unparalleled, except by an act of his own on another occasion, fraudulently and inhumanly endeavour to make the wife and son of the said administrator, contrary to the sentiments and the law of nature, the instruments of his oppressions; directing, "that if they (the mother and son afore"said) could be induced to yield the appearance "of a cheerful acquiescence in the new arrange"ment, and to adopt it as a measure formed with "their participation, it would be better than that "it should be done by a declared act of compul"sion; but that at all events it ought to be done." That, in consequence of the pressing declarations aforesaid, the said Warren Hastings did on special recommendation appoint, in opposition to the wishes and desires of the rajah and his mother, another person to the administration of his affairs, called Jagher Deo Seo. That the company having sent express orders for the sending the resident by them before appointed to Benares, the said Warren Hastings did strongly oppose himself to the same; and did throw upon the person appointed by the company (Francis Fowke, Esquire) several strong, but unspecified, reflections and aspersions, contrary to the duty he owed to the company, and to the justice he owed to all its servants. That the said resident being appointed by the votes of the rest of the council, in obedience to the reiterated orders of the company, and in despite of the opposition of the said Hastings, did proceed to Benares; and, on the representation of the parties, and the submission of the accounts of the aforesaid Durbitzee Sing to an arbitrator, did find him, the said Durbitzee Sing, in debt to the company for a sum not considerable enough to justify the severe treatment of the said Durbitzee Sing; his wife and son complaining, at or about the same time, that the balances due to him from the aumils, or sub-collectors, had been received by the new administrator, and carried to his own credit, in prejudice and wrong to the said Durbitzee Sing; which representation, the only one that has been transmitted on the part of the said sufferers, has not been contradicted. That it appears, that the said Durbitzee Sing did afterwards go to Calcutta for the redress of his grievances; and that it does not appear, that the same were redressed, or even his complaints heard, but he received two peremptory orders from the supreme council to leave the said city, and to return to Benares; that on his return to Benares, and being there met by Warren Hastings aforesaid, he, the said Warren Hastings, although he had reason to be well assured, that the said Durbitzee Sing was in possession of small or no substance, did again cruelly and inhumanly, and without any legal authority, order the said Durbitzee Sing to be strictly imprisoned; and the said Durbitzee Sing, in consequence of the vexations, hardships, and oppressions aforesaid, died in a short time after insolvent; but whether in prison or not, does not appear. PART V. Third Revolution in Benares. THAT the said Warren Hastings having, in the manner before recited, divested Durbege Sing of the administration of the province of Benares, did, of his own arbitrary will and pleasure, and against the remonstrances of the rajah and his mother, (in whose name, and in whose right the said Durbege Sing, father of the one and husband of the other, had administered the affairs of the government,) appoint a person called Jagher Deo Sheo, to administer the same. 66 That the new administrator, warned by the severe example made of his predecessor, is represented by the said Warren Hastings as having made it his "avowed principle (as it might be expected it should be) that the sum fixed for the revenue must be collected." And he did, upon the principle aforesaid, and by the means suggested by a principle of that sort, accordingly levy from the country, and did regularly discharge to the British resident at Benares, by monthly payments, the sums imposed by the said Warren Hastings, as it is asserted by the resident Fowke; but the said Warren Hastings did assert, that his annual collections did not amount to more than lack 37,37,600, or thereabouts, which he says is much short of the revenues of the province, and is about twenty-four thousand pounds short of his agreement. That it further appears, that notwithstanding the new administrator aforesaid was appointed two months, or thereabouts, after the beginning of the Fuseli year, that is to say, about the middle of the November 1782, and the former administrator had collected a certain portion of the revenues of that year, amounting to £.17,000 and upwards; yet he, the said new administrator, upon the unjust and destructive principle aforesaid, suggested by the cruel and violent proceedings of the said Warren Hastings towards his predecessor, did levy on the province, within the said year, the whole amount of the revenues to be collected, in addition to the sum collected by his predecessor aforesaid. That, on account of a great drought, which prevailed in the province aforesaid, a remission of certain duties in grain was proposed by the chief criminal judge at Benares; but the administrator aforesaid, being fearful, that the revenue would fall short in his hands, did strenuously oppose himself to the necessary relief to the inhabitants of the said city. That notwithstanding the cantonment of several bodies of the company's troops within