An account of the removal of Mr. Fowke was communicated to the Court of Directors in a letter of the 22d of December, 1776.  On this notification the Court had nothing to conclude, but that Mr. Hastings, from a rigid pursuit of economy in the management of the Company’s affairs, had recalled a useless officer.  But, without alleging any variation whatsoever in the circumstances, in less than twenty days after the order for the recall of Mr. Fowke, and the very day after the dispatch containing an account of the transaction, Mr. Hastings recommended Mr. Graham to this very office, the end of which, he declared to the Directors but the day before, had been fully accomplished; and not thinking this sufficient, he appointed Mr. D. Barwell as his assistant, at a salary of about four hundred pounds a year.  Against this extraordinary act General Clavering and Mr. Francis entered a protest.

So early as the 6th of the following January the appointment of these gentlemen was communicated in a letter to the Court of Directors, without any sort of color, apology, or explanation.  That court found a servant removed from his station without complaint, contrary to the tenor of one of their standing injunctions.  They allow, however, and with reason, that, “if it were possible to suppose that a saving, &c, had been his motive, they would have approved his proceeding.  But that when immediately afterwards two persons, with two salaries, had been appointed to execute the office which had been filled with reputation by Mr. Fowke alone, and that Mr. Graham enjoys all the emoluments annexed to the office of Mr. Fowke,”—­they properly conclude that Mr. Fowke was removed without just cause, to make way for Mr. Graham, and strictly enjoin that the former be reinstated in his office of Resident as Post-master of Benares.  In the same letter they assert their rights in a tone of becoming firmness, and declare, that “on no account we can permit our orders to be disobeyed or our authority disregarded.”

It was now to be seen which of the parties was to give way.  The orders were clear and precise, and enforced by a strong declaration of the resolution of the Court to make itself obeyed.  Mr. Hastings fairly joined issue upon this point with his masters, and, having disobeyed the general instructions of the Company, determined to pay no obedience to their special order.

On the 21st July, 1778, he moved, and succeeded in his proposition, that the execution of these orders should be suspended.  The reason he assigned for this suspension lets in great light upon the true character of all these proceedings:  “That his consent to the recall of Mr. Graham would be adequate to his own resignation of the service, as it would inflict such a wound on his authority and influence that he could not maintain it.”