Instead, therefore, of a speech from me, you shall hear what the country says itself, by the report of the last commissioner who was sent to examine it by Lord Cornwallis.  The perfect credibility of his testimony Mr. Hastings has established out of Lord Cornwallis’s mouth, who, being asked the character of Mr. Jonathan Duncan, has declared that there is nothing he can report of the state of the country to which you ought not to give credit.  Your Lordships will now see how deep the wounds are which tyranny and arbitrary power must make in a country where their existence is suffered; and you will be pleased to observe that this statement was made at a time when Mr. Hastings was amusing us with his account of Benares.

    Extract of the Proceedings of the Resident at Benares, under date
    the 16th February, 1788, at the Purgunnah of Gurrah Dehmah, &c. 
    Printed Minutes, page 2610.

“The Resident, having arrived in this purgunnah of Gurrah Dehmah from that of Mohammedabad, is very sorry to observe that it seems about one third at least uncultivated, owing to the mismanagement of the few last years.  The Rajah, however, promises that it shall be by next year in a complete state of cultivation; and Tobarck Hossaine, his aumeen, aumil, or agent, professes his confidence of the same happy effects, saying, that he has already brought a great proportion of the land, that lay fallow when he came into the purgunnah in the beginning of