the province, since the abolition of the native government, it became subject in a particular manner to the rajahs upon the borders; insomuch that in one quarter no fewer than thirty villages had been sacked and burned, and the inhabitants reduced to the most extreme distress. That the resident, in his letter to the board at Calcutta, did represent, that the collection of the revenue was become very difficult; and, besides the extreme drought, did assign for a cause of that difficulty the following: 66 66 66 a large proportion of it by a false measurement, or other pretexts; and from those, whose en"gagements are for a fixed rent in money, the "half, or a greater proportion, is taken in kind. "This is in effect a tax upon the industry of the "inhabitants; since there is scarce a field of grain "That there is also one fund, which in former years was applied in this country to remedy" in the province, I might say not one, which has temporary inconveniences in the revenue, and "which in the present year does not exist. This was the private fortunes of merchants and "shroffs (bankers) resident in Benares, from whom "aumils (collectors) of credit could obtain temporary loans to satisfy the immediate calls of "the rajah. These sums, which used to circulate "between the aumil and the merchant, have been "turned into a different channel, by bills of exchange to defray the expences of government "both on the west coast of India, and also at "Madras." To which representation it does not appear that any answer was given, or that any mode of redress was adopted in consequence 66 thereof. 66 66 66 "not been preserved by the incessant labour of "the cultivator, by digging wells for their supply, or watering them from the wells of masonry, "with which their country abounds, or from the "neighbouring tanks, rivers, and nullahs. The "people, who imposed on themselves this voluntary and extraordinary labour, and not unat"tended with expence, did it on the expectation "of reaping the profits of it; and it is certain they "would not have done it, if they had known, that "their rulers, from whom they were entitled to "an indemnification, would take from them what they so hardly earned. If the same administra"tion continues, and the country shall again "labour under want of rain, every field will be "abandoned, the revenue fail, and thousands "perish through want of subsistence; for who "will labour for the sole benefit of others, and to "make himself the subject of exaction? These practices are to be imputed to the naib himself [the administrator forced by the said Warren Hastings on the present rajah of Benares]. The "avowed principle on which he acts, and which "he acknowledged to myself, is, that the whole sum fixed for the revenue of the province must "be collected; and that, for this purpose, the "deficiency arising in places where the crops have "failed, or which have been left uncultivated, "must be supplied from the resources of others, "where the soil has been better suited to the season, or the industry of the cultivators hath "been more successfully exerted: a principle, "which, however specious and plausible it may at "first appear, certainly tends to the most perni"cious and destructive consequences. If this de"claration of the naib had been made only to "myself, I might have doubted my construction of it; but it was repeated by him to Mr. Ander 66 66 That the said Warren Hastings, having passed through the province of Benares (Gauzipore) in his progress towards Oude, did, in a letter dated from the city of Lucknow, the 2d of April 1784, give to the council board at Calcutta an account (highly dishonourable to the British government) of the effect of the arrangements made by himself in the years 1781 and 1782, in the words following: "Having contrived, by making forced stages, "while the troops of my escort marched at the "ordinary rate, to make a stay of five days at Benares, I was thereby furnished with the means "of acquiring some knowledge of the state of the province, which I am anxious to communicate "to you. Indeed the enquiry, which was in a great degree obtruded upon me, affected 66 me with very mortifying reflections on my inability to apply it to any useful purpose. "From the confines of Buxar to Benares I was "followed and fatigued by the clamours of the "discontented inhabitants. It was what I ex"pected in a degree, because it is rare, that the "exercise of authority should prove satisfactory "to all who are the objects of it. The distresses son, who understood it exactly in the same sense. "which were produced by the long continued "In the management of the customs, the condrought, unavoidably tended to heighten the "duct of the naib, or of the officer under him, general discontent; yet I have reason to fear, was forced also upon my attention. The exor"that the cause existed principally in a defective, "bitant rates exacted by an arbitrary valuation if not a corrupt and oppressive, administration." "of the goods; the practice of exacting duties "Of a multitude of petitions, which were pre- "twice on the same goods, first from the seller, "sented to me, and of which I took minutes, "and afterwards from the buyer; and the vexaevery one, that did not relate to a personal" tions, disputes, and delays, drawn on the mergrievance, contained the representation of one "chants by these oppressions, were loudly com"and the same species