their part would tend to encourage a sus picion that there had been, in the conduct of the Marquess of Hastings, something disgraceful, improper, or corrupt; and therefore it was that he (Mr. Hume) contended it was not just and proper to that Nobleman, or to the Company, or to the Government of India, that any thing in the shape of authentic information on the subjects that had been adverted to should be concealed from the Court of Proprietors. Avowing this opinion, and supposing Hon. Members behind the bar to be actuated by similar sentiments, what would be his (Mr. Hume's) feeling, were he in their situation? It would be this: to receive the recommendation of the Hon. Proprietor, and to furnish the required papers. If there were any that were to be specially chosen from among others, the Directors were the most proper persons to make such selection. They would have, not merely to lay a successive series before the Court of Proprietors, marked A, B, C, and so on, but to do a much more difficult thing, and it might be doubted how far it was practicable to do it at all. Now he thought that what they should rather do might easily be suggested; for up to the year 1822, it was of course to be assumed, that the Noble Marquess's conduct stood unchallenged. But since 1822 there might have been (for what any Proprietor at present knew to the contrary) five or six transactions, at Hyderabad or elsewhere, in which the conduct of his Lordship had been considered improper. Well, then, the Court of Directors would be surely only doing their duty, if they made a report to the Court of Proprietors of the nature and particulars of every one of those transactions which might really have taken place, or which had been alluded to in those rumours that were about.-(Hear!) The Hon. Gentlemen behind the bar had been simply required to do this by the Hon. Proprietor (Mr. D. Kinnaird) and he did submit, that no other mode of proceeding could with fairness or consistency be adopted. Let the Court observe the advantage of that mode over the amendment proposed by his Hon. Friend (Mr. Smith). Suppose, in the event of that amendment being carried, it should afterwards turn out that they had moved for the wrong papers-Hear!) a likely circumstance enough, seeing that they had no private information to guide them in the matter. The Noble Marquess, doubtless, had to reckon upon many hehind the bar who were his warm friends, as well as upon others who were most hostile to him, and therefore, on the course which it was proposed to take by this amendment, some of those gentlemen would feel it their duty to prepare every thing which could make for the case of the Marquess; while others would be as anxious

to provide all that was likely to tell against him. He (Mr. Hume) did entreat his Hon. Friend, then, to consider whether be was not rather going to the commission of an act of injustice, by calling for papers in this limited manner, and proceeding to judge the merits of the Noble Marquess upon evidence bearing on a single specific act?(Hear!) This would never do; and if, on the other hand, there was any alteration to be suggested in the motion of the Hon. Proprietor (Mr. D. Kinnaird), no doubt he would most readily offer it, so that it should go to this extent-to lay before the Court of Proprietors all the papers and documents, or as many of them as could be obtained, relative to the public conduct of the Marquess of Hastings in the government of India since the commencement of 1822. This, he thought, would be an unexceptionable proposition; whereas, if a specific and partial motion were agreed to, it would oblige one or more members to be from time to time moving for this or that particular document. His Hov. Friend would be entirely satisfied by the production of all the papers; all he claimed was, that justice should be done to the Noble Marquess (Hear!) who was abroad, and could not take a part in these proceedings. All he contended for was, that gentlemen, who were even the most adverse to that Noble Marquess, ought, on every principle of fairness and justice, to see that every means should be afforded for a full, proper, and impartial examination into this subject. (Cheers). If this object could only be attained, he (Mr. Hume) cared not in what manner;-whether it were through the motion of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Kinnaird), or through the introduction of some other, in which words might be inserted that should comprehend all such documents as might be necessary to shew the Court of Proprietors the general scope, character, and effect of the Marquess's administration. Let not that Court do, to so distinguished an individual, the extreme injustice of confining the documentary evidence to one single fact, where they were called upon maturely to consider so extensive and various a subject, as the conduct of their late Governor-General. Under these impressions, he called upon the Court to beware how they agreed to a proposed amendment, when, by a slight alteration in the wording of the original motion, they might include all the papers that could be called for; and he was the more solicitous that they should exercise this caution, upon the principle, that every man who was anxious for his own honour, would never willingly subscribe to an act that might endanger the honour of another. (Cheers.)

