I am now to bring before you an account of what I think much the most serious part of the effects of his system of bribery, corruption, and peculation.  My Lords, I am to state to you the astonishing and almost incredible means he made use of to lay all the country under contribution, to bring the whole into such dejection as should put his bribes out of the way of discovery.  Such another example of boldness and contrivance I believe the world cannot furnish.

I have already shown, amongst the mass of his corruptions, that he let the whole of the lands to farm to the banians; next, that he sold the whole Mahomedan government of that country to a woman.  This was bold enough, one should think; but without entering into the circumstances of the revenue change in 1772, I am to tell your Lordships that he had appointed six Provincial Councils, each consisting of many members, who had the ordinary administration of civil justice in that country, and the whole business of the collection of the revenues.

These Provincial Councils accounted to the Governor-General and Council, who in the revenue department had the whole management, control, and regulation of the revenue.  Mr. Hastings did in several papers to the Court of Directors declare, that the establishment of these Provincial Councils, which at first he stated only as experimental, had proved useful in the experiment,—­and on that use, and upon that experiment, he had sent even the plan of an act of Parliament, to have it confirmed with the last and most sacred authority of this country.  The Court of Directors desired, that, if he thought any other method more proper, he would send it to them for their approbation.

Thus the whole face of the British government, the whole of its order and constitution, remained from 1772 to 1781.  He had got rid, some time before this period, by death, of General Clavering, by death, of Colonel Monson, and by vexation and persecution, and his consequent dereliction of authority, he had shaken off Mr. Francis.  The whole Council consisting only of himself and Mr. Wheler, he, having the casting vote, was in effect the whole Council; and if ever there was a time when principle, decency, and decorum rendered it improper for him to do any extraordinary acts without the sanction of the Court of Directors, that was the time.  Mr. Wheler was taken off,—­despair perhaps rendering the man, who had been in opposition futilely before, compliable.  The man is dead.  He certainly did not oppose him; if he had, it would have been in vain.  But those very circumstances which rendered it atrocious in Mr. Hastings to make any change induced him to make this.  He thought that a moment’s time was not to be lost,—­that other colleagues might come, where he might be overpowered by a majority again, and not able to pursue his corrupt plans.  Therefore he was resolved,—­your Lordships will remark the whole of this most daring and systematic plan of bribery and peculation,—­he resolved to put it out of the power of his Council in future to check or control him in any of his evil practices.