when you, a younger man, were born, that on this day, in this houfe, we should be employed in difcuffing the conduct of thofe British fubjects who had difpofed of the power and perfon of the Grand Mogul? This is no idle fpeculation. Awful leffons are taught by it, and by other events, of which it is not yet too late to profit.

This is hardly a digreffion; but I return to the fale of the Mogul. Two diftricts, Corah, and Allahabad, out of his immenfe grants, were referved as a royal demefne to the donor of a kingdom, and the rightful fovereign of fo many nations.After withholding the tribute of 260,000l. a year, which the company was, by the charter they had received from this prince, under the most folemn obligation to pay, thefe diftricts were fold to his chief minifter Sujah ul Dowlah; and, what may appear to some the worst part of the tranfaction, these two diftricts were fold for fcarcely two years purchase. The defcendant of Tamerlane now ftands in need almoft of the common neceffaries of life; and in this fituation we do not even allow him, as bounty, the fmalleft portion of what we owe him in justice.

The next fale was that of the whole nation of the Rohillas, which the grand salesman, without a pretence of quarrel, and contrary to his own declared fenfe of duty and rectitude, fold to the fame Sujah ul Dowlah. He fold the people to utter extirpation,

C 4

tirpation, for the fum of four hundred thousand pounds. Faithfully was the bargain performed on our fide. Hafiz Rhamet, the moft eminent of their chiefs, one of the braveft men of his time, and as famous throughout the Eaft for the elegance of his literature, and the spirit of his poetical compofitions (by which he supported the name of Hafiz) as for his courage, was invaded with an army of an hundred thousand men, and an English brigade. This man, at the head of inferiour forces was flain valiantly fighting for his country. His head was cut off, and delivered for money to a barbarian. His wife and children, perfons of that rank, were feen begging an handful of rice through the English camp. The whole na. tion, with inconfiderable exceptions, was flaughtered or banished. The country was laid waste with fire and fword; and that land, diftinguished above most others by the cheerful face of paternal government and protected labour, the chofen feat of cultivation and plenty, is now almoft throughout a dreary defert, covered with rushes and briers, and jungles full of wild beasts.

The British officer who commanded in the delivery of the people thus fold, felt fome compunction at his employment. He represented these enormous exceffes to the prefident of Bengal, for which he received a fevere reprimand from the civil governor; and I much doubt whether the breach

caufed

caused by the conflict, between the compaffion of the military and the firmness of the civil gover nor, be closed at this hour.

In Bengal, Seraja Dowla was fold to Mir Jaffier; Mir Jaffier was fold to Mir Coffim; and Mir Coffim was fold to Mir Jaffier again. The fucceffion to Mir Jaffier was fold to his eldeft fon;-another fon of Mir Jaffier, Mobarech ul Dowla, was fold to his ftep-mother-The Maratta empire was fold to Ragoba; and Ragoba was fold and delivered to the Peishwa of the Marattas. Both Ragoba and the Peifhwa of the Marattas were offered to fale to the rajah of Berar. Scindia, the chief of Malva, was offered to fale to the fame rajah; and the Subah of the Decan was fold to the great trader Mahomet Ali, nabob of Arcot. To the fame nabob of Arcot they fold Hyder Ali and the kingdom of Myfore. To Mahomet Ali they twice fold the kingdom of Tanjore. To the fame Makomet Ali they fold at least twelve fovereign princes, called the Polygars. But to keep things even, the territory of Tinnivelly, belonging to their nabob, they would have fold to the Dutch; and to conclude the account of fales, their great cuftomer, the nabob of Arcot himself, and his lawful fucceffion, has been fold to his fecond fon, Amir ul Omrah, whofe character, views, and conduct, are in the accounts upon your table. It remains with you whether they fhall finally perfect this laft bargain.

All

All these bargains and fales were regularly attended with the wafte and havock of the country, always by the buyer, and fometimes by the object of the fale. This was explained to you by the honourable mover, when he stated the mode of paying debts due from the country powers to the company. An honourable gentleman, who is not now in his place, objected to his jumping near two thousand miles for an example. But the fouthern example is perfectly applicable to the northern claim, as the northern is to the fouthern; for, throughout the whole fpace of thefe two thoufand miles, take your ftand where you will, the proceeding is perfectly uniform, and what is done in one part will apply exactly to the other.

My fecond affertion is, that the company never has made a treaty which they have not broken. This pofition is fo connected with that of the fales of provinces and kingdoms, with the negotiation of univerfal distraction in every part of India, that a very minute detail may well be spared on this point. It has not yet been contended, by any enemy to the reform, that they have obferved any. publick agreement. When I hear that they have done fo in any one inftance (which hitherto, I confess, I never heard alleged) I fhall fpeak to the particular treaty. The governour general has even amufed himself and the court of directors in a very fingular letter to that board, in which he admits he

has

has not been very delicate with regard to publick faith; and he goes fo far as to ftate a regular estimate of the fums which the company would have loft, or never acquired, if the rigid ideas of publick faith entertained by his colleagues had been obferved. *The learned gentleman over against me has indeed faved me much trouble. On a former occafion he obtained no small credit, for the clear and forcible manner in which he stated what we have not forgot, and I hope he has not forgot, that univerfal fyftematick breach of treaties which had made the British faith proverbial in the East.

It only remains, Sir, for me juft to recapitulate fome heads. The treaty with the mogul, by which we ftipulated to pay him 260,000ol. annually, was broken. This treaty they have broken, and not paid him a fhilling. They broke their treaty with him, in which they ftipulated to pay 400,000l. a year to the foubah of Bengal. They agreed with the mogul, for fervices admitted to have been performed, to pay Nudjif Cawn a penfion. They broke this article with the reft, and ftopped alfo this fmall penfion. They broke their treaties with the nizam, and with Hyder Ali. As to the Marattas, they had so many cross treaties with the ftates general of that nation, and with each of the chiefs, that it was notorious that no one of these agreements could be kept without grofsly violat

* Mr. Dundas, lord Advocate of Scotland.