encroach more and more every day on his other avocations, and interfere with the discharge of his other duties. He had always expressed, and he continued to express, the most marked and unqualified reprobation of lord Wellesley's system of war and conquest in India; and he professed, on the part of the government to which he belonged, a determination to pursue, in regard to that country, a totally different system. But, in changing the late system of Indian politics, he was averse to any retrospective inquiry with a view to punishment. It was unnecessary to prosecute such an inquiry, after the system complained of had been abandoned, and the persons who had carried it on, removed from office; and, in general, he observed, it was inexpedient to impeach men for errors of system, unless when, in support of it, they had been guilty of acts of great delinquency. Whether the delinquencies of lord Wellesley were such as to merit impeachment, was a question on which Mr. Fox declared, that he had not yet made up his mind, but, whenever the subject came before him, he should act as the case seemed to require. He added, that he would take no part in the previous stages of the inquiry. He had resolved, after the unsatisfactory result of Mr. Hastings' trial, to have no further concern in In dian impeachments; and in his present official situation, he thought it would be unbecoming in him to take an active part against a person under accusation. Ministers ought, in general, to abstain from interfering in inquiries of this nature, and leave the task to other members of the house; that no weight might be lent to accusations, except what they derive

from the individual who prefers them, and from the force of truth. The influence of this last consideration on Mr. Fox's mind appeared' from his conduct in lord Melville's trial; for, though he had been active in bringing that noble personage to the bar of the house of lords, and though as one of the managers of the im peachment named by the commons, he attended, in that capacity, in Westminster Hall, on the first day of the trial, he took no part what. ever in the subsequent proceedings, though several legal and constitu tional questions were agitated during the trial, in which his opinion would have had great authority against the defendant.

Mr. Francis, whose name, through a long course of years, has been associated with whatever is right or meritorious in Indian politics, though he expressed a most decided opinion of lord Wellesley's delinquency, yet declined, from personal reasons, to have any concern in his impeachment, and declared, that it was his intention, in future, to withdraw himself generally from the discussion of political questions purely and properly Indian, and not involving any immediate British interest. But, notwithstanding this declaration, he was found at his post during the remaining part of the session, on all questions relating to India, and ever ready to support Mr. Paull in the prosecution of his inquiry.

Mr George Johnstone, a friend of Mr. Paull, who, before the return of lord Wellesley to England, had expressed himself most violently against that nobleman's conduct in India, took occasion, early in the present session, to inform the house, that he had dissuaded Mr. Pauli

from this prosecution; and though he still professed to disapprove of lord Wellesley's administration, he was careful to add, that he was lar from recommending an inquiry into his conduct, with the view of founding upon it any criminal charge against him. Mr. Paull was, therefore, left during a great part of the present session, without any zealous or steady supporter in parliament except lord Folkstone. Insomuch that, having imprudently brought forward, in the absence of that no bleman, his first charge against lord W llesley, not only without any documents to support it, but without securing any person to second his motion for taking it into farther consideration; the house had actually to wait in suspense for several minutes, till sir William Geary rose and seconded the motion, declaring at the same time, that he had no decided opinion upon the subject, and that he only seconded the mo tion, because he thought a question of that importance should not be al lowed to fall to the ground. But, this defenceless unprotected state, in which Mr. Paul stood for ward, alone and insulated, without assistance or encouragement, as the accuser of a nobleman, whose vic torious administration had reflected so much splendor on the British empire in India, was ultimately most favourable to his cause. For, it encouraged the friends and adherents of lord Wellesley to attempt to browbeat and reduce to silence his accuser, in a manner so indecent and outrageous, as to rouse against them a spirit of resistance in the house, which gave to Mr. Paull and his accusation a degree of weight and consideration, which they seemed not, at one time, to have any chance of ever attaining. The per

sons, who were thus induced latterly to support Mr. Paull with the greatest warmth and steadiness, were Mr. Windham, Dr. Laurence, lord A. Hamilton, the marquis of Douglas, Mr. Martin (of Tewkesbury) and the solicitor general, and many other members lent him occasionally their assistance.

As little real progress, however, was made in the prosecution against lord Wellesley, during the present session, though much time was cmployed in discussions relating to it, we shall give a very short account of the proceedings,

Various motions were made by Mr. Paul and others on the one hand, and by the friends of marquis Wellesley on the other, for papers in crimination or exculpation of that nobleman, and all of them were granted, without opposition, by the house; except a paper moved for by lord A. Hamilton (April 21st, 1806), entituled a dispatch approved by the court of directors, dated 3rd of April 1805, to the governor general in council," which after a long debate was refused by the house on a division. This paper had been already produced at the India house, and printed and circu lated. It was not, therefore, wanted for the sake of information, nor was it called for on account of any proceeding then before the house. The noble lord, who moved for it, disclaimed any intention of using it as a ground of charge or point of evidence against lord Wellesley; nor could it in justice be used as a ground of crimination against that nobleman; for it merely contained the opinion of the court of direc tors, with respect to his adminis tration, and had not even been transmitted to him in India, having been stopped by the board of con

troul

among European sovereigns. It is but justice to sir Arthur Wellesley to add, that he rejected with disdain, on the part of his brother, so profligate a ground of defence; and both Mr. Fox and Mr Francis expressed their surprise and indignation, at hearing such unprincipled doctrines advanced.

an

In consequence of a motion of Jord Temple, which was intended to bring this charge to a more speedy decision, but which had precisely the opposite effect, the Oude charge was not taken into consideration till the 18th of June; when, after unsuccessful attempt of Mr. Bankes to dispose of the whole accusation, by referring it to the India tribunal, established by the act of 1784, the house went into a com. mittee, for the examination of evidence on the charge. The examination was resumed on the 19th, 20th, and 23rd of Juue, and the evidence having been printed, an attempt was made by the friends of lord Wellesley to bring the house to a final decision upon the charge on the 6th of July. But, this attempt was resisted with great firmness and force of argument, by Mr. Windham, Dr. Laurence and the solicitor general; and Mr. Paull having declared, that several important documents were still wanting to enable him to proceed in the case, the mo tion for going into a committee on the charge was at length withdrawn, Next day Mr. Paull presented a supplementary article to the Oude charge, accusing lord Wellesley of various acts of extortion, cruelty and injustice towards the Rajah of Sasnee and other Rajahs and Zemindars in the Doorb, a district form

ing part of the dominions of Oude ceded to the company by the treaty of 1801.

The unjust and fraudulent means used by lord Wellesley to compel the nabob of Furruckabad to cede the whole of his dominions to the East India company, formed the groundwork of the third article of charge against him. 'his charge was presented to the house on the 9th of June and ordered to be printed, and taken into consideration on a future day but no further proceedings took place in regard to it during the present session of parlia ment.

:

Various motions were made during this session, and various discussions arose, with respect to the finances of the East India Company ; but, it is unnecessary for us to give any account of these debates, as all uncertainty on that subject was removed b. the appearance of the East India budget, brought forward by lord Morpeth on the 10th of July; for though a very long and interesting debate followed on the causes of the distressed situation to which the company were reduced, every one admitted that lord Mor peth had given a most fair and perspicuous statement of their affairs. We shall make no comments on the gloomy view which he presented of the company's situation, nor contrast the actual state of their atlairs with the flattering pictures and delusive representations, which, for many years before, it seemed to be considered part of the duty of the board of controul, annually to exhibit to the public. It appeared from the statements of lord Morpeth, that,