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
IX. The demand, as expressed in the Minute of Consultation, and in the
public instructions of the board to the Resident to make the
requisition, is "for such part of the cavalry entertained in his service
as he can spare"; and the demand is in this and in no other manner
described by the Governor-General and Council in their letter to the
Court of Directors. But in a Narrative of the said Warren Hastings's,
addressed to Edward Wheler, Esquire, it appears, that, upon the Rajah's
making difficulties, according to the representation of the said
Hastings, relative to the said requisition, the correspondence
concerning which the said Hastings hath fraudulently suppressed, he, the
said Hastings, instead of adhering to the requisition of such cavalry
_as the Rajah could spare_, and which was all that by the order of
Council he was authorized to make, did, of his own private and arbitrary
authority, in some letter which he hath suppressed, instruct the
Resident, Markham, to make a peremptory demand for two thousand cavalry,
which he well knew to be more than the Rajah's finances could support,
estimating the provision for the same at 96,000_l._ a year at the
lowest, though the expense of the same would probably have been much
more: which extravagant demand the said Hastings could only have made in
hopes of provoking the Rajah to some imprudent measure or passionate
remonstrance. And this arbitrary demand of cavalry was made, and
peremptorily insisted on, although in the original treaty with the said
Rajah it was left entirely optional whether or not he should keep up any
cavalry at all, and in the Minute of Consultation it was expressly
mentioned to be thus optional, and that for whatsoever cavalry he, the
said Rajah, should furnish, he should be paid fifteen rupees per month
for each private, and so in proportion for officers: yet the demand
aforesaid was made without any offer whatsoever of providing the said
payment according to treaty.
X. That the said Hastings did soon after, but upon what grounds does not
appear by any Minute of Council, or from any correspondence contained in
his Narrative, reduce the demand to fifteen hundred, and afterwards to
one thousand: by which he showed himself to be sensible of the
extravagance of his first requisition.
XI. That, in consequence of these requisitions, as he asserts in his
Narrative aforesaid, the Rajah "did offer two hundred and fifty horse,
but sent none." But the said Hastings doth not accompany his said
Narrative with any voucher or document whatever; and therefore the
account given by the Rajah, and delivered to the said Warren Hastings
himself, inserted by the said Warren Hastings himself in his Narrative,
and in no part thereof attempted to be impeached, is more worthy of
credit: that is to say,--
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