ust
to suffer the delinquents to go unpunished_." With this observation
their proceedings appear to have ended, and paused for more than a year.

On the 4th of March, 1778, the Directors appear to have resumed the
subject. In their letter of that date they instructed the Governor and
Council forthwith to commence a prosecution in the Supreme Court of
Judicature against the persons who composed the Committee of Circuit, or
their representatives, and also against Mr. Barwell, in order to
recover, for the use of the Company, the amount of all advantages
acquired by them from their several engagements in salt contracts and
farms. Adverting, however, to the declaration made by Mr. Barwell, that
he would account to the Court of Directors for the last shilling he had
received and abide implicity by their judgment, they thought it
probable, that, on being acquainted with their peremptory orders for
commencing a prosecution, he might be desirous of paying his share of
profits into the Company's treasury; and they pointed out a precaution
to be used in accepting such a tender on his part.

On this part of the transaction your Committee observe, that the Court
of Directors appear blamable in having delayed till February, 1777, to
take any measure in consequence of advices so interesting and important,
and on a matter concerning which they had made so strong a
declaration,--considering that early in April, 1776, they say "they had
investigated the charges, and had then come to certain resolutions
concerning them." But their delaying to send out positive orders for
commencing a prosecution against the parties concerned till March, 1778,
cannot be accounted for. In the former letter they promise, if they
should find it necessary, to return the original covenants of such of
their servants as had been any ways concerned in the undue receipt of
money, in order to enable the Governor-General and Council to recover
the same by suits in the Supreme Court. But your Committee do not find
that the covenants were ever transmitted to Bengal. To whatever cause
these instances of neglect and delay may be attributed, they could not
fail to create an opinion in Bengal that the Court of Directors were not
heartily intent upon the execution of their own orders, and to
discourage those members of government who were disposed to undertake so
invidious a duty.

In consequence of these delays, even their first orders did not arrive
in Bengal until som