setter to the 
 ist-India Stock, on ttv 
 vd Olive '3 Jaghire 
 
 John Dunning, 
 urton
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES

 
 I
 
 LETTER 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PROPRIETORS of EAST-INDIA STOCK, 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF 
 
 Lord CLI VE'S JAGHIRE; 
 
 OCCASIONED BY 
 
 Pis LORDSHIP'S LETTER on that 
 Subjed. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for CH. BAT HURST, at the Crofs-Keys y 
 oppoflte St. Dun/ian's Church^ Flett~Jirttt* 
 
 MDCCLXIV.
 
 Saturday ', y^n'/zS, 1764. 
 
 AS the noble Lord, to whom the iupreme 
 Command, Civil and Military, of your 
 Settlements and Armies in Bengal^ was 
 w lately offered by a Refolution of a General 
 t; Court, has thought fit to infift on certain Terms 
 ^ as the Conditions of his accepting that Appoint- 
 ^ ment -, as you are now called on by an Adver- 
 p tifement in the News-papers to meet again on 
 Wedmfday next for the Purpofe, as it is gene- 
 rally underftood, of confidering and deciding on 
 thofe Terms, one of which is faid to be your 
 Acquiefcence in his Lordfhip's Claim to a Rent 
 or Tribute of 30,000 /. a Year for Lands in 
 the Company's PofTefiion in that Province .; as 
 this Claim is of a Nature not very generally un- 
 derftood ; as it is neverthelefs of infinite Im- 
 portance to the Company, that it mould be 
 rightly underftood before it is determined; and 
 as it is probable the Proceedings of the next Ge- 
 neral Court, like thofe of the former, will be 
 conducted with fo much Violence and Diforder 
 by Perfons interefted to mifreprefent and rnif- 
 iead, that it will be difficult, perhaps impofii- 
 ble, to explain it there -, for all thefe Reafons, a 
 Proprietor and Friend of the Company takes 
 .this as a more eligible Method of offering you 
 his Sentiment*, the Refult, however haftily ex- 
 B pnfled, 
 
 354698
 
 prefied, of proper Information and of cool and 
 ciifpaffionate Inquiry. 
 
 It will be necefTary to premife, left more 
 fhould be expected than is intended, that I do 
 not mean to meddle with any other Parts of the 
 Letter addrefied to you by the noble Lord, 
 and publifhed at the Eve of the late Election, 
 than fuch as relate to this Claim-, nor to advert 
 to that Letter at all, further than is material to- 
 the Subject in my own Way of confidering it. 
 
 Without further Preface then, which per- 
 haps is not necefiary; or, if it be, the Time 
 will not allow ; I proceed to the Confideratiott 
 of the feveral Queftions, into which the Subject 
 feems naturally to refolve itfelf. i . The Pro- 
 priety of the noble Lord's Conduct abroad in- 
 relation to the Subject-matter of his Claim. 
 2. The Validity of his Claim. And 3. the proba- 
 ble Confequences of your Acquiefcence in it. 
 
 To underftand the firft of thofe Queftions. 
 rightly, it is necefTary you mould have a right 
 Notion of the State of the Country, and of the 
 Company's Affairs there at that Period. 
 
 You will recollect, that Suraja Dowla, the 
 Feigning Souba of Bengal* having plundered 
 your Settlements, deftroyed many of your Ser- 
 vants, and driven out the reft from his Domi- 
 nions, to recover thole Settlements and profe- 
 cute this War on the Part of the Company, a 
 Fleet and Army was fent from Madrafs. This 
 Armament ariving fafely, and its firft Opera- 
 tions proving fucceisful, the Souba found him- 
 felf conftrained to enter into a Treaty, reftor- 
 ing your Settlements, and engaging to reftore 
 or make Satisfaction for the Plunder : But his 
 2 Mo-
 
 [ 3 1 
 
 Motions indicating an Intention to diiregard 
 this Treaty, and, as the noble Lord fays, to 
 extirpate the Englijh as foon as the Troops and 
 Squadron left the River \ it was judged ne- 
 ceflary to renew the War, and to difarm him of 
 the Power of doing further Mifchief. Each 
 Side accordingly recurred to Arms, and after 
 ibme Operations of little Importance, in which 
 the Englifo were frill fuccefsful, they obtained 
 at length a decifive Victory at PlaJJ'ey. 
 
 To whom our Thanks were due for thefe 
 SuccefTes, whether the Merit, as well as the 
 Honour, of that Victory is to be wholly afcribed 
 to the noble Lord, as his zealous Friends would 
 perfuade us, or what Degree of Credit is due 
 to the Whifpers then very current in India? 
 which have fmce found their Way to Europe, 
 and point our Gratitude to other Objects, it is 
 foreign to our prefent Purpofe to inquire. 
 Having no Refentments to gratify, npr any 
 Spleen to indulge, I confine my Inquiries into 
 the noble Lord's Conduct to fuch Parts of it 
 only as refpect the Queftion before us. 
 
 It fuffices then to obferve, that the Englijh 
 Arms, and the Englijh Arms alone, having ob- 
 tained this Victory, the Company were now the 
 Mailers of Bengal; or (to ufe the noble Lord's 
 Words) " the Company acquired and had de- 
 livered into their Hands the abiblute Power over 
 the three Provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa y 
 whofe ordinary annual Revenues produce three 
 Millions and a Half Sterling, infomucb that they 
 were enabled to fet up and eflablijh in the Soubajhip 
 any Perfon they thought fit " 
 
 B 2 In
 
 [ 4 ] 
 
 In this Situation we are to inquire what 
 ought to have been done, and what was done. 
 
 To fhorten this Inquiry, I decline going in- 
 to a particular Difcuffion of the Queftion, whe- 
 ther it was moft for your Intereft to fet up a new 
 Souba, or retain the Soubafhip in your own 
 Hands : A Queftion on which fome of the 
 moft able and beft informed of the Company's 
 Servants differ in Opinion, each fupporting*his 
 own with Arguments that deferve more Confi- 
 deration than we have Leifure to afford them. 
 
 It is to be obferved however, that the En- 
 gagements entered into with Meer Jaffier, in 
 the fecret Negotiation conducted by Mr. Watts^ 
 previous to the Battle which ended in the De- 
 feat "and Death of the Souba, do not appear to 
 have afforded any juft Objection to the Victors 
 makingwhatever Ufe of the Victory they thought 
 moft proper ; thofe Engagements being enter- 
 ed into, and the Scheme of placing Meer Jaffier 
 in a Government to which he had no Pretence 
 of Title being adopted, in Expectation of that 
 Officer's active Concurrence with the Troops 
 under his Command in the Execution of a 
 Plan by which he was to profit fo largely, and 
 tinder an Engagement on his Part fo to do: 
 Inftead of which, inftead of joining the Englifa 
 Army, and acting againft the Souba, the crafty 
 old Traitor, determined in all Events to fecure 
 himfelf, had actually rejoined the Souba before 
 the Battle, and by his Conduct at that Time 
 railed well-grounded Sufpicions of that Infince- 
 rity of which the Company has fince had fo 
 much Experience : In the Action itfelf he took 
 no Part, and fo doubtful was it, what Part he
 
 [ 5 ]' 
 
 inclined to take, that it was thought necefTary ? 
 when his Troops advanced, to employ your Ar- 
 tillery to compel him to retire. With fo little 
 Merit, and fo little Faith on his Part, there 
 could be no Reafon for a fcrupulous Adherence, 
 or indeed for any Attention on yours to the 
 Engagements entered into with this Man, whp 
 had himfelf fo grofsly neglected them. 
 
 It is to be prefumed therefore, that the no- 
 ble Lord was induced to prefer and to perfevere 
 in the Plan of raifing Jaffier to the Soubafhip 
 from an Opinion, that the Government of a Na- 
 tive would be more readily fubmitted to, and 
 would be equally beneficial to the Company ; 
 as the new Souba was a Creature of your own, 
 raifed by your Arms, and without any other 
 effectual Refource for his future Support : Nor 
 does there appear, all Circumftances confidered, 
 fufficient Reafon to pronounce, that thofe who 
 entertained this Opinion judged amifs. It may 
 be doubted, whether a territorial Sovereignty 
 of fuch Extent could be properly governed 
 under the limited Powers of a Company infti- 
 tuted for very different Purpofes : And it feems 
 pretty certain, that in the necefiary Attention 
 to this Object the Company muft have loft 
 Sight of the commercial Principles of its origi- 
 nal Eftablifhment, an Eftablimment, which, in 
 a Country like ours, would perhaps be ill ex- 
 changed for all the Revenues of the Souba- 
 fiiip, could they be fafely collected and tranf- 
 mitted hither. 
 
 It cannot however be queftioned, but that, 
 with the Power in your Hands of difpofmg of 
 the Soubafhip itfelf in any Manner you fhould 
 
 think
 
 think proper, it was the Duty of thofe, who ex- 
 ercifed this Power on your Behalf, to make fuch 
 a Difpofition of it as would effectually fecure to 
 the Company the juft and proper Objects of the 
 Enterprife in which that Power was acquired ; 
 and thoie were Reftitution and Satisfaction for 
 pad Injuries, and a proper Eftabliihment to 
 prevent future. 
 
 For the firft of thofe Purpofes a large Sum of 
 Money was ftipulated to be paid by Meer Jaf- 
 fer. Let us lee what Care was taken of the 
 Second, and this is the material Point of our 
 Inquiry. 
 
 In former Wars among the Country Pow- 
 ers, your Servants, minding their proper Bufi- 
 nefs only, affecting no other Character than that 
 of Merchants, and taking no Part with either 
 of the contending Parties, were wholly unconr 
 cerned in the Event. Pretending to no Power, 
 they provoked neither Jealoufy nor Refent- 
 ment : Their fuppofed Wealth expofed them 
 now and then to Exactions and Opprefllons, in. 
 common with the other Inhabitants of the 
 Country ; but Suraja J)Givla was probably the 
 firft of the Princes of Indoftan, who thought it 
 his Intereft to extirpate them : in all Changes of 
 the Government hitherto they were fufferedj 
 whoever prevailed, to go on as before, and were 
 confidered as a uferul, induftrious People, 
 whofe Commerce enriched the Country, and 
 increafed the public Revenues. Perhaps it 
 would have been happy for the Company, if 
 they had never been known to the Natives of 
 Indoftan in any other Character. 
 
 Your 

 
 [ 7 J 
 
 Your Situation was now much changed. 
 Having the whole in your Power, you were 
 now to determine, whether your future Eftab- 
 Jiflitnent in this Country was to be wholly com- 
 mercial, wholly military, or a Compound of 
 both. Having determined to place Meer Jaf- 
 fier in the Soubafhip, it was further to be de- 
 termined, whether you mould yourfelves return 
 to your old Syftem, or adopt a new one. 
 
 Your old Syftem was moft agreeable to your 
 Conftitution, and, if it could be fafely pur- 
 l-tied, more likely to produce you the regular 
 Returns you expec~l in Europe, than any 
 Scheme of Power or Conqueft, however fuccelT- 
 fully executed. It might be hoped, that, un- 
 der the Protection of a Souba of your own Cre- 
 ation, you might be permitted to purfue your 
 Trade with at leaft as much Advantage as here- 
 tofore, and enjoy the juft Profits of that Trade 
 unincumbered with military Expences. 
 
