The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 10 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 10 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
My Lords, what evidence do we produce to your Lordships of the
consequences of Mr. Hastings's corrupt measures? His own. He here gives
you the state into which the country was thrown by the criminal
interference of the wicked woman whom he had established in power,
totally superseding the regular judicial authority of the country, and
throwing everything into confusion. As usual, there is such irregularity
in his conduct, and his crimes are so multiplied, that all the
contrivances of ingenuity are unable to cover them. Now and then he
comes and betrays himself; and here he confesses you his own weakness,
and the effects of his own corruption: he had appointed Munny Begum to
this office of power, he dare not say a word to her upon her abuse of
it, but he lays the whole upon the Nabob. When the Chief-Justice
complains that these crimes were the consequence of Munny Begum's
interference, and were committed by her creatures, why did he not say to
the Nabob, "The Begum must not interfere; the Begum's eunuchs must not
interfere"? He dared not: because that woman had concealed all the
bribes but one from public notice to gratify him; she and Yatibar Ali
Khan, her minister, who had the principal share in this destruction of
justice and perversion of all the principal functions of government, had
it in their power to discover the whole. Mr. Hastings was obliged, in
consequence of that concealment, to support her and to support him.
Every evil principle was at work. He bought a mercenary silence to pay
the same back to them. It was a wicked silence, the concealment of their
common guilt. There was at once a corrupt gratitude operating mutually
by a corrupt influence on both, and a corrupt fear influencing the mind
of Mr. Hastings, which did not permit him to put an end to this scene of
disorder and confusion, bought at the expense of twenty-four thousand
pounds a year to the Company. You will hereafter see what use he makes
of the evidence of Yatibar Ali Khan, and of this woman, for concealing
their guilt.
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