Both refolutions paffed.

The tenth and eleventh refolutions related to the kingdom of Tanjore, and were alfo agreed to. In them it was ftated, "that the revenues were greatly diminished, and the country itfelf much on the decline; and that this was in a .great measure owing to an opinion prevailing in the country, that the Raja's government would not be of long continuance, and that another revolution was approaching." On this occafion Mr. Dundas deferibed the country of Tanjore to be the garden of India, a pot where Providence feemed to have Javifhed its peculiar bounties. To this country the Nabob of Arcot had fet up the most unjust and abfurd pretenfions, and had been most fcandaloufly liftened to by the fervants of the company; by repeated invafions and revolutions it had been abfolutely ruined, and the Raja, a fovereign of an ancient and most honourable defcent, had been treated with unheard-of hardships. In thefe fetiments Mr. Dundas was joined by the general voice of the whole committee, feveral of whom declared that this fuffering prince ought to be taken under the protection of parliament, and feeured in the quiet poffeffion of his dominions against the bafe and infamous arts of the Nabob and his abettors. As an inftance of the defperate lengths to which the Nabob had been encouraged to proceed, it was afferted, that it had appeared in evidence before the committee, that is order to make the members of that houfe a party to the Nabob in his defigns on Tanjore, a fcheme had been actually formed of bribing a majority in the reprefentative body of the Fation with 700,000k

The committee having gone through thefe eleven refolutions, agreed to defer the confideration of the remainder till the Monday fol. lowing.

On the 25th, Mr. Dundas laid upon the table forty-two additional refolutions, refpecting the misconduct of feveral members of the prefidency of Fort St. George; and on the 29th they were voted, together with thofe before deterred, in a committee, and the whole being im mediately reported, were agreed to by the House.

The twelfth and the feven following of the deferred refolutions condemned the omiffion of timely precaution, and the fubfequent dilatorinefs, and indecifion of the prefidency at the time of the irruption of Hyder Ally into the Carnatic, notwithstanding their early and repeated intelligence of his intentions; of thefe, the fifteenth ftated the total inability of the Nabob of Arcot to contribute any thing towards the common defence, either in men, money, or influence; and that he attributed this inability to the weight of his debts and the lofs of Tanjore. On the other hand, the fixteenth flated that the Raja of Tanjore was not found in a better condition; and that he attributed the inability on his part to the fefferings which his country had endured under the oppreffive government of the Nabob.

In the twentieth and twenty-first refolutions, the indifpenfable neceffity of eftablishing fome new and effectual regulations in regard to the revenues, debts, and military eftablishments of the Nabob, and of the Raja, was the more efpecially infifted, because it had appeared that she fuccefs of Hyder Ally might in

The object of the 23d refolution was, fuch an establishment of the nature and amount of the rents of the company's lands, and of the rights of the tributaries and renters; efpecially by the abolition of all nazirs or gifts, as might tend to the prefent relief and future fecurity of the company's dependents, and particularly the natives of every degree. The 24th ftated, that, in afcertaining the debts of the Nabob of Arcot, and the Raja of Tanjore, with a view to their difcharge, all juft diftinctions ought to be made between the claims of the different creditors, and the utmost attention. paid to the difcovery and punishment of peculation by any of the company's fervants, and to the prevention of it in future.

The committee then proceeded to the confideration of the laft fet of refolutions, containing matters of criminal charge againit the prefident of Fort St. George; and on this fet Mr. Dundas declared his intention of moving the Houfe to proceed by a bill of pains and penalties.

In thefe refolutions Sir Thomas Rumbold, was charged, first, with having remitted to Europe, between the 8th of February 1778 (the day of his arrival at Madras) and the beginning of Auguft in the fame year, the fum of 41,000l. and during the

of 119,000l. the whole amounting to 160,000l.; altho' his falary did not exceed 13,3331. per ann.; and the records of the company did not contain any fpecification of goods on hand, debts due, or Icans made in India by him before his taking on him the office of governor; which, in cafe he had been poffeffed of fuch effects, he was bound by his Covenant to have entered therein.