 On the other Hand it might be reafonably 
 doubted, whether your Settlements could now 
 fubfift in the defencelefs Condition they had 
 hithertobeen. HavingtakenupArms, and pro- 
 ved by your SuecefTes your fuperior Skill in the 
 Ufe of them, it was to be feared the Country 
 Powers, who had experienced the Weight of your 
 Interpofition, would lay hold of the firft Oppor- 
 tunity to crufh an Eftablimment they had found 
 to be fo dangerous and formidable. The new 
 Souba himfelf (reafoning only from the general 
 Treachery of the Country, and without laying 
 Strefs on his perfonal Character more particu- 
 larly ftained with that Vice) was unlikely, 
 ihould he ever find himfelf firmly eftablimed,. 
 
 to
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 to be retrained j by Motives of Gratitude, from 
 employing his Power to the Definition of thole 
 who gave it him. As a more immediate Dan- 
 ger, the Succefles of the French in the Deckan 
 gave Reafon to apprehend a Vifit from them in 
 Bengal , nor were they the only European 
 Neighbours, whofe Enterprifes it behoved 
 the Company to guard againfl. Beyond 
 all this, it was not to be expected, that 
 the newly appointed Souba fhould be able 
 to eflablifh himfelf in that Dignity, or maintain 
 it a Moment, without a Continuance of the 
 fame Support by which he had been raifed to 
 it. Thefe Reafons concurring feemed to evince 
 the Propriety of erecting new and expenfive 
 Fortifications, and of raifing a large military 
 Force to be kept in conftant Pay, provided 
 this could be done without Detriment to your 
 Trade. But it is obvious, to all who know 
 the enormous Expence of a military Eftab- 
 lifnment in that Country, that the necefTary 
 Charge of raifing thofe Fortifications, and 
 maintaining that Force, would exceed, perhaps 
 in- a quadruple Proportion, the whoie Profits 
 of your Trade there. In fhort, the Security of 
 your Trade required the Protection of Fortifi- 
 cations and a military Force ; and yet to adopt 
 that Plan, without fome other Fund tofupport 
 the Expence of k, was apparently deflructive to 
 the Trade it was meant to fupport. 
 
 The obvious and only Expedient was, to ap- 
 propriate to this Ufe a fufficient Part of the 
 Revenues of the Country, the whole of which 
 were become your own by a much better 
 Title than they had been his from whom 
 
 you
 
 f 9 ] 
 
 you Cook them : And this appears to have been 
 the noble Lord's Idea at the Time of preparing 
 the Articles, which he inftructed Mr. Watts to 
 propoie to Jaffier , one of which was, " That 
 a Trad of Land be made over to the En^lib 
 Company, whofe Revenues mall be iurncient to 
 maintain a proper Force of Europeans and Sea- 
 poys to keep out the French, and aflift the Go- 
 vernment againft all Enemies." * 
 
 For this Purpofe the 9th Article of the 
 Treaty with Jaffier provides, that "All the 
 Lands lying to the South ofCulpee mail be un- 
 der the Zemindary of the Engli/b Company^ 
 and all the Officers of thole Parts mall be un- 
 der their Jurisdiction ; the Revenues to be paid by 
 them in the fame Manner with other Zemindars" 
 The Treaty contains a further Engagement on 
 the Part of the intended Souba, to defray the 
 Charge of the Engli/b Troops, when he mould 
 call for their Afliftance, whilft actually em- 
 ployed in his Service : But, for the conftant re- 
 gular Expence of maintaining an Army in Rea- 
 dinefs to be fo employed when called for, the 
 9th Article before - mentioned is the only 
 Provifion. By this Article, the Company were 
 to become Zemindars or Renters of thofe 
 Lands, at the old Rents ufually paid by for- 
 mer Zemindars, amounting to near 30,000 /. 
 per Annum. To derive any Advantage front 
 this you were to find under Tenants to farm 
 the Lands at improved Rents ; and the Dif- 
 ference between the old Rents you were to pay, 
 and the improved Rents you might receive, 
 whatever that mould be, was to be your Profit, 
 the Fund to fupport the future military Efta- 
 C blifh- 
 
 * Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengpl, Page 90.
 
 f 10 ] 
 
 blimment which the new Syftem had rendered 
 necefiary. 
 
 The firft Obfervation, that ftrikes one on 
 reading this Article, is the flrange Impropriety 
 of referving thefe Lands to the Company in 
 the Character of Renters only, inftead of re- 
 taining to your Ufe the abfolute Property and 
 Dominion ; inconfiftently fubjecting the Com- 
 pany to a Dependence on that very Govern- 
 ment which your Servants were then eftablifh- 
 ing, when the Obje6l of the Refervation was a 
 Force to maintain an Independence of that 
 Government, and indeed to continue the Go- 
 vernment itfelf nr ever dependent on the Com- 
 pany. This Dependence of Zemindars on the 
 Souba may be thought of little Confequence, 
 but it is not fo. The noble Lord himfelf 
 thinks otherwife, when he mentions it as one of 
 the Circumftances that gave him Pleafure in 
 reading his Patent, " that the Company was 
 thereby freed from all Dependence on the Go- 
 vernment." I go along with the noble Lord 
 in thinking it very defireable that the Company 
 Ihould be freed from this Dependence ; but if 
 his Lordfhip thinks, that the proper Way of 
 freeing the Company was to fubftitute himfelf 
 in the Place of the Government, there we 
 differ. 
 
 The more important Confideration how- 
 ever upon this Article is, the Competency of 
 the Fund it provides to the Purpofes for which 
 it was provided. The nett Produce of the 
 Lands for the firft Year (1758) I am well in- 
 formed, was 14,0417. 3J. after difcharging 
 the Rent. From that Time the Company 
 
 have
 
 have received no regular Accounts ; but the 
 Sums paid into the Treafury at Calcutta, fub- 
 jcft to the Rent and perhaps to other Deduc- 
 tions, are as follow: For 1759, 43,7497. 13;. 
 For 1760, 69,8397. 14. For 1761,73,8007. 
 17.-. For 1762, 70,1047. 135. On a Me- 
 dium therefore of thefe five Years, the Pro- 
 duce of thefe Lands appears to have been about 
 60,000 7. a Year, fubjeft to a dear Rent equal 
 to one half of that Produce, and the other half 
 only is the Fund, by which your military Ef- 
 tablifhment was to be fupported ; a Fund fo 
 difproportionate, that it is ahroft ridiculous to 
 have been- fo minute in this Part of our In- 
 quiry. 
 
 Yet to give you a general Notion of the Ex- 
 pence of a military Eftablimment in Bengal, 
 and at the fame Time to fet you right in ibme 
 Facts, which through Intereil or Ignorance have 
 been ftrangely mifreprelented (and which is the 
 more neceflary, as a Project is faid to be on Foot 
 for rendering this Article ftill more expenfive 
 than it has hitherto been) it is fit you fhould 
 know, that, from the Acceffion of Meer Jaf- 
 fier to the Soubafhip in 1757 to the i4th of 
 June^ 1760 (which was not long before his De- 
 pofition) the whole Sum paid into your Bengal 
 Treafury from every Source, including the 
 Produce of your Exports to that Country, and 
 all that could be got from the Souba of the 
 large Sum he had ftipulated to pay by Way of 
 Reimburfement for your former Lofles and 
 Expences, and excluding only occafional Sup- 
 plies to Madraft and your other Settlements, 
 was fo fully exhaufted by the vaft Charge of 
 C 2 your
 
 f ,2 ] 
 
 your military Forces and military Works ad- 
 ded to the ordinary Expence of the Settlement, 
 that Mr. Holwell, the then Governor, in a Letter 
 pf that Date, which he has lately publifhed, * 
 reprefenting to General Caillaud the then State 
 of the Settlement, tells him there remained in 
 the Treafury but one Lack and a half of Rupees, 
 v/ithout any Hope of a further Supply, even by 
 Borrowing ; fo low was the Company's Cre-: 
 dit. The bare Pay of your Troops, we learn 
 by the fame Letter, amounted to 50,000 Ru- 
 pees a Month, exclufive of the Charge of mili- 
 tary Stores, &:c. which he calls immenfe ; and 
 the Charges of the Works then carrying on 
 amounted to nearly twice as much more. 
 Thofe Works were projected by the noble 
 Lord, and carried on under his Direction, as 
 long as he thought fit to remain in India -, and 
 this Article of Expence alone is eftimated at 
 upwards of 580,0007. Sterling. So. far is it 
 from being true, as has been insinuated and in- 
 deed aflerted, that, out of the vaft Sums paid 
 into your Treafury in Confequence of the 
 Treaty with Meer Jajfier^ you have been reim- 
 burfed your whole Damages, LofTes, and Ex- 
 pences, and enabled to carry on the whole 
 Trade of India for 3 Years, befides fupporting 
 your military Expences both in Bengal and 
 Coromandel) that I have the beft Authority to 
 fay, the whole of your Exports to Bengal du- 
 ring that Period have been abforbed by thofe 
 Expences, and your Servants there obliged to 
 draw upon the Company here for more than 
 the Value of your Imports. Nay, even fmce 
 the Acquifition of an additional Revenue, pro- 
 cured 
 
 * Mr. HoliveH's Addrefs to the Proprietors, &c. P. 5?.-
 
 [ '3 ] 
 
 cured you by Mr. Vanfittart, to the Amount of 
 near 600,000 1. a Year, it is inconceivable how 
 imall a Balance remains to the Company up- 
 onyour whole Revenue in that Province, thus 
 augmented, after defraying the Expence of 
 maintaining your prefent Eftabliihment. 
 
 Was it not then the Duty of thofe, who on 
 Behalf of the Company adopted a military 
 Plan necelTarily attended with fuch Expence, 
 to have referved a Fund in fame Degree ade- 
 quate to fupport that Expence ; and will it 
 be pretended that 30,000 /. a Year was, or 
 could be, under any Management, and with 
 any CEconomy, an adequate Fund ? I mean 
 not, it would be unjuft, to impute the Neglect 
 to the Gentleman who fettled the Treaty with 
 Jaffier (Mr. Watts.) Under the Circumftan- 
 ces he was, it would be too much to expect 
 from him a complete and perfect Regulation 
 of every Thing necefTary to be regulated be^ 
 tween the future Souba and the Company. It 
 is indeed a high Degree of Merit in him to 
 have done fo much towards it i and he will be 
 found, on a Companion of the Articles he 
 figned with thole recommended to him, to have 
 made a Treaty upon the whole much more 
 beneficial to the Company. It would be un- 
 juft too to the noble Lord to expecl, that a- 
 midft the Triumphs of Victory, and the vari- 
 ous Objects which in Confequence of that Vic- 
 tory engaged his Attention, he mould fet him- 
 felf inftantly to correct the Miftakes, or fun- 
 ply the Imperfections of that Treaty. But 
 iurely, when the Souba's Tr-eafury fcacl been 
 fufficiently examined, and the proper Arrange- 
 ments made there*, when the new Souba, Ck a- 
 
 greeable,
 
 greeable, we are told, to the Cuftom of Ea- 
 item Princes, had made Prefents to fuch of 
 the EngKJh, who by their Rank and Abilities 
 Jiad been inftrumental to the happy Succefs of 
 fo hazardous an Enterprife, fuitable to the Rank 
 and Dignity of a great Prince" When the 
 noble Lord in particular had, as he is pleafed 
 to tell us, indulged himfelf in this " honour- 
 able Opportunity" of acquiring an " eafy For- 
 tune ;" and " the Cowpbfty's Welfare" was be- 
 come " his only Motive for flaying in India ;" 
 when he had cooly confidered the Treaty at 
 his Leifure, had experienced the Amount of 
 your military Expences, had informed himfelf 
 of the Value of the Lands referved by the pth 
 Article, and confequently knew how inade- 
 quate this Refervation was to its Object -, it 
 might then not unreaibnably be expefted, that 
 the noble Lord would have had fo much At- 
 tention to that Welfare of the Company, which 
 he frayed to promote, as to think of fome 
 Means, while it was yet in his Power, to make 
 good a Deficiency too vifible to be over- 
 looked, and too dangerous to remain unfup- 
 plied without certain Ruin to the Company. 
 If he had deigned to turn his Thoughts to this 
 Subject, a much lefs Degree of Penetration, 
 than his Lordfhip poflelTes, would have fug- 
 gefted to him, that the firft Step to be taken 
 towards fupplying this Deficiency was to cor- 
 rect the Treaty in this Article ; to procure a 
 Difcharge, if it were neceffary, from the Souba 
 to the Company of the Rent improvidently 
 agreed to be paid him , or, in Subflance, 
 (whatever Form it might be proper to ufe) to 
 
 refume
 
 [ '5 ] 
 
 refume your Property in thofe Lands, arid ap- 
 ply their whole Produce (where it was fo much 
 wanted) to the Purpofes for which they had 
 been fet apart. By this Step alone the Fund 
 would have been doubled, and the Company 
 delivered from that Badge of Subjection fo 
 uniuitable to thole Ideas of Independence and 
 Superiority, which his Lordfhip in other In- 
 icances appears to have adopted in their full 
 Extent. 
 
