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his Majefty feels with the moft fenfible concern."

June 30. The meffages delivered to each House of Parliament, by the Duke of Portland and Lord John Cavendish,

were as follow:

"GEORGE R.

His Majefty having taken into his royal confideration the many eminent and fignal fervices performed by George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney, vice-admiral of England, and one of the admirals of the white, his conduct in the Weft-Indies in three feveral engagements in the months of April and May, 1780, with a fuperior French fleet under the command of the Count de Guichen; and his great and glorious victories over the Spanish fleet on the 16th day of January, 1780, on his voyage to the relief of the garrifon of Gibraltar, and over the French fleet in the West-Indies on the 12th of April, 1782, not only highly honourable to himfelf, but greatly beneficial to his Majesty's kingdoms; and being defirous to beftow upon the faid George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney, fome confiderable and lafting mark of his royal favour, as a teftimony of his Majefty's approbation of the faid fervices, and for this purpofe to give and grant unto the faid George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney, and to the two next fucceeding heirs male of the body of the faid George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney, to whom the title of Lord Rodney fhall defcend, for and during their lives, a nett annuity of two thoufand pounds per annum; but his Majefty not having it in his power to grant an annuity to that amount, or to extend the effect of the faid grant beyond the term of his own life, recommends it to his faithful Commons, to confider of a proper method of enabling his Majefty to grant the fame, and of extending, fecuring, and fettling fuch annuity to the faid George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney, and to the two next perfons on whom the title of Lord Rodney fhall defcend, in fuch manner as fhall be thought moft effectual for the benefit of the faid George Brydges Rodney Lord Rodney and his family.

G. R."

"GEORGE R.

"His Majefty, being defirous of conferring foine fignal mark of his royal favour upon the Right Honourable Sir George Auguftus Eliott, Knight

of the most honourable order of the Bath, for the very diftinguifhed and important fervices performed by him to his Majefty and this country, by his brave and gallant defence of Gibraltar, and for that purpofe to grant to the faid Sir George Eliott, for the term of his life, and for the life of his fon Francis Auguftus Eliott, an annuity of one thousand five hundred pounds per annum; but it not being in his Majefty's power to grant the fame, or to fettle the faid annuity beyond the term of his own life, his Majefty recommends it to his faithful Commons, to confider of a proper method of enabling his Majefty to grant the faid annuity, and of fettling and fecuring the fame in the most effectual manner for the benefit of the faid Sir George Auguftus Eliott. "G. R."

July 4. Lord John Cavendish propofed, that after the intereft of the prefent auditor and tellers of the Exchequer, and of the Clerk of the Pells, in their refpective places fhould cease, the falaries of thefe offices fhould be fixed and certain; he propofed to the auditor 4000l. a year; to each teller 2,700l. to the four deputy tellers 1000l. each; the place of deputy to the deputies to be abolished; to the Clerk of the Pells 3000l. to the deputy clerk 8ool. and to the receiver under him 2001. That the fees fhould be continued, but instead of being divided among the fucceeding officers, fhould constitute a fund, from which the falaries fhould be paid; two-thirds of the furplus to be applied to the ufe of the public, and the other to the civil lift. From the reports of the commiffioners of accounts, it appeared that the income of the tellers amounted to 2,500l. in time of peace, and in war to near 8,000l. The regulation would fave about 17,000l. in peace, and about 40,cool. in war.

Mr. Huffey objected to the addition of near 200l. a year to the falaries of the prefent tellers. Mr. Pulteney found