Secondly, he was charged with having abolished the committee of circuit of the Jaghire lands and northern Circars; a committee appointed by the company's orders for the purpofe of investigating on the fpot many effential points refpecting the tribute and rent to be paid by the Zemindars and renters of the company's demefhe land, and alfo for the better regulation of the internal government of thofe diftricts, with a particular view to preventing extortion and the oppreffion of the native inhabitants.

Thirdly, it was charged, that having diffolved the committee of circuit, he did order the Zemindars to repair to Madras, fituated at the distance of 550 miles from the center of the Circars, there to fettle their annual tribute; and, notwith. ftanding the remonstrances of the fubordinate councils, and the complaints of the Zemindars, who were both averfe to the journey; and ill able to fupport the expence of it, did repeat his orders and enforce obedience to them: and that, whilft the Zemindars were at the profe dency, he did himfelf feparately negociate with them the terms of their respective cowles or leafes, the

grounds of fuch leafes being in no inftance laid before the council collectively.

Fourthly, he was charged with having, by compulfive menaces, and grofs ill treatment, humiliating, unjuft, and cruel in themfelves, and highly derogatory to the interefts of the company, and to the honour of the British nation, compelled the Raja of Vianagrum to employ Sitteram Rauze as duan or manager of his Zemindary, and to confirm. his adoption of the fon of the faid Sitteram; and with having further obtained for the faid Sitteram Rauze the Zemindary of Ancapilly, and the reftoration of the fort of Vifianagrum, notwithstanding he appears on the records of the fettlement to have been a man of bad reputation, and difaffected to the company's interefts; and it alfo appearing, that, pending thefe proceedings, two lacks of rupees, (20,000l.) were tranfmitted to the faid Sitteram, then at Madras; and that he had actually contracted by bond to pay Mr. Redhead, private fecretary to Sir Thomas Rumbold, one lack of rupees on confideration that he fhould use his influence in obtaining for him the advantages above recited.

Fifthly, it was charged, that, notwithstanding the difcovery of this corruption of his private fecretary, by a judicial appeal to himself and the council, he had taken no notice thereof in his correfpondence with the directors; and that on another occafion he had fup. preffed the information given by

Mr. Sadlier, of the peculations of three of the company's fervants at Mafulipatam to a large amount, and had concealed the fame both from the council at Madras and the court of directors.

Sixthly, he was charged with having granted to the Nabob of Arcot a leafe of the Jaghire lands for three years, in direct difobedience to the repeated pofitive orders of the company, founded on the most cogent reafons of convenience and public policy: and thereby was guilty of a great breach of truft, and of a high crime and misdemeanor.*

Seventhly, he was charged with having been guilty in two feveral inftances, of a grofs breach of folemn treaties entered into between the company and the Nizam of the Decan, and of having thereby ftained the national honour, inflamed the refentments of the Nizam, and endangered the fecurity of the company's poffeffions. By thefe treaties the ceffion of the five northern Circars had been confirmed to the company on two exprefs conditions: the firft, that one of them, called the Guntoor Circar, fhould remain in the poffeffion of Bazalet Jung during his life, or until it was the Nizam's pleafure that the company fhould take poffeffion of it: the fecond, that the company fhould pay to the Nizam an annual tribute of five lacks of rupees.

In direct violation of the first of thefe ftipulations, a treaty was entered into by Sir Thomas Rumbold with Bazalet Jung, for the immediate poffeffion of the Guntcor Circar,

without

without the confent or knowledge of the Nizam; a military force was ordered to carry it into execution; and, at the request of the Nabob of Arcot, it was agreed to grant him a leafe of the country for the term of ten years.

Whilft the mind of the Nizam was fmarting under this offenfive treatment, the resident at his court was inftructed to propofe the withholding the ftipulated tribute; altho' he had been affured by the fame authority, but a fhort time before, of the future regular payment thereof. And, in aggravation of thefe violent and unjuft proceedings, Sir Thomas Rumbold did unwarrantably attempt to throw obstructions in the way of the fupreme council, in their endeavours to quiet the apprehenfions and re-conciliate the affections of the Nizam".

