hese reliefs to the public service have come
would never have yielded them to the Company publicly; and the
exigencies of your service (exigencies created by the exposition of
your affairs, and faction in your councils) required those supplies.

"I could have concealed them, had I had a wrong motive, from yours and
the public eye forever; and I know that the difficulties to which a
spirit of injustice may subject me for my candor and avowal are greater
than any possible inconvenience that could have attended the
concealment, except the dissatisfaction of my own mind. These
difficulties are but a few of those which I have suffered in your
service. The applause of my own breast is my surest reward, and was the
support of my mind in meeting them. Your applause, and that of my
country, are my next wish in life."

Your Lordships will observe at the end of this letter, that this man
declares his first applause to be from his own breast, and that he next
wishes to have the applause of his employers. But reversing this, and
taking their applause first, let us see on what does he ground his hope
of their applause? Was it on his former conduct? No: for he says that
conduct had repeatedly met with their disapprobation. Was it upon the
confidence which he knew they had in him? No: for he says they gave more
of their confidence to the meanest of his predecessors. Observe, my
Lords, the style of insolence he constantly uses with regard to all
mankind. Lord Clive was his predecessor, Governor Cartier was his
predecessor, Governor Verelst was his predecessor: every man of them as
good as himself: and yet he says the Directors had given "more of their
confidence to the _meanest_ of his predecessors." But what was to
entitle him to their applause? A clear and full explanation of the
bribes he had taken. Bribes was to be the foundation of their
confidence in him, and the clear explanation of them was to entitle him
to their applause! Strange grounds to build confidence upon!--the rotten
ground of corruption, accompanied with the infamy of its avowal! Strange
ground to expect applause!--a discovery which was no discovery at all!
Your Lordships have heard this discovery, which I have not taken upon me
to state, but have read his own letter on the occasion. Has there, at
this moment, any light broken in upon you concerning this matter?

But what does he say to the Directors? He says, "Upon the whole of these
transactions, which to you, who