General Sir John Doyle-rose at the same time with Mr. R. Jackson, and being

loudly called for, proceeded to address the Court as follows: "I am the last man in the world, Sir, who, upon ordinary occasions, would willingly trespass upon the time of the Court; and I have to apologize to my Hon. Friend for now interrupting him, because I do not know any man existing who can throw more light upon any subject that he undertakes to bring before a public meeting, or who is listened to on all such occasions with more deserved attention than my Hon. Friend. I came down to this Court upon a former day, as well as this morning, prepared to address some observations to it, which it seemed to me important to offer, on a subject in which I feel the deepest interest; but the discussion of to-day has taken so new and so extraordinary a turn, in consequence of what has fallen from the Hon. Gentleman before me, that I must really endeavour to change the whole line of argument which I had intended to take; and to advert, with the Chairman's permission, first, to what has been said by the chair, and afterwards to what fell from my Hon. Friend. (Mr. J. Smith). I do indeed,

Sir, regret to differ with him on this occa. sion, because it is painful to be opposed in any way to a gentleman, whose honour and personal virtues are so well known and so universally respected, and for which no man venerates him more than I do.(Hear!) But, though I differ with my Hon. Friend, in the first place, as to the whole view which he takes of Indian affaire, and should hope to be able satisfactorily to shew the Court, if the subject were to come before it, that he has adopted most erroneous opinions upon that matter; I feel that this is not a period at which, with any reason, or with any prospect of being listened to, I could stand up before an already tired and exhausted Court to discuss those topics; or to review the whole of those grounds which my Hon. Friend has so ably travelled over. I have been called upon, as I conceive, by this Court, (hear, hear!) to deliver those observations which in part I came prepared to offer; they will be principally addressed to meet what has fallen from you, Sir, and my Hon. Friend; and from the circumstance of your presiding, I am induced to think, Sir, that you ought to have the precedence of my friend. And in the first place, a want of courtesy has been imputed to me by the Chair. (Hear!) I did think, I confess, that a want of courtesy would have been just the last thing that would ever be charged against me; but I do declare, that had I known one mode that might be deemed more courteous than another, that mode I would have adopted in addressing myself to you, Sir. (Hear, hear!) I came down to this Court, undoubtedly, with a determined resolution to forget every thing that had happened

(on a recent occasion) of an unpleasant nature; and I meant to address you in that tone and temper, in which every man ought to deliver himself at a public meeting. My Hon. Friend, Gentlemen, has told you, that he was called upon by me, to answer the questions I transmitted to him in his capacity of Chairman; and he seems to consider that I ought to have applied to him, confidentially, as an individual Director. Perhaps so;-perhaps I should have done wrong in applying to him, either as the Chairman of the Court of Directors, or simply as a Director ;but I own I thought I should have hit him when I appealed to him as an honest man. (Cheers.) I did hope that I should not have to come before this Hon. Court today; but I am heartily rejoiced to see such a full meeting as that which I have the honour to address, because I hope that our object-the object which the friends of the Marquess of Hastings have in view, will be obtained by an ample, fair, and impartial discussion, before an impartial auditory. (Hear!) I say I have determined to forget what has passed, because, if I may use a common and vulgar expression, I would at all times be the last man to rip up old sores; and therefore I come to the main object of my appearing here to-day-I mean, the vindication of the character of my Noble Friend the Marquess of Hastings. (Hear!) From my knowledge of my Hon. Friend below me, (Mr. J. Sinith), I confess that I am grieved and astonished at the mode he has adopted of bringing on this question, because, if the greatest enemy of the Marquess of Hastings had wished to devise a mode by which he might rivet, dovetail, fix, and fasten all the foul aspersions which have been so lately cast upon the Marquess, he could not have devised one more effectual for such a purpose than has this day been adopted, by perhaps the most upright and honest man in this country. (Hear, hear!) I differ entirely from my Hon. Friend in all that he has said in respect to the origin of the war in India; but that is really a subject which is too long for me to begin upon at this late hour of the day. (A laugh.) But when he states his dislike to war, I grant that our feelings may possibly differ on that subject; yet surely there can be no difference, not as to feeling, but as to common sense, about the efficacy and benefit of those two wars, the prosecution of which has procured for the Marquess of Hastings the approbation and thanks of Parliament, the Country, and this Hon. Court;-of which votes of thanks, how. ever, as the Hon. Proprietor (Mr. Hume) has observed, my Hon. Friend could not have heard one word when he came down to decide upon the question before the Court. The whole of the war I speak of, it is well known, was pursued by the noble Marquis,

