And the said Warren Hastings
is further culpable in not communicating to the Council Board the order
which he had, of his own authority, and without any powers from them,
given to the said Resident, Willes, and did thereby prevent them from
taking such steps as might counteract the ill effects of the said order;
which order purported, that the said Willes was not to interfere with
the Nabob of Furruckabad's government, for the regulation of which he
was in effect appointed to the Residency,--declaring as follows: "I rely
much on your moderation and good judgment, which I hope will enable you
to regulate your conduct towards the Nabob and his _servants_ in such a
manner, that, _without interfering in the executive part of his
government_, you may render him essential service by _your council and
advice_." And this restriction the said Hastings did impose, which
totally frustrated the purpose of the Resident's mission, though he well
knew, and had frequently stated, the extreme imbecility and weakness of
the said Nabob of Furruckabad, and his subjection to unworthy servants;
and in the Minute of Consultation upon which he founded the appointment
did state the Nabob of Furruckabad "as a weak and unexperienced young
man, who had abandoned himself entirely to the discretion of his
servants, and the restoration of his independence was followed by a
_total_ breach of the engagements he had promised to fulfil, attended by
pointed instances of contumacy and disrespect"; and in the said minute
the said Hastings adds, (as before mentioned,) his principal servant and
manager had propagated a report that the "_interference_" (namely, his,
the said Hastings's, interference) "to which his master owed the power
he then enjoyed was purchased by him," the principal servant aforesaid:
yet he, the said Hastings, who had assigned on record the character of
the said Nabob, and the conduct of his servants, and the aforesaid
report of his principal servant, so highly dishonorable to him, the said
Hastings, as reasons for taking away the independency of the Nabob of
Furruckabad, and the subjecting him to the oppression of the Nabob of
Oude's officer, Almas Ali, did again himself establish the pretended
independence of the said prince of Furruckabad, and the real
independence of his corrupt and perfidious servants, not against the
Nabob of Oude, but against a British Resident appointed by himself ("as
a character eminently qualified for such a charge") for the correction
of those evils, and for rendering the prince aforesaid an useful ally to
the Company, and restoring his dominions to order and plenty.
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