carry upon it not only ill faith and
national dishonor, but direct proofs of corruption. When Mr. Hastings
values himself upon this shocking and outrageous breach of faith, which
required nothing but a base and illiberal mind, without either talents,
courage, or skill, except that courage which defies all consequences,
which defies shame, which defies the judgment and opinion of his country
and of mankind, no other talents than may be displayed by the dash of a
pen, you will at least expect to see a clear and distinct account of
what was gained by it.

In the year 1775, at a period when Mr. Hastings was under an eclipse,
when honor and virtue, in the character of General Clavering, Colonel
Monson, and Mr. Francis, sat for a short period at the
Council-Board,--during that time, Mr. Hastings's conduct upon this
occasion was called into question. They called for an account of the
revenues of the country,--what was received, and what had been paid; and
in the account returned they found the amount of the tribute due to the
Mogul, 250,000_l._, entered as paid up to October, 1774. Thus far all
appeared fair upon the face of it; they took it for granted, as your
Lordships would take it for granted, at the first view, that the tribute
in reality had been paid up to the time stated. The books were balanced:
you find a debtor; you find a creditor; every item posted in as regular
a manner as possible. Whilst they were examining this account, a Mr.
Croftes, of whom your Lordships have heard very often, as
accountant-general, comes forward and declares that there was a little
error in the account. And what was the error? That he had entered the
Mogul's tribute for one year more than it had actually been paid. Here
we have the small error of a payment to the Mogul of 250,000_l._ This
appeared strange. "Why," says Mr. Croftes, "I never discovered it; nor
was it ever intimated to me that it had been stopped from October, 1773,
till the other day, when I was informed that I ought not to have made an
entry of the last payments." These were his expressions. You will find
the whole relation in the Bengal Appendix, printed by the orders of the
Court of Directors. When Mr. Croftes was asked a very natural question,
"Who first told you of your mistake? who acquainted you with Mr.
Hastings's orders that the payment should be expunged from the account?"
what is his answer? It is an answer worthy of Mr. Middleton, an answer
worthy of Mr. Larkin