ut they had fully expected that he would
put his negative upon the motion, and were prepared to follow the same
course. Mur-murings and whisperings were heard in some parts of the
ministerial benches, and Mr. William Grenville, his bosom friend, Arden,
the attorney-general, and Lord Mulgrave, ventured openly to differ
from him; stating, that they could not, as honest men, think Hastings
deserving of impeachment on this charge, or concur in the vote. Other
members, however, were more pliant than these, and were prepared "to
follow the great bell-wether," lead he where he might, through flowery
meads, or thickets and brakes. Even the amiable Wilberforce, who had
hitherto thought that the conduct of Hastings was in part justifiable,
and in part excusable; and Dundas, who had recently asserted that it was
highly meritorious, and deserving the thanks of the court of Directors,
now voted against him; and the motion was carried by one hundred
and nineteen against seventy-nine. At this point, the prosecution of
Hastings was stopped by the prorogation of parliament; it being found
impracticable to go through the rest of the charges during the session.

As might be expected, the motives of the accuser of Hastings were
canvassed by a discerning public; some condemning them as unjust, and
others applauding them as immaculate. There is every reason to believe,
however, that though Burke over-coloured his picture of the guilt of the
arraigned governor-general, yet his motives were honest and pure. From
the stories related of him, Burke had been led to believe that Hastings
was little better than an incarnate fiend; and he seemed to fancy that
he had a mission from heaven to redress the wrongs, and prevent
the miseries of a large, but weak and oppressed portion of his
fellow-creatures. The motives of Pitt, also, in voting against Hastings,
on the second charge, were brought before the bar of the public. By the
friends of the late governor-general, both in and out of the house, he
was accused of a jealousy and fear of him, although it does not appear
what he had to fear, or of what he had to be jealous, except it was
of his official prerogative: Thurlow, the advocate of Hastings, having
indiscreetly stated that he might have a peerage without the minister's
interference. But it would rather seem that Pitt was influenced in
his conduct by apprehensions, that, if he supported Hastings
indiscriminately, he should forfeit the popular favour