The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
He had just before said, "If I ever talked of selling the Company's
sovereignty to the Nabob of Oude, it was only _in terrorem_." In the
face of this assertion, he here gives you to understand he never held
out anything _in terrorem_, but what he intended to execute. But we will
show you that in fact he had reserved to himself a power of acting _pro
re nata_, and that he intended to compound or not, just as answered his
purposes upon this occasion. "I admit," he says, "that I did not enter
it [the intention of fining Cheyt Sing] on the Consultations, because it
was not necessary; even this plan itself of the fine was not a fixed
plan, but to be regulated by circumstances, both as to the substantial
execution of it and the mode." Now here is a man who has given it in a
sworn narrative, that he did not intend to have a farthing less. Why?
"Because I should have menaced and done as in former times has been
done,--made great and violent demands which I reduce afterwards for my
own corrupt purposes." Yet he tells you in the course of the same
defence, but in another paper, that he had no fixed plan, that he did
not know whether he should exact a fine at all, or what should be his
mode of executing it.
My Lords, what shall we say to this man, who declares that it would be a
proof of corruption not to exact the full sum which he had threatened to
exact, but who, finding that this doctrine would press hard upon him,
and be considered as a proof of cruelty and injustice, turns round and
declares he had no intention of exacting anything? What shall we say to
a man who thus reserves his determination, who threatens to sell a
tributary prince to a tyrant, and cannot decide whether he should take
from him his forts and pillage him of all he had, whether he should
raise 500,000_l._ upon him, whether he should accept the 220,000_l._
offered, (which, by the way, we never knew of till long after the whole
transaction,) whether he should do any or all of those things, and then,
by his own account, going up to Benares without having resolved anything
upon this important subject?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account