ansactions.
"Therefore," says he, "oh, for God's sake, soothe the matter! It is a
green wound; don't uncover it; do nothing to irritate. It will be to
little purpose to tell them that their conduct has in our estimation of
it been very wrong, and at the same time announce to them the orders of
our superiors, which more than indicate the reverse." Now, my Lords, to
what does all this amount? "First," says he, "I will not do them
justice,--I will not enter upon an inquiry into their wrongs." Why?
"Because they charge us with having inflicted them." Then, surely, for
that reason, you ought to commence an inquiry. "No," says he, "that
would be telling them that our superiors suspect we are in the wrong."
But when his superiors more than indicated suspicions, was he not bound
tenfold to make that inquiry, for his honor and for their satisfaction,
which they direct him to make? No, he will not do it, "because," says
he, "the Begums would either accept the offer of an asylum in the
Company's territories, to the proclaimed scandal of the Vizier, which
would not add to the credit of our government, or they would remain in
his dominions, but not under his authority, to add to his vexations, and
the disorders of the country, by continual intrigues and seditions."

You see, my Lords, this man is constantly thrusting this peaceable Nabob
before him; goading and pushing him on, as if with a bayonet behind, to
the commission of everything that is base and dishonorable. You have him
here declaring that he will not satisfy the Directors, his masters, in
their inquiries about those acts, for fear of the Nabob's taking
umbrage, and getting into a flame with his mother,--and for fear the
mother, supported by the opinion of the Directors, should be induced to
resent her wrongs. What, I say, does all this amount to? It amounts to
this:--"The Begums accuse me of doing them injustice; the Directors
indicate a suspicion that they have been injured; therefore I will not
inquire into the matter." Why? "Because it may raise disturbances." But
what disturbance could it raise? The mother is disarmed, and could not
hurt the Nabob. All her landed estates he knew were confiscated; he knew
all her money was in his own possession; he knew she had not the means,
if she had been disposed, to create intrigues and cabals;--what
disturbance, then, could be created by his sending a letter to know what
she had to say upon the subject of her wrongs?

"_If_" say