eral purgunnahs, or farms, that are
mentioned in the application made to the Council, should be separated
from the family estate and given to this man. Such was this
extraordinary gratitude: gratitude, not for money received, but for
money taken away,--a species of gratitude unknown in any part of the
world but in India; gratitude pervading every branch of the family; his
mother coming forward and petitioning likewise that her son should be
disinherited; his uncle, the natural protector and guardian of his
minority, coming forward and petitioning most earnestly that his nephew
should be disinherited: all the family join in one voice of supplication
to Mr. Hastings, that Gunga Govind Sing may have a very large and
considerable part of their family estate given to him. Mr. Hastings,
after declaring that certain circumstances respecting this property,
which are mentioned in his minutes, were to his knowledge true, but
which your Lordships, upon examination, will find to be false, and
falsified in every particular, recommends, in the strongest manner, to
the board, a compliance with this application. He was at this time on
the eve of his departure from India, in haste to provide for his
faithful servants; and he well knew that this his last act would be held
binding upon his successors, who were devoted to him.

Here, indeed, is genuine and heroic gratitude,--gratitude for money
received, not for money taken away; and yet this gratitude was towards a
person who had paid himself out of the benefit which had been conferred,
at the expense of a third party. For Gunga Govind Sing had kept for
himself 20,000_l._ out of 40,000_l._ taken from the Rajah. For this
cheat, stated by Mr. Larkins to be such, and allowed by Mr. Hastings
himself to be such, he, with a perfect knowledge of that fraud and cheat
committed upon the public, (for he pretends that the money was meant for
the Company,) makes this supplication to his colleagues, and departs.

After his departure, Gunga Govind Sing, relying upon the continuance of
the corrupt influence which he had gained, had the impudence to come
forward and demand the confirmation of this grant by the
Council-General. The Council, though willing to accede to Mr. Hastings's
proposition, were stopped in a moment by petitions much more natural,
but of a direct contrary tenor. The poor infant Rajah raises his cries
not to be deprived of his inheritance; his mother comes forward and
conjures the Cou