of the native
Mahometan government, when we have shown the extinction of the native
landed interest, what hope can there be for that afflicted country but
in the servants of the Company? When we have shown the corrupt state of
that service, what hope but from the Court of Directors, what hope but
in the superintending control of British tribunals? I think as well of
the body of my countrymen as any man can do. I do not think that any man
sent out to India is sent with an ill purpose, or goes out with bad
dispositions. No: I think the young men who go there are fair and
faithful representatives of the people of the same age,--uncorrupted,
but corruptible from their age, as we all are. They are sent there
young. There is but one thing held out to them,--"You are going to make
your fortune." The Company's service is to be the restoration of decayed
noble families; it is to be the renovation of old, and the making of new
ones. Now, when such a set of young men are sent out with these hopes
and views, and with little education, or a very imperfect one,--when
these people, from whatever rank of life selected, many from the best,
most from the middling, very few from the lowest, but, high, middling,
or low, they are sent out to make two things coincide which the wit of
man was never able to unite, to make their fortune and form their
education at once. What is the education of the generality of the world?
Reading a parcel of books? No. Restraint of discipline, emulation,
examples of virtues and of justice, form the education of the world. If
the Company's servants have not that education, and are left to give
loose to their natural passions, some would be corrupt of course, and
some would be uncorrupt; but probably the majority of them would be
inclined to pursue moderate courses between these two. Now I am to show
you that Mr. Hastings left these servants but this alternative: "Be
starved, be depressed, be ruined, disappoint the hopes of your families,
or be my slaves, be ready to be subservient to me in every iniquity I
shall order you to commit, and to conceal everything I shall wish you to
conceal." This was the state of the service. Therefore the Commons did
well and wisely, when they sent us here, not to attack this or that
servant who may have peculated, but to punish the man who was sent to
reform abuses, and to make Bengal furnish to the world a brilliant
example of British justice.

I shall now proceed to state brie