and for effecting a complete revolution in their own favor. In confequence of the arrest laid upon Dd 2 fir ROBERT ROBERT FLETCHER, Colonel STUART fucceeded to the command of the forces. Though this gentleman was in the highest state of intimacy and friendship with lord PIGOT, he notwithstanding entered deeply into the views of the confpirators; and as any military violence offered to the governor within the precincts of the fortrefs would involve the actors in the penalties of the mutiny laws, the colonel inveigled him to quit the only fituation which could afford him fecurity. Having, on the twenty-third of August, 1776, spent the forepart of the day with his lordship, he took occafion from the exceffive heat of the weather to recommend in the evening a cool retreat to a villa at a small distance from Madras, appropriated to the use of the governors; and made an offer of his own company, as a further inducement. In the way, they were furrounded, as had been concerted, by an officer and party of feapoys, both in the company's fervice; and the governor, under the aufpices and immediate hands of his late companion and guest, was thrust out of his chaife, with circumstances of not lefs rudeness than violence, and carried prisoner to a place called the Mount, where he was confined under a ftrong military guard. His enemies now feized all the powers of government, appointing their principal leader to be his fucceffor, and copying the very act on which their cniet complaints were founded, by removing from the council fuch members as had voted with him in the former ftruggle. Both parties fent confidential perfons as expreffes to England, the one to arraign, and the other to justify the late proceedings. Even the nabob had an agent in London, a colonel MACLEANE, who acted in the fame capacity for Mr. HASTINGS alfo, this gentleman having made himself in fome measure a party with the nabob, by not only conniving at, but giving the most decifive. fanction fanction to, the iniquitous enterprize against the rajah, and the equally reprehenfible intrigues, treachery, and violence of the ufurpers at Madras. Mr. MACLEANE was well qualified for the business intrusted to his care, having been under secretary to the carl of SHELBURNE, while his lordship remained in office. It may be presumed that so expert an agent left no means untried to fecure effectual support both at the India house and in parliament; but in fpite of all his address,---in spite of all the efforts of corruption, fo great was the indignation of the company in general at the conduct of the confpirators, that when the whole business was formally laid before the proprietors at their quarterly court, on the twenty-fixth of March, 1777, they agreed to a refolution, which was afterwards confirmed on a ballot by a majority of 382 to 140, recommending to the court of directors, " to take the most effectual measures for restoring lord PIGOT to the full exercise of the powers vested in him by the company ;---and for inquiring into the conduct of the principal actors in his imprisonment." Though several of the directors had been gained over to the oppofite intereft, they could not avoid acting in seeming conformity to this recommendation, while they were fecretly determined to render it nugatory. Several refolutions were accordingly paffed at a court held the eleventh of April, by which lord PIGOT was restored to the full exercise of the office and powers, from which he had been degraded; his four friends, who had been driven from their feats, were re-inftated; and the feven members of the council, including the commander in chief, were suspended from the company's fervice: but to thefe was added a vote of cenfure on lord PIGOT's conduct; and while inftructions were preparing to accompany the refolutions, every poffible impediment was thrown in the way to retard or embarrass the bufi nefs.. |