not for the sake of conquest, not for the aggrandizement of our territories, but to secure the very existence and salvation of our Indian Empire. (Hear, hear, hear!) I pass by the further consideration, however, of those two great and necessary wars, at the happy termination of which we have long since arrived; I shall also pass by that prodigy performed by the noble Marquess, which in this age of miracles, (if indeed my Hon. Friend has heard of the miracles that it is rumoured have been recently performed in this country), might itself almost pass for a miracle:-I mean, the being able to subdue and exterminate, as far as respects their future hostilities, 40,000 mounted banditti, whose progress it had been hitherto found impossible to resist. They were a nation of cavalry, without baggage, without stores, looking for their commissariat supplies in the unprotected villages and defenceless hamlets of their timid and unfortunate victims; they were a devastating, active and cruel enemy, whose forced contributions were always repaid by rapine, rape, and murder. (Hear!) And yet the destruction of this race of ferocious robbers seems to be a service altogether overlooked by my Hon. Friend, (hear, hear !) whose humanity, however, is so well known to all of us. But these Pindarrees, of whom we in Europe hear so much, and the people in India have felt so much, this populous horde of marauders, the Marquess of Hastings has, with a degree of firmness, sagacity, and prudence that can never be sufficiently praised, reduced into a condition that will effectually disable them from renewing their former aggressions. Now I ask, will my Hon. Friend wail and weep over these unfortunate Pindarrees who have been banished out of their country, and have had their trade thus rudely taken out of their hands? (Hear!) If he will not, how will he justify the two wars which have been occasioned by them? But I have another question to ask him, that comes much nearer home than the Pindarrees. (A laugh). I desire, Sir, to know by what right,-on what account,my Hon. Friend rises upon this question with a proposition about Hyderabad? (Hear!) How does he know any thing about Hyderabad? I will tell you he must have known whatever facts he sup. poses himself to be in possession of, from some one who is a member of the Court of

Directors. (Hear !) That member of the Court of Directors, whoever he may be, could not by possibility have managed better, or devised a better channel for the diffusion of any hostile insinuations against the Noble Marquess; because doubtless he must have known well that, as coming from himself,-a primary source of hostility as it were,-they would never make their way but that, on the other hand,

their diffusion was certain through the pure, though secondary channel of my Hon. Friend's communication. (Hear!) That Director must have said, "I will not let you know the master-hand; I well know that the Servitor is better than the Principal-but who that Principal is you shall not discover." I am really ashamed to have occupied so much of your time; (Hear, hear!) but before I sit down, allow me to say, that I disagree with my Hon. Friend in every thing he has said upon this question, excepting that part of his speech in which he announced his intention of calling for papers that might throw a light upon the subject before the Court. As the friend of such a man as the Marquess of Hastings, I am most happy to hear that any paper which regards the conduct of that most honourable and most distinguished individual is likely to be brought before you. If I am asked what papers I would wish to be laid before this Hon. Court? I answer-all. (Cheers). I do not desire any selected papers; I want no set-off-no concealments-no conclave with closed doors. Let all be done in the light of day, and every thing be laid before the public. (Hear!) We wish for the approbation of the Court of Proprietors, in the first place; and in the next for that of the Court of Directors; of whom, by the way, I would just observe, that I consider we are not so much their constituents as they are our constituents. And I would add, that I have no will in the world to cast the slightest reflection upon that most respectable body, or upon their proceedings. I am always, upon principle, friendly to constituted authorities, even though they should have been misled. But I want these papers, and I say again, I want all of them. Let every thing be laid before the Court. If you suppose that we want any thing kept back, out of a feeling for the Marquis of Hastings, you are indeed egregiously mistaken. We want publicity. (Hear, hear!) And for what purpose? For this single one: that the truth may come out the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. (Hear, hear!) Sir, I am most grateful for the indulgence of the Court, and the kindness with which they have been pleased to listen to me; but I know too well what public meetings are, to think of trespassing any longer on the time of this. (Hear!) I had intended, it is true, to commit such a trespass; but the course which the debate of to-day has taken, has so completely altered the line of argument I should be disposed to take, that I am not prepared to proceed; and will therefore no further interrupt the greater pleasure which I am sure the Court will derive from listening to my Learned Friend." (Hear!)