the fame fault, and added, that it was well known that the duty of the deputy tellers had been done for 400l. a year, and as the tellers had the appointment of their own deputies, to make their falaries 1000l. would be just giving the tellers 600l. a year, additional finecure. Mr. Fox faid that the purport of the bill was not to reduce the falaries of thefe offices, but to put an end to a matter which was in itfelf extremely odious, and had been much and very juftly complained of, viz. the exiftence of offices, the holders of which received an increase of emolument in proportion as the expences of the country increased, and grew rich from the aggravation of the public burden. His noble friend had barely put the tellers, in giving them 2,700l. above their average peace amount. The deputy tellers held places of very great truft, and none but perfons of confiderable character ought to be employed in them. He, therefore, thought 100ol. falary far from being too much. The influence that the crown would derive from the bill was of a nature the leaft dangerous of any that could poffibly exift. To put a man in fuch a fituation, as that the crown could never be useful to him was unwife; but to put it out of the power of the crown to be hurtful to a man might often be neceffary and useful; and this was done effectually, by making him independent for life. It was impoffible for the government of a great kingdom to go on, unlefs it had certain lucrative and honourable fituations to beftow, as the reward of eminent and diftinguished fervices. He did not mean, however, to push this argument fo far as thofe, who faid that men of defperate fortunes, needy adventurers, and diftreffed politicians, would be the only perfons who would accept the government of fuch a kingdom. He thought men of large property could afford to ferve their country as cheap as thofe who were lefs affluent. The falaries were fettled as originally propofed.

Mr. Rigby then faid, that if it fhould feem to meet the general approbation of the committee, he would move a proviso, that nothing in the bill should

affect the tellerfhip promifed by Majefty to Lord Thurlow, when accepted the great feal, in confiderat of his quitting a very lucrative line his profeffion on that occafion. W his noble friend had forborne to fec the grant in form was to him a m unaccountable piece of negligenc but the promife had certainly be made fo long ago as the year 1778.

Lord North faid it was true that whe Lord Thurlow accepted the office c Chancellor, he had been offered a tellerfhip of the Exchequer, and that the offer had fince been repeated, at different times; but why he had declined taking it, he could not fay. He thought the committee might reasonably adopt the provifo.

Mr. Fox accounted for what had furprifed the two former fpeakers. When the first offer of a tellerihip was made to the learned lord, two very young men were in poffeffion, a third in reverfion, and the firft teller, to all appearance, a good life; he might then have expected fomething better to come within his reach. Circumftances had fince altered materially, one of the poffeffors was dead, and another very infirm. Was it, therefore, to be wondered at, that, as the object seemed more attainable, the learned lord fhould have changed his mind? There was no ground for this exception in his favour, for by the very words of the patent by which he held his prefent penfion, the promife of a tellership was mentioned; fubject, however, to fuch regulations as fould hereafter be made by parliament. The application was founded on no principle; it was merely fubmitted to their confideration, whether they fhould go out of their way to do a favour to Lord Thurlow, and if they chofe to adopt the provifo, on that confideration, they undoubtedly had a right to do fo.

Mr. W. Pitt, Mr. Arden, Lord Surrey, Mr Huffey, and the Solicitor General (Mr. Lee) encouraged Mr. Rigby to move his claufe. The promife was confidered as a bargain between the crown and the noble lord, for which the royal word was pledged; he ought, therefore, to ftand on the

fame

fame footing with every other poffeffor or grantee of a tellership, at the time when the promife was made.-Mr. Fox faid, fince it was confeffed that a bargain had been made, he would give up his oppofition, but hoped the 1. Houfe would hear no more of that boafted dignity of character which had induced the learned lord to accept the feals without any ftipulation. If he refted on his difintereftedness, he ought not to fet up a claim in proof that he had fhewn no fuch difintereftednefs, but had carefully and prudently attended to his intereft, and taken care of himfelf.

Mr. Sheridan recommended to word the provifo thus: "Whereas a penfion was given to Edward Lord Thurlow, because he nobly difdained to make any bargain for himself, when he accepted of the great feal; and whereas it is fit that the tellership for which he agreed before he would take the feal," &c.The claufe was adopted for the prefent without a divifion.

But

July 7, Mr. Rigby having moved to reject the old claufe, and to introduce another more ftrictly worded, the debate was renewed with fresh vigour.Mr. Fox faid he had confented to adopt the provifo on Friday, becaufe he understood it to be claimed as a bargain, and not as a promife. Let the fame be avowed now, and he would not oppofe the motion. It had been boafted of as a great merit in the learned lord, that he had accepted the feals unconditionally, and his penfion had been approved of exprefsly on that plea: but on Friday laft his friends had declared, that he had bargained for a tellerthip as the price of the fituation that he quitted, when he took the feals. Both thefe things could not be true, nor had the learned lord any right to claim all the merit of the one, and all the advantages of the other. He was an enemy to all impoftors, and therefore wanted to come at the fact. If the friends of the learned lord avow

ed it to have been a bargain, he had an indifputable claim to the exemption; if they placed him on fuperior ground, and defcribed it to have been an unfolicited and fpontaneous promife on the part of his Majefty, then surely he must take it, in the words of his patent," fubject to fuch regulations as parliament may hereafter adopt."

