spects, as your lordships will find, with the in-door defence; but it probably contains the real sentiments of Mr. Hastings himself, delivered with a little more freeness when he gets into the open air, like the man who was so vain of some silly plot he had hatched, that he told it to the hackney coachman, and every man he met in the streets.

He says, "Begums are the ladies of an Eastern prince, but these women are also styled the ladies of the late vizier, and their sufferings are painted in such strong colors, that the unsuspecting reader is led to mix the subjects together, and to suppose that these latter too were princesses of Oude; that all their sufferings proceeded from some act of mine, or had the sanction of my authority or permission. The fact is, that the persons of the Khourd Mahl (or little seraglio) were young creatures, picked up wherever youth and beauty could be found, and mostly purchased from amongst the most necessitous and meanest ranks of the people, for the nabob's pleasures." In the in-door defence, he says, "The said women, who were mostly persons of low condition, and the said children, if any such there were, lived in the Khourd Mahl, on an establishment entirely distinct from the said begums."

My lords, you have seen what was the opinion of the nabob, who ought to know the nature and circumstances of his father's palace, respecting these women; you hear what Mr. Hastings's opinion is: and now the question is, whether your lordships will consider these women in the same light in which the person does who is most nearly connected with them, and most likely to know them; or in the way in which Mr. Hastings has thought proper within doors to describe. them. Your lordships will be pleased to observe, that he has brought no proof whatever of facts, which are so boldly asserted by him in defiance of proof to the contrary, totally at variance with the letter of the son of the man to whom these women belonged. Your lordships, I say, will remark, 24

VOL. VIII.

that he has produced not one word of evidence, either within the House of Commons, or the House of Peers, or in the lobby, or any where else, to verify any one word he has said. He slanders these women, in order to lessen that compassion which your lordships might have for the sufferings he inflicted upon them. But admitting that some of these women were of a meaner condition, and that they derived nothing from their connection with the dignity of the person by whom they had children, (and we know that in the whole they amounted to about fourscore children, the nabob having a race like the patriarchs of old, as many great persons in that part of the world still have,) supposing I say all this to be true; yet, when persons are reduced from ease and affluence to misery and distress, they naturally excite in the mind a greater degree of compassion by comparing the circumstances, in which they once stood, with those into which they are fallen; for famine, degradation, and oppression were famine, degradation, and oppression to those persons, even though they were as mean as Mr. Hastings chooses to represent them. But I hope, as you will sympathize with the great on account of their condition, that you will sympathize with all mankind on the ground of the common condition of humanity, which belongs to us all; therefore I hope your lordships will not consider the calumny of Mr. Hastings against those women, as any other than as an aggravation of his offence against them. That is the light in which the House of Commons considered it; for they had heard both his indoor and out-door defence, and they still persevered in making the charge, and do persevere in making it still.

We have first stated what these women were; in what light they stood with the nabob; in what light they stood with the country at large. I have now to state in what light they stood with the British government, previous to this invasion of their rights; and we will prove they were the actual subjects of a guaranty by the company.

Extract from an agreement made by Mr. Middleton, to all the particulars of which he engages to procure a treaty from the nabob Azoph ul Dowlah after his arrival, and that he will also sign it, as follows:

"First, that whenever the begum shall choose to go to Mecca, she shall be permitted to go."

"Second, that when the nabob shall arrive, I (Mr. Middleton) will procure suitable allowances to be made to the ladies of the zenana, and the children of the late nabob Sujah ul Dowlah, and take care that they are paid."

"Third, that the festivals (shaddee) and marriages of the children of the late nabob Sujah ul Dowlah, shall be at the disposal of the begum; whenever she thinks proper she shall marry them; and whatever money shall be necessary for these expenses shall be paid by the nabob."

'Fourth, that the Syer of Coda Gunge and Ally Gunge shall be retained by the begum as heretofore."

"Fifth, that I (Mr. Middleton) will, upon the arrival of the nabob, procure vizier Gunge and the garden of Sepoy dand Khân, or their equivalent, for the begum."