Mr. Randle Jackson never remembered, in the course of his experience in meetings

of this kind, to have known so extraordinary a contrast as had that day been exhibited between the excellent and amiable character which those who heard him knew the Hon. Proprietor (Mr. J. Smith) to possess, and the singularly rash and inadvertent proposition which he had submitted to the Court. That it was such, he thought he should be able to demonstrate to the Hon. Gentleman himself, if he would condescend to listen to the few observations that he (Mr. Jackson) intended to offer. What was the alleged reason for this extraordinary proposition?-(a proposition, by the bye, at which even the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Poynder) who seconded it, seemed to tremble, as too nearly approaching the "suggestio falsi" which he had deprecated, and as not coming up to his own liberal notion of the question). The first feeling expressed by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. J. Smith) was, that he could not consent to that approbation of increased territory by conquest, which the resolution that had been read went to imply, in the Marquess of Hastings' favour. Be it so; he (Mr. Jackson) would not at this time enter upon that extremely difficult and abstract question. But let the Hon. Proprietor at least recollect what had been stated by his Hon. Friend (Mr. Kinnaird); who had shewn that the Court of Directors had already recognized the wars in question as "glorious and successful." It was the Court of Directors, therefore, which was accused; (hear!) for the Hon. Gentleman did accuse them of having been weak enough or wrong enough to adopt and eulogize those wars which were, in the Hon. Gentleman's opinion, so objectionable. ("No, no," from Mr. J. Smith). It was thus that he had understood that Hon. Gentleman; but if he was in error, let that question drop. But his Hon. Friend had taken up another argument, and one which was so often resorted to as to be hacknied in that Court; when a gentleman found himself pinched for auxiliary reasoning, he generally found out that his adversaries wished to insult the Court of Directors. (A laugh.) What! had his Hon. Friend, who sat in Parliament, sat there so long and to so little purpose, that in his attendance in the House (and the Court were aware how assiduous and active a member he was), he had never turned over the East-India Act of 1813? (Hear!) Did he not know that by that act it was provided that every matter of this kind should originate with the Court of Proprietors? Why the power of originating motions of this nature was almost the only thing which Parliament had deprived the Directors of. The Court of Directors had, therefore, no ability to give the Marquess of Hastings any thing, even were they so disposed; the Act provided that the Court of ProAsiatic Journ.-No. 100.

prietors should make such grants, with the sanction of the Board of Controul. Had the Legislature made this enactment lightly or inconsiderately? No; its object was, that great and gallant commanders, enlightened statesmen, distinguished governors, and civil and military officers, who might eminently serve the Company, should know that their rewards were to originate with the Company. (Hear!) This was, accordingly, so provided by the terms of the Act of Parliament. But the Hon. Proprietor said, in rather a significant manner, "I have reason to think that the Directors do not concur with you, I apprehend that they do not participate in the feeling which has dictated those resolutions, but differ with you, upon these subjects, in toto." If such a fact could by possibility be true-if, in the year 1822, the Directors could have agreed to pass such handsome and glowing eulogiums upon the conduct of the Marquess of Has. tings-if, in the year 1819, they could within those walls have tendered him the tribute of their public thanks, for the extraordinary ability, vigour, and talent which had rescued India from a state of absolute insecurity and peril, and had placed its government upon a rock-if they who, in the year 1818, had described the services of the Marquess of Hastings in language so animated and so powerful, that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Kinnaird) had shewn his good taste in quoting their expressions as more effective than any which he could himself hope to use-if they, who had so panegyrized Lord Hastings' achiev ments, as to have induced a late Chairman to exclaim that such a Governor-General there had never been before, and he feared never would be again (hear!)—if, after all this, the Court of Directors had not really admitted the merits of the Marquess of Hastings, but differed in toto from their own public resolution, they (the Directors) must be either among the profoundest hypocrites (they would pardon the term) that ever abused public function, or the zeal of the Hon. Member must have betrayed him into a great misapprehension of fact! (Hear!) The Hon. Member spoke of himself as uninformed of the conduct of the Marquess of Hastings. (Hear!) Perhaps he did his Hon. Friend no disservice when he reminded the Court, that very recently the Hon. Gentleman had said that was the first time of his attendance in a General Court; and to-day he had apologized for the earnest manner in which he opposed the motion before them, adding that he hardly knew what motive in particular had brought him, but, if any, his curiosity had brought him down on the present occasion. He (Mr. Jackson) heartily wished that his curiosity would bring him there much oftener, (hear!) the Court would then have the benefit of VOL. XVII. 3 M

