ob in perfect good-humor
and removing suspicions from his mind, which suspicions he had never
expressed, they came to the resolution I shall have the honor to read to
you: "That the representation, given in the said defence, of the state
of the affairs of the country at that time" (that is, about the month of
April, 1760) "is true and just" (that is, the bad state of the country,
which we shall consider hereafter); "that, in such circumstances, the
Nabob's urgent account of his own distresses, the Colonel's desire of
making him easy," (for here is a recapitulation of the whole defence,)
"as the first thing necessary for the good of the service, and the
suddenness of the thing proposed, might deprive him for a moment of his
recollection, and surprise him into a measure which, as to the measure
itself, he could not approve. That such only were the motives which did
or could influence Colonel Calliaud to assent to the proposal is fully
evinced by the deposition of Captain Knox and Mr. Lushington, that _his_
[_Calliaud's_] _conscience, at the time, never reproached him with a bad
design_."

Your Lordships have heard of the testimony of a person to his own
conscience; but the testimony of another man to any one's
conscience--this is the first time, I believe, it ever appeared in a
judicial proceeding. It is natural to say, "My conscience acquits me of
it"; but _they_ declare, that "_his_ conscience never reproached him
with a bad design, and therefore, upon the whole, they are satisfied
that his intention was good, though he erred in the measure."

I beg leave to state one thing that escaped me: that the Nabob, who was
one of the parties to the design, was, at the time of the inquiry, a
sort of prisoner or an exile at Calcutta; that his _moonshee_ was there,
or might have been had; and that his spy was likewise there; and that
they, though parties to this transaction, were never called to account
for it in any sense or in any degree, or to show how far it was
_necessary_ to quiet the Nabob's mind.

The accomplices, by acquitting him upon _their_ testimony to _his
conscience_, did their business nobly. But the good Court of Directors,
who were so easily satisfied, so ready to condemn at the first
proposition and so ready afterwards to acquit, put the last finishing
hand of a master to it. For the accomplices acquit him of evil
intentions and excuse his act. The Court of Directors, disapproving
indeed the measure, but recei