which he justified only upon the principle of economy. The
30,000_l._ was given, the principle of economy vanished, a shocking
arrangement was made, and Bengal saw a dancing-girl administering its
justice, presiding over all its remaining power, wealth, and influence,
exhibiting to the natives of the country their miserable state of
degradation, and the miserable dishonor of the English Company in Mr.
Hastings's abandonment of all his own pretences.

But there is a still stronger presumption. The Company ordered that this
person, who was to have the management of the Nabob's revenue, and who
was to be his guardian, should keep a strict account, which account
should be annually transmitted to the Presidency, and by the Presidency
to Europe; and the purpose of it was, to keep a control upon the reduced
expenses of the sixteen lac which were ordered in the manner I
mentioned. Your Lordships will naturally imagine that that control was
kept safe. No, here is the order of the Directors, and you will see how
Mr. Hastings obeyed it.

"As the disbursement of the sums allotted to the Nabob for the
maintenance of his household and family and the support of his dignity
will pass through the hands of the minister who shall be selected by
you, conformable to our preceding orders, we expect that you will
require such minister to deliver annually to your board a regular and
exact account of the application of the several sums paid by the Company
to the Nabob. This you will strictly examine; and we trust that you will
not suffer any part of the Nabob's stipend to be appropriated to the
minister's own use, or wasted among the unnecessary dependants of the
court, but that the whole amount be applied to the purposes for which it
was assigned by us."

One would have imagined, that, after Mr. Hastings had made so suspicious
an arrangement, (I will not call it by any worse name,) he would have
removed all suspicion with regard to money,--that he would have obeyed
the Company by constituting the control which they had ordered to be
placed over a man, even a fit man, and a man worthy of the trust
committed to him. But what is his answer, when three years after he is
desired to produce this account? His answer is,--"I can save the board
the trouble of this reference by acquainting them that no such accounts
have ever been transmitted, nor, as I can affirm with most certain
knowledge, any orders given for that purpose, either to Gourdas, to