of oppression, which is in plained of; and some instances of this kind "its nature of an influence most fatal to the future "were said to exist at the very time I was at "cultivation. The practice, to which I allude, is "Benares. Under such circumstances we are "this: it is affirmed, that the aumils and renters "not to wonder if the merchants of foreign "exact from the proprietors of the actual harvest "countries are discouraged from resorting to a large encrease in kind on their stipulated rent; "Benares, and if the commerce of that province "that is, from those who hold their potta by the "should annually decay. Other evils, or imputed tenure of paying one half of the produce of their" evils, have accidentally come to my knowledge, "crops, either the whole, without subterfuge, or "which I will not now particularize; as I hope, 66 66 66 66 66 66 his own representation it does appear, that he was the sole cause of the irregularities therein described neither does it appear, that the administrator, so by the said Hastings nominated and removed, was properly charged and called to answer for the said recited irregularities, or for the many others not recited, but attributed solely to him; nor has any plea or excuse from him been transmitted to the board, or to the court of directors; but he was, at the instance of the said Hastings, deprived of his said office, contrary to the principles of natural justice, in a violent and arbitrary manner; which proceeding, combined with the example made of his predecessor, must necessarily leave to the person, who should succeed to the said office, no distinct principle, upon which he might act with safety. But in comparing the consequences of the two delinquencies charged, the failure of the payment of the revenues (from whatever cause it may arise) is more likely to be avoided than any severe course towards the inhabitants; as the former fault was, besides the deprivation of office, attended with two imprisonments, with a menace of death, and an actual death, in disgrace, poverty, and insolvency; whereas the latter, namely, the oppression, and thereby the total ruin, of the country, charged on the second administrator, was only followed by loss of office; although he, the said Warren Hastings, did further assert (but with what truth does not appear) that the collection of the last administrator had fallen much short of the revenue of the province. that, with the assistance of the resident, they |" and many others, solely to him;" although on may be in part corrected. One evil I must "mention, because it has been verified by my own "observation, and is of that kind, which reflects "an unmerited reproach on our general and na"tional character. When I was at Buxar, the resident, at my desire, enjoined the naib to appoint creditable people to every town, through "which our route lay, to persuade and encourage "the inhabitants to remain in their houses, pro"mising to give them guards as I approached, and "they required it for their protection; and that "he might perceive how earnest I was for his "observation of this precaution, I repeated it to "him in person, and dismissed him, that he might "precede me for that purpose. But, to my great disappointment, I found every place, through "which I passed, abandoned; nor had there been a man left in any of them for their protection. "I am sorry to add, that, from Buxar to the opposite boundary, I have seen nothing but traces of complete devastation in every village; whe"ther caused by the followers of the troops, "which have lately passed, for their natural relief, and I know not whether my own may not have had their share, or from the apprehen"sions of the inhabitants left to themselves, and "of themselves deserting their houses. I wish to acquit my own countrymen of the blame of "these unfavourable appearances, and in my own "heart I do acquit them; for at one encampment a crowd of people came to me, complaining, "that their new aumil, (collector,) on the ap"proach of any military detachment, himself "first fled from the place; and the inhabitants, having no one to whom they could apply for "redress, or for the representation of their griev"ances, and being thus remediless, fled also; so "that their houses and effects became a prey to any person, who chose to plunder them. The "general conclusion appeared to me an inevitable 66 consequence from such a state of facts; and my own senses bore testimony to it in this spe"cifick instance: nor do I know how it is possi"ble for any officer commanding a military party, "how attentive soever he may be to the discipline "and forbearance of his people, to prevent dis"orders when there is neither opposition to hinder "nor evidence to detect them. These and many "other irregularities I impute solely to the naib, "and recommend his instant removal. 