 The better to enable you to judge of what in 
 thofe Circumftances you had a Right to expect, 
 you will doubtiefs be glad to know what others 
 of your Servants in the like Circumftances 
 have done. 
 
 Every body knows, that on your firft Set- 
 tlement in India as Traders by Permiffion and 
 under the Protection of the Princes of the 
 Country, your Condition obliged you to fub- 
 mit to whatever Terms thofe Princes thought 
 fit to require, as the Price of that Permiffion 
 and Protection. Befides pecuniary and other 
 Prefents at firft, fome kind of annual Acknow- 
 ledgement, by Way of Rent or Tribute for 
 the Diftricts allotted you, was generally in- 
 fifted on. 
 
 In the Camatick, for Inftance, you were re- 
 quired to pay* an annual Rent or Tribute of 
 4000 Pagodas, or fome fuch Sum, for your 
 PoflefTions on the Coaft of Coromandel ; and it 
 was accordingly paid till the late long expen- 
 five War on that Coaft, fomented, if not be- 
 gun, as the noble Lord obferves, on Princi- 
 ples of French Ambition, and now happily 
 terminated by Englijh Valour. This has pro- 
 duced
 
 I '6 J 
 
 duced almoft as great a Change in your Situa- 
 tion there, as that we have before fpoken of 
 has done in Bengal. Inftead of continuing to 
 carry on your Trade as ufual, under the Pro- 
 tection of the Nabob of that Province, you 
 became his Protectors, aflumed a milirary Cha- 
 racter in his Defence, and maintained him in 
 'a Government, which without your Support 
 he muft long fince have loft. The Relation 
 between you and the Nabob being thus inverted, 
 the Rent or Tribute was thought of no more. 
 If your Servants there had been actuated by a 
 Spirit of Conqueft, they might in their Turn 
 have required of the Nabob the like Badge 
 of his Dependence on the Company. They 
 judged better ; they were content with a* real, 
 , without a nominal Superiority : Still mindful 
 of their Duty, they lay hold of this Oppor- 
 tunity to enlarge your PoflefTions near Madrafs, 
 (which had been found too narrow and incon- 
 venient) by the Addition of a neighbouring 
 Diftrict of confiderable Value called the Poo- 
 nomalel Country, the whole of which they re- 
 tained, and Hill retain, as the Company's Pro- 
 perty, carrying the whole Produce to the Com- 
 pany's Account, fubject to no Rents or Jag- 
 hires, and in perfect Independence of the Na- 
 bob, who had too much Senfe to expect, and 
 had to do with People too attentive to your 
 Interefts to fubmit to the Payment of a Rent 
 for the fmall Part they found necefifary to re- 
 tain of a Principality, the whole of which had 
 been more than once conquered for him by 
 your Arms. 
 
 In
 
 [ '7 ] 
 
 In like Manner in the Deckan, the Com- 
 pany intending, in the Time of the Emperor 
 Furruckfeer, to form a Settlement in the Ifle 
 of Divy, obtained a Grant of that Ifland under 
 an annual Rent, but were obliged to lay aiide 
 their Scheme of fettling there by Means of the 
 Oppofition it met with from /the Souba, and 
 the fubfequent Troubles of that Country. 
 From hence your Title lay dormant till 1759, 
 when, the Succefles of Colonel For d againft the 
 French having driven them out of that Coun- 
 try, four large Provinces, which Sdabatjing, 
 the prefent Souba, had ceded to the French, 
 (or they, in other Words, had taken from him) 
 were given back to that Prince ; but the City 
 of Mafulipatam^ being of Importance from its 
 Situation to the Company's Trade, was retained 
 for the Company with feveral adjacent Dif- 
 tricts of near 1 00,000 /. a Year Value, fuch a 
 Revenue being thought necefiary .to defray the 
 Expence of maintaining a fufficient Force to 
 defend this new Acquifition. From that Time 
 you have been, and are ftill, in PofTeflion of 
 the City and Diftricts thus acquired as your 
 own abfolute Property, and of Divy likewife ; 
 and the Rent under which the latter was ori- 
 ginally granted has never been demanded or 
 thought of. The Souba, fenfible that the 
 Company had all the Right that Conqueft can 
 give to the Whole, rejoiced to find himfelf re- 
 ftored to that large TracT: of Country which 
 theFr?fl& had obliged him to give up to them, 
 with an Exception of the fmall Part the Com^ 
 pany chole to referve, their Title to which he 
 D readHy
 
 E i ) 
 
 readily confirmed, and the Paymen-t of a Rent 
 for it was never dreamt of on either Side. 
 
 To return to Bengal When Mr. Vanfittart 
 in 1760 found it neceffary to enlarge the Com- 
 pany's PofTeffions, in order to make the milf- 
 tary Fund equal to the Demands upon it,, he 
 required on your Behalf, and procured tc a 
 much larger Diftrict of Country (to ufe the 
 noble Lord's Words) than the Company had 
 before enjoyed under the Treaty with Meer 
 Jaffier^ together with a larger Eftate and Inte- 
 rejl in thofe Lands, than they had in thofe be- 
 fore granted j and, inftead of referving to the 
 Government the ufual Rents of Homage which 
 thofe Lands were fubject to, both the Lands 
 find thofe Rents were granted to the Company" 
 
 Perhaps what has been faid may fuffice to fa- 
 tisfy you, that the fame Attention to the Wel- 
 fare of the Company which was fhewn by your 
 Servants under fimilar Circumftances in the 
 Carnatick^ in the Deckan, and in 1760 in Ben- 
 gal^ you had a Right to expect from thofe who 
 conducted your Affairs in the lafl-mentioned 
 Province in 1757 , at leaft, that the noble Lord v 
 who continued in India above two Years after, 
 the Governor of your Settlements, and the 
 Commander of your Armies, mould have cor- 
 rected the Impropriety of the Treaty in this 
 Refpefb in the Manner the Intereft and Honour 
 of the Company appear to have required. 
 
 That this might have been done at any 
 Time, cannot be denied. The Souba who was 
 not more indebted to you for his Elevation, than 
 dependent on you for the Continuance of his 
 Government, who might have been, as he af- 
 terwards
 
 [ '9 ] 
 
 terwards was difplaced without Commotion or 
 Bloodihed,and would have funk into Nothing, 
 if you had difcontinued your Support ; a Crea- 
 ture, in fhort, in whofe Name the noble Lord 
 was underftood to govern the Soubafhip in eve- 
 ry Thing in which he chofe to interpofe, muft 
 have fubmitted to this, or any other Demand 
 that might have been made on him. That this 
 Demand might have been juftly made on him, 
 fuppofing him lefs indebted to you than he was, 
 and that it was even beneficial to him to have 
 complied with it, is equally clear, if it be re- 
 membered that the Force, which this Revenue 
 was wanted to maintain, was as necefTary to his 
 Safety as to your own. More,Iprefume,neednot 
 be faid to convince you, that if the Souba, when 
 it was propofed to him, or when he propofed, 
 (for it matters not which) to relinquish hisPre- 
 tenfions to this Rent in Favour of the noble 
 Lord, had been defired to do it in Favour of 
 the Company, he would with equal Readinefs 
 have fubmitted to it. 
 
 In whofe Favour then ought this to have 
 been defired ? Or rather, to whofe Account 
 ought this Cefllon, when obtained, to have 
 been carried ? The Company (to adopt an 
 Expreffion of his Lordfhip's) had a particular 
 Claim, wanting it for a Purpofe in which the 
 Souba had an equal Intereft. His Lordfhip 
 pretends not. to any particular Claim. The 
 Scuba's Generofity had been fo fuitable to 
 the Rank and Dignity of a great Prince., that 
 the noble Lord's Fortune was eafy^ and he 
 had received the Reward of bis honourable Ser- 
 vices" The Company's Fortune in that Coun- 
 P * try,
 
 try was by no Means eafy, and they were coa- 
 ftantly rendering Services for which they had, 
 no Reward. You were furely then as proper 
 Objects of the Scuba's Gratitude, whofe Troops 
 and whofe Servants had made him what 
 he was, as the noble Lord, who was only 
 known to him as the Leader of thofe Troops, 
 and the firfl of thofe Servants ; but to fup- 
 pofe that Gratitude, or any Confideration of 
 that Sort, had any Part among Meer Jaffier's 
 Motives to the Conceflion, is to forget th$ 
 Character of the Man, and indeed of the 
 Country, as it is generally reprefented to us ; 
 and, not only fo, is contrary to the Fad, ac- 
 cording to my Lord's Account of it, from 
 which it plainly enough appears, as the Truth 
 undoubtedly was, that it proceeded from a 
 Conviction in the Nabob, founded on the 
 Experience he had had, that it was impoffible 
 to fupport himfelf without the Company's Af- 
 fiftance ; and a' Confcioufnefs that what he 
 was defired to give his Confent to part with 
 might be taken from him, whether he confented 
 or no ; he gave up therefore what he knew 
 he could not retain, having firft difcovered as 
 much Difinclination as he durft. 
 
 To dojuftice even to fuch a Character asMeer 
 J&ffier's, it is pretty clear that the fame Con- 
 fcioufnefs of the Company's Power, the fame 
 Defire of engaging the Support of that Power, 
 and the fame Dread of its being otherwife em- 
 ployed, were the moft prevalent, if not the 
 only Motives to Acquiefcence with the feveral 
 other Princes, from whole Dominions the Com- 
 pany
 
 [ 21 ] 
 
 pany has lopped off the Acquifitions we 
 lately fpoken of. 
 
