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
His accuser was supposed to be what men may be, and yet very competent
for accusers, namely, one of his accomplices in guilty actions,--one of
those persons who may have a great deal to say of bribes. All that I
contend for is, that he was in the closest intimacy with Mr. Hastings,
was in a situation for giving bribes,--and that Mr. Hastings was proved
afterwards to have received a sum of money from him, which may be well
referred to bribes.
This example had its use in the way in which it was intended to operate,
and in which alone it could operate. It did not discourage forgeries:
they went on at their usual rate, neither more nor less: but it put an
end to all accusations against all persons in power for any corrupt
practice. Mr. Hastings observes, that no man in India complains of him.
It is generally true. The voice of all India is stopped. All complaint
was strangled with the same cord that strangled Nundcomar. This murdered
not only that accuser, but all future accusation; and not only defeated,
but totally vitiated and reversed all the ends for which this country,
to its eternal and indelible dishonor, had sent out a pompous embassy of
justice to the remotest parts of the globe.
But though Nundcomar was put out of the way by the means by which _he_
was removed, a part of the charge was not strangled with him. Whilst the
process against Nundcomar was carrying on before Sir Elijah Impey, the
process was continuing against Mr. Hastings in other modes; the receipt
of a part of those bribes from Munny Begum, to the amount of 15,000_l._,
was proved against him, and that a sum to the same amount was to be paid
to his associate, Mr. Middleton. As it was proved at Calcutta, so it
will be proved at your Lordships' bar to your entire satisfaction by
records and living testimony now in England. It was, indeed, obliquely
admitted by Mr. Hastings himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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