came into his possession, with a complete illustration of the cause or causes of so extraordinary an event.

129. Circumstanced as affairs were at the moment, it ap pears that the governor-general had the measure much at heart, and judged it absolutely necessary. The means proposed of defraying the extra expense were very extraordi nary; and the money, as we conceive, must have come into his hands by an unusual channel: and when more complete information comes before us, we shall give our sentiments fully upon the whole transaction.

130. In regard to the application of the Company's money to the army of Chimnajee Boosla by the sole authority of the governor-general, he knew, that it was entirely at his own risk, and he has taken the responsibility upon himself; nothing but the most urgent necessity could warrant the measure; nor can anything short of full proof of such neces sity, and of the propriety and utility of the extraordinary step taken on the occasion, entitle the governor-general to the approbation of the court of directors; and therefore, as in the former instance relative to the sum advanced and paid into our treasury, we must also, for the present, suspend our judgment respecting the money sent to the Berar army; without approving it in the least degree, or proceeding to censure our governor-general for this transaction.

APPENDIX B. No. 8.

EXTRACT of Bengal Secret Consultations,
the 9th January, 1781.

THE following letter from the governor-general having been circulated, and the request therein made complied with, an order on the treasury passed accordingly.

HONOURABLE SIR AND SIRS,

Having had occasion to disburse the sum of three lacks of sicca rupees on account of secret services, which having been advanced from my own private cash, I request the same may be repaid to me in the following manner:-a bond to be granted me upon the terms of the second loan, bearing

date from the 1st of October, for one lack of sicca rupees: a bond to be granted me upon the terms of the first loan, bearing date from the 1st October, for one lack of sicca rupees: a bond to be granted me upon the terms of the first loan, bearing date from the 2nd October, for one lack of sicca

rupees.

Fort William, 5th January, 1781.

I have the honour to be, &c., &c.
(Signed) WARREN HASTINGS.

APPENDIX B. No. 9.

Ax Account of Bonds granted to the Governor-General, from 1st January, 1779, to 31st May, 1782, with Interest paid or credited thereon.

There does not appear to have been any interest paid on the above Bonds to 31st May, 1782, the last accounts received. In the Interest Books 1780-81, the last received, the governor-general has credit for interest on the first six to April, 1781, to the amount of CRs. 21,964. 12. 8.

(Errors excepted.)

JOHN ANNIS,

Auditor of Indian Accounts.

East-India House, 5th June, 1783.

ARTICLES

OF CHARGE OF HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS,

AGAINST

WARREN HASTINGS, ESQUIRE,

LATE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF BENGAL

Presented to the House of Commons upon the 4th day of April, 1786.

I. ROHILLA WAR.

THAT the court of directors of the East-India Company, from a just sense of the danger and odium incident to the extension of their conquests in the East Indies, and from an experience of the disorders and corrupt practices, which intrigues and negotiations to bring about revolutions among the country powers had produced, did positively and repeatedly direct their servants in Bengal not to engage in any offensive war whatsoever :-that the said court laid it down as an invariable maxim, which ought ever to be maintained, that they were to avoid taking part in the political schemes of any of the country princes; and did, in particular, order and direct, that they should not engage with a certain prince called Sujah ul Dowla, Nabob of Oude, and vizier of the empire, in any operations beyond certain limits in the said orders specially described.

That Warren Hastings, Esq., then governor of Fort William in Bengal, did, with other members of the council, declare his clear understanding of the true intent and meaning of the said positive and repeated orders and injunctions ;-did express to the court of directors his approbation of the policy thereof;-did declare, that he adopted the same with sin cerity and satisfaction, and that he was too well aware of the ruinous tendency of all schemes of conquest ever to adopt them,

or ever to depart from the absolute line of self-defence, unless impelled to it by the most obvious necessity;-did signify to the Nabob of Oude the said orders, and his obligation to yield punctual obedience thereto; and did solemnly engage and promise to the court of directors, with the unanimous concurrence of the whole council, "that no object or consideration should either tempt or compel him to pass the political line, which they (the directors) had laid down for his operations with the vizier;" assuring the court of directors, that he "scarce saw a possible advantage, which could compensate the hazard and expense to be incurred by a contrary conduct:"-that he did frequently repeat the same declarations, or declarations to the same effect, particularly in a letter to the Nabob himself of the 22nd of November, 1773, in the following words: "The commands of my superiors are, as I have repeatedly informed you, peremptory, that I shall not suffer their arms to be carried beyond the line of their own boundaries, and those of your Excellency their ally."

That the said Warren Hastings, in direct contradiction to the said orders, and to his own sense of their propriety and coercive authority, and in breach of his express promises and engagements, did, in September, 1773, enter into a private engagement with the said Nabob of Oude, who was the special object of the prohibition, to furnish him, for a stipulated sum of money to be paid to the East-India Company, with a body of troops for the declared purpose of "thoroughly extirpating the nation of the Rohillas;". -a nation, from whom the Company had never received, or pretended to receive, or apprehend, any injury whatsoever; whose country, in the month of February, 1773, by an unanimous resolution of the said Warren Hastings and his council, was included in the line of defence against the Mahrattas, and from whom the Nabob never complained of an aggression or act of hostility, nor pretended a distinct cause of quarrel, other than the non-payment of a sum of money in dispute between him and that people.

That supposing the sum of money in question to have been strictly due to the said Nabob by virtue of any engagement between him and the Rohilla chiefs, the East-India Company, or their representatives, were not parties to that

engagement, or guarantees thereof, nor bound by any obligation whatever to enforce the execution of it.

That, previous to the said Warren Hastings's entering into the agreement or bargain aforesaid to extirpate the said nation, he did not make, or cause to be made, a due inquiry into the validity of the sole pretext used by the said Nabob; nor did he give notice of the said claims of debt to the nation of the Rohillas, in order to receive an explanation on their part of the matter in litigation, nor did he offer any mediation, nor propose, nor afford an opportunity of propos ing, an agreement or submission, by which the calamities of war might be avoided; as, by the high state in which the East-India Company stood as a sovereign power in the East, and the honour and character it ought to maintain, as well as by the principles of equity and humanity, and by the true and obvious policy of uniting the power of the Mahometan princes against the Mahrattas, he was bound to do: -that, instead of such previous inquiry, or tender of good offices, the said Warren Hastings did stimulate the ambition and ferocity of the Nabob of Oude to the full completion of the inhuman end of the said unjustifiable enterprise, by informing him," that it would be absolutely necessary to per severe in it until it should be accomplished;" pretending, that a fear of the Company's displeasure was his motive for annexing the accomplishment of the enterprise as a condition. of his assistance, and asserting, "that he could not hazard or answer for the displeasure of the Company, his masters, if they should find themselves involved in a fruitless war, or in an expense for prosecuting it;"-a pretence tending to the high dishonour of the East-India Company, as if the gain to be acquired was to reconcile that body to the breach of their own orders prohibiting all such enterprises.-And in order further to involve the said Nabob beyond the power of retreating, he did, in the course of the proceeding, purposely put the said Nabob under difficulties in case he should decline that war, and did oblige him to accept even the permission to relinquish the execution of this unjust project as a favour, and to make concessions for it; thereby acting as if the Company were principals in the hostility; and employing for this purpose much double-dealing, and divers unworthy artifices, to entangle and perplex the said Nabob, but by