f the students,
insomuch that thousands reaping the benefits thereof offer up their
prayers for the prosperity of the King of England, and for the
success of the Company."

I must here remind your Lordships of another attestation of the same
character, and to the same effect. It comes from Mahomed Reza Khan, who,
as your Lordships will remember, had been reduced by Mr. Hastings from
a situation of the highest rank and authority, with an income of
suitable magnitude, to one of comparative insignificance, with a small
salary annexed. This man is made to disgrace himself, and to abet the
disgrace and injury done to his country, by bearing his testimony to the
merits of this very college.

I hope your Lordships will never lose sight of this aggravating
circumstance of the prisoner's criminality,--namely, that you never find
any wicked, fraudulent, and criminal act, in which you do not find the
persons who suffered by it, and must have been well acquainted with it,
to be the very persons who are brought to attest in its favor. O Heaven!
but let shame for one moment veil its face, let indignation suppress its
feelings, whilst I again call upon you to view all this as a mere
swindling transaction, in which the prisoner was attempting to defraud
the Company.

Mr. Hastings has declared, and you will find it upon the Company's
records, that this institution (which cost the Company not less than
40,000_l._ in one way or other) did not commence before October in the
year 1780; and he brings it before the board in April, 1781,--that is,
about six months after its foundation. Now look at his other account, in
which he makes it to begin in the year 1779, and in which he has
therefore overcharged the expenses of it a whole year.--But Mr. Larkins,
who kept this latter account for him, may have been inaccurate.--Good
Heavens! where are we? Mr. Hastings, who was bred an accountant, who was
bred in all sorts of trade and business, declares that he keeps no
accounts. Then comes Mr. Larkins, who keeps an account for him; but he
keeps a false account. Indeed, all the accounts from India, from one
end to another, are nothing but a series of fraud, while Mr. Hastings
was concerned in them. Mr. Larkins, who keeps his private account just
as his master kept the public accounts, has swindled from the Company a
whole year's expenses of this college. I should not thus repeatedly
dwell upon this transaction, but because I wish your