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terms peculiarly ftrong and pointed, reprobated. He ridicu-
led the idea of juftice, which, with a view to establish this
peint, the honourable gentleman had broached. There was
a tribunal for individuals, but none for nations. Was there
then no law by which bodies of men acting in a focial and po-
litical capacity were bound to act with fidelity and confi-
dence in their mutual intercourfe? Was Mr. Haftings, in the
fituation of Governor General, fuperior to right and wrong?
The obligations of juftice were fundamental. They origina-
ted in a nature, and were not to be violated by any fubfe-
quent or adventitious fyftem whatfoever. He defired the
Committee might recollect that Mr. Haftings was account-
able, if not to the Directors, to his country, or to Parlia-
ment, (at least to his Maker) for the ufe which he made of
the powers he poffeffed. If thefe were occupied in inftances
of violence and outrage to his fellow creatures, would not
He who made them, as well as him, require their blood at
his hands? He trufted we should hear no more of the justice
of the Rohilla war. He was astonished to hear of the treache-
ry and refractory tempers of thefe people, and that the re-
covery of the money they owed to Sujah Dowlah was the
fole caufe of making war upon them. Who were guarran-
tees for that debt? Even fuppofing that the English were, fby
the fignature of an officer in the Company's fervice, who hap-
pened to be on the fpot when the negociation was concluded,
and who put his name to the deed as a witnefs, by what means
was the party failing dealt with for enforcing the terms of
the agreement? Was any remonftrance made on the subject
prior to the commencement of hoftilities? But, after all,.
what concern had we in the enmities and feuds, or projects
of Sujah Dowlah? Surely not any to warrant the fubfequent
fteps purfued against that harmless, but devoted, people,
Buides, how were their territories marked out?-By a cool
geographical line of deftruction, a beautiful, compact, coun-
try, lying between the mountains and the Ganges, was en-
tirely profcribed. He reafoned against the principle or fyftem
on which that fanguinary and peculating government had
been conducted. He contended, that notwithstanding all
he had heard, the facts were all against Mr. Haftings, and
that he did not therefore in juftice to the country, to him-
felf, or the great caufe of right, as oppofed by wrong, vote
but for the question.

Mr. Young ftated his objections or the difficulties which Mr. Young, occurred to him against voting on the question in its present form. He therefore propofed an amendment, that after the words of the original queftion thefe fhould be added, "and for impeachment thereupon."

Q92

Mr.

Mr. Chan- Mr. Chancellor Pitt ftated what he conceived to be the cellor Pitt. meaning of the honourable gentleman in putting this queftion; but added, that he was not, for one, very ftrenuous which way it might go.

Mr. Fox.

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Mr. Fox spoke to order, and endeavoured to fatisfy the House that the amendment was unnecellary, and as it interfered with the debate in a very unfeafonable manner, ought in his opinion to be withdrawn.

Mr. Scott argued for the amendment. He ftated the embarraffinent he fhould be under of voting on the queílion as it flood at prefent. He repelled feveral things which had been alledged the preceding evening, which, in his opinion, bore hard on the profeflion. He declared that he had no connection with Mr. Haftings, and that he was no otherwife interested in the queftion before the Committee than as it concerned his own honour as a man, and his duty as a meinber of Parliament.

Mr. Wilberforce faid, that far from agreeing with the honourable gentleman, he muft infiit that the mode the Houfe had preferred was that in which they ought to perfevere.

Mr. Fox ftated what he conceived to be the proper mode of procedure, and exculpated himself from 'faying any thing illiberal of the profeffion.

Mr. Jenkinson urged the neceffity of adopting the amend

ment.

Mr. Fox reminded the right honourable gentleman, that the speech (from Mr. Grenville) to which he had alluded, had been spoken feventeen years ago. It was, however, a fpeech against which that right honourable gentleman had then voted. And it was frange that the right honourable gentleman fhould now quote a fpeech againft which he had acted feventeen years ago, merely because it now coincided with his opinion. He obferved at the fame time, that the right honourable gentleman had a habit of coming forward with his hints on India matters. He had already felt him in that way, and he fhould always regard every interference of that kind with the jealoufy it de ferved.

Mr. Jenkinson obferved, that the right honourable gentleman was not convinced by the fpecch he had alluded to more than he was, and that he had been as backward in conviction. He owned he had interfered, and, he trufled, with influence, against the measures of that right honourable gentleman.

Mr. Sheridan congratulated the right honourable gentleman on having fo explicitly avowed what all the world knew and believed, but which had not hitherto been rendered thus obvious and notorious.

Mr. Fox expreffed his apprehenfion that there was an intention fomewhere to implicate the general queftion of impeach

ment

ment with the particular one of the juftice of the Rohilla war. If any thing fo unfair could really be meant, he trusted the Houfe would fee through fo pitiful a manoeuvre, and treat it with reprobation. But when he confidered the time of its introduction. the engagement with the Minister that each article fhould be decided on by itfelf, and especially the cagernefs with which the right honourable gentleman had interefted himself in the iffue of the debate. he could be at no lofs how to account for this very extraordinary motion. He might have been in an error as well as himiclf, and oppofed the fpeech before mentioned; but he was not in Parliament. He adverted to his ufing the word influence, and regarded it as an error not intended. He declared that he could give the right honourable gentleman full credit for all he had afferted, and referred to what he and his friends had fuffered from that influence.

The question was at length put on the amendment: Ayes 140.-Noes 65.

Mr. Burton argued that as the ally of Sujah Dowlah, we Mr. Burcould not avoid entering into the Rohilla war. He detailed ton. all the circumstances of that war, and concluded with a panegyric on the merits of Mr. Haftings. His abilities, he faid, were fhining and commanding; and he was not more remarkable for genius than for humanity. Humanity, indeed, was the leading trait in his character; and fuch was his tendernefs of nature, that it approached even to womanish weak nefs.