Thus was it debated, for near five hours, whether Lord Thurlow, on fucceeding to a tellerfhip of the Exchequer, fhould hold it with the exorbitant war fees, which the bill before the Houfe was exprefsly meant to abolith after the deceafe of the then prefent tellers, or with the fixed falary of 2700l. a year!-It was ingenioufly argued by Mr. Courtenay, that thofe who introduced and fupported the provifo were zealous but injudicious friends, and feemed more anxious for his emolument than his reputation. What idea would it convey to the public, that though by the propofed regulation the learned lord would receive 200l. a year more than the average peace amount of a tellership, yet ftill he was unwilling to accept this increafed annual ftipend, because it precluded him from the hopes of deriving any advantage from the calamities of his country, in time of war. A fee of 200l. the malignant part of the public would fay, was infufficient to tempt the learned lord to relinquish fo invidious a contingency.

Lord North having been frequently called upon, declared that no bargain had been made for the tellerfhip: it had indeed been repeatedly offered, but not accepted, nor ever totally rejected. He ridiculed arrogating the merit of having made no bargain one day, and claiming the performance of one on the next; it was what a French author called unir les plaisirs du vice, au merite de la virtu. He perfifted, however, in fupporting the claufe, which was loft on a divifion.

REFLECTION S.

Man by fwearing may draw down a curfe upon himfelf, but never one upon his neighbour.

5

It was well faid, that good-nature, like the God of Nature, was not always extreme to mark what was done ami A LIT

A LETTER TO THE COURT OF DIRECTORS OF THE EAST.
INDIA COMPANY, FROM WARREN HASTINGS, ESQ. GOVERNOR-GENERA
OF BENGAL, DATED FORT-WILLIAM, MARCH 20, 1783*

To the Hon. COURT of DIRECTORS of the Hon. United EAST-INDI.
COMPANY.
Fort-William, March 20, 178

HONOURABLE SIRS,

IN your letter to the Governor General and Council, dated the 28th of Auguft, 1782, you have been pleafed to enter into a large difcuffion of my proceedings at Benaris, and to apprize the board of certain refolutions, comprehending your judgement upon them. Thefe refolutions, as the immediate caufe and fubject of my prefent addrefs, I fhall, to avoid the perplexity of frequent and remote reference, hereto fubjoin:

"That it appears to this court, that, on the death of Sujah Dowlah, 1775, a treaty was made with his fucceffor, by which the Zemindary of Benaris, with its dependencies, was ceded in perpetuity to the Eaft-India Company.

That it appears to this court, that Rajah Cheyt Sing was confirmed by the Governor-General and Council of Bengal in the management of the faid Zemindary (fubject to the fovereignty of the Company) on his paying a certain tribute, which was fettled at Sicca rupees 22,66,180; and that the Bengal government pledged itfelf, that the free and uncontrolled poffeffion of the Zemindary of Benaris, and its dependencies, fhould be confirmed and guaranteed to the Rajah and his heirs for ever, fubject to fuch tribute; and that no other demand fhould be made upon him, nor any kind of authority of jurifdiction exercifed within the dominions affigned him, fo long as he adhered to the terms of his engage

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gagements with the Company, in the regular payment of his tribute of Sica rupees 22,66,180.

"That it appears to this court, that the conduct of the Governor-Genera towards the Rajah whilst he was a Benaris was improper, and that the inprifonment of his perfon, thereby di gracing him in the eyes of his fubje and others, was unwarrantable ani highly impolitic, and may tend to weaken the confidence which the nati princes of India ought to have in the juftice and moderation of the Com pany's government."

