oduced in the face of the
world.

At the same time that we call for your justice upon this man, we beseech
you to remember the severest justice upon him is the tenderest pity
towards the innocent victims of his crimes. Consider what was at that
time the state of the people from whom, in direct defiance of his
covenant, he took this sum of money. Were they at this time richer, were
they more opulent, was the state of the country more flourishing than
when Mr. Sumner, when Mr. Vansittart, in short, than when the long line
of Mr. Hastings's predecessors visited that country? No, they were not.
Mr. Hastings at this very time had reduced the Nabob's income from
450,000_l._ [400,000_l._?] sterling a year, exclusive of other
considerable domains and revenues, to 160,000_l._ He was, indeed, an
object of compassion. His revenues had not only been reduced during his
state of minority, but they were reduced when he afterwards continued in
a state in which he could do no one valid act; and yet, in this state,
he was made competent to give away, under the name of compensation for
entertainments, the sum of 18,000_l._,--perhaps at that time nearly all
he had in the world.

Look at your minutes, and you will find Mr. Hastings had just before
this time said that the bread of ten thousand persons, many of them of
high rank, depended upon the means possessed by the Nabob for their
support,--that his heart was cut and afflicted to see himself obliged to
ruin and starve so many of the Mahometan nobility, the greatest part of
whose yet remaining miserable allowances were now taken away. You know,
and you will forgive me again remarking, that it is the nature of the
eagles and more generous birds of prey to fall upon living, healthy
victims, but that vultures and carrion crows, and birds of that base and
degenerate kind, always prey upon dead or dying carcases. It is upon
ruined houses, it is upon decayed families, it is upon extinguished
nobility, that Mr. Hastings chooses to prey, and to justify his making
them his prey.

But again we hear, my Lords, that it is a custom, upon ceremonial and
complimentary visits, to receive these presents. Do not let us deceive
ourselves. Mr. Hastings was there upon no visit either of ceremony or
politics. He was a member, at that time, of the Committee of Circuit,
which went to Moorshedabad for the purpose of establishing a system of
revenue in the country. He went up upon that business only, as a membe