"Sixth, that I (Mr. Middleton) will endeavor to obtain from the nabob the sum of 1,150,000 rupees on account of the purchase of Metchee Bohaun, and the house of Sahebjee, and the fort of the Gossim, with the land and garden and the barraderry on the banks of Goomply, and bazar and garden of the house of Mahnarain and the house of Beng Peofand at Lucknow; all of which the nabob Azoph ul Dowlah has assumed possession of."

"Seventh, that I will settle with the nabob the allowances to be made in ready money to the ladies of the zenana and others specified, in the following amount :-Total, 17 lacks, 250 rupees per month."

"Eighth, upon the arrival of the nabob Azoph ul Dowlah Bahadre, I will endeavor with all my influence to settle the monthly allowances of Mohrum Ally Khân and Mahmud Eltifant Khân, &c., the attendants of the begums."

"Ninth, that, if the begum shall go to Mecca, she shall leave her mahals and jaghires to the begum, the mother of Azoph ul Dowlah, who shall remit the revenues thereof to the Burree Begum; no one shall prevent her enjoying her jaghires."

Now, my lords, we will read the copy of an engagement under the seal of the nabob Azoph ul Dowlah, and under the seal and signature in English, of Mr. Middleton, as follows:

"First, I, who am the nabob Azoph ul Dowlah Bahadre, do agree, that the jaghires and the ginges and monthly allowance of the officers and servants, and of the ladies of the zenana, and of those specified in the accounts annexed, shall be at the disposal and under the management and authority of the begum, and no one shall oppose or prevent it; this I will punctually observe. In this agreement Mr. Middleton and the English are engaged."

"Second, whenever the begum may choose to go to Mecca I will not oppose it."

"Third, whenever the begum should go to Mecca, she shall leave her lands, jaghires, &c., either in the care of my mother or of me; and I will procure bills for the amount of their revenues, and send them to her; no one shall oppose this."

"Fourth, the begum shall have authority over all the ladies of her zenana, she shall let them remain with me and not let them go any where without my permission, or keep them with her."

"Fifth, the jaghires Coda Gunge and Ally Gunge, &c. with the mahal and syer belonging to the begum and made over, shall remain as heretofore in her possession.-Total, 14,460 rupees per month."

"Eighth, the begum has authority over the ladies and attendants of the zenana; neither myself nor any one else will oppose it."

"Ninth, the begum (my grandmother) shall have the authority in all festivals, and in the marriage of the children of the late nabob Sujah ul Dowlah, and with the consent of my mother and myself, shall regulate them; excepting in the festivals, (shaddee,) the authority is mine."

"The English are guaranties to the above engagements, so long as the begum shall exist."

Your lordships will observe something here worthy of your notice. You will first perceive, that the very treaty in which Mr. Hastings, by his representative, Mr. Middleton, was a party concerned, supposes that the nabob Sujah ul Dowlah had other children besides the reigning prince by his sole legitimate wife; and yet Mr. Hastings in his defence has thought proper, with a full knowledge of that circumstance, to doubt whether there were any other children. You next see, that these women have Mr. Middleton's (that is, Mr. Hastings's) guaranty for the allowances which are made and settled upon them, and for the maintenance of their attendants, for the security and enjoyment of their own possessions, for their having a law officer of high rank, a moulavre of their own. In short, there is a regular establishment formed for all these women; they are not separated as a part distinct from the begums; but they are put, by this very guaranty, entirely under their management; the maintenance of the children is secured, the whole order and economy of their establishment is delivered entirely to the begum the grandmother, and the begum the mother of the nabob.

My lords, you see that all these arrangements have the solemn guaranty of the company, and that these women form a very considerable part of that guaranty; and therefore your lordships will not treat their sufferings, inflicted in violation of the company's own settlement and guaranty, as a matter of no consideration for you. But to proceed

We have proved to your lordships, that the nabob was reduced to a state of the greatest possible misery and distress;