uest of Mr. Sulivan the
contract was without difficulty purged of this obnoxious clause. The
term was made absolute, the monopoly rendered irrevocable, and the
discretion of the Directors wholly excluded. Mr. Hastings declared the
reserved condition to be no longer necessary, "because the Directors had
approved the monopoly."

The Chiefs and Councils at the principal factories had been obliged to
certify the quantity and quality of the opium before its transport to
Calcutta; and their control over the contractor had been assigned as the
reason for not leaving to those factories the management of this
monopoly. Now things were changed. Orders were sent to discontinue this
measure of invidious precaution, and the opium was sent to Calcutta
without anything done to ascertain its quality or even its quantity.

An office of inspection had been also appointed to examine the quality
of the opium on its delivery at the capital settlement. In order to ease
Mr. Sulivan from this troublesome formality, Mr. Hastings abolished the
office; so that Mr. Sulivan was then totally freed from all examination,
or control whatsoever, either first or last.

These extraordinary changes in favor of Mr. Sulivan were attended with
losses to others, and seem to have excited much discontent. This
discontent it was necessary in some manner to appease. The
vendue-master, who was deprived of his accustomed dues on the public
sales of the opium by the private dealing, made a formal complaint to
the board against this, as well as other proceedings relative to the
same business. He attributed the private sale to "_reasons of state_";
and this strong reflection both on the Board of Trade and the Council
Board was passed over without observation. He was quieted by appointing
him to the duty of these very inspectors whose office had been just
abolished as useless. The House will judge of the efficacy of the
revival of this office by the motives to it, and by Mr. Hastings giving
that to _one_ as _a compensation_ which had been executed by several as
_a duty_. However, the orders for taking away the precautionary
inspection at Patna still remained in force.

Some benefits, which had been given to former contractors at the
discretion of the board, were no longer held under that loose
indulgence, but were secured to Mr. Sulivan by his contract. Other
indulgences, of a lesser nature, and to which no considerable objection
could be made, were on the applicati