and the
head of the Mahometans in that country, he was named to an office which
must be held by a Gentoo. But the majority I have just named, who never
endeavored by any base and delusive means to fly from their duty, or not
to execute it at all, because they were desired to execute it in a way
in which they could not execute it, followed the spirit of the order;
and finding that Mahomed Reza Khan, before his imprisonment and trial,
had been in possession of another employment, they followed the spirit
of the instructions of the Directors and replaced him in that
employment: by which means there was an end put to the government of
Munny Begum, the country reverted to its natural state, and men of the
first rank in the country were placed in the first situations in it. The
seat of judicature was filled with wisdom, gravity, and learning, and
Munny Begum sunk into that situation into which a woman who had been
engaged in the practices that she had been engaged in naturally would
sink at her time of life. Mr. Hastings resisted this appointment. He
trifled with the Company's orders on account of the letter of them, and
endeavored to disobey the spirit of them. However, the majority overbore
him; they put Mahomed Reza Khan into his former situation; and as a
proof and seal to the honor and virtue of their character, there was not
a breath of suspicion that they had any corrupt motive for this conduct.
They were odious to many of the India House here; they were odious to
that corrupt influence which had begun and was going on to ruin India;
but in the face of all this odium, they gave the appointment to Mahomed
Reza Khan, because the act contained in itself its own justification.
Mr. Hastings made a violent protest against it, and resisted it to the
best of his power, always in favor of Munny Begum, as your Lordships
will see. Mr. Hastings sent this protest to the Directors; but the
Directors, as soon as the case came before them, acknowledged their
error, and praised the majority of the Council, Sir John Clavering,
Colonel Monson, and Mr. Francis, for the wise and honorable part they
had taken upon the occasion, by obeying the spirit and not the
letter,--commended the act they had done,--confirmed Mahomed Reza Khan
in his place,--and to prevent that great man from being any longer the
sport of fortune, any longer the play of avarice between corrupt
governors and dancing-girls, they gave him the pledged faith of the
Company t