sovereign legal power, becomes fatal not only to the objects
which they pursue, but deeply wounds that reputation both for ability
and integrity by which alone they are to be qualified for any other.

If anything could add to the disagreeable situation of those who are
submitted to an authority conducted on such principles, it is this: The
Company has ordered that no complaint shall be made in Europe against
any of the Council without being previously communicated to them: a
regulation formed upon grave reasons; and it was certainly made in
_favor_ of that board. But if a person, having ground of complaint
against the Council, by making use of the mode prescribed in favor of
that very Council, and by complaining to themselves, commits an offence
for which he may be justly punished, the Directors have not regulated
the mode of complaint, they have actually forbidden it; they have, on
that supposition, renounced their authority; and the whole system of
their officers is delivered over to the arbitrary will of a few of their
chief servants.

During the whole day of that deliberation things wore a decided face.
Mr. Hastings stood to his principles in their full extent, and seemed
resolved upon unqualified disobedience. But as the debate was adjourned
to the day following, time was given for expedients; and such an
expedient was hit upon by Mr. Hastings as will, no doubt, be unexpected
by the House; but it serves to throw new lights upon the motives of all
his struggles with the authority of the legislature.

The next day the Council met upon the adjournment. Then Mr. Hastings
proposed, as a compromise, a division of the object in question. One
half was to be surrendered to the authority of the Court of Directors,
the other was reserved for his dignity. But the choice he made of his
own share in this partition is very worthy of notice. He had taken his
_sole_ ground of objection against Mr. Bristow on the supposed ill
effect that such an appointment would have on the minds of the Indian
powers. He said, "that these powers could have no dependence on his
fulfilling his engagements, _or maintaining the faith of treaties_ which
he might offer for their acceptance, if they saw him treated with such
contempt." Mr. Bristow's appearing in a political character was the
_whole_ of his complaint; yet, when he comes to a voluntary distribution
of the duties of the office, he gives Mr. Bristow those very political
negotiations of whi