of the Netherlands, and in aid of an equal sum to be furnished by him towards augmenting and improving the defences of the Low Countries.

3dly To bear, equally with Holland, such further charges as may be agreed upon between the said High Contracting Parties and their Allies, towards the final and satisfactory settlement of the Low Countries in union with Holland, and under the dominion of the House of Orange, not exceeding in the whole, the sum of three millions, to be defrayed by Great Britain.

In consideration of the above engagements, the Cape of Good Hope, Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice are ceded to Great Britain, but with condition that the Dutch proprietors have liberty under certain regulations to trade with Holland. It is also agreed that Dutch ships may resort freely to the Cape of Good Hope for the purposes of refreshment and repairs, without being liable to other charges than such as British subjects are required to pay.

Second Additional Article.The small district of Bernagore, situated close to Calcutta, is ceded to his Britannic Majesty, upon a payment of such sum annually to his Royal Highness, as may be considered by Commissioners to be appointed by the respective Governments, to be just and resonable.

Declaration against the Rajah of Nipaul.

His Excellency the Vice President in Council, is pleased to

publish the following Declaration of the causes of the war in which the British Government is engaged with the State of Nipaul, for general information.

The British Government having been compelled to take up arms against the Nipaulese, his Excellency the Right Hon. the Governor-General has judged it proper to make known to the powers in alliance and friendship with the Hon. Company, the origin and progress of the transactions which have terminated in this crisis; in the full conviction that the exposition will establish beyond dispute the extraordinary moderation and forbearance of the British Government, and the injustice, violence, and aggression of the State of Nipaul.

The course of the Gorkah conquests having approximated their frontier to that of the Honourable Company, and of its ally the Nawaub Vizier, and the protected Sikh Chieftains, throughout an extent of country stretching from the eastern border of Morung to the banks of the Sutlege, it was scarcely to be expected that differences should not occasionally arise between the inhabitants of the contiguous districts belonging to the two States, and even among the local public officers of each government; but a just and firm line of conduct on the part of the two governments, combined with a sincere disposition to maintain uninterrupted the relations of amity, and to respect the rights of each other, could not have failed to arrest the progress of those unhappy disputes which have terminated in war,

While the conduct of the Bri

tish government has been uniformly regulated in its relations with the Nipaulese, by the most scrupulous adherence to the principles of justice and moderation, there is scarcely a single district within the British frontier throughout the whole of the extensive line above described, in which the Gorkahs have not usurped and appropriated lands forming the ascertained dominions of the Honourable Company. Questions originating in the usurpations of the Nipaulese have arisen in Purnea, Tirhoot, Sarun, Goruckpore, and Baricilly, as well as in the protected territory between the Sutlege and the Jumna; and each case might be appealed to in proof of the moderation and forbearance of the British government, and the aggressive and insolent spirit of the Nipaulese. It will be enough, however, to advert in detail to two instances only, namely, those which have occurred in Sarun and in Goruckpore, which more particularly demonstrate the systematic design of the Nipaulese to encroach on the acknowledged possessions of the Honourable Company, and in fact have been proximate causes of the war.

In the former district (Sarun) they have at different times established their authority over portions of the territory of Betteah; but the British government abiding by those principles of moderation and forbearance so conspicuous in all its transactions with the Nipaulese, contented itself for a considerable period with remonstrances and representations, trusting that the justice of its cause would become apparent to the Nipaulese government, and produce

the proper effect on the mind of its Rajah and his Ministers. The repeated complaints of its subjects, and the occurrence of a new instance of encroachment in the Tuppah of Nunnore, forming a portion of Betteah, which led to an affair in which Subah Luchinger, an officer of the Nipaulese government was slain, at last induced the British government to depute one of its Civil Officers on the spot, where he was met by Deputies from the State of Nipaul, in concert with whom proceedings were held and evidence taken for the purpose of ascertaining the claims of the parties. The result left no doubt of the right of the British government, and of the unjust and violent procedure of the Nipaulese.

