The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 08 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 08 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
With regard to the Supreme Council, the members who chose (for it was
choice only) to attend to the orders which were issued from the
languishing authority of the Directors continued to receive unprofitable
applauses and no support. Their correspondence was always filled with
complaints, the justice of which was always admitted by the Court of
Directors; but this admission of the existence of the evil showed only
the impotence of those who were to administer the remedy. The authority
of the Court of Directors, resisted with success in so capital an
instance as that of the resignation, was not likely to be respected in
any other. What influence it really had on the conduct of the Company's
servants may be collected from the facts that followed it.
The disobedience of Mr. Hastings has of late not only become uniform and
systematical in practice, but has been in principle, also, supported by
him, and by Mr. Barwell, late a member of the Supreme Council in Bengal,
and now a member of this House.
In the Consultation of the 20th of July, 1778, Mr. Barwell gives it as
his solemn and deliberate opinion, that, "while Mr. Hastings is in the
government, the respect and dignity of his station should be supported.
In these sentiments, I must decline an acquiescence in _any_ order which
has a _tendency_ to bring the government into disrepute. As the Company
have the means and power of forming their own administration in India,
they may at pleasure place whom they please at the head; but in my
opinion they are not authorized to treat a person in that post with
_indignity_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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