The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
VIII. That, in the conclusion of the said ceremony, the Nabob Fyzoola
Khan did deliver to the said Barwell, for the use of the Vizier, a
_nuzzer_ (or present) of elephants, horses, &c., and did add thereto a
lac of rupees, or 10,000_l._ and upwards: which sum the said Barwell,
"not being authorized to accept any pecuniary consideration, did at
first refuse; but upon Fyzoola Khan's urging, that on such occasions it
was the invariable custom of Hindostan, and _that it must on the present
be expected, as it had been formerly the case_," (but when does not
appear,) he, the said Barwell, did accept the said lac in the name of
the Vizier, our ally, "in whose wealth" (as Warren Hastings on another
occasion observed) "we should participate," and on whom we at that time
had an accumulating demand.
IX. That, over and above the lac of rupees thus presented to the Vizier,
the Nabob Fyzoola Khan did likewise offer one other lac of rupees, or
upwards of 10,000_l._ more, for the Company, "as some acknowledgment of
the obligation he received; that, although such acknowledgment was not
pretended to be the invariable custom of Hindostan on such occasions,
however it might on the present be expected," Mr. Daniel Barwell
aforesaid (knowing, probably, the disposition and views of the then
actual government at Calcutta) did not, _even at first_, decline the
said offer, but, as he was not empowered to accept it, did immediately
propose taking a bond for the amount, until the pleasure of the board
should be known.
That the offer was accordingly communicated by the said Barwell to the
Resident, Middleton, to be by him, the Resident, referred to the board,
and that it was so referred; that, in reply to the said reference of the
Resident, Middleton, the Governor-General, Warren Hastings, did move and
carry a vote of Council, "authorizing Mr. Middleton to accept the offer
made by Fyzoola Khan to the Company of one lac of rupees," without
assigning any reason whatever in support of the said motion,
notwithstanding it was objected by a member of the board, "that, if the
measure was right, it became us to adopt it without such a
consideration," and that "our accepting of the lac of rupees as a
recompense for our interposition is beneath the dignity of this
government [of Calcutta], and will discredit us in the eyes of the
Indian powers."
That the acceptance of the said sum, in this circumstance, was beneath
the dignity of the said government, and did tend so to discredit us; and
that the motion of the said Hastings for such acceptance was therefore
highly derogatory to the honor of this nation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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