A more striking proof of the spirit of rapacity and unjust aggression by which the Nipaulese were actuated, cannot be adduced, than the fact; that after having agreed in the investigation referred to above, and after the actual deputation of officers by each government, the Nipaulese suddenly seized an additional tract of country belonging to the Company, at a very short distance from the scene of their former aggressions. This violent and unjust procedure would have warranted an immediate demand for restitution, or even the actual re-occupation of the lands by force, and it may now be subject of regret to the British government that this course was not pursued. Far, however, from resenting or punishing this daring outrage as it deserved, the British government resolved to persevere in the amicable course which it had pursued in other cases, and permitted Mr. Young,

the

the gentleman deputed to meet the Nipaulese Commissioners, to extend his inquiries to the lands newly seized as above stated, as well as those which formed the original object of his deputation.

The pretext by which the Nipaulese attempted to justify their occupation of the lands in Nunnoar, which consisted of no less than 22 villages, was, that they were included in the Nupah of Rotehut, forming a division of Pergunah Sunnown, which Tuppah was restored to the Nipaulese in the year 1780, with the rest of the Terraice of Muckwanpore, which had been conquered by the British arms under Major Kinloch. The utter groundlessness of this pretext was proved by the evidence taken by Mr. Young, which clearly established that the disputed lands were situated in the Tuppah of Nunnoar, a portion of Purgunnah Suurawan which had been reserved by the Company at the time of the restitution of Rotehut and Muckwanpore.

[The declaration goes on to charge the Nipaulese with having acted on a premeditated system of gradual encroachment, which, owing to the unexampled forbearance and moderation of the British government, they had already found to be successful; and that the assertion of the 22 villages having been included in the Tuppah of Rotehut, was merely brought forward to give a colour to their conduct. The attempt to fix on the subjects of the Honourable Company the guilt of the murder of Subah Luchingir, and to urge, because the Kajah of Betteal, and his followers, were not punished for that

act, that they were justified in their subsequent proceedings, is rebutted by the uncontested fact. that Luchinger had, previously to the occurrence of the affray in which he died, possessed himself of some villages in Betteah, and was preparing to extend his encroachments.The declaration then proceeds.]

As the final resolution of the British government, with respect to the usurped lands in Betteah. was in part influenced by the conduct of the Nipaulese, relative to the disputed territory of Bootwui Sheoraj in Goruck pore, it will be proper to advert to the circumstances of that transaction in this place.

It is notorious, and it has also been proved by reference to authentic records, and by the unimpeached testimony of living witnesses. that the whole of Bootwul to the very foot of the hills, with the exception of the town of Bootwu alone, was held by the Rajahs of Palpah, from the Nawaub Vizier, -for a considerable period antecedent to the treaty of cession in 1801: and that it was transferred to the Company by the terms of that treaty, being specifically included in the schedule thereunto annexed. It is no less matter of notoriety that the district of Bootwul actually came into the possession of the British. government by virtue of the cession, and that a settlement was made by the collector of Gorckpore with the agent of the late Rajah of Palpah, at that time a prisoner at Catmandhoo, for an annual rent of thirty-two thousand rupees, without the semblance of an objection on the part of the Rajah of Nipaul. So it remained

until the year 1804, when the Nipaulese commenced that system of gradual encroachment below the hills, which terminated in their occupation of nearly the whole district of Bootwul. The Tuppah of Sheoraj was occupied by the Nipaulese antecedently to the cession; but it is no less certain, that it was a part of the territory of the Vizier, and, together with the rest of the low lands skirting the hills in the district of Goruckpore, included in the cession.

The Nipaulese pretended to found their claim to Bootwul and Sheroraj, and to the other portions on the lands below the hills, on the circumstance of their having formed the Terraice, or low lands of the hill countries of Bulpah, Goolmee, Pentaneh, Kamchee, &c. which the Nipaulese have conquered. Admitting that the low lands were possessed by the chiefs of the neighbouring hill principalities, the admission does not affect the question, since it was perfectly ascertained, that for a considerable period before the Goorkah conquest, they formed a part of the dominions of Oude, and the conquest therefore of the independent hill principalities cannot give to the conquering power any just claim to other lands, which though in the occupation of the same chiefs, were held independent tenures from another State.

