rdships shall have
considered this document, his defence, which I have read in part to you,
see whether you are not bound, when he imputes to us and throws upon us
the cause of all his corruption, to throw back the charge by your
decision, and hurl it with indignation upon himself.

But there is another shameless and most iniquitous circumstance, which I
have forgotten to mention, respecting these contracts. He not only
considered them as means of present power, and therefore protected his
favorites without the least inquiry into their conduct, and with
flagrant suspicion of a corrupt participation in their delinquency, but
he goes still farther: he declares, that, if he should be removed from
his government, he will give them a lease in these exorbitant profits,
for the purpose of securing a corrupt party to support and bear him out
by their evidence, upon the event of any inquiry into his conduct,--to
give him a _razinama_, to give him a flourishing character, whenever he
should come upon his trial. Hear what his principles are; hear what the
man himself avows.

"_Fort William, October 4, 1779._

"In answer to Mr. Francis's insinuation, that it is natural enough
for the agent to wish to secure himself before the expiration of
the present government, I avow the fact as to myself as well as the
agent. When I see a systematic opposition to every measure proposed
by me for the service of the public, by which an individual may
eventually benefit, I cannot hesitate a moment to declare it to be
my firm belief, that, should the government of this country be
placed in the hands of the present minority, they would seek the
ruin of every man connected with me; it is therefore only an act
of common justice in me to wish to secure them, as far as I legally
can, from the apprehension of future oppression."

Here is the principle avowed. He takes for granted, and he gives it the
name of oppression, that the person who should succeed him would take
away those unlawful and wicked emoluments, and give them to some other.
"But," says he, "I will put out of the Company's power the very means
of redress."

The document which I am now going to read to your Lordships contains a
declaration by Mr. Hastings of another mean which he used of corrupting
the whole Company's service.

_Minute of the Governor-General.--Extract from that Minute._

"Called upon continu