 The noble Lord would have it underftood, 
 that Meer Jaffier's Grant to him proceeded 
 from his Senfe of the Services that had been 
 juft then rendered him in the Expedition to 
 Patna, and the Conviction he had of the Value 
 of fuch fmcere Allies. At whofe Expence and 
 Rifque then was that Expedition undertaken ? 
 Who were thofe Allies, the Value of which 
 Meer Jaffier had then discovered ? Whofe were 
 the Troops, and in whofe Pay was their Com- 
 mander, by whom thofe Services had been ren- 
 dered, of which Meer Jaffier entertained this 
 Senfe ? Let us fuppofe what is not to be fuppo- 
 fed, that Meer Jaffier , knowing nothing of the 
 Company but the Perfons of its Servants, had 
 been really grateful; but had fo far miftaken 
 the proper Object of his Gratitude, as to have 
 intended this Favour for his Lordfhip, unafked 
 and unfollicited, which the noble Lord confefles 
 was not the Cafe ; was his Lordfhip to profit 
 by this Miftake, to the Prejudice of the Com- 
 pany, whole Servant he was, and whofe Ser- 
 vice had enabled him to raife himfelf to a Sta- 
 tion for which moft Men would have thought, 
 though his Lordfhip is pleafed ip think other- 
 wife, they ewed the Company fonmhmg in Point of 
 Gratitude. 
 
 But the noble Lord denies, that this Claim 
 of his can be attended with any Prejudice to 
 you. Having before told you, that the reft of 
 his Fortune, arifing, as he fays, from the 
 grateful Bounty of the Nabob, and for which 
 nothing like Gratitude is due to the Company, 
 
 was
 
 yas " acquired without Prejudice to you, and 
 that you would not have had more for his hav- 
 ing had, lefs ," He is pleafed to apply the fame 
 Dbfervation to this Claim likewife, affecting to 
 confider it as a Queftion between him and the 
 Mogul, or between him and the Nabob, in 
 which you have no Manner of Intereft or Con- 
 cern. This Argument his Lordftiip very art- 
 fully preffes, his Advocates every-where make 
 great Ufe of it, and it feems to have made Im- 
 prefllons in his Favour on the Minds of difm- 
 terefted People unacquainted with this Subject. 
 But this Argument will not, I truft, have much 
 Weight with you, if you are fatisfied by what 
 has been faid, that it ought to have been yours, 
 if it is not; that it was his Lordfhip's Duty to 
 have retained or procured it for you, and that 
 it was not merely a Neglect, but a Violation of 
 that Duty to employ the Influence you gave 
 him to procure it for himfelf. You will recol- 
 lect too, that, fuppofing his Lordfhip's Claim 
 invalid, you have ftill the fame Power to appro- 
 priate this Rent to your own Ufe, and the fame 
 Influence to procure every body's Confent that 
 may be thought neceffary, whenever you pleafe. 
 Nor is this all , it is certain, as certain as any 
 Thing that has^iappened can be, that, had his 
 Lordmip only negle&ed his Duty in this In- 
 ftance, without putting it out of the Power of 
 thofe who came after him to repair that Neg- 
 lect, this Revenue would long e're now have 
 been yours. It is not to be doubted, but that 
 the Payment of it to the Souba, had it conti- 
 nued to the Revolution in 1760, would have 
 continued no longer. Thofe who brought a- 
 
 bont
 
 t *s ] 
 
 ^out that Revolution, who found it necefTary 
 to add other Lands of much greater Value to 
 the Company's Poffeffions, would have requir- 
 ed for thefe, as they did for thofe, an abfolute 
 Independence of the Country Government, and 
 would have carried the full Produce of the whole 
 to the Company's Account, conformably, as we 
 have feen, to what had been done in the like 
 Cafe in the Carnatick, and in the Deckan. You 
 will judge then, with what Truth you have been 
 told, that this Lordfhip and Rent, or, as my 
 Lord fomewhere in his Letter calls it, his 
 Eft ate in the Eaft- Indies ^ was " made over to 
 him, no Prejudice refulting to the Company 
 and only this Difference, that you are to pay 
 the Quit Rents to him inftead of the Govern- 
 ment : a clear Profit to this Nation of 3 0,000 /. 
 a Year. 5 ' It is ftrange his Lordmip mould fo 
 far miftake the Nature of his Claim, as to fee 
 it in this Light ; but there are Paffions in the 
 human Breaft that pervert the Underftanding ; 
 unfortunately they grow with Indulgence, and 
 admit of no Satiety. 
 
 If you have ftill a Doubt of the Opinion you 
 ought to entertain of this Tranfaftion, change 
 but the Scene, and fuppofe it to have happened 
 nearer home. Suppofe any of thofe gallant Of- 
 ficers, who during the late War^ without Dif- 
 paragement to the noble Lord, contributed as 
 much to fupport and extend the Honour and 
 Terror of the Englijh Name in other Parts of 
 the Globe, as the noble Lord was doing in Afa v 
 had employed the Influence, which their Com- 
 mands, their SuccefTes in thofe Commands, and, 
 if you will, their pbrfonal Merit in obtaining
 
 f 24 ] 
 
 thofe SuccefTes had given them, to the Acqiii- 
 fition of a territorial Dominion in the Coun- 
 tries they had conquered to their private Ufe. 
 Suppofe, if you will, they had only accepted fuch 
 a Dominion from Friends or Foes againft his 
 Majefty's Inclination, or even without his Per- 
 miflion , what would have been thought, and 
 what would have been faid of thofe Officers ? 
 Does then the phyfical Difference of Climates 
 introduce a different Set of Rules for the Con- 
 duel of an Officer in Afia, in the Service of a 
 Company, to whom the King's Favour has in 
 this, and many other Inflances, delegated his 
 Sovereign Rights ? 
 
 Before we difmifs this Queftion, let us once 
 more recollect the Inflances we have before gi- 
 ven of Acquifitions for the Company by others 
 of its Servants. We have feen that they have 
 judged differently for the Company , let us now 
 fee, whether there is any Refemblance in their 
 Conduct to that of the noble Lord, in their 
 Manner of judging for themlelves. 
 
 Can it be doubted (I am fure it will not by 
 thofe who know the Parties and their Hiftory) 
 but that the Services rendered to Mahomet Ally 
 Khan, the Nabob of the Carnatick^ by General 
 Lawrence were as important as thofe of the no- 
 ble Lord to Kfeerjaffier, his Influence with him 
 as great, his Pretenfions to a Jaghire as good, 
 and the Means of obtaining it as eafy r 1 Yet 
 fuch has been the Continence, fuch the Virtue 
 of that brave old Soldier, whofe Abilities have 
 been ib long employed to your Advantage in 
 the Council and in the Field, whofe Penetration 
 firft difcovered the noble Lord's Military Me- 
 rit,
 
 [ 25 J 
 
 rit, whofe Protection encouraged it, and 
 whofe Example taught him co conquer, that, 
 after a long Life worn out in your Service, 
 almoft as poor as when he firft entered it, 
 when, inftead of accepting or foliciting Jagh- 
 ires, he was lately importuned by the Nabob 
 to accept fome Proof of his Gratitude ; he 
 paid into the Company's Treafury the Prefent 
 that was fent him (a Lack of Rupees, i2,5oo/.) 
 the Moment he received it, and refufed to apply 
 a fingle Rupee to his own Ufe, till theTranfac- 
 tion had been communicated to your Court of 
 Directors, and the Ships of the laft Year car- 
 ried him out their Permifiion. 
 
 Can it be doubted, but that, when Col. Ford y 
 after driving the French out of the Deckan, was 
 reftoring to Salabatjing the four fine Provinces, 
 of which they had long difpoflefs'd him, the 
 Souba would have confented to any Divifion 
 that might have been propofed to him, of the 
 Produce of the Lands he was to give up to the 
 Company ? Yet that worthy Officer has no 
 Jaghire, and You have the whole Revenue. 
 
 Can it be doubted, but that Meer Cqffim was as 
 much obliged to Mr. Vanfittart^ General Cail- 
 laud, and the reft of the feledl Committee, who 
 raifed him to the Soubamip, as Meer Jaffier 
 had been to the noble Lord ? Or that, if it had 
 been propofed to him, he would have referved 
 the Lordlhip and Rents of the Lands agreed 
 by the Treaty to be given up to the Company, 
 and afterwards would at any Time have grant- 
 ed that Lordfhip and thofe Rents to his Benefac- 
 tors in any Manner they chofe ? Yet, You have 
 the whole Property and Produce ,of the Lands, 
 E and
 
 C 26 3 
 
 and none of thofe Gentlemen have Jaghires. 
 Nor muft it here be forgot, that when the new 
 Sou&awzs preparing to follow the Example of his 
 Predeceflbr, and mower down his Favours upon 
 thofe, who by their Rank and Abilities had 
 been inftrumental in his Promotion, fuitable, as 
 the noble Lord exprefles it, " to the Rank and 
 " Dignity of a great Prince,*' Thofe Gentlemen 
 have the Merit of refufing no lefs than 20 Lack 
 of Rupees, 250,0007. and to this Hour have 
 received no Fruits of his Gratitude, or of his 
 Bounty. 
 
 If no Inftances of the Kind we are feeking, 
 are to be found among your own Servants, let 
 us employ another Page in enquiring into thofe 
 of your Rivals. 
 
 The Dutch are too fober, too provident, and 
 too wife, to give us any hope of rinding Ex- 
 amples of this Sort among them. The Severity 
 of their Conftitution allows no body to reward 
 their Servants, but themfelves ; with them eve- 
 ry Prefent which Gratitude or Bounty produces, 
 be it large or fmall, is carried to the Compa- 
 ny's Account. 
 
 The French have the fame Rules, but are 
 lefs drift in the Obfervance of them ; and 
 among them the noble Lord fuppofes he has 
 found a Precedent in the Condudt of Mr. Du- 
 pleix. " Mr. Dupleix Cfays hej the Comman- 
 " der in Chief of the French Forces in India 9 
 " obtained a Title of Honour inferior to mine, 
 " and had feveral Jaghires given him by the 
 " Nabob of the Deckan in Lands ceded to the 
 *' French Company, which he enjoyed for fe- 
 " veral Years after he returned to Europe, and 
 
 " until
 
 " until the Lands, upon which the Jaghires 
 w were granted, were taken from the French' 9 
 This, if it be one, is not perhaps the only 
 Circumftance, in which the attentive Obferver 
 will difcover a Refcmblance in the Conduct of. 
 that extraordinary Perfonage, and of the noble 
 Lord. Mr. Dupkix had great Merit with the 
 Company he ferved, had render'd it great and 
 fubftantial Services ; but at length he ruined it. 
 " Les InteretS) fays he, in a Memorial he pre- 
 " fented to the Company on his return from In- 
 "dia, Us Inter sis de la Compagnie quejefers, & 
 " la Gloire de ma Nation ont ete les Guides & la 
 " Mobile de toutes mes Operations^ &c." Words, 
 that cannot be better tranflated, than in thofe of 
 the noble Lord, when he declares *' The Ho- 
 " nour of my Country, and the Intereft of the 
 " Company, were the Principles that governed all 
 " myA&ions." Mr.Dupleix thought his Services 
 not fufficiently rewarded, he complained of In- 
 juflice from the Directors, he form'd a Claim 
 on the Company, he commenced a Law-fuit to 
 fupport it, he was not fo well advifed as to drop 
 that Suit, and try to carry his Point by other 
 Means, he perfifted, he mifcarried, and is lately 
 dead a Beggar. In which of thofe Circumftan- 
 ces the Refemblance will hold, I prefume not 
 to determine, except that it will not hold in the 
 laft. Whether Mr. Dupleix ever enjoyed a 
 Jaghire, I know not. That, after he had adorn- 
 ed himfelf with Indian Titles, and Indian Ho- 
 nours, Omra, Nabob of the Carnatic^ Joint 
 ouba of the Deckan, &c. he conceived ac 
 length an Affection for an Indian Eftate, is cer- 
 tain. What were the Sentiments of the French 
 E 2 Company
 
 C 28 ] 
 
 Company on that Subject, how contrary to his 
 Duty and to their Constitution, they thought it, 
 may' be feen in their Memoir.* They actually 
 claimed and inftfted on his carrying the whole Pro- 
 duce of that Eftate to their Account^ notwithftand- 
 ing an ingenious Device of his to elude it:):. 
 
