ees, I am to inform you, it
took its rise from a message sent me by the Begum, requesting I would
interest myself with the Nabob to have Akbar Ali Khan released to her
for a few hours, having something of importance to communicate to me, on
which she wished to consult him. Thinking the service might be benefited
by it, I accordingly desired the Nabob would be pleased to deliver him
to my charge, engaging to return him the same night,--which I did. I
heard no more till next day, when the Begum requested to see his
Excellency and myself, desiring Akbar Ali might attend.

"On our first meeting, she entered into a long detail of her
administration, endeavoring to represent it in the fairest light; at
last she came to the point, and told me, my urgent and repeated
remonstrances to her to be informed how the balance arose of which I was
to inquire induced her from memory to say what she had herself
given,--then mentioning the sum of a lac and a half to the Governor to
feast him whilst he stayed there, and a lac and a half to Mr. Middleton
by the hands of Baboo Begum. As I looked on this no more than a matter
of conversation, I arose to depart, but was detained by the Begum's
requesting the Nabob to come to her. A scene of weeping and complaint
then began, which made me still more impatient to be gone, and I
repeatedly sent to his Excellency for that purpose: he at last came out
and delivered me the paper I sent you, declaring it was given him by the
Begum to be delivered me."

Munny Begum also wrote a letter to General Clavering, in which she
directly asserts the same. "Mr. Goring has pressed me on the subject of
the balances; in answer to which I informed him, that all the
particulars, being on record, would in the course of the inquiry appear
from the papers. He accordingly received from the Nabob Mobarek ul
Dowlah a list of three lacs of rupees given to the Governor and Mr.
Middleton. I now send you inclosed a list of the dates when it was
presented, and through whose means, which you will receive."

The Governor-General then desired that the following questions might be
proposed to the Begum by Mr. Martin, then Resident at the Durbar.

1st. Was any application made to you for the account which you have
delivered, of three lacs of rupees said to have been paid to the
Governor and Mr. Middleton, or did you deliver the account of your own
free will, and unsolicited?

2d. In what manner was the application made to you, a