The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
My Lords, before I take leave of this affair of bribes and of the great
bribe-broker, let me just offer a remark to your Lordships upon one
curious transaction. My Lords, we have charged a bribe taken from the
Nabob of Oude, and we have stated the corrupt and scandalous proceeding
which attended it. I thought I had done with Oude; but as there is a
golden chain between all the virtues, so there is a golden chain which
links together all the vices. Mr. Hastings, as you have seen, and as my
honorable colleague has fully opened it to you, received a bribe or
corrupt present from the Nabob of Oude in September, 1781. We heard no
more of this bribe than what we had stated, (no other trace of it ever
appearing in the Company's records, except in a private letter written
by Mr. Hastings to the Court of Directors, and afterwards in a
communication such as you have heard through Mr. Larkins,) till October,
1783.
But, my Lords, we have since discovered, through and in consequence of
the violent disputes which took place between Mr. Hastings and the clan
of Residents that were in Oude,--the Resident of the Company, Mr.
Bristow, the two Residents of Mr. Hastings, Mr. Middleton and Mr.
Johnson, and the two Residents sent by him to watch over all the rest,
Major Palmer and Major Davy,--upon quarrels, I say, between them, we
discovered that Mr. Middleton had received the offer of a present of
100,000_l._ in February, 1782. This circumstance is mentioned in a
letter of Mr. Middleton's, in which he informs Mr. Hastings that the
Nabob had destined such a sum for him.
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