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
This letter is addressed to the Honorable the Court of Directors, dated
Fort William, 22d May, 1782. He tells them he had promised to account
for the ten lacs of rupees which he had received, and this promise, he
says, he now performs, and that he takes that opportunity of accounting
with them likewise for several other sums which he had received. His
words are,--
"This promise I now perform, and, deeming it consistent with the spirit
of it, I have added such other sums as have been occasionally converted
to the Company's property through my means, in consequence of the like
original destination. Of the second of these sums you have already been
advised in a letter which I had the honor to address the Honorable Court
of Directors, dated 29th November, 1780. Both this and the third article
were paid immediately to the treasury, by my order to the sub-treasurer
to receive them on the Company's account, but never passed through my
hands. The three sums for which bonds were granted were in like manner
paid to the Company's treasury, without passing through my hands, but
their _application_ was not specified. The sum of 50,000 current rupees
was received while I was on my journey to Benares, and applied as
expressed in the account.
"As to the manner in which these sums have been expended, the reference
which I have made of it in the accompanying account, to the several
accounts in which they are credited, renders any other specification of
it unnecessary,--_besides_ that these accounts either have or will have
received a much stronger authentication than any that I could give to
mine."
I wish your Lordships to attend to the next paragraph, which is meant by
him to explain why he took bribes at all,--why he took bonds for some of
them, as moneys of his own, and not moneys of the Company,--why he
entered some upon the Company's accounts, and why of the others he
renders no account at all. Light, however, will beam upon you as we
proceed.
"Why these sums were taken by me,--why they were, except the second,
quietly transferred to the Company's use,--why bonds were taken for the
first, and not for the rest,--might, were this matter exposed to the
view of the public, furnish a variety of conjectures, to which it would
be of little use to reply. Were your Honorable Court to question me on
these points, I would answer, that the sums were taken for the Company's
benefit, at times when the Company very much needed them,--that I either
chose to conceal the first receipts from public curiosity by receiving
bonds for the amount, or possibly acted without any studied design which
my memory could at this distance of time verify, and that I did not
think it worth my care to observe the same means with the rest. I trust,
Honorable Sirs, to your breasts for a candid interpretation of my
actions,--and assume the freedom to add, that I think myself, on such a
subject, on such _an occasion_, entitled to it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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