66 That the said Warren Hastings himself was sensible, that the frequent changes by him made would much disorder the management of the revenues, and seemed desirous of concealing his intentions concerning the last change until the time of its execution. Yet it appears by a letter from the British resident, dated the 23d of June 1784, "that a very strong report prevailed at "Benares of his (the said Hastings's) intentions of "appointing a new naib for the approaching year; "and that the effect is evident, which the preva"lence of such an idea amongst the aumils would 66 66 probably have on the cultivation at this parti"cular time. The heavy mofussil kists (harvest instalments) have now been collected by the "aumils; the season of tillage is arrived; the ryots (country farmers) must be indulged, and even assisted by advances; and the aumil must "look for his returns in the abundance of the crop, the consequence of this early attention to "the cultivation. The effect is evident, which "the report of a change in the first officer of the revenue must have on the minds of the aumils, That the said Warren Hastings did recommend to the council, for a remedy of the disorders and calamities which had arisen from his own acts, dispositions, and appointments, that the administrator aforesaid should be instantly removed from his office; attributing the aforesaid "irregularities," "In compliance with the naib's request I have "written to all the aumils, encouraging and ordering them to attend to the cultivation of "their respective districts. But I conceive I "should be able to promote this very desirable "intention much more effectually, if you will "honour me with the communication of your "intentions on this subject. At the same time I "cannot help just remarking, that, if a change is "intended, the sooner it takes place, the more "the bad effects I have described will be ob"viated." That the council, having received the proposition for the removal of the administrator aforesaid, did also in a letter to him (the said Hastings) condemn the frequent changes by him made in the administration of the collection of Benares; but did consent to such alterations as might be made without encroaching on the rights established by his (the said Hastings's) agreement in the year 1781, and did desire him to transmit to them his plan for a new administration. Macpherson, declaring the said Warren Hastings responsible for the temporary expediency of the same. That the said Warren Hastings, in the plan aforesaid, having strongly objected to the appointment of any European collectors, that is to say, of any European servants of the company being concerned in the same, declared, that there had been sufficient experience of the ill effects of their being so employed in the province of Bengal; by which the said Hastings did either in loose and general terms convey a false imputation upon the conduct of the company's servants employed in the collection of the revenues of Bengal, or he was guilty of a criminal neglect of duty, in not bringing to punishment the particular persons, whose evil practices had given rise to such a general imputation on British subjects and servants of the company, as to render them unfit for service in other places. That the said Warren Hastings having, in the course of three years, made three complete revolutions in the state of Benares, by expelling, in the first instance, the lawful and rightful governour of the same, under whose care and superintendence a large and certain revenue, suitable to the abilities of the country, and consistent with its prosperity, was paid with the greatest punctuality; and by afterwards displacing two effective governours or administrators of the province, appointed in succession by himself; and, in consequence of the said appointments, and violent and arbitrary removals, the said province "being left in effect "without a government," except in one city only; and having, after all, settled no more than a temporary arrangement; is guilty of an high crime and misdemeanour in the destruction of the coun That the said Hastings did transmit a plan, which, notwithstanding the evils, which had happened from the former frequent changes, he did propose as a temporary expedient for the administration of the revenues of the said province; in which no provision was made for the reduction or remission of revenue, as exigencies might require; or for the extraction of the circulating species from the said province; or for the supply of the necessary advances for cultivation; nor for the removal or prevention of any of the grievances by him before complained of, other than an inspection by the resident and the chief criminal magistrate of Benares, and other regulations equally void of effect and authority; and which plan Mr. Stables, one of the supreme council, did altogether reject; but the same was approved of, as a temporary expedient, with some exceptions, by two other members of the board, Mr. Wheler and Mr. | try aforesaid. I. IV. PRINCESSES OF OUDE: THAT the reigning nabob of Oude, commonly called Asoph ul Dowla, (son and successor to Shuja ul Dowla,) by taking into or continuing in his pay certain bodies of regular British troops, and by having afterwards admitted the British resident at his court into the management of all his affairs, foreign and domestick, and particularly into the administration of his finances, did gradually become, in substance and effect, as well as in general repute and estimation, a dependant on, or vassal of, the East India company; and was, and is, so much under the controul of the governour-general and council of Bengal, that, in the opinion of all the native powers, the English name and character is concerned in every act of his government. II. That Warren Hastings, Esquire, contrary to law, and to his duty, and in disobedience to the orders of the East-India company, arrogating to himself the nomination of the resident at the court of Oude, as his