bled at the enormous power he had to contend with; for such silence could be ascribed to that alone, since it was not in human nature, situated as Mr. Hastings had been, to preserve conduct so pure, even-handed, and unimpeachable, as to afford no room for a single accusation. As to the charges themselves, excepting in some few points, the facts which they contained had been admitted by Mr. Hastings at their bar, in what he had called his defence, but which he had composed and delivered rather in the style of their master than that of the person they were accusing. He entered at length into the circumstances preceding, attending, and following the Rohilla war, and dwelt on it, as an undertaking to extirpate the whole nation for four hundred thousand pounds. 2nd. CHAP. LXI. 1786. The motion was supported by Mr. Powys, Lord Motion reNorth, Mr. Hardinge, and several other members, and, jected. on an adjourned debate, by Mr. Francis and Mr. Anstruther, and most powerfully by Mr. Fox. It was opposed by Lord Mulgrave, Mr. Burton, Mr. Grenville, and Mr. Dundas, and, on a division, rejected by a considerable majority*. Anticipating this decision by the course of the debate, Mr. Burke seems to have considered the impeachment as altogether lost; for he said that, if the motion were negatived, in justice to himself, and to leave behind him a record that neither motives of party nor private animosity had governed his conduct, he would move the several facts on which it was founded, as truisms, in separate resolutions, that they might remain on the Journals for his justification. the Benares A surprising change took place when Mr. Fox sub- 13th. mitted to the House the charge respecting the treat- Mr.Fox moves ment of Cheyt Sing, and the consequent revolutions in charge. Benares. Having detailed, and in glowing language animadverted on, these transactions, he said that Parliament must appear either avengers of the oppressed, or accomplices of the oppressor. Mr. Francis had enforced the charge, and Mr. * 119 to 67. CHAP. 1786. Speech of Mr. Pitt. Nicholls had professed his clear conviction of Mr. Hastings's innocence, when Mr. Pitt disclosed his sentiments. He could not but lament that his duty peremptorily over-ruled his inclination to absent himself entirely from the proceedings; for he felt the greatest difficulty and uneasiness in determining on judicial questions, the merits of which were so closely connected with Indian principles and habits, while his mind was under the insurmountable impression of sentiments and feelings imbibed and matured under the British constitution. He stated his general opinion. on the condition of the Zemindars, the doctrine of subordinate principalities, and the necessary dependence to which they must be liable; and applied these observations to the particular state of Benares. The presents, as they were called, were like the benevolences which had formerly been paid to our own sovereigns in commutation for military service; and, in acquiring the territory, the Company became intitled to them, in the same manner as they had before been paid to the vizier. On the death of Sujah ul Dowlah, two modes of arrangement with his successor had been proposed by Mr. Hastings; but both overruled by Mr. Francis, and an arrangement ultimately effected with his son, Cheyt Sing, by which a certain annual sum was to be paid to the Company; but, although exempt from any increase of his jumma, or annual tribute, he was yet liable, according to his ability, to demands for the service of the Company on any pressing emergency. But the charge imputed to Mr. Hastings a design to ruin Cheyt Sing, so soon as, by the death of General Clavering and Colonel Monson, he had acquired a majority in the council. He desired the House to pause for a moment, and consider the full force of this insinuation. Could there be a more malignant charge brought against a man? Must not all who heard it necessarily conclude that the accuser intended to impress an opinion that this act was the effect of a wanton and deliberate malice, long bent on an act of cruelty and injustice, which was perpetrated on the very first opportunity? To have passed over a circumstance so obvious and striking as the intelligence of the French war, and to have discovered a motive so base and diabolical as that which he had imputed to Mr. Hastings, could only be accounted for on principles extremely injurious to the candour and integrity of the honourable gentleman, or else by supposing that the laborious and pertinacious attention which distinguished his conduct in every other part of this proceeding, was, in the present instance, more unfortunately for himself than for Mr. Hastings, somewhat intermitted. He vindicated the right of the Council of Bengal to call for extraordinary aids for defence of the Company's interests; nor was the aid demanded extravagant, considering the well-known ability of Cheyt Sing. Yet he felt it impossible to acquit Mr. Hastings of the whole charge; for he had pushed the exercise of the arbitrary discretion intrusted to him to a greater length than was warranted by the necessity of the service: he was firmly persuaded that Mr. Hastings had been influenced, through the whole of his government, by the warmest zeal for the interests of his