his talents and his experience. (Hear!) But in the mean time, was it too much for those who constantly attended, and who did sometimes labour night and day upon the great questions that occasionally arose in respect of the Company's affairs, and in reading over those collections of papers which were necessary to be perused-was it too much for those whose exertions were constantly directed to do good to the people of India-hear !) was it too much for them to ask the Hon. Proprietor to withdraw an amendment, the most fertile in calumny and injurious construction of any he had ever heard? (Hear!) It was, that the Court of Proprietors should call upon the Directors for those papers only that related to the transactions at Hyderabad;

and the ground assigned for this course, was a sort of rumour that had obtained abroad, which the Hon. Proprietor himself professed not to believe. He (Mr. R. Jackson) sincerely believed that declaration. It was true that the Proprietors often heard whispers about what passed in the Court of Directors-such had ever been the case: he too had understood, that some of those Directors who had called for the Hyderabad papers, had declared their belief, upon their honour, that they did not touch the personal character of the Noble Marquess in the slightest possible manner. But he (Mr. Jackson) would ask whether any body would read the proposed amendment without referring it to that polluted paragraph which had shocked the public eye? His Hon. Friend had professedly confined his motion to the Hyderabad papers: was he aware that by so doing, he shut out from the public those important documents which had reached them since 1822, relative to the investments, revenue, and present state of India? (Hear, hear!) not one of which would the amendment, as now moved, comprize! and yet their bearing upon the question of the Noble Marquess's conduct in his government was of the most striking character. For example, they all knew that, in the year 1813, when the Marquess of Hastings assumed the government of India, so low was their public credit, that their Bonds were at 12 per cent. discount; and that when the Noble Marquess quitted the government, he left their public credit so high, that their Bonds were at from 14 to 16 per cent. premium, notwithstanding that the interest was then payable only in India. (Hear !) Was it fair then, even upon this simple statement, to say, that the public should be called upon to consider the Hyderabad papers, and yet that the statement of their funds should form no part of the question to be considered? Again, with respect to their Treasury balances: how few of the Proprietors knew that there was an excess, comparing the years 1814 and 1821, of

from £6,000,000, to £7,000,000! (Hear!) and were the papers on this most important subject to be also excluded? Again, with respect to the increase of revenue: the revenue of 1813-14 was about £18,400,000; 1821-22 about £23,600,000, making an increase of above five millions; and the increase or excess for 1822-23 was confidently expected to be full six millions sterling! a sum more than sufficient to have wiped off every shilling of debt incurred during the Noble Lord's war and peace administration, had it been thought wise so to have applied it, and even then leave an applicable balance of about £1,000,000 in the hands of the Indian Government! And were these proud and satisfactory memorials to be kept back? Then, as to their Investments: who did not recollect the official lamentations on that head, of about 1802, when the Directors, in their public dispatch to Bengal, say, "in the present situation of the Company's affairs, with a debt in India beyond all former amount, and a scarcity of money there beyond all former experience, in consequence of which public credit is depressed, and the investments have been reduced or wholly suspended!" Behold the contrast! The investments, that is, the supplies from India to England, beyond those from England to India, taking the average of twenty years up to 1813, were about £480,400; taking an average of the same from 1814 to 1822, the eight years of his Lordship's administration, they amounted to about £1,300,000 per annum; the excess was extraordinary! Yet, splendid as this picture was, it was almost without shade! (Hear, hear!) They did not owe this state of their affairs to grinding taxation; on the contrary, according to a report which he held in his hand, although the Noble Marquess had eased the subject of several vexatious imposts, he had not levied a new one during his government. (Hear, hear!) Now, with such documents as these before them, what could be more invidious or improper than to move for a single class of papers, founding the motion upon an anonymous paragraph, which a newspaper had inadvertently indulged its ruffian fabricator with the insertion of! And would the Hon. Member, while by his motion he gave consequence and countenance to such a calumny, sink these recorded assurances of the state of India? Was it or was it not such as he had described it to be, under the government of the Noble Marquess? Did they not know that a gallant officer, to whom the Court some time since gave £1,000 a-year, had expressed himself, after a tour of inspection, in the strongest terms? Perhaps the Court would not object to hear an extract from the report of that officer, Sir David Ochterlony, who, since the close of the war, had been ordered to traverse and survey