Hastings
proposed, as a compromise, a division of the object in question. One
half was to be surrendered to the authority of the Court of Directors,
the other was reserved for his dignity. But the choice he made of his
own share in this partition is very worthy of notice. He had taken his
_sole_ ground of objection against Mr. Bristow on the supposed ill
effect that such an appointment would have on the minds of the Indian
powers. He said, "that these powers could have no dependence on his
fulfilling his engagements, _or maintaining the faith of treaties_ which
he might offer for their acceptance, if they saw him treated with such
contempt." Mr. Bristow's appearing in a political character was the
_whole_ of his complaint; yet, when he comes to a voluntary distribution
of the duties of the office, he gives Mr. Bristow those very political
negotiations of which but the day before he had in such strong terms
declared him personally incapable, whose appointment he considered to be
fatal to those negotiations, and which he then spoke of as a measure in
_itself_ such as the bitterest adversary to Great Britain would have
proposed.
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