 What Mr. Dupleix himfelf thought of his 
 Duty in that refpect fome Time before, you 
 will collect from what follows. The firft of the 
 Pieces jujltficatives, annexed to his Memoir, gives 
 us the Form of a Perwanna or Grant from 
 Chundafaib of feveral Villages in the Neighbour- 
 hood of Pondicherry to this Effect : <e Mr. Du- 
 " pleix, Governor of Pondicherry, having ac- 
 " quired, by his Bravery and the eflential Ser- 
 " vices he has render'd, the Good-will of my 
 " Mafter Hametcba Padcha -, for thefe Reafons, 
 " to acknowledge the aforefaid Services, and 
 * to reward his Merit, I think myfelf obliged 
 *' to give him Villenour^ with its dependent Al~ 
 r * dees (Villages) &c. this Donation to be en- 
 " joy*d in Perpetuity by him and his Defcend- 
 " ants from Generation to Generation, on 
 " Condition that he does not forget the Benefit 
 ** received, but returns thanks to his Benefactor, 
 " &V.f" 'Tis difficult to conceive any Form 
 of Words, that can more ftrongly convey the 
 Idea of an Intention in the Donor to confer a 
 perfonal Favour on Mr. Dupleix, the Reward 
 of his perfonal Merit, and to be enjoy'd by him 
 and his Defendants to their own private Benefit-, 
 yet fo far was he then from fancying that he had 
 
 * Memoir pour la Compagnie des Indes, centre le Seiur 
 Dupleix, p. 49. J Ibid, p. 195, 196. 
 
 f Memoir pour le Sicur Dupleix, centre la Compagnie 
 des Indes.
 
 E 29 3 
 
 a Right to underftand it fo, that he and his 
 Council fet themfelves to confider the Advan- : 
 tages of this Acquifition to the Company^ and 
 judging it advantageous, declare their Accep- 
 tance on the Company's behalf. In the 48th page 
 of his Memoir you will find a Letter of his to 
 the Company, in which fpeaking of another 
 Ceflion of this fort, of Bahour, &c. he ufesthefe 
 remarkable Words : All thefe Aldees are given 
 in my Name. // is the Cuftom of the Country 
 always to ufe the Name of the Commander-, but 
 1 make no other Ufe of this Cuftom, than to 
 depofit in your Archives Titles equally ho- 
 nourable and profitable, of which it isjuft the 
 " Company Jhould have the whole Benefit" Pur- 
 fuant to this Declaration, you will find among 
 the Pieces juftifcatives. No. 6, an account of 
 the Company's Acquifuions from the Princes 
 of the Country, containing both thefe Ceffions 
 of Villenour and Babottr, with an Acknowledg- 
 ment under the Hand of the Company's Cafhier, 
 that the whole Produce of both had been carried 
 to the Company's Account. 
 
 So much for Mr. Dupleix. And having 
 
 now offered you my Reaibns for the Opinion I 
 entertain on this firft Head of our Enquiry, I 
 .fliall clofe it here, and leave thofe Reafons to 
 your Con fideration. 
 
 We are next to confider the Validity of the no- 
 ble Lord's Claim ; and here, if you mould feel 
 yourfelves convinced, that this Claim is founded 
 in a Negled: and Violation of Duty, an undue 
 Preference of any other Interefts to thofe, which 
 he was entrufted and bound by every Tie to 
 defend and promote, it will be affronting the 
 Juftice and the Laws of your Country to fup- 
 
 pofe
 
 [ 30 } 
 
 pole for a Momenr, that fucha Claim can befup- 
 ported. Thofe Laws, Thanks to the Wifdom 
 of our Ancestors by whom they were plan'd, 
 and the Integrity of ourCotemporaries by whom 
 they are adminifter'd, cannot be render'd fub- 
 fervient to any Interefts but thofe of Juftice. 
 
 It would he a Wafte of your Time and mine, 
 to enter into minute Objections in a Cafe which 
 abounds with folid ones. Thofe which the 
 Letter-writer ftates, and fets himfclf to anfwer, 
 are in general mifconceived or mifapplied, with 
 a view to the Anfwer ; nor can one blame the 
 Prudence of choofmg, when the Objections or 
 Enemies one is to combat are at one's own Dif- 
 pofal, to arrange them fo as to fecure a Victory: 
 Yet in this mock kind of Warfare one is fome- 
 times deceived, from a miftaken Opinion of our 
 Adverfary's Weaknefs or of our own Strength. 
 This, or I much miftake, is the Cafe with the 
 Anfwers to fome of the Objections, even as they 
 are dated in the Letter. 
 
 One Obfervation (and perhaps it were unne- 
 ceffary to make another) will fuffice to explain 
 thofe Objections, and to lay afide the only An- 
 fwer attempted to be given them, that merits your 
 Attention. It will at the fame Time vindicate 
 your Directors of the lad Year from the feem- 
 ing Inconfiftency, in the fuppofed Detection of 
 which his Lordmip argues fo triumphantly. 
 
 You are to know then, what his Lordmip 
 very well knew, that thefe Objections were ap- 
 plied by thofe who made them to a very diffe- 
 rent Cafe. Upon another Occafwn^ and in ano- 
 ther Place his Lordmip had given, I prefume, 
 v*ry different Inftructions from thofe which 
 
 guided
 
 [ 3' 1 
 
 ^guided the Pen he condefcended to ufe in pre- 
 paring this Letter ; at leaft it is certain that his 
 Claim, as it was then ftated and attempted to 
 be made out, was a very different thing from 
 that which is infifted on in this Letter : And it 
 \vas that Claim fo ftated thofe Objections were 
 with no lefs Force than Propriety calculated to 
 meet. 
 
 The noble Lord, or the grave and learned 
 Pen-men he /<? employed, thought it neceffary, 
 in order to give a Colour to the Claim, to have 
 Recourfe to the Conftitution of the Mogul Em- 
 pire, and to make out his Title, as well as they 
 could, upon the Principles, and agreeable to the 
 Forms of that Conftitution. Your Directors, 
 ready to meet the Claim in any Form that could 
 be given it, follow'd the noble Lord's Lead, 
 ftated the Mogul Conftitution, which had been 
 made the Ground-work of his Claim, more 
 fully and more accurately, pointed out fuch 
 infurmountable Objections, and fuch irrecon- 
 cileable Inconfiftencies, as evinced beyond a 
 doubt the Claim could not be fupported upon 
 any Ideas drawn from that Conftitution. 
 
 It is in this way, and upon the clear Princi- 
 ples of the Mogul Conftitution, your Directors 
 infifted, and infifted truly, *' that the Nabob 
 " could not alienate the imperial Rents that 
 " the Company may be called to an Account by 
 " the Emperor for what has been already paid 
 " the noble Lord, and that he is therefore ac- 
 " countable to them for what he has already 
 " received that at moft the Nabob's Aliena- 
 " tion could exift no longer than his own Go- 
 ** vernmentj and was not binding on his Suc- 
 
 ceiTbr
 
 * ceffor that his Lordfhip's Acceptance of the 
 " Dignity of an Otnrab was contrary to his 
 *' Duty to the Company, as it might oblige 
 him to afiift the Mogul and the Nabob in War 
 <c even againft the Company and that if that 
 ' Conftitution gives the right, it gives the Re- 
 ' medy." Thefe Pofitions could not be denied, 
 nor their Effect eluded, in any other Way than 
 by abandoning the Mogul Conftitution, the 
 Ground his Lordfhip himfelf had chofen. 
 
 In this Letter therefore the Claim ftarts up in 
 another fhape. Quo teneam vultus mutant em 
 Prctea nodo ? You are told, your late Directors 
 have acted unfairly by his Lordlhpi, and incon- 
 fiftently with themfelves in urging Objections 
 arifing from the Mogul Conftitution : And for 
 this a Pafiage is cited from their Memorial to 
 his Majefty, in which they appear to have 
 adopted the Ideas his Lordfhip exprefles in this 
 Letter of the prefent State of that Empire; the 
 noble Lord forgetting all this while, or at lead 
 iupprefiing from you, that in talking of, and 
 arguing from that Conftitution, your Directors 
 had been only conforming to his Example - 9 
 and if they went out of theirWay, it was to fol- 
 low him. 
 
 You are now told the Conftitution of the 
 "Mogul Empire exifts no longer, that " it may 
 " be faid there is fuch a Prince (as the Mogul) 
 " but he is almoft without Territory or Power, 
 <e the little he pofiefles not being equal in Ex- 
 " tent or Riches to one twentieth Part of his 
 " Dominions, and therefore unable to enforce 
 " in the Provinces any Authority that might 
 <* have formerly belonged 10 him, and he is 
 
 " now
 
 " now fo far reduced as to be a Captive to, 
 " and in the Hands of one of the Scubas'* 
 Hence it is argued, that, however the Cafe 
 might be if the original Conftitution exifted, it 
 is improbable the Mogul fhould ever recover 
 the antient Dominion of his Empire -, and if he 
 fhould, yet " the annual Tribute ftipulated to 
 " be paid by the Nabob on his Confirmation" 
 comprized the Rent in queftion, and the Mogul 
 ought not to be paid both. This, laft Argu- 
 ment is pleafant ; for to make any ufe of it yod 
 are to underftand, that, not having a right to 
 both, he is to be paid neither : the noble Lord 
 very well knew, that the annual Tribute ftipu- 
 lated to be paid by the Nabob on his Confirma- 
 tion, had not been paid, any more than the 
 Treafures of Suraja Dowla have been remitted 
 to Delhi, which was another Stipulation on the 
 .Mz^'jConfirmation, the Performance of which, 
 his Lordfhip by his Letters frequently encour- 
 aged the Vizier &c. to expect. Why the laft 
 mentioned Stipulation was not perform'd, you 
 will guefs, if you recollect in what Manner, to 
 what Purpofes, and how foon after his Accent- 
 on Meer Jaffier had been prevailed on to aiTume 
 *' the Rank and Dignity of a great Prince" 
 
 However the Difficulty of the Mogul's reco- 
 vering " the Dominion of Jarge and powerful 
 " Provinces which have long ihaken off his 
 * Authority" is now infifted on : and the Cir- 
 ftances upon which the noble Lord thinks pro- 
 per now to reft the Validity of his Title are 
 thefe, tk that the Patent pafied all the ufual 
 4< Forms of the Country, and was founded on 
 *' the very fame Authority, that the Company 
 F "had
 
 t 34 ] 
 
 ** had for ail their Acquifitions, the Power of 
 " Scuba. 33 ' The Nabobs do now (we are told 
 in another Place) and have for many Years 
 " exercifed all thofe fovereign Rights, regard- 
 " ing the Lands^ and Revenues of the Provin- 
 ces, which the Mogul Emperor ever had. It 
 is under the Authority of the Nabob the Com-' 
 pany now hold their Zemindary in the Lands 
 fubjeft to my Jaghire ; it is under the fame 
 Authority they now hold, by Treaty with the 
 Nabob CoJJim Kban, large Diftrifts of Coun- 
 try producing near 6oo,ooo/. a Year to 
 them, without paying any Rent at all." 
 Hence it is argued, that if Meer Jaffsr's Grant 
 of the Jaghire to the noble Lord is invalid and 
 i-neffeclual, fo likewife is his Grant, and that of 
 CoJ/im Khan to You. 
 
