hey assume that the amount of the
jaghires of the Begums were to be paid them in regular pensions; whereas
they were totally confiscated, without any compensation at all. And yet,
upon Mr. Hastings's own showing, they found the transaction to be so
dishonorable to the British government, that they desire him to make
inquiry into it, and give redress accordingly.

Here, then, is another order of the Company, another call upon Mr.
Hastings to examine to the bottom of this affair. The Directors, after
giving him credit for that enormous mass of falsehoods which we have
proved him to have stated in his Narrative, found themselves so utterly
dissatisfied, that they gave this conditional order to restore the
Begums to their jaghires. Your Lordships will find it in evidence upon
your minutes, that he contumaciously disobeyed this order,--that he
would not consent to the propositions of the Council for inquiring into
the conduct of these injured women, but stifled every attempt that was
made by others to do them justice. And yet he here has the effrontery to
propose that your Lordships should inquire into the business at your
bar,--that you should investigate a matter here which he refused to
inquire into on the spot, though expressly ordered by his masters so to
do.

I will now read to your Lordships a short extract from his own narrative
of his own proceedings. It begins with reciting part of a note entered
by Mr. Macpherson in the Consultations of the Council, at the time when
the orders of the Court of Directors which I have just alluded to were
taken into consideration.

"What the Court of Directors seem to have most at heart are, first, that
the engagement of the second article of the Benares treaty should be
faithfully fulfilled,--and, secondly, to guard against the future
misconduct of the Vizier, if he should be disposed to oppress the
Begums; that we should therefore ascertain whether the amount of the
jaghires of the Begums is regularly paid to them through the Company's
Resident, and give them notice that no future demands shall be made upon
them. This the Governor-General might, I think, do in a letter that
would make the Begums sensible of their past misconduct, yet inform them
of the lenity and gracious intentions of the Company, in ordering them
an asylum in Bengal, in case of future distress."

In consequence of the foregoing opinion from Mr. Macpherson, the
following minute was delivered by the Governor-Ge