her sacred trusts, the selling masters to their servants, and
principals to the attorneys they employed to defend themselves, were all
parts of the same system; and these were the horrid ways in which he
received bribes beyond any common rate.

When Mr. Hastings was appointed in the year 1773 to be Governor-General
of Bengal, together with Mr. Barwell, General Clavering, Colonel Monson,
and Mr. Francis, the Company, knowing the former corrupt state of their
service, (but the whole corrupt system of Mr. Hastings at that time not
being known or even suspected at home,) did order them, in discharge of
the spirit of the act of Parliament, to make an inquiry into all manner
of corruptions and malversations in office, without the exception of any
persons whatever. Your Lordships are to know that the act did expressly
authorize the Court of Directors to frame a body of instructions, and to
give orders to their new servants appointed under the act of Parliament,
lest it should be supposed that they, by their appointment under the
act, could supersede the authority of the Directors. The Directors,
sensible of the power left in them over their servants by the act of
Parliament, though their nomination was taken from them, did, agreeably
to the spirit and power of that act, give this order.

The Council consisted of two parties: Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell, who
were chosen and kept there upon the idea of their local knowledge; and
the other three, who were appointed on account of their great parts and
known integrity. And I will venture to say that those three gentlemen
did so execute their duty in India, in all the substantial parts of it,
that they will serve as a shield to cover the honor of England, whenever
this country is upbraided in India.

They found a rumor running through the country of great peculations and
oppressions. Soon after, when it was known what their instructions were,
and that the Council was ready, as is the first duty of all governors,
even when there is no express order, to receive complaints against the
oppressions and corruptions of government in any part of it, they found
such a body (and that body shall be produced to your Lordships) of
corruption and peculation in every walk, in every department, in every
situation of life, in the sale of the most sacred trusts, and in the
destruction of the most ancient families of the country, as I believe in
so short a time never was unveiled since the world beg