ally by persons of high rank and station, both
in national and in the Company's councils, to protect and prefer
their friends in the army, and by the merits and services which
have come under my personal knowledge and observation, I suffer
both pain and humiliation at the want of power to reward the
meritorious, or to show a proper attention to the wishes of my
superiors, without having recourse to means which must be
considered as incompatible with the dignity of my station. The
slender relief which I entreat of the board from this state of
mortification is the authority to augment the number of my staff,
which will enable me to show a marked and particular attention in
circumstances such as above stated, and will be no considerable
burden to the Company."

My Lords, you here see what he has been endeavoring to effect, for the
express purpose of enabling him to secure himself a corrupt influence in
England. But there is another point much more material, which brings the
matter directly home to this court, and puts it to you either to punish
him or to declare yourselves to be accomplices in the corruption of the
whole service. Hear what the man himself says. I am first to mention to
your Lordships the occasion upon which the passage which I shall read to
you was written. It was when he was making his enormous and shameful
establishment of a Revenue Board, in the year 1781,--of which I shall
say a few words hereafter, as being a gross abuse in itself: he then
felt that the world would be so much shocked at the enormous prodigality
and corrupt profusion of what he was doing, that he at last spoke out
plainly.

_A Minute of Mr. Hastings, transmitted in a Letter by Mr. Wheler._

"In this, as it must be the case in every reformation, the interest
of individuals has been our principal, if not our only impediment.
We could not at once deprive so large a body of our fellow-servants
of their bread, without feeling that reluctance which humanity must
dictate,--not unaccompanied, perhaps, with some concern for the
consequence which our own credit might suffer by an act which
involved the fortunes of many, and extended its influence to all
their connections. This, added to the justice which was due to your
servants, who were removed for no fault of theirs, but for the
public convenience, induced us to continue thei