FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152  
153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   >>   >|  
pany's express orders, praying to be informed of the charge against him. This letter appears to have been received by Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell very loftily. Mr. Hastings said, "that such applications were irregular; that they are not accountable to Mr. Fowke for their resolution respecting him. The reasons for suspending the execution of the orders of the Court of Directors contain _no charge, nor the slightest imputation of a charge_, against Mr. Fowke; _but I see no reason why the board should condescend to tell him so_." Accordingly, the proposition of Mr. Francis and Mr. Wheler, to inform Mr. Fowke "that they had no reason to be dissatisfied with his conduct," on the previous question was rejected. By this resolution Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell discovered another principle, and no less dangerous than the first: namely, that persons deriving a valuable interest under the Company's orders, so far from being heard in favor of their right, are not so much as to be informed of the grounds on which they are deprived of it. The arrival soon after of Sir Eyre Coote giving another opportunity of trial, the question for obedience to the Company's orders was again[13] brought on by Mr. Francis, and again received a negative. Sir Eyre Coote, though present, and declaring, that, had he been at the original consultation, he should have voted for the immediate execution of the Company's orders, yet he was resolved to avoid what he called _any kind of retrospect_. His neutrality gained the question in favor of this, the third resolution for disobedience to orders. The resolution in Bengal being thus decisively taken, it came to the turn of the Court of Directors to act their part. They did act their part exactly in their old manner: they had recourse to their old remedy of repeating orders which had been disobeyed. The Directors declare to Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell, though without any apparent reason, that "they have read _with astonishment their formal resolution_ to suspend the execution of their orders; that they shall take such measures as appear necessary for _preserving the authority of the Court of Directors_, and for preventing _such instances of direct and wilful_ disobedience in their servants in time to come." They then renew their directions concerning Mr. Fowke. The event of this _sole_ measure taken to preserve their authority, and to prevent instances of direct and wilful disobedience, your Committee wil
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152  
153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
orders
 

resolution

 

Hastings

 

Directors

 

Company

 
charge
 
disobedience
 

reason

 
Barwell
 

execution


question

 

instances

 
authority
 

Francis

 
received
 

informed

 
direct
 
wilful
 

decisively

 

Bengal


called

 

resolved

 

consultation

 

original

 

neutrality

 

gained

 

retrospect

 

directions

 

preventing

 

servants


Committee

 
prevent
 

preserve

 

measure

 

preserving

 
repeating
 

disobeyed

 
declare
 

remedy

 
recourse

manner
 

apparent

 
measures
 
suspend
 

formal

 

astonishment

 
imputation
 

slightest

 
condescend
 

inform