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
XLII. That the obstruction aforesaid, and the evil consequences thereof,
were duly represented to the said Hastings; and though the said Hastings
had made it the fourth article of a criminal charge against the Resident
Middleton, "that he did not report to the Governor-General, or to the
board, the progress which he had made from time to time in his endeavors
to comply with his instructions, and that, if he met with any
impediments in the execution of them, he had omitted to state those
impediments, and to apply for fresh orders upon them," yet he, the said
Hastings, did give no manner of support to the Resident Bristow against
the said Hyder Beg Khan, and did not even answer several of his letters,
the said Bristow's letters, stating the said impediments, or take any
notice of his remonstrances, but did at length revoke his own
instructions, declaring that he, the said Resident, should not presume
to act upon the same, and yet did not furnish him with any others, upon
which he might act, but did uphold the said Hyder Beg Khan in the
obstruction by him given to the performance of the first and fundamental
duty of all government,--namely, the administration of justice, and the
protection of the lives and property of the subject against wrong and
violence.
XLIII. That the said Hastings did afterwards proceed to the length of
criminating the Resident Bristow aforesaid for his endeavors to
establish the said necessary court, as an invasion of the rights of the
Nabob's government,--when, if the Nabob in his own proper person and
character, and not the aforesaid Hyder Beg, (who was a creature of the
said Hastings,) had opposed the reestablishment of justice in the said
country, it was the duty of the said Hastings to have pressed the same
upon him by every exertion of his influence. And the said Warren
Hastings, in his pretended attention to the Nabob's authority, when
exercised by his, the said Hastings's, minister, to prevent the
establishment of courts of justice for the protection of life and
property, at the same time that he did not hesitate, in the case of the
confiscation of the jaghires, and the proceedings against the mother and
grandmother of the Nabob, totally to supersede his authority, and to
force his inclinations in acts which overturned all the laws of
property, and offered violence to all the sentiments of natural
affection and duty, and accusing at the same time his instruments for
not going to the utmost lengths in the execution of his said orders, is
guilty of an high crime and misdemeanor.
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