of Oude, and the neighboring
independent countries, did generously and politically, (though not
truly,) in his letter to the princess mother attribute the said relief
given to herself, and the release of her ministers, to the humanity of
the said Warren Hastings, agreeably to whose orders he pretended to act:
asserting, that he, the said Hastings, "was the spring from whence she
was restored to her dignity and consequence."[76] And the account of the
proceedings aforesaid was regularly transmitted to the said Warren
Hastings on the 30th of December, 1782, with the reasons and motives
thereto, and a copy of the report of the officer concerning the
inutility of further force, attended with sundry documents concerning
the famishing, and other treatment, of the women and children of the
late sovereign: but the same appear to have made no proper impression on
the mind of the said Warren Hastings; for no answer whatsoever was given
to the said letter until the 3d of March, 1783, when the said Hastings,
writing in his own character and that of the Council, did entirely pass
by all the circumstances before recited, but did give directions for the
renewal of measures of the like nature and tendency with those which
(for several of the last months at least of the said proceeding) had
been employed with so little advantage to the interest and with so much
injury to the reputation of the Company, his masters, in whose name he
acted,--expressing himself in the said letter of the 3d of March, 1783,
as follows: "We desire you will inform us what means have been taken for
recovering the balance [the pretended balance of the extorted money] due
from the Begums [princesses] at Fyzabad; and if necessary, you must
recommend it to the Vizier _to enforce the most effectual means_ for
that purpose." And the Resident did, in his answer to the board, dated
31st March, 1783, on this peremptory order, again detail the particulars
aforesaid to the said Warren Hastings, referring him to his former
correspondence, stating the utter impossibility of proceeding further by
force, and mentioning certain other disgraceful and oppressive
circumstances, and in particular, that the Company did not, in
plundering the mother of the reigning prince of her wearing apparel and
beasts of carriage, receive a value in the least equal to the loss she
suffered: the elephants having no buyer but the Nabob, and the clothes,
which had last been delivered to Middleton at a