Hindoo government, did more or less exist in that province, with which he was concerned, until it was finally to be destroyed by Mr. Hastings.

be perfectly easy for your

My lords, I have gone through all the eras precedent to those of the British power in India, and am come to the first of those eras. Mr. Hastings existed in India, and was a servant of the company, before that era, and had his education between both. He is an antediluvian with regard to the British dominion in Bengal. He was coexistent with all the acts and monuments of that revolution, and had no small share in all the abuses of that abusive period, which preceded his actual government. But, as it was during that transit from eastern to western power, that most of the abuses had their origin, it will not lordships thoroughly to enter into the nature and circumstances of them, without an explanation of the principal events, that happened from the year 1756, until the commencement of Mr. Hastings's government; during a good part of which time we do not often lose sight of him. If I find it agreeable to your lordships; if I find, that you wish to know these annals of Indian suffering and British delinquency; if you desire, that I should unfold the series of the transactions from 1756 to the period of Mr. Hastings's government in 1771;-that you may know how far he promoted what was good; how far he rectified what was evil; how far he abstained from innovation in tyranny, and contented himself with the old stock of abuse ;-your lordships will have the goodness to consult the strength, which, from late indisposition, begins almost to fail me. And if you think the explanation is not time lost in this new world, and in this new business, I shall venture to sketch out, as briefly and with as much perspicuity as I can give them, the leading events of that obscure and perplexed period, which intervened between the British settlement in 1757, and Mr. Hastings's government. If I should be so happy as to succeed in that attempt, your lordships' minds will be prepared for hear

xamples among any people. Hitherto led our contingent to the records of en confounded with the herd of conon has been a vulgar thing. But we id I hope, that a severe inspection of on of our own offences, a lustration of ir own power, is a glory reserved to this nd to this august tribunal.

, a memorable era in the history of the a new nation from the remotest verge id, with new manners, new customs, opinions, new laws, into the heart of

at part of Asia, whose native regular 1 broken up; if, at the moment when it .ess and confusion, from having become

the sport of the ambition of its homen that gloomy season, a star had risen would prognosticate a better generation, n the sweet influences of order, peace, to the natives of that vexed and hahould have been covered with genuine e been a beautiful and noble spectacle

night have been expected of the kind, emanated from a learned and enlightin the most enlightened period of its might it have been expected, when and to issue from the bosom of a free 1 have carried with it the full benefit f the British liberty and constitution, forms were not communicable, or at the liberty and spirit of the British s been the case, (alas! it was not,) saved the trouble of this day. It ted too, that in that enlightened state

1.

ing this cause. Then, your lordships will have a clear view of the origin and nature of the abuses, which prevailed in that government before Mr Hastings obtained his greatest power, and since that time; and then we shall be able to enter fully and explicitly into the nature of the cause; and I should hope, that it will pave the way, and make every thing easy for your subsequent justice.

I therefore wish to stop at this period, in which Mr. Hastings became active in the service, pretty near the time when he began his political career;—and here, my lords, I pause, wishing your indulgence at such time as will suit your convenience for pursuing the rest of this eventful history.

TRIAL.

FOURTH DAY, 16TH FEBRUARY, 1788.

(MR. BURKE.)

MY LORDS,-In what I had the honor of laying before your lordships yesterday, and in what I may further trouble you with to-day, I wish to observe a distinction, which if I did not lay down so perfectly as I ought, I hope I shall now be able to mark it out with sufficient exactness and perspicuity.

First, I beg leave to observe, that what I shall think necessary to state, as matter of preliminary explanation, in order to give your lordships a true idea of the scene of action-of the instruments, which Mr. Hastings employed-and the effects, which they produced-all this I wish to be distinguished from matter brought to criminate. Even the matter as stated by me, which may be hereafter brought to criminate, so far as it falls to my share at present, is only to be considered, in this stage of the business, as merely illustrative. Your lordships are to expect, as undoubtedly you will require, substantial matter of crimination to be laid open for that purpose, at the moment when the evidence to each charge is ready to be produced to you. Thus your lordships will easily separate historical illustration from criminal opening. For instance, if I stated yesterday to your lordships, as I did, the tyranny and cruelty of one of the usurping viceroys, whose usurpation and whose vices led the way to