L200,000. A long debate took place on this motion; but it was negatived
without a division, as was also a motion to the same effect, moved in
the upper house by Lord Rawdon.

IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS.

The trial of Warren Hastings was revived early in this session; but from
the occupation produced by the regency-bill and by the recovery of the
king, it proceeded but slowly. It was, in fact, the 20th of April before
their lordships resumed their sitting in the hall; and from the nature
of the business which subsequently occupied their attention, they could
then only sit seventeen days. The third article was opened on the 21st
by Burke, which article related to the corrupt receipt of money. In his
speech Burke alluded to Nuncomar, and indiscreetly said, that Hastings
had murdered him by the hands of Sir Elijah Impey. As Impey had been
acquitted by the house of commons, and as the transaction respecting
Nuncomar made no part of the charges contained in the articles, Hastings
thought proper to present a petition to the commons, in which he
entreated them either to cause this, and similar allegations made by
his accuser, to be prosecuted in distinct articles, or to afford him
such redress as they should think proper. This petition was strongly
supported by Major Scott, who presented it, and who accused Burke
of being guilty of cool, deliberate, systematic, and intentional
misrepresentation, and of imputing to Hastings crimes of which he knew
him to be innocent. In reply, Burke called Major Scott the systematic
libeller of the house of commons; and he, with his friends, endeavoured
to prevent the petition from being received; contending that it was
irregular and unprecedented, and that if every expression, not agreeable
to the feelings of the party accused, were not fit to be used in a
criminal prosecution, there must be an end to such prosecution. Pitt,
on the other hand, gave his cordial support to the petition, as far as
regarded the business of Nuncomar; and after a long debate, the house
resolved "that no authority had been given by the house for the purpose
of making any criminal charge respecting Nuncomar; and that the words
complained of ought not to have been spoken." Subsequently, a resolution
of censure on the conduct of Burke was moved by the Marquess Of Graham;
and, though strenuously opposed by Fox and the other managers, it was
carried by a majority of one hundred and thirty-live against sixty-six.