Footnote 226: This protest, which is in the form of a letter, is dated the 11th of March, 1762.—Vide Parl. Rep., vol. iii. p. 252. Footnote 227: Messrs. Holwell, Pleydell, Sumner, and M'Guire. Footnote 228: The provinces of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong. Footnote 229: February 6, 1765. Footnote 230: February, 1765. Footnote 231: This man has been before mentioned. He was justly objectionable to the British government on account of the various intrigues and treasons in which he had been detected; and was imprisoned at Calcutta for his correspondence with its enemies during the reign of Cossim Ali. Footnote 232: Vide Mill's British India, vol. iii. p. 318. Footnote 233: There is some confusion in Mr. Mill's account of this transaction (vol. iii. p. 330.), from that accurate historian having overlooked the fact, that the appointment of Nujum-ud-Dowla was managed by Mr. Spencer and his council, Mr. Vansittart having previously set out for Europe.—See 3d Report of Committee of 1773, p. 21.; and Scott's Hist. of Bengal, vol. ii. pp. 439-447. Footnote 234: An exception must be made of the deposition of Meer Jaffier: Suraj-u-Dowla, and Cossim Ali respectively forfeited their authority in consequence of their unsuccessful attempts to destroy the power of the English. Footnote 235: 1763. Footnote 236: 1764. Footnote 237: Vide Parliamentary Reports, vol. iii. p. 312. Footnote 238: 1764. Footnote 239: Captain Williams' Memoir of the Bengal Native Army. Footnote 240: This letter is dated 27th April, 1764. Footnote 241: Clive's clear and practical mind here puts the question on its real basis. There is no other alternative. Footnote 242: "For the good of the Company," Clive observes in the letter already quoted, "I would propose that you should always have, in Bengal, four, or at least three, thousand Europeans; to consist of three battalions of seven hundred each; four companies of artillery of one hundred each; and five hundred light horse." Footnote 243: This select committee was composed of Lord Clive, General Carnac, Mr. Verelst, Mr. Sumner, and Mr. Sykes. The two latter accompanied Lord Clive from England. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAP. XIV. We have already adverted to the state of confusion in which affairs were at Bengal when Lord Clive landed. Never had an individual a more arduous task of reform; but he came to it with great local knowledge, with a full acquaintance with the characters of those by whom he was likely to be aided or thwarted, and with a mind determined at all hazards to execute the great work to which he had been called, almost by acclamation.