I understand that these resolution were either published, or intended for publication. As they have proceeded from an authority fo refpectable, every reader of them will naturally, and without hefitation, believe that the facts, on which they neceffarily and indifpenfably depend, have been fully eftablished.And who are the readers? not the proprietors alone, whofe intereft is immediately concerned in them, and whose approbation I am impelled, by every motive of pride and gratitude, to folicit; but the whole body of the people of England, whofe paffions the general have been excited on fubject of the conduct of their fervants in India; and before them I am arraigned and prejudged of a violation of the national faith in acts of fuch complicated aggravation, that, if they were true, no punishment short of death could atone for the injury which the intercit and credit of the public had fuftained in them.

I hope, therefore, I fhall not be thought to give unneceffary trouble in calling your attention to a fubject not wholly perfonal, nor to fail in the refpect, in which I have never yet failed, to your honourable Court, in the mode of my vindication, which will not ad

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mit of the common delicacies of expreffion; for I cannot admit facts, however affirmed, which I know to have no existence, and by which my character has been blafted; nor will a finple denial or refutation of them be fufficient against fuch a charge, if I can at the fame time appeal to your own knowledge, proved by the evidence of your own arguments, and to what your honourable Court poffeffes of candour for my firft juitification and acquittal.

The facts affirmed, or expreffed in terms equal to affirmation, in your refolutions, are as follow:

I. That the Bengal government pledged itfelf, that the free and uncontrolled poffeffion of the Zemindary of Benaris, and its dependencies, fhould be confirmed and guaranteed to the Rajah and his heirs for ever.

II. That it pledged itfelf that no other demand thould be made upon him, nor any kind of authority or jurifdiction exercifed within his dominions affigned him, fo long as he adhered to the terms of his engagements.

III. That the Governor-General required him to keep up a body of 2000 horfe, contrary to the declaration made to him by the Governor-General and Council on the 5th of July, 1775, that there fhould be no obligation on him to do it.

IV. That Rajah Cheyt Sing was bound by no other engagements to the Company than for the payment of his tribute of Sicca rupees 22,66,180.

V. That Rajah Cheyt Sing was a native prince of India.

The judgment paffed on my conduct, as deducible from thefe facts, is, that it was " improper, unwarrantable, and highly impolitic, and may tend to weaken the confidence which the native princes of India ought to have in the juftice and moderation of the Company's government." Here I muft crave leave to fay, that the terms "improper, unwarrantable, and highly impolitic," are much too gentle as deductions from fuch premilles; and, as every reader of the letter will obviously feel, as he reads the deductions which inevitably belong to them, I will add,

LoxD. MAG. App. 1783.

that the ftrict performance of folemn engagements on one part, followed by acts directly fubverfive of them, and by total difpoffeffion on the other, ftamps perpetrators of the latter the guilt of the greateft poffible violation of faith and juftice.

on the

But this, and every other conclufion from the facts adduced in proof of them will fall, if the facts themselves have no exiftence, I do, therefore, moft pofitively and folemnly deny their existence.

I deny that the Bengal government pledged itfelf, that the free and uncontrolled poffeffion of the Zemindary of Benaris, and its dependencies, fhould be confirmed and guaranteed to the Rajah and his heirs for ever.

I deny that the Bengal government pledged itself, that no other demand hould be made upon him, nor any kind of authority or jurifdiction exer. cifed within the dominions affigned him, fo long as he adhered to the terms of the engagement,

I deny that I ever required him to keep up a body of 2000 horfe, contrary to the declaration made to him by the Governor-General and Council on the 5th of July 1775, that there fhould be no obligation on him to do it.

My demand, that is, the demand of the board, was not that he should maintain any fpecific number of horse; but that the number which he did maintain fhould be employed for the defence of the general ftate.

I deny that Rajah Cheyt Sing was bound by no other engagements to the Company, than for the payment of his tribute of Sicca rupees 22,66,180.

He was bound by the engagements of fealty, and of abfolute obedience to every order of the government which he ferved. The various and repeated profeffions of his letters are proofs and acknowledgements of this construction of his vaffalage; and his own cabuleear, or the inftrument by which he engaged to perform the duties of his Zemindary, expreffes it in the acknowledgement of the Company's fovereignty.

I deny that Rajah Cheyt Sing was a native prince of India. Cheyt Sing is the fon of a collector 4 F

of

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