who had disobeyed the
Company's orders under color that _no deputy was necessary_ immediately
appoint another deputy. This independent prince, who, as Mr. Hastings
said, "had an incontestable right to his situation, and that it was his
by inheritance," suddenly shrunk into his old state of insignificance,
and was even looked upon in so low a light as to receive a severe
reprimand from Mr. Hastings for _interposing_ in the duties of his (the
deputy's) office.

The Company's orders, censuring this transaction in the strongest terms,
and ordering Mahomed Reza Khan to be immediately restored to the office
of Naib Subahdar, were received in Calcutta in November, 1779. Mr.
Hastings acted on this with the firmness which he had shown on other
occasions; but in his principles he went further. Thinking himself
assured of some extraordinary support, suitable to the open and
determined defiance with which he was resolved to oppose the lawful
authority of his superiors, and to exercise a despotic power, he no
longer adhered to Mr. Barwell's distinction of the orders which had a
tendency to bring his government into disrepute. This distinction
afforded sufficient latitude to disobedience; but here he disdained all
sorts of colors and distinctions. He directly set up an independent
right to administer the government according to his pleasure; and he
went so far as to bottom his claim to act independently of the Court of
Directors on the very statute which commanded his obedience to them.

He declared roundly, "that he should _not_ yield to the authority of the
Court of Directors in _any_ instance in which it should require his
concession of the rights which he held under an act of Parliament." It
is too clear to stand in need of proof, that he neither did or could
hold any authority that was not subject, in every particle of it, and in
every instance in which it could be exercised, to the orders of the
Court of Directors.

He therefore refused to back the Company's orders with any requisition
from himself to the Nabob, but merely suffered them to be transmitted to
him, leaving it to him to do just as he thought proper. The Nabob, who
called Mr. Hastings "his patron, and declared he would never do anything
without his consent and approbation," perfectly understood this kind of
signification. For the second time the Nabob recovered from his trance
of pageantry and insignificance, and collected courage enough to write
to the Council