what his bitterest accuser would do-he goes through, head by head, every one of the measures which he had himself pursued in the destruction of the country; and he foretells that if any one of those measures should again be pursued, or even if good cause should be given to suspect they would be renewed, the country must fall into a state of inevitable destruction. This supersedes all observation. This paper is a recapitulated, minute condemnation of every step which he took in that country, and which steps are every one of them upon your Lordships' Minutes.

But, my Lords, we know very well the design of these pretended apprehensions; and why he wished to have that country left in the state he speaks of. He had left a secret agent of his own to control that ostensible government, and to enable him, sitting in the place where he now sits, to continue to govern those provinces in the way in which he now governs them. [A murmur having arisen here, Mr. Burke proceeded.] If I am called upon to re-word what I have just said, I shall repeat my words, and shew strong grounds and reasons to indicate that he governs Oude now as much as he ever did.

You see, my Lords, that the reform which he pretended to make in 1781, produced the calamities which he states to have existed in 1784.

We

We shall now shew, that the reform which he pretended to make in 1784, brought on the calamities which Lord Cornwallis states in his evidence to have existed in 1787.

We will now read two letters from Lord Cornwallis; the first is dated the 16th November 1787:-"I was received at Allahabad and at"tended to Lucknow by the Nabob and his "ministers, with every mark of friendship and respect; I cannot, however, express how "much I was concerned during my short resi"dence at his capital, and my progress through "his dominions, to be witness of the disordered "state of his finances and government, and of "the desolate appearances of his country; the "evils were too alarming to admit of palliation, "and I thought it my duty to exhort him, in the "most friendly manner, to endeavour to apply "effectual remedies to them; he began with "urging as apology that whilst he was not cer"tain of the expence of our demands upon him, extent " he had no real interest in being economical in "his expences, and that while we interfered in "the internal management of his affairs, his "own authority and that of his ministers were "despised by his own subjects; it would have "been useless to discuss these topicks with him; "but while I repeated my former declarations "of our being determined to give no ground in VOL. XVI. M "future

*future for similar complaints, he gave me the "strongest assurances of his being resolved to

apply himself earnestly to the encouragement "of agriculture, and to endeavour to revive the "commerce of his country.'

The second is dated the 25th April 1788:Till I saw the Vizier's troops, I was not without hope that upon an emergency he would have been able to have furnished us with some "useful cavalry; but I have no reason to believe that he has any in his service upon which "it would be prudent to place any dependence; and I think it right to add, that his country appears to be in so ruined. a state, and his "finances in so much disorder, that even in case

of war we ought not to depend upon any ma"terial support from him.”

My Lords, I have only to remark upon these letters that, so far as they go, they prove the effects of Mr. Hastings's reformation, from which 'he was pleased to promise the Company such great things. But when your Lordships know that he had left his dependent and minister Hyder Beg Khan there, whose character, as your Lordships will find by a reference to your minutes, he has represented as black as hell, to be the real governour there, and to carry on pri

vate correspondence with him here;and that he had left Major Palmer his private agent, for a considerable time in that. country to carry on his affairs; your Lordships will easily see how it has come to pass that the Vizier, such a man as you have heard him described to be, was not alone able to restore prosperity to his country. My Lords, you have now seen what was the situation of the country in Sujah Dowlah's time, prior to Mr. Hastings's interference with the government of it; what it was during his government; and what situation it was in when Lord Cornwallis left it. Nothing now remains, but to call your Lordship's attention to perhaps the most extraordinary part of these transactions. But before we proceed we will beg leave to go back and read to your Lordships the Nabob's letters of the 24th February 1780:-" I have "received your letter, and understand the con"tents. I cannot describe the solidity of your

friendship and brotherly affection which sub"sisted between you and my late father; from "the friendship of the Company he received "numberless advantages; and I, notwithstand

ing I was left an orphan, from your favour "and that of the Company, was perfectly at

66

ease, being satisfied that every thing would "be well, and that I should continue in the

same security that I was during my father's "life time, from your protection. I accordingly,

" from the day of his death, have never omitted "to cultivate your favour, and the protection "of the Company; and whatever was the de"sire and directions of the Council at that time, "I have ever since conformed to, and obeyed "with readiness. Thanks be given to God, that "I have never as yet been backward in perform

ing the will of the English Company, of "the Council, and of you; and have always "been, from my heart, ready to obey them, " and have never given you any trouble, from 66 my difficulties or wishes. Thus I have done simply from my knowledge of your favour "towards me, and from my being certain that "you would learn the particulars of my dis"tresses and difficulties from other quarters, "and would then shew your friendship and "good-will, in whatever was for my advantage. "But when the knife had penetrated to the "bone, and I was surrounded with such heavy "distresses that I could no longer live in expec"tations, I then wrote an account of my diffi"culties; the answer which I have received to "it is such, that it has given me inexpressible

grief and affliction. I never had the least idea "or expectation from you, and the Council, "that you would ever have given your orders "in so afflicting a manner, in which you never "before wrote, and which I could not have "imagined. As I am resolved to obey the

"orders