lled to answer for the said recited
irregularities, or for the _many others_ not recited, but _attributed
solely_ to him; nor has any plea or excuse from him been transmitted to
the board, or to the Court of Directors; but he was, at the instance of
the said Hastings, deprived of his said office, contrary to the
principles of natural justice, in a violent and arbitrary manner; which
proceeding, combined with the example made of his predecessor, must
necessarily leave to the person who should succeed to the said office no
distinct principle upon which he might act with safety. But in comparing
the consequences of the two delinquencies charged, the failure of the
payment of the revenues (from whatever cause it may arise) is more
likely to be avoided than any severe course towards the inhabitants: as
the former fault was, besides the deprivation of office, attended with
two imprisonments, with a menace of death, and an actual death, in
disgrace, poverty, and insolvency; whereas the latter, namely, the
oppression, and thereby the total ruin, of the country, charged on the
second administrator, was only followed by loss of office,--although,
he, the said Warren Hastings, did farther assert (but with what truth
does not appear) that the collection of the last administrator had
fallen much short of the revenue of the province.

That the said Warren Hastings himself was sensible that the frequent
changes by him made would much disorder the management of the revenues,
and seemed desirous of concealing his intentions concerning the last
change until the time of its execution. Yet it appears, by a letter from
the British Resident, dated the 23d of June, 1784, "that a very strong
report prevailed at Benares of his [the said Hastings's] intentions of
appointing a new Naib for the approaching year, and that the effect is
evident which the prevalence of such an idea amongst the aumils would
probably have on the cultivation at this particular time. The heavy
mofussil kists [harvest instalments] have now been collected by the
aumils; the season of tillage is arrived; the ryots [country farmers]
must be indulged, and even assisted by advances; and the aumil must look
for his returns in the abundance of the crop, _the consequence of this
early attention to the cultivation_. The effect is evident _which the
report of a change in the first officer of the revenue must have on the
minds of the aumils, by leaving them at an uncertainty of what