The system of gradual, and at times, almost imperceptible encroachment, pursued by the Nipaulese, prevented the British government from having recourse to such measures as would have restablished its authority

in the usurped lands. The emonstrance and discussions which followed the first usurpation in that quarter, continued with frequent interruption, for a period of some years, during which the Nipaulese extended their encroachments. At length a proposition was made by the Rajah of Nipaul, that commissioners should be appointed to treat on the spot, and decide the respective claims of the parties, under the express condition that both governments would abide by the issue of it. The proposition was acceded to: Major Bradshaw proceeded to Bootwul, and met two commissioners from Catmandhoo: after much delay and procrastination, the proceedings were brought to a close; the most irrefragable proofs both oral and documentary, established the right of the British government to the whole of the low lands. The Nipaulese commissioners, unable to reject the force of this evidence, and restrained by the order of their court, from admitting the right of the British government, pretended that they were not authorized to come to a decision, and preferred the case to the Rajah's governnient for orders. The British government then applied to the Rajah to give up the lands, in consequence of the result of the investigation, which he refused. In this state the affair necessarily remained until the ensuing season, 1813-14. In the mean while, Major Bradshaw proceeded, as soon as the state of the country admitted of his marching to the frontier of Eetteah, where he was to be met by commissioners from Nipaul, empowered to adjust,

in concert with him, the depending claims in that quarter, no practical measure having yet resulted from the inquiry conducted by Mr. Young.

Major Bradshaw, soon after his arrival, renewed a demand which had been made to the British government, but not enforced at the time, for the restoration of the twenty-two villages of Nunnoar, previously to any examination of the question of right. This demand was acceded to by the Nipaulese, and the villages were re-occupied by the officers of the Honourable Company, subject to the ultimate disposal of them, according to the issue of the intended inquiry. The Governor-General in Council, after due dellberation, now conceived, that, in point of fairness, nothing more could be required than that the Commissioners of both governments should meet for the purpose of discussing the question on the basis of investigation actually closed, and of supplying any defects which might be considered in that investigation by further inquiry on the spot. This proposal being made by Major Bradshaw, with an offer to produce further documents, they declared they would not meet him, nor hold any communication with him; and, revoking the conditional transfer of the reversed lands, demanded that Major Bradshaw should instantly leave the frontier. The British government finding all conciliatory proposals rejected with insult, ordered the troops to march, and the Nipaulese forces, and the public officers of that government, retiring on the advance of the British troops, the

civil officers of the Honourable Company were enabled to establish their authority in the disputed lands.

The commencement of the rainy season shortly rendered it necessary to withdraw the regular troops, in order that they might not be exposed to the periodical fevers which reign throughout the tract in that part of the year. The defence of the recovered lands was, of course, unavoidably entrusted to the police establishments. The apparent acquiescence, however, of the Nipaulese in what had taken place, left no room for apprehension: especially as no real violence had been used in obliging the Nipaulese to retire from the district. On the morning of the 29th of May last, the principal police station in Bootwul was attacked by a large body of the Nipaulese troops, headed by an officer of that government, named Munraj Foujdar, and driven out of Bootwul, with the loss of 18 men killed and wounded. Among the former was the Darojah, or principal police officer, who was murdered in cold blood, with circumstances of peculiar barbarity, in the presence of Munraj Foujdar, after surrendering himself a prisoner. Another police Tannah was subsequently attacked by the Nipaulese troops, and driven out with the loss of several persons killed and woundcd. In consequence of the impracticability of supporting the police Tannahs by sending troops into the country, at that unhealthy season, it became necessary to withdraw them, and the Nipaulese were thus enabled to re-occupy the whole of the disputed territory, which they have since retained.