has previously covenanted to restore to the persons that are injured and damaged.  This is a revenue which is to be torn away by the action of any person,—­a revenue which they must return back to the person complaining, as they in justice ought to do:  for no nation ever avowed making a revenue out of bribery and peculation.  They are, then, to restore it back again.  But how can they restore it?  Mr. Hastings has applied it:  he has given it in presents to princes,—­laid it out in budgeros,—­in pen, ink, and wax,—­in salaries to secretaries:  he has laid it out just in any way he pleased:  and the India Company, who have covenanted to restore all this money to the persons from whom it came, are deprived of all means of performing so just a duty.  Therefore I dismiss the idea that any man so acting could have had a good intention in his mind:  the supposition is too weak, senseless, and absurd.  It was only in a desperate cause that he made a desperate attempt:  for we shall prove that he never made a disclosure without thinking that a discovery had been previously made or was likely to be made, together with an exposure of all the circumstances of his wicked and abominable concealment.

You will see the history of this new scheme of bribery, by which Mr. Hastings contrived by avowing some bribes to cover others, attempted to outface his delinquency, and, if possible, to reconcile a weak breach of the laws with a sort of spirited observance of them, and to become infamous for the good of his country.

The first appearance of this practice of bribery was in a letter of the 29th of November, 1780.  The cause which led to the discovery was a dispute between him and Mr. Francis at the board, in consequence of a very handsome offer made by Mr. Hastings to the board relative to a measure proposed by him, to which he found one objection to be the money that it would cost.  He made the most generous and handsome offer, as it stands upon record, that perhaps any man ever made,—­namely, that he would defray the expense out of his own private cash, and that he had deposited with the treasurer two lac of rupees.  This was in June, 1780, and Mr. Francis soon after returned to Europe.  I need not inform your Lordships, that Mr. Hastings had before this time been charged with bribery and peculation by General Clavering, Colonel Monson, and Mr. Francis.  He suspected that Mr. Francis, then going to Europe, would confirm this charge by the suspicious nature and circumstances of this generous offer; and this suspicion was increased by the connection which he supposed, and which we can prove he thought, Mr. Francis had with Cheyt Sing.  Apprehending, therefore, that he might discover and bring the bribe to light some way or other, he resolved to anticipate any such discovery by declaring, upon the 29th of November, that this money was not his own.  I will mention to your Lordships hereafter the circumstances of this money.  He says, “My present reason for adverting to my conduct,”