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
In that clandestine manner, in the Nabob's own house, in his own capital
city, in the lodging of his dependant and pensioner, Colonel Morgan,
with no other witness that we know of than Mr. Middleton, was this
iniquitous, dark procedure held, to criminate the mother of the Nabob.
We here see a scene of dark, mysterious contrivance: let us now see what
is brought out in the face of open day. The attestations themselves,
which you have seen on the record before you. They were brought
out--where? there? No: they were brought out in another place; they were
brought out at Calcutta,--but were never communicated to the Nabob. He
never knew anything of the matter. Let us now see what those
attestations were. Your Lordships will bear in mind that I do not advert
to this thing, which they bring as evidence, in the way of imputation of
its being weak, improper, and insufficient evidence, but as an
incontrovertible proof of crimes, and of a systematic design to ruin
the accused party, by force there and by chicane here: these are the
principles upon which I am going to talk to you upon this abominable
subject,--of which, I am sorry to say, I have no words sufficient to
express my horror. No words can express it; nor can anything but the
severity of your Lordships' judgments find an adequate expression of it.
It is not to be expressed in words, but in punishment.
Having stated before whom the evidence collected in this body of
affidavits was taken, I shall now state who the persons were that gave
it. They were those very persons who were guilty of robbing and ruining
the whole country: yes, my Lords, the very persons who had been accused
of this in the mass by Mr. Hastings himself. They were nothing less than
the whole body of those English officers who were usurping the office of
farmers-general, and other lucrative offices in the Nabob's government,
and whose pillage and peculations had raised a revolt of the whole
kingdom against themselves. These persons are here brought in a mass to
clear themselves of this charge by criminating other persons, and
clandestinely imputing to them the effect of their own iniquity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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