“Upon the whole of these transactions, which to you, who are accustomed to view business in an official and regular light, may appear unprecedented, if not improper, I have but a few short remarks to suggest to your consideration.

“If I appear in any unfavorable light by these transactions, I resign the common and legal security of those who commit crimes or errors.  I am ready to answer every particular question that may be put against myself, upon honor or upon oath.

“The sources from which these reliefs to the public service have come would never have yielded them to the Company publicly; and the exigencies of your service (exigencies created by the exposition of your affairs, and faction in your councils) required those supplies.

“I could have concealed them, had I had a wrong motive, from yours and the public eye forever; and I know that the difficulties to which a spirit of injustice may subject me for my candor and avowal are greater than any possible inconvenience that could have attended the concealment, except the dissatisfaction of my own mind.  These difficulties are but a few of those which I have suffered in your service.  The applause of my own breast is my surest reward, and was the support of my mind in meeting them.  Your applause, and that of my country, are my next wish in life.”

Your Lordships will observe at the end of this letter, that this man declares his first applause to be from his own breast, and that he next wishes to have the applause of his employers.  But reversing this, and taking their applause first, let us see on what does he ground his hope of their applause?  Was it on his former conduct?  No:  for he says that conduct had repeatedly met with their disapprobation.  Was it upon the confidence which he knew they had in him?  No:  for he says they gave more of their confidence to the meanest of his predecessors.  Observe, my Lords, the style of insolence he constantly uses with regard to all mankind.  Lord Clive was his predecessor, Governor Cartier was his predecessor, Governor Verelst was his predecessor:  every man of them as good as himself:  and yet he says the Directors had given “more of their confidence to the meanest of his predecessors.”  But what was to entitle him to their applause?  A clear and full explanation of the bribes he had taken.  Bribes was to be the foundation of their confidence in him, and the clear explanation of them was to entitle him to their applause!  Strange grounds to build confidence upon!—­the rotten ground of corruption, accompanied with the infamy of its avowal!  Strange ground to expect applause!—­a discovery which was no discovery at all!  Your Lordships have heard this discovery, which I have not taken upon me to state, but have read his own letter on the occasion.  Has there, at this moment, any light broken in upon you concerning this matter?