A TATE OF THE BRITISH AUTHORITY IN BENGAL

1·24.5 MB·English

by  N.A.

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Ma. HASTINGS

"TS make the following Paptrs ititelligible
to the Public, it nay be necellary to in-
troduce them by a thore State of the
Faéts to which they relate. .

oth Ofeber, 1774

(whe Gen, @avering, Col. Monfor,
and Mr, Francis, atrived in Bengal,
}hey found the Nebob Mahomed Reza Cawn,
‘who had for many yeari*Tled the fixPoffices
fpf jhe fate, inthe greanctt diftrefs, and living
Jn ginal ealerable howe neat Cafcutta, a pri-
Sonee at verge. HG had been diveited of his
‘pmployments, and Uragzht down a prifoner to
tabu, in a manner the molt difgraceful t0
perfon.of his high rank, foon after Mr. Halt.
ts aceeffitn 19 the Government in May 197%
Wasicans'charges were then brought againtt hin
bf embezzlement, nial-adminittration, 8c. and
B parti-
fad

patticularly of béing concerned in. monopolies,
which contributed to the famine. On thefe
Sharges he was publicly tried by the Prefident
and Council: And notwithftanding the known
and avowed difpofition of the Court of Dires-
tors (as conftituted at that time) to accomplith
his ruin ; and in fpite of the influence of. elie
Government in Bengal, he was-hanoutably ‘ace
quitted, buc uot reinttated. His sccufets, ang.
their abetcors, irritared at their defeat, left this”
great and good man, (for fiach he is, if ever
a native of India deferved that charaéter) over-
whelmed wich debts, and ruincd by his tong at-
tendance in Calcutta, to ‘perith in onifery and
oblivion; that is, to foffer all the penalties,
except lof of honoys, which could have been
inflicted upon him, if his innocence had not
been eftablithed as clear as the Sun,

In this condition he remained stil he Com-
pany’s orders of the 3d of March, 1775, were
received by the Governor General and Councit.
In theit lecter of that date they fay, “ that they
* are well pleafed in finding him ableto excul-
© pate himielf trom all the charges brought
% againft him, to che futisfaction of their fer-
“+ vants.” They fay they can have no objection
to his total enlargement; and, in the end,

Mey direét, that ‘if he can, with propriety,
“ accept of the office cf Roy Royan, he thould
* be forthwith appointed thereto.”

On
C3]

‘On the 18th ‘of Oober, 1775, the Gover-
nor General and Council confidering the generat
jotené of the preceding orders, and oblerving
that the Court of Direétors had fallen into =
miftake with refpett to che office of Roy Royan,
which could nor be held by a Muffulman, de-
termined to recommend Mahomed Reza Cawn
to that of Naib Subadar, on the fame principles
which the Compaoy themfelves had adopted,
and precifely on the plan which they had po-
fitively ordered to be purfued, in their letter
of the ath of Auguit, 1771, for the adminif-
ftration of the affairs of the country “govern
ment. The refolution of the Board was oppofed
by Mr. Haftings and Mr. Barwell, but highly
approved of by the Court of Direétors. In
their letter of the 24th of December, 1776, they
fay, * That his abilities have been fufficiently
“ manifelted , chat official experience qualifies
* him for {0 high a ftation, in a more eminent
“* degree than any other native with whom the
Company has becti connegted : That, as io
* proofs of mal-adminiftration have been efta-
blithed againft him, during the ftri& invetti-
« gation of his condudé, of fince his retire
«© ment, they cannot but approve of the Board's
recommendation of him to the Nabob, to con=
“* ftituee him his Naib: ‘Thar they are well,

« pleafed at his having received chat appoint,
“ ment, and that they authorize the Board to
€ affare him of their favour.”

Bo Qa