employers; but that zeal, however commendable in itself, lost its merit when exerted in a manner repugnant to principles, which should never give way to motives of interest or policy. The Council of Bengal, having made a well-warranted demand, which had been contumaciously resisted, were justifiable in inflicting punishment on the delinquent; but it was their duty to apportion the punishment to the degree of guilt: in fining the Rajah five hundred thousand pounds for a mere delay in paying fifty thousand (but which, in fact, he had actually paid), Mr. Hastings had proceeded in an arbitrary and tyrannical manner. It destroyed all relation and connexion between the degrees of guilt and punishment; it was grinding; it was overbearing; utterly disproportionate, and shamefully exorbitant. The subsequent revolution of Benares was an event that, under all the circumstances, could not possibly have been avoided: for Cheyt Sing having reluctantly obeyed, in one instance, the orders CHAP. LXI. 1786 СНАР. 1787. Impeachment voted. Feb. 7. of the Council, and having disobeyed the other part of their commands, the governor was at liberty to impose a fine, and to march into his country to enforce the payment. The astonishment occasioned by the conclusion of this speech, contrasted with its antecedent parts, appears to have taken away the power of resistance or reply. The debate was feebly continued: the cause of Mr. Hastings was espoused by Lord Mulgrave, Major Scott, Mr. Grenville, the Attorney-general, and some other members; but, on a division, the impeachment was voted*. Except some unimportant motions, no further progress was made in these charges until the following Oude charge. session, when Mr. Sheridan introduced the fourth charge, relating to the Princes of Oude, by one of the Mr. Sheridan's most eloquent orations ever heard in Parliament. It celebrated speech. occupied, in the delivery, five hours and three quarters, and was hailed, at its close, by the unprecedented compliment of long and repeated clapping of hands. Of this celebrated display, little beside the reputation remains; the report in the Debates is exceedingly flat and jejune: a separate publication, said, in the title page, to be by" a member of the House of Commons,' is rather a narrative or review than a speech; and it is said that, although Mr. Sheridan was frequently urged, and, from his habit of preparing and writing out his speeches, undoubtedly able to have done it, he would never publish a report of it himselft. It would therefore be a vain and useless task to extract from such materials parts of this celebrated, but lost, harangue. Its effect, and the opinions pronounced on it at the time by all parties, amicable and adverse to the speaker, are the only medium through which a judgment on it can be formed. Mr. Burke declared it to be the most astonishing effort of eloquence, argument, and wit united, of which there is any record or tradidition. Mr. Fox said, "All that he had ever heard, ⚫ 119 to 79. + Moore's Life of Sheridan, vol. i. p. 451. The report alluded to was published by J. French, Fenchurch Street. CHAP. LXI. 1787. "all that he had ever read, when compared with it, "dwindled into nothing, and vanished like vapour "before the sun." Mr. Pitt, although he censured its bitterness and acrimony, acknowledged that it surpassed all the eloquence of ancient or modern times, and possessed every thing that genius or art could furnish to agitate and controul the human mind. Several members confessed that they had come down strongly prepossessed in favour of the accused, and imagined nothing less than a miracle could have wrought so entire a revolution in their sentiments. Others declared, that although they could not resist the conviction that flashed upon their minds, yet they wished to have time to cool before they were called upon to vote; and although they were persuaded that it would require another miracle to produce another change in their opinions, yet, for the sake of decorum, they thought it proper that the debate should be adjourned*. Impeachment This course, resisted at first, was finally adopted; and voted. on the following day, Mr. Francis having opened the debate, and Major Scott having laboriously defended Mr. Hastings, Mr. Pitt threw his weight into the opposite scale, and the motion on this charge was carried†. on this charge As the impeachment of Mr. Hastings was now Further proirrevocably determined on, a very slight sketch of sub-ceedings. sequent proceedings in the House of Commons may suffice. An intimation, given by Mr. Burke, being 19th. understood to imply that Mr. Hastings had disposed of funded property to the amount of fifty thousand pounds, Major Scott, by a declaration upon his honour, and a statement of Mr. Hastings's pecuniary circumstances, refuted the calumny, and shewed that his entire property did not exceed fifty thousand pounds. Mr. Burke denied that his observation was intended for Mr. Hastings; it applied to Sir Elijah Impey. Farruckabad Mr. Thomas Pelham having moved the charge March 2. relative to the revolution in Farruckabad, Mr. Dundas charge Copied from the Annual Register, vol. xxix. p. 150. See also Tomline's Life of Pitt, vol. ii. p. 39; and Moore's Life of Sheridan, ubi supra. moved by Mr. T. Pelham. + 175 to 68. |