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Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797

"The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 08 (of 12)"

"
That the said Warren Hastings did declare to the Court of Directors,
that in his opinion the mode of relief most effectual, and most lenient
with regard to Furruckabad, would be to nominate one of the family of
the prince to superintend his affairs and to secure the payments; but
this plan, which appears to be most connected with the rights of the
ruling family, whilst it provides against the imbecility of the natural
lord, and is free from his objection to a Resident, is the only one
which the said Hastings never has executed, or even proposed to execute.
That the said Hastings, by the agreements aforesaid, has left the
Company in such an alternative, that they can neither relieve the said
prince of Furruckabad from oppression without a breach of the
engagements entered into by him, the said Hastings, with the Nabob
Vizier in the name of the Company, nor suffer him to remain under the
said oppression without violating all faith and all the rules of justice
with regard to him. And the said Hastings hath directly made or
authorized no less than six revolutions in less than five years in the
aforesaid harassed province; by which frequent and rapid changes of
government, all of them made in contradiction to all his own declared
motives and reasons for the several acts successively done and undone in
this transaction, the distresses of the country and the disorders in its
administration have been highly aggravated; and in the said irregular
proceedings, and in the gross and complicated violations of faith with
all parties, the said Hastings is guilty of high crimes and
misdemeanors.


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