Mr. Wilberforce thought that the Rohilla war was under- Mr. Wiltaken by Mr. Haftings unneceffarily, and profecuted with berforce, cruelty; but he did not believe that this cruelty was imputable to Mr. Haftings, any otherwife than he had employed, or at leaft empowered a man fo vindictive and cruel as Sujah Dowlah, to be the inftrument of that war. The guarrantee he confidered merely as a fpecious plea. It amounted to no more, and could not, in any found reafoning, be faid to have pledged the British faith to the Vizier, to affist him in his rapacious fcheme on the Rohillas. Thinking as he did with refpect to the queftion of the Rohilla war, he muft, of courfe, agree to the prefent motion; but, on the general queftion for the impeachment of Mr. Haflings, he confeffed he fhould hefitate. The Rohilla war was a fubject of fo long a date, that he felt himself unhappy at the idea of raking it up after fuch a length of time. It was the duty of the noble Lord in the blue ribband, who underftood the whole of the bufinefs fo well, and who was the Minifter at the time, to have recalled Mr. Haftings. The answer which he had given to the noble Earl in the blue ribbard, who had charged him with this neglect of duty, had not been answered to his fatisfaction.

Mr. Chan

tisfaction. But it was not the length of time that had elapfed only which influenced his mind. The fublequent merits and general character of Mr. Haftings (he contelled) weighed with him againt particular errors. He had left our affairs in a more profperous condition than they had been in for years before-and he had frent his life and damaged his health in our fervice. To punith Mr. Hattings now was like eating the mutton of the heep which we had previoufly fhorn of its fleece.. Certainly we ought to have recalled him when he committed the fault? but having fuffered him to wear out his conftitution in our fervice, it was wrong to try him when he could be of no farther ufe. Of the criminality of Mr. Haltings in regard to the Rohilla war he was perfectly convinced. The original contract was certainly not fo much for the recovery of a fum of money as for the extirpation of the people; and it was a pitiful and ridiculous thing in us to queftion the title of the Rohillas to the country which they poffefied. Their title was the fame as our own derived from the fword. What were we but the Rohillas of Bengal? It was a contract not defenfible for an end inhuman and fcandalous.

Mr. Chancellor Pitt moved, that thefe words be left out, celior Pitt. and there be added in their place, "by impeachment."

Mr. Fox.

The motion thus amended was, "That having confider"ed the charge of the Rohilla war, and examined evidence "thereupon, this Committee is of opinion, that upon the 66 matter of the faid charge, there is ground for a charge "of high crimes and mildemeanors against Warren Haf"tings, by impeachment."

Mr. Fox rofe next and faid,

Mr. St. John,

I rife up, at this hour, to exprefs what I think with regard to this bufinefs, after combating two days about the form in which it should be put. It is indeed to me of very little confequence, in what fhape the queftion is brought before us: I want only to come at the ground upon which the matter flands; I with only to meet the thing itfelf fairly and openly; the participation, the guilt, the criminality which may justly be imputed to Mr. Haftings, with regard to the war with the Rohillas-a war carried on to their ruin, deftruction, extirmination, or any other name you may please to give it, for it was certainly more than conqueft. This is the object to which I have done all in my power to call the attention of this Houfe; and I must confefs that I am not a little furprised that it has been fo much evaded, as it certainly has been, and that in a manner extremely marked.

The first charge exhibited by my right honourable friend, (Mr. Burke) appeared not to meet the wifhes of the House.

A charge

A charge fpecific of particular facts, was called for-this was complied with. My honourable friend brought a charge entirely of the nature and defcription of what had been demanded it was then thought more agreeable to gentlemen to move a question upon the charge as it originally food: this was agreed to with equal facility.

Had I forefeen the ufe that would have been made of these conceffions, I would never have confented; I do not mean that my confent would have been of any avail, but I would have debated to the laft, rather than fuffered the motion to take the form it has now affumed.

It has indeed always been my opinion, that the best mode of proceeding in this bufinefs, was to move a general queftion, whether the whole of the charges contained matter of impeachment; and if this fhould be the opinion of the Committee, to confider what particular articles were to make a part of this impeachment; and had it not been that I confided in the declarations of the right honourable gentleman over against me (Mr. Pitt) I would have flill perfifted in this marner of taking up the bufinefs.

It is my opinion that the number, as well as the weight of the crimes that might be found, fhould go in the minds of gentlemen who form a refolution for impeachment; that the crimes fhould be great and enormous; and that not only fhould they bear that character, but that they fhould be in number very confiderable, in order that the aggregate and not the individuals alone, might form ground for inducing this Houfe to prefent them before the Houfe of Peers, in the only mode in which they can charge any man, that of impeachment. The right honourable gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) profeffes entirely to agree with me in this point; he has declared that he does not confider the vote upon this article, or any one article, as pledging gentlemen to impeach, if upon a retrospect of the whole, after having gone through each, they do not find grounds to lead them to fuch a determination.

But although the right honourable gentleman professes this to be his opinion, I muft contend he means fomething else; why, otherwife, would he be fo much for retaining the word impeachment at all in the motion? If, as he declares, the vote is folely whether there are high crimes and mifdemeanors imputable to Warren Haftings, in this charge, that word can only tend to mislead, and occafion a fenfe of the motion before the Houfe different from what it really is in its true intention. As I have faid a good deal upon this in the course of the evening, I beg only that it may not be mifunderstood by gentlemen, and that the motion may be taken in the fenfe explained by the right honourable gentle

man

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