esent his respectful
compliments to the Governor-General, and grateful thanks for his
consideration and congratulations. All his relations, the chief
officers of the Government, and other persons of distinction about
the Court, were assembled to hear the letters read, and make their
offerings on this recognition of his authority by the paramount
power. "The King assured the Resident, that the arrival of this
recognition, and its public announcement, would greatly strengthen
his hands in the exercise of public duties, for during the last few
days bad reports had been industriously circulated by evil-disposed
persons to the effect, that the delay in the recognition of his
succession to the throne by the paramount power in India, had arisen
from discussions between the members of the Government in Calcutta,
as to the amount of money to be taken on the occasion from the new
King, as the price of his sudden elevation; and that no letter was to
be presented by the Resident until the money was paid, or security
given for its punctual payment; that the Governor-General himself
wanted _two crores_ of rupees, but some members of the Government
would be satisfied with _a crore and half_ each, and others even with
_one crore_ each, provided that these sums were paid forthwith." In
relating this story, which the Resident had heard from many others
within the last few days, the King observed, "that he was too well
acquainted with the character for honour and justice of the
Honourable Company's Government, to give the slightest credit to such
scandal, the more especially since no demand of the kind had been
made on the accession of either of the last two Kings, who were known
to be rich, while he was equally well known to be poor; but that
nothing but the arrival of this despatch confirming him on the
throne, could convince many, even well-disposed persons, of the utter
groundlessness of such wicked rumours; that many poor but respectable
persons, who had been weak enough to believe such rumours, would feel
much relieved when they heard the salutes which were now being fired,
for they had apprehended, that they might be severe sufferers by
being compelled to contribute their own property, in order to enable
him to make up the _peshkush_, or tribute, required by the British
Government, since the late King had squandered the ten crores, which
he found in the treasury on the death of his father."

It is certain, that a great portion of