particular agent and representative, and rejecting the resident appointed by the company, and obtruding upon them a person of his own choice, did from that time render himself in a particular manner responsible for the good government of the provinces composing the dominions of the nabob of Oude. III. That the provinces aforesaid, having been, at the time of their first connexion with the company, in an improved and flourishing condition, and yielding a revenue of more than three millions of pounds sterling, or thereabouts, did soon after that period begin sensibly to decline; and the subsidy of the British troops stationed in that province, as well as other sums of money due to the company by treaty, ran considerably in arrear; although the prince of the country, during the time these arrears accrued, was otherwise in distress, and had been obliged to reduce all his establish ments. IV. That the prince aforesaid, or nabob of Oude, did, in humble and submissive terms, supplicate the said Warren Hastings to be relieved from a body of troops, whose licentious behaviour he complained of, and who were stationed in his country without any obligation by treaty to maintain them; pleading the failure of harvest, and the prevalence of famine in his country;-a compliance with which request by the said Warren Hastings was refused in unbecoming, offensive, and insulting language. ས. That the said nabob, labouring under the aforesaid and other burthens, and being continually urged for payment, was advised to extort, and did extort, from his mother and grandmother, under the pretext of loans, (and sometimes without that appearance,) various great sums of money, amounting in the whole to £.630,000 sterling, or thereabouts; alleging in excuse the rigorous demands of the East India company, for whose use the said extorted money had been demanded, and to which a considerable part of it had been applied. VI. VII. That on the demand of the nabob of Oude on his parents for the last of the sums, which completed the six hundred and thirty thousand pounds aforesaid, they the said parents did positively refuse to pay any part of the same to their son for the use of the company, until he should agree to certain terms to be stipulated in a regular treaty; and, among other particulars, to secure them in the remainder of their possessions, and also on no account or pretence to make any further demands or claims on them; and, well knowing from whence all his claims and exactions had arisen, they demanded, that the said treaty, or family compact, should be guarantied by the governourgeneral and council of Bengal; and a treaty was accordingly agreed to, executed by the nabob, and guarantied by John Bristow, Esquire, the resident at Oude, under the authority, and with the express consent, of the said Warren Hastings and the council general, and, in consequence thereof, the sum last required was paid, and discharges given to the nabob for all the money, which he had borrowed from his own mother and the mother of his father. That the two female parents of the nabob aforesaid were among the women of the greatest rank, family, and distinction in Asia; and were left by the deceased nabob, the son of the one, and the husband of the other, in charge of a certain considerable part of his treasures in money, and other valuable moveables, as well as certain landed estates, called jaghires, in order to the support of their own dignity, and the honourable maintenance of his women, and a numerous offspring, and their dependants; the said family amounting in the whole to two thousand persons, who were by the said nabob, at his death, recommended in a particular manner to the care and protection of the said Warren Hastings. That the distresses and disorders in the nabob's government, and his debt to the company, continuing to encrease, notwithstanding the violent methods before mentioned taken to augment his resources, the said Warren Hastings, on the 21st of May, and on the 31st July 1781 (he and Mr. Wheler being the only remaining members of the council general, and he having the conclusive and casting voice, and thereby being in effect the whole council) did, in the name and under the authority of the board, resolve on a journey to the upper provinces, in order to a personal interview with the nabob of Oude, towards the settlement of his distressed affairs; and did give to himself a delegation of the powers of the said council, in direct violation of the company's orders, forbidding such delegation. VIII. That the said Warren Hastings, having by his appointment met the nabob of Oude near a place called Chunar, and possessing an entire and absolute command over the said prince, did, contrary to justice and equity, and the security of property, as well as to publick faith, and the sanction of the company's guarantee, under the colour of a treaty, which treaty was conducted secretly without a written document of any part of the proceeding, (except the pretended treaty itself,) authorize the said nabob to seize upon and confiscate to his own profit, the landed estates, called jaghires, of his parents, kindred, and principal nobility; only stipulating a pension to the net amount of the rent of the said lands as an equivalent, and that equivalent to such only whose lands had been guarantied to them by the company: but provided neither in the said pretended treaty, nor in any |