The refolutions being agreed to April by the house, leave was given to bring in a bill of pains and 29th. penalties against Sir Thomas Rumbold, Peter Perring, and John Whitehill, for breaches of public truft and high crimes and mifdemeanors. At the fame time was alfo brought in a bill for reftraining thofe perfons from going out of the kingdom, for difcovering their effects, and preventing the alienating or tranfporting of the fame; which paffed without much other debate than what related to the quantum of the fum propofed to be left uncovered of Sir Thomas Rumbold's

eftate, which at laft was fixed at 50,000l. for the purpose of indemnifying his fureties, and 30,000l. to enable him to make a provifion for his children.

Before the fecond reading of the bill of pains and penalties, it was ordered, that Sir Thomas Rumbold fhould be heard in his 'defence, against the fame, by council, at the bar. The great variety and complicated nature of the criminal allegations on which the bill was founded, made it neceffary for the accused party to enter into a long and minute defence. Little progrefs was made therein during the fhort period that remained of the feffions of 1782; and the unfettled ftate of public affairs at the beginning of the year 1783, prevented the houfe from taking it up till near the middle of that feffion. As the feafon, advanced, members be came daily more remifs in their at tendance; and at length, on the firft of July, a motion was made and carried, for adjourning the further confideration of the bill to the Ift of October, by which means the whole proceeding fell to the ground, and was never afterwards refumed.

That a bill, the refult of fuch long and laborious enquiries, a bill introduced, received, and proceeded upon by the house with so much solemnity, fhould be fuffered thus to fall to the ground, is a circumftance on which we are at a lofs to comment. What impreffion Sir

[D3]

Thomas

Thomas Rumbold's defence made upon the house, as no question was put thereon, we cannot poffibly determine. It would certainly be hath and inequitable to presume the party accufed was guilty, because he accepted of indemnity. without acquittal; and on the other hand, we cannot pronounce him in nocent, because, under the circumftances related, his accufer failed to profecute him to conviction. The proceeding itself had indeed operated as no light punishment; and this confideration might probably facilitate the paffing of the vote by which it was terminated. But by this mingement, the public was deprived of the only intereft it had in the profecution,-the acquittal of an innocent citizen, or the example of a punished delinquent. Thus, however, ended the fift attempt made by this parliament to punih Indian delinquency.-We muft now revert to the first fet of refolutions, prefented by Mr. Dundas on the 15th of April 1782, and containing the grounds of the refolution moved by him against Mr. Hornby and Warren Haltings, Efq.

In the fix first of thefe refolutions certain principles of juftice and policy were laid down, as the bafis of the government of India.

The feverth condemns the topping of the penfions payable by treaty to the Mogul and Nadjiff Khan, and the fale of Corah and Illah bad, as contrary to policy and good faith.

The eighth condemns the Ro hilla war, and the extermination of that people; and charges the prefident and felect committee of Bengal with an iniquitous interference and interested partiality to the Nabob Vizier*.

The ninth and tenth condemn the pretidency of Bombay, and the court of directors for their condue refpecting the Nabob of Broach and the commencement of the Mahratta

war.

The eleventh condemos the alliance with Ragoba; and the twelfth juftifies the measures taken by Meirs. Clavering, Monfon, and Francis for restoring prace.

The following refolutions, up to the thirty-feventh, approve of the treaty of Poorunder, and condemn the conduct of the court of directors and the governor general; the for mer for encouraging, the latter for purfuing meafures tending to renew the war, and p rticularly the projected alliance with the Raja of Betar to thefe, to the general diftruft of our fincerity, and to the ruinous and difgraceful confequences of rafh military operations, they attribute the confederacy formed againit the company by the Nizam, and the backwardnefs of the Mahrattas to any accommodation,"

The three following refolutions ftate feveral additional mifchiefs arifing from the Mahratta war; and acknowledge, that on the fuccefs of Hyder in the Carnatic, the governor general gave proof of the most

important