show that he himself abhorred bribes, and kept at a distance from
them, then he might say, "I connive at the bribes of others"; but when
he acknowledges that he takes bribes, how can you doubt that he buys a
corrupt confederacy, and puts an end to any hope through him of
reformation of the abuses at Bengal? But your Lordships will see that he
not only connived at abuse, but patronized it and supported it for his
own political purposes; since he here confesses, that, if inquiry into
it created him ill-humor, and produced him an opposition in Council, he
sacrificed it to the power of the Company, and the constitution of their
government. Did he so? The Company ordered him to prosecute those
people, and their constitution required that they should be prosecuted.
"No," says Mr. Hastings, "the conniving at it procures a majority of
votes." The very thing that he bought was not worth half the price he
paid for it. He was sent to reform corruptions, and, in order that he
might reform corruptions, he winked at, countenanced, and patronized
them, to get a majority of votes; and what was, in fact, a sacrifice to
his own interest, ambition, and corruption, he calls a sacrifice to the
Company. He puts, then, this alternative: "Either give everything into
my hand, suffer me to go on, and have no control, or else I wink at
every species of corruption." It is a remarkable and stupendous thing,
that, when all the world was alarmed at the disorders of the Company,
when that alarm occasioned his being sent out, and when, in consequence
of that alarm, Parliament suspended the constitution of the Company, and
appointed another government, Mr. Hastings should tell that Company that
Parliament had done wrong, and that the person put at the head of that
government was to wink at those abuses. Nay, what is more, not only does
Mr. Hastings declare, upon general principles, that it was impossible to
pursue all the delinquencies of India, and that, if possible to pursue
them, mischief would happen from it, but your Lordships will observe
that Mr. Hastings, in this business, during the whole period of the
administration of that body which was sent out to inquire into and
reform the corruptions of India, did not call one person to an account;
nor, except Mr. Hastings, this day, has any one been called to an
account, or punished for delinquency. Whether he will be punished or no,
time will show. I have no doubt of your Lordships' justice, and of the