 If thofe Grants were your Title, if there were 
 noObje&ion to hisLordfhip's Title arifing from 
 his Relation and Duty to you, if the fingleQuef- 
 tion between you turned on the Power of the 
 Grantor (neither of which is the Cafe) this Ar- 
 gument would be material, and the Condufion 
 would be fair. 
 
 But the clear and plain Anfwer to the Argu- 
 ment (fhort as it is of the Purpofe for which it 
 was adduced) is that the material Fact, on which 
 the whole is built, is miftaken. It is not true, 
 \ve have feen that it is not true, that your Ac- 
 quifitions are founded in the Power of the Souba. 
 You hold not by fo weak a Title. If you had 
 no better than could be given you by any of 
 thofe Soubas who fince the Days of Aurengzele 
 according to his Lordlhip, have been withdraw- 
 ing their Allegiance from their Matter, and 
 
 ufurping
 
 [ 35 ] 
 
 ufurping his Sovereign Rights, a Title fo de- 
 rived mud participate of the Ufurpation on 
 which it was founded, and be liable to the fame 
 Objections of Illegality and Injuftice. This rV 
 putting the Argument ji> the beft Light it will 
 bear ; for it is fuppofing the Ceffions to have 
 been made you by fome of the PrtdecefTbrs of 
 Meerjaffier, who fupported themfelves by their 
 own Strength, affetted Independence of tta Mo- 
 guly and were certainly ii.d -pendent of You. 
 But to reprefent your Title to Acquifitions made 
 in the Days of Meer Jaffier or Meer Co/im as 
 founded on the Authority or Power of the 
 Souba^ is an Infult on your Understandings of 
 Ib grofs a kind, as can ferve only to (how to 
 what wretched Shifts Men reduce themfelves, 
 who labour to fupport a (Claim fq devoid of 
 every real Foundation. 
 
 Under God and his Majefty, you hold only 
 of yourfejves, by your oWn Power, acquired, 
 by your own Force, by which alone thofe Sou- 
 bas acquired, and by which alone they likewife 
 held, their Governments. In a Country like 
 that, where, according to the noble Lord, the 
 Conftitution is loft in Anarchy and Confufion, 
 where no Rights are acknowledged, nor any 
 Laws fubmitted to but thofe of the Sword , ic 
 is idle to talk of any other Title. 
 
 Tho' in Point pf Form therefore thefe Ac- 
 quifitions were ceded to you by Meer Jaffier-, 
 and by Meer Cofflm ; a Form very properly and 
 prudently adhered to, for Reafons that ought 
 no", perhaps need not, be more particularly ex* 
 plained ; it is rid.culous to confider thofe Ceffi- 
 ons as having any effective Operation, or thole 
 F 2 Ac-
 
 Acquisitions as founded in any other Title than 
 that of Conqueft, the lawful Fruits of a juft and 
 fuccefsful War. It was not by Parchments, but 
 by the Sword you acquired this Title ; it is by 
 the Sword, and not by Parchments, you are to 
 to maintain it. 
 
 What the noble Lord fays of the Ctflion 
 made to you by Meer CoJJim^ is certainly true as 
 applied to the Ceffwn made to him by Meer Jaffier -, 
 that it is " as much a Conference of the Battle of 
 " Plafley, as the Advantages which 'were gained 
 immediately after that Vittory?' The Queftion 
 then is fairly reduced to this, whether anAcquifi- 
 tion obtained under the Influence (directly or indi- 
 rectly it matters not) of a Force abling under your 
 Orders^ and raifed and maintained at ycur Ex- 
 pence, is to be applied to hisLordJhip's private Be- 
 nefit or to your own. And as it is impofiible there 
 can be two Opinions on this Queftion, I might 
 here clofe the fecond Head of our Enquiry. 
 
 But left the noble Lord mould in it's Turn 
 abandon the Claim infifted on by his Letter, 
 and revive his Pretenfions under the Mogul 
 Constitution ; and (whether he does fo or no) 
 to give you a further Specimen of the Truth 
 and Candour of the Arguments that have beer} 
 ufed upon this Occafion, I will trefpafs a Mi- 
 nute longer on your Patience, and take fome 
 Notice of the Anfwers attempted to be given 
 to the Objections before mentioned, to be 
 drawn from that Conftitution. You will re- 
 member therefore, that this proceeds on a Sup- 
 pofition of the Conftitution being ftill in its 
 full Vigour, fbat the Nabob has no Right to 
 alienate thelmperial Rents, is a Propofition prov- 
 ed
 
 [ 37 1 
 
 ed by the very Terms of it. The Emperor, 
 and the Emperor only, can divcft himfelf of 
 his own Property. To fuppofe a concurrent 
 Power in the Nabob, is to fuppofe the latter in- 
 dependent j and then, as each may happen to 
 grant the fame Thing to different Perfons, the 
 Suppofition involves the Abfurdity of two cor 
 exifting abfolute Rights in different Perfons, in 
 one and the fame Subject. 
 
 'That the Company may be called to an Acccount 
 by the Emperor for what has been already paid his 
 Lord/hip^ and that he is therefore accountable to 
 them for what he has already received, is but a 
 Conclufion from the former Petition; for if 
 they are the Emperor's Rents, he has a Right 
 to demand them, and it can furely be no Anfwer 
 to that Demand to fay, you have paid them to 
 fomebody elfe, under Colour of an Alienation 
 from one who had no Right to make it. To 
 meet this Conclufion, his Lordmip infifts, that 
 the whole yearly Sum payable to the Emperor 
 being made up by the Nabob, that is all he ex- . 
 peels ; and it is immaterial to him, what the 
 Nabob does with the Rents, or the Lands which 
 produce them, which the Nabob therefore may 
 difpofe of as he thinks fit, and out of them con- 
 fer Favours on whpm he pleafes. This Argu- 
 ment, you fee, fuppofes that the whole yearly 
 Sum will be regularly paid by the Nabob : not 
 to mention how thofe Payments have in fact 
 been made, what Reafon can be given why it 
 {hould be required of you to pay this Money to 
 any Nominee of the Nabob's, in which you 
 could be fafe no longer than while the Nabob 
 was punctual in his Payments, arid thus take 
 
 upon 
 
 1554698
 
 [ 38 ] 
 
 upon yourfelves theRifque of his becoming thro* 
 Difhonefty unwilling, or thro* Diffipation un- 
 able, to pay the Mogul what he had a Right to 
 demand, and what, if not paid otherwite, he 
 would certainly demand of You. 
 
 But taking his Lordfhip's Anfwer to thisOb- 
 jection to have more Colour than it has ; fuppof- 
 irig, for the fake of the Argument, you might 
 rely on the Nabob's Care to indemnify you, by 
 his Punctuality with the Mogul, againft any ill 
 Confequences of your accommodating your 
 Payments to his (the Nabob's) Pleafure in Fa- 
 vour of his Nominee : From this very Anfwer 
 arifes the next Objection ; which is, that at moft 
 the Nabob's Alienation could exift no longer than 
 bh own Government^ and was not binding on fas 
 Succejfor ; for could it be ferioufly expected in 
 any Period of the Mogul Government, that any 
 Nabob mould have fo much Regard for his Pre- 
 deceflbr's Favourites, as to make himfelf ac- 
 countable to his Mafter for what they, and not 
 he, received. It is no Anfwer to this to fay that 
 " there are Numbers of Jaghires in the Pro- 
 " vince of Bengal^ granted by former Nabobs, 
 <c ftill fubfifting-," which only proves, that the 
 Conftitution that forbad it is not fubfifting. 
 The Infinuation that Meer Jajfier was depofed 
 to introduce this Objection, will not be thought 
 to require a ferious Anfwer. To the full as ex- 
 traordinary (not tx> remark the Inconfiftency) 
 is his Lordfhip's Doubt, whether Meer Jajfier 
 was really depofed or no. 'Tis certain (and the 
 Form of the Stipulation between Meer Cojffim 
 and the Company, to which his Lordfhip re- 
 fers, proves it) that it was not at firft intended 
 
 to
 
 t 39 ] 
 
 to do more than make Meer Cofflm Regent, and 
 leave the Soubafhip nominally with Jaffier \ 
 yet his Lordfhip, and all who know that Tranf- 
 aclion, know that Jaffier himfelf difapproving 
 this, and being induced by his Fears to wilh 
 himfelf fafe under the Company's Protection 
 at Calcutta^ he quitted the Munfub, Coffim af- 
 cended it in Form, and became nominally as 
 well as really Souba. His Lordfhip here affects 
 to fuppofe, your Directors intended ' to retain 
 " his Jaghire for the Benefit of the Mogul^ to 
 " the Prejudice of Him, and of their Country." 
 To cafe his Lordihip of that Apprehenfion, 
 there feems very little Reafon to doubt, that, it" 
 his Lordfhip's LVetenfions had not obstructed, 
 your Directors would, as was their Duty, have 
 taken the proper Meafures to iecure it for You, 
 who have the bcft Title to it, conformably to 
 the Policy of your wifeft and honefteft Servants 
 in fimilar Cafes. 
 
 By the Mogul Conftitution the being an Om- 
 rah was an indifpeniable Qualification, without 
 which no Man could have a Jaghire. To make 
 out his Title under that Conltitution, his Lord- 
 ihip had dated himfelf to be poffeffed of that 
 Dignity, under a fuppofed Creation in the Ycaf 
 1757 > an< ^ ne claimed, it feems, a Jaghire as a 
 Sort of Incident to it. 
 
 " To fupport that Dignity (fays he) the 
 " Scuba* according to the Cuftom of the Coun- 
 *' try, affigns a Jagbire or Eftate within his own 
 " Province." His Lordfhip very well knew, 
 that in the prefent State of Things no fuch 
 Confequence follows that Dignity : He knows 
 many Omrabs without Jaghires : Mr. Watts 
 2 and
 
 L 40 ] 
 
 and Col. Coote are both, if I miftake not, of 
 that Number. 
 
 His Lordlhip affecls to be furprized, that 
 your Directors fliould prefume to doubt his 
 having had the Honour of an Omrah conferred 
 on him, having (as he fays) * a Copy of his 
 " Parent in their Cuftody." Whether they 
 had a Copy of what he calls his Patent in their 
 Cuftody, I know not ; but I am inform'd, and 
 have every Rcafon to believe my Information 
 true, that there are certain Books ufually tranf- 
 mitted from each of your Settlements, which 
 contain, or ought to contain,- Copies of all the 
 Letters that pals between your Prefidents and 
 ihePeople of the Country ; and that your Direc- 
 tors had, and ftrll have in their Cuftody, one 
 of thofe Books delivered by the noble Lord, 
 containing Copies of various Letters to his 
 Lordfhip from the Court of Delhi, from the 
 Emperor, the Vizier, and the Buxey, (the two 
 principal Officers of State) fubfequent to the 
 iuppoied Date of his Patent, none of which 
 either ftyle him an Omra, or make the leaft 
 mention of his having any fuch Title conferred 
 on him ; a Silence in his Lordfhip's own Judg- 
 ment fo inconfiftent with the Idea of his being 
 really an Omra, that in a Letter from the noble 
 Lord to theVizier, in the fa me Collection, dated 
 Sept. ic), 1758, are thefe Words : <c Obferving 
 you have not directed your Letter to me 
 with the Title the World fays I have given 
 me, I am at a Lofs to know whether it is ge- 
 nuine or not; becaufe Ctherefore, I fuppofe 
 his Lordfhip means) 1 cannot write to the 
 King to return him Thanks for his Favour 
 
 'till
 
 t 4- ] 
 
 ft * I'/li 1 am certain.'* The Rook, I am told, 
 furniihes no Anfwer to the Doubt which the 
 Vizier is thus defired to folve. Unluckily his 
 Lordfhip has mijlaid one of thefe Books, con- 
 taining a Month or two's Letters : When called 
 for by your Directors, it is faid, it could not 
 be found. By this unlucky Accident our Curio- 
 fity to know more of this Correspondence cannot 
 be gratified : And neither you nor I can pofiloJy 
 guefs, what that Book would have-appeared to 
 contain // it had not been loft. After this per- 
 haps it will not furprize you, tho ? it furpnzed 
 my Lord, that your Directors fhould adopt 
 his own Doubt of the Authenticity of his 
 Patent. 
 
 But fuppofing my LorcJ's Patents for the 
 Omrajhip, and for the J&gbtre, both genuine, ic 
 feems to have given his LordOiip Offence, that 
 your Directors fhould object to his Acceptance 
 of thcfe Patents, as contrary to his Duty to tbz 
 Company, fmce it might thereby become his Duty to 
 qffift the Mogul and the Nabob in War, eve/t 
 againft the Company. ThiG Objection his Lord- 
 fhip treats as very ridiculous. " The Titles of 
 " Honour ufed in Europe, fays his Lordihip, 
 " are unknown to the Indians" I know noc 
 what Truth or Relation to the Purpofe there 
 may be in that Obfervation ; J but furely his 
 Lordfhip depends a good deal on the European 
 Ignorance of Indian Titles, when he tells us 
 that that of an Omra is " a mere Compliment 
 " which does not lay any Obligation on the 
 *' Part of the Perfon receiving fuch Honour, 
 '' to render the Mogul any Services whatfoever." 
 I am forry he has this Notion of the Tides of 
 G *
 
 C 42 ] 
 
 any Country. To an European Ear the Title 
 iifelf feems to import a Defignation of the 
 Service to be perform'd. " I was created, fays 
 " his Lordfhip, an Omra of the Command of 
 " 5000 Fcot^ and the Rank of 6000 Horfe." 
 Let us hear Mr. Dupleix's Notions of this Mat- 
 ter, who, as my Lord obferves, had one of 
 thefe Titles. In a Letter of the yth of Oct. 
 1742, he thus explains them : " The Title of 
 ^ Azary is in this Country a Title of great Hc- 
 " nour. It is likewife called Munfabdar and 
 *' Omrah. Dukes, Counts, and Marquifles are 
 " here unknown. The great are only diftin- 
 ** guil"hed by the Number of Azary. Azary 
 * c means a Thoufand. Thus when we fay fuch 
 " a one is two, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 Azary, it 
 " means that he has the Command of fo many 
 " Thoufand Horfe. The Mogul's Son is the 
 only Perfon that has ten. It is the moft 
 eminent Quality one can arrive at in this 
 Empire. The People of the Country regard 
 it as fomething very confiderable. He who 
 has it has the Title of Nabob, and is confi- 
 dered as fuch. He marches with the fame 
 Marks of Honour, &c." Then he goes on 
 to defcribe the Flags, Drums, Trumpets, 
 Hautboys, Elephants, &c. with which the no- 
 bie Lord has a Right to be accompanied; and 
 he concludes thus : " Les plus grands avan- 
 *' tages de ces Titres font les Revenus qui font 
 " bien confiderables. II m consent 'pas de les 
 " demander vu que I'onfercit oblige de fournir fon 
 " contingent en Cavaliers lor s qucnferoit requis" 
 | give the French becaufe there is a iPlealantry 
 not to be tranflaced in the Frenchman's Exprei- 
 
 fion
 
 [ 43 ] 
 
 fion of the Melancholy Reflection, which 
 obliged him to abftain from thofe tempting Re- 
 venues, which his Title he fuppofes autho- 
 r-zed him to demand. It means in Suhftance 
 this : " The greateft Advantages of thefe Ti- 
 " ties are the Revenues, which are very confi- 
 *' derablc ; hut it is not quite prudent to demand 
 " them, fmce one fhall then be obliged to furnijh 
 ** one's Contingent in Horfe, whensoever it is re- 
 " quired-f." Left this fhould not be fufficient 
 ]et us hear what my Lord's ingenious Friend, 
 Mr. Scrafton, thinks upon this Subject. Speak- 
 ing of the Jaghire in Queftion ; " It was given 
 *' him (fays that able Writer) as a Revenue to 
 l< fupport the Dignity of an Omrah of the Em- 
 " pire, for wbieb be is fitppofed to maintain 
 " 6000 Men, and is in the Country Language 
 " called a Jaghire, which is not unlike the 
 " Lands formerly held in Englwd by Knight's 
 " Servicef*" Other Writers (his Lordfhip 
 knows who} define a Jaghire to be " a Provifiort 
 " for the great Officers of State and Omrahs, 
 " for which they pay no Rent but perform mi- 
 " litary Services ; being granted to them to fup- 
 ct port their Dignity, and provide Forces when 
 " called upon by the Emperor ." After all, thtf 
 noble Lord is not to imagine that the Directors 
 meant to have it underftood, that they had any 
 ferious Apprehenfion of having the Strength of 
 his Arm to contend with in India. They 
 thought however that a Title, which mads this 
 bis Duty., was unfit for his Acceptance, and in-< 
 compat.ble with his Relation to you. 
 
 f Memoire pour la Compagnie des Indes, contre le Siear 
 Dupleix p. 29. 
 
 Mr. Scraftan's Book, p. 12;, 
 G 2 
 
 His
 
 [ 44 ] 
 
 His Lord (hip Hkewiie thinks it hard that he 
 fhould be refened for his Remedy to the Mayor's 
 Court of Calcutta, the Judges of which, he fays* 
 are Dt-pendents on the Company, or to the Courts 
 cf the Emperor or Nabob, vvhofe Mandate or Pro- 
 cefs (he fays) cannot be enforced againft the; 
 Company. What would have been the proper 
 Remedy if there were a Right, fince there is 
 none, we need not give ourlelves much Trouble 
 to enquire. 
 
 I have been told however, by Perfons long 
 refident in India^ that the Mayor's Courts in 
 your fevgral Settlements are, what they certain- 
 ly ought to be, as independent of the Company 
 as any Court in Wejlminfter-Hnll of the Crown. 
 The Prefident and Council indeed (to u horn an 
 Appeal lies) ought to be dependent on the Com- 
 pany. A Majority of them have fame times 
 thought otherwife : but if the Correction pro- 
 perly applitd to their Difobedience of the Com- 
 pany's juft Orders fhould produce the contrary 
 Extreme, a Difpofition to obey an unjuft Order, 
 and fuch fhould be fent them, his Lordfhip for- 
 gets that he has ftill an Appeal to the King in 
 Council, where their Injuitice would certainly 
 be redrefled. 
 
 As to the Courts of hdojlan, if that Con- 
 ftitution were fubfifting, thofe Courts are cer- 
 tainly the moft competent Judges of their own 
 Laws. To thofe Courts therefore your Direct- 
 ors did properly refer him for the DifcuiTion of 
 a Claim preten'ded to be founded on that Con- 
 ititutaon. If that Empire be (as the noble Lord 
 now reprefents it, and I believe truly) refolved 
 into Anarchy, in which private Force has con^- 
 
 /oundcd
 
 t 45 ] 
 
 founded public Order, your own the prevailing 
 Power, your Directors thought it neither juff 
 nor prudent to let an individual Servant, wirh- 
 out your Confenr, and in direct Oppofuion to' 
 your Interefts, Jay his Hand on any Part of the 
 Plunder which had been conquered at your 
 Charge, efpecially on firch a Part as plages yotf 
 in Subjection where, in their Judgment, you 
 ought moil to wifh for Independence. 
 
 1 muft not difmifs the Subject without tak- 
 ing Notice of another Circumftance which mV 
 Lord thinks a material Ingredient in hisJTitle, 
 and that is, the fuppofed Acquiefcence of your 
 Court of Directors, and, indeed, their Con- 
 firmation, as he fuppofes, by actual and re- 
 peated Payments to him of the Revenue in 
 Queftion. u I muft acquaint the Proprietors 
 " (fays he) that the Rents of my Jaghire 
 " were regularly paid me during the Time I 
 " was in Bengal; and fince my Return' home, 
 " have been received by my Attornies in Ben- 
 " gal, and remitted to me as the Ships failed 
 " from thence in Bills on the Company here, 
 " which were always regularly paid without 
 lt Objection until May lait, when on the Ships 
 " gi n out f r Bengal, which were the hint 
 " that went out after the Election on than 
 " Voyage, I was given to underftand that 
 cc Orders had been lent to ftop the Payment 
 " of my Jaghire." In another Place we are 
 told, " The firft Step my Opponents took 
 " after the Election, was to order their Ser- 
 " vants abroad to ftop the Rents of my Eft ate 
 " in the Eaft- Indies, which they tbemfefoes had 
 " regularly paid me for feveral Years without 
 
 " Ob-
 
 [ 45 ] 
 
 ic Objection. Their Motives for taking fucli 
 " a Step, at fuch a Time, are too obvious to 
 " be infilled on." The " diihonourable Mo- 
 " tives" of the Court of Directors are in 
 many other Places infifted on, and in one 
 Place we are told, " The Company having -paid 
 '.' my Jaghire fo long without any Objection, 
 '* &c. one might be at a Lofs to conceive 
 " what Foundation in Reafon there could be 
 " for the Directors fending fuch Orders to 
 " Bengal.'* 
 
 What Foundation in Reafon there was for 
 fending fuch Orders we have already feen. 
 Perhaps you will not think that any Objections 
 founded in Reafon to the fending fuch Orders 
 can be drawn from the Payments thus repre- 
 fented as Payments by the Company, and to the 
 noble Lord, when you are told that thofe Pay- 
 ments were at firft made by Lord Clive the 
 Preftdent of your Council at Bengal, to Lord 
 Clive the Omrah, and the Jaghiredar ; and fince 
 to Mr. Vanfittart the Agent of that Omrah and 
 "Jaghiredar by Mr. I'anfittart the Prefident of 
 jour Council. As to the Bills by which this 
 Money was remitted to England, drawn on the 
 Company by their proper Officer abroad, and 
 paid by them without Objection, it would be 
 impertinent in me to be telling you that Bills 
 cf Exchange do not particularize the Nature 
 of the Confideration, and confcquently ic 
 would be a ridiculous Objection to the Pay- 
 ment of the Bills for the Company, to fay, 
 the Money which you paid into our Treafury 
 for thofe Bills was not your own. 
 
 Such Arguments as thefe you will probably 
 think do not delerve an Anfwer : but I have 
 
 too
 
 [ 47 ] 
 
 too much Refpedt for the noble Lord who 
 condefcends to ufe them to pafs over in Silence 
 any thing he thinks proper to fay. 
 
 That Refpect muft be my Apology for de- 
 taining you by a Word or two more on the 
 Subject of thofe Orders, which his Lord- 
 fhip chufes to refer to a fwgle Director, though 
 he well knew they were figned by Twenty. 
 Thofe Orders, his Lordfhip chufes to fup- 
 pofe, preceded from Refentment of his Con- 
 duct at a former Election, and were meant 
 by thofe who gave them to deprive him of 
 what they knew to be his Property. With what 
 Propriety the Subject- matter of the Orders is 
 called his property we have confidered. The 
 Letter he cites of Mr. Sulivan to Mr. Vanfit- 
 tart imports, that " had it not been for him 
 " (Mr. Sulivan} the Meafure would have taken 
 * c Place Years ago." It was, then, in the 
 Opinion of the Directors of former Years a 
 proper Meafure : Mr. Sulivan s Reafons for 
 employing his Influence to fufpend it, he told 
 you himfelf at a General Court, and they ap- 
 peared to have a reafonable Foundation in Juf- 
 tice and Attention to your Interefts. But to 
 put the worft Conftruction on his Conduct, 
 let us fuppofe his former Oppofition to the 
 Meafure arofe merely from his private Friend- 
 fhip to my Lord, and that, the late Election 
 having abated the Cordiality of that Friendfhip, 
 he oppofed it no longer ; his Oppofition to a 
 proper Meafure from fuch a Motive would 
 have been Matter of juft Imputation from you, 
 or from me, but furely it would have been no 
 Impeachment of his Lordmip's Gratitude if 
 
 he
 
 he had left you or me to make it. In the laft 
 Paragraph of that Letter which has been invi- 
 dioufly wrefted to another Senfe, it is not eafy 
 to difcover any thing more than the Letter- 
 writer's Friendfhip and Affe&ion to his Corre- 
 fpondent, whofe double Relation to his Lord- 
 (hip and to the Company could not fail to em- 
 barafs him on the Receipt of thefe Orders : in 
 that delicate Situation it is recommended to 
 him with equal Friendfhip and Prudence to 
 follow the ftrict Line of the Orders that fliould 
 be fent him. If that Gentleman, the fingle 
 Director, as my Lord's Friends affeft to call 
 him, if that Gentleman's Attachment to your 
 Interefts would have given way to his fuppofed 
 Love of Power, if he would hare given him- 
 felf Leave to preferve that Power at your Ex- 
 pence, many of you know, 'tis fit all of you 
 mould know, that you and I might have fpared 
 ourfelves the 1 rouble we are giving each other 
 at this Moment : upon tbofe 'Terms he might 
 have been fpared a great deal of Trouble, to 
 which he has lately expofed himfelf. ' 
 
 Let us return from this Digreffion and herq 
 we clofe our fecond Head, having fubmitted to 
 your Confideration fuch Reafons as feem to war- 
 rant this Conclufion, that whichfoever Alterna- 
 tive my Lord will finally abide by, whether he 
 chufestofuppofethe Mogul Conftitution broken 
 up and deftroyed or ilill fubfifting,. either Way 
 his Claim is equally invalid, and can neither 
 be maintained on the Principles of that Con- 
 fiituticn, nor on thofe of this or any Country, 
 in which the Duties and Rights anfing from 
 the Relation of a Servant to his Mailer, or 
 
 an
 
 [ 49 1 
 
 an Officer to the Prince, State, or Company 
 that employs him, have been at all recognized 
 and underftood. 
 
 The Jaft Confideration, which I propofed to 
 trouble you with, was the probable Con'.equence 
 of affirming his Claim in the Manner it has been 
 made: and tho* this Confequence refuhs ftrong- 
 ly from what has been faid, I think it import- 
 ant enough to prefent it as a diftinct ArtLl- to 
 your Confideration. 
 
 Let not your Ideas of the noble Lord's 
 Merit (for that he has Merit, I never meant, 
 it would be unjuft to deny) influence you 
 to give gratuitoufly what in point of Juft- 
 ice there is clearly no Right to demand. The 
 pernicious Confequences to you will be benefi- 
 cial to thofe who have not that Merir, molt 
 likely be fo to thofe who have no Merit at all: 
 So pernicious will thofe Confequences be, than 
 if, in your Opinion, the prefent Condition of 
 Bengal renders it abfolutely necelTary you mould 
 give his Lorcimip the Trouble of another Voy- 
 age to India, and your own Opulence or .his 
 Dignity difpofes you to defire this Favour upon 
 Terms of great Advantage to him, reward him 
 up to the vaineft Ideas of his paft Services or 
 moft romantic Expectation of future ; but let not 
 that Reward be your Affirmance or Acquiefcence 
 in a Claim, which, if it has in any Degree your 
 Sanction, may be fatal to the Company. 
 
 To affirm his Title to the thing he claims, i<* 
 ft) eftablifh a Principle, upon which every Of- 
 ficer entrufled with the Direction of your Power 
 in Indoftan will fuppofe himfelf authorized to 
 employ that Power in making private Acquifi^ 
 H tions
 
 [ 50 ] 
 
 tlons of Money or Land for his own Benefit. 
 To fet the Mifchief of this Idea in the ftrongeft 
 Light, imagine for a Moment that you were 
 now Renters under your own Servants, Mr. 
 Vanfittart &c. of all the Lands you poflefs in 
 India at haif their annual Value. Who is ab- 
 furd enough to endure that Imagination ? And 
 yet ihere is as much Reafon for your becoming 
 Renters to thofe Gentlemen in that Manner as 
 for remaining fo to the noble Lord -, unlefs the 
 Circumftance of his having done without your 
 Leave or Privity what they likewife might have 
 done, but did not, gives him a Preference. 
 Thro' thcfe Gentlemen's ftricter Notions of 
 their Duty, you have efcaped that Danger ; but 
 does no Danger remain ? 
 
 You have a great Force in India. Multitudes 
 are continually crouding into your Service. It 
 is the Object of all the deftitute, the avaritious, 
 and the ambitious. Is this then the Hour to 
 -hold out Encouragement rot to promote your 
 mercantile Inrerefts, nor even to plan Conquefts 
 with a View to your Emolument, but to fo- 
 ment fuch Sort of War, and to wage it in fuch 
 Manner, and to fuch Purpofes, as will beft 
 lerve to accumulate upon Individuals Riches 
 unknown before in Europe. The Mifchief will 
 not be confined to your military Department ; 
 the civil will catch the Contagion. If your fo- 
 berdt Servants find themfelves encouraged by 
 any Precedent, to turn of? their Attention to 
 the Acquifition, by Force or Intrigue, of an In- 
 fluence among the Country Powers, with a 
 View to derive from thence a private Benefit, 
 the Means of doing this^are fo open, the Tempt- 
 ation
 
 C 5< ] 
 
 itionfo ftrong, that few will have the Virtue to 
 refift it. Few can refift the Allurement of 
 great Fortunes to be obtained without Induftry 
 and without Merit. Few will perfift in their 
 deftined Drudgery in your Service, with a Pro- 
 fpect at the End of a long and laborious Life of 
 attaining fcarce a hundredth Part of the Re- 
 ward, which it is in their immediate Power to 
 feize ; and while other * Individuals" are " in 
 " Confequence of their Succefs acquiring large 
 " Eftates," Thq would learn to fear " what the 
 " World would fay, fhould they come home and 
 " reft upon the Generofity of the Court of 
 " Directors." ThisCountry will then fwartn "with 
 Omrahs. Indoftan will be parcell'd out into 
 Jaghires. Your Trade will be neglected : 
 Your Funds, until they are exhauftedj will be 
 employed in acquiring and defending Titles, in 
 which you have no Intereft. Great Men, and 
 little ones who will foon become great, the 
 hungry Dependents and Inftruments of Power, 
 will be thus provided for ; and a new Source 
 of Influence to be employ'd in the Weft will 
 be (if it is not already) open'd in the Eaft. Such 
 is your Situation; and this the Moment to de- 
 termine, whether you will check this inordinate 1 
 LuftofGain, or indulge it. The Fate of the 
 Company depends on the Refolucion you take. 
 After all, perhaps, upon cooler Confideration 
 you will find the Condition of your Settlement 
 is far from requiring this dangerous Remedy. 
 If Major Adams with a fmall Force could de- 
 feat the Nabob at the Head of a powerful and 
 numerous Army, furely the fame Officer rein- 
 forced, as he will foon be, might be trufted to 
 JH 2 purfuc
 
 L 5* ] 
 
 purfue his Vidory over the broken RemainS 
 of that Army. 
 
 Perhaps I ought not to conclude without re- 
 cjuefting your Indulgence to the Inaccuracies 
 unavoidable in fo haity a Compofition. You 
 would have been troubled with thefe Sentiments 
 much fooner, if the noble Lord had not told 
 us at thcGeneral Courr, that it was not his In- 
 tention to refer this Queftion to your Decifion. 
 The public Intimaron of his prefcnt Intention 
 in that refpect is fo recent, that it has hardly 
 afforded Time to throw them upon Paper. 
 The Author flatters himfelf, you will find them 
 iuch as became a Man concerned for the Ho- 
 nour and Profperity of the Company, and re- 
 gardful of the Relation this important Branch 
 t)f Trade bears to the Well-being of his Coun- 
 try. If in exprefling them the noble Lord 
 fhould think his Conduct or his Argu- 
 ments treated with more Freedom than they 
 ought, his Example muft be my Excufe. 
 He will be pleafed to recollect, who it was 
 that lirft brought the Queftion to the Tribu- 
 nal of the Public, a Queftion that o'n many Ac- 
 counts had been better referved to a more private 
 Difcuflion. I have a better Opinion of his 
 Lordlhip's Jultice, than to fuppofe he would 
 \viih you to decide it without hearing all thac 
 can be laid on both Sides, not- to mention that 
 his Letter expreflfes, in various Parts' of ir, a 
 Defire to know what can be. objected to a 
 Claim, which he thought fo clear. It has 
 been my Aim to write with every Degree of 
 Referve, and Kefpect'for his real Menr, thac 
 can confift with. the Opiniofl I entertain > that 
 
 ' be
 
 [ 53 ] 
 
 be that Merit great as it may, it affords not an 
 adequate Pretenfion to the Thing he demands. 
 To grace himfelf with infinite Commendation 
 in every Page of his Letter was efiential to his 
 Manner of arguing it was not a Sally of 
 " oftentatious Vanity," but really neceffary 
 to his Lordmip's Argument. To correct 
 the Excefs of that Argument, and to let in a 
 fairer and fuller Light on the Subject was 
 equally neceflary to mine. The Liberty his 
 Lordlhip has taken in this and other Publica- 
 tions with Names, which in my Judgment 
 the Company has every Reafon to hold dear, 
 has not provoked me to go further into that 
 f>rtof Difcuffion than my prefent Subject re- 
 quired. In this I claim fome Merit with his 
 Lordfhip : It intitles me to expect, that if 
 on fome future Occafion a fuller Underiland- 
 ing of thofe Paflfages mould be requifite, his 
 Lordfhip with the Greatnefs and Liberality of 
 a noble Mind will hold me excufed in purfu- 
 ing that Difcuffiorr, difagreeable as it will be 
 to me, a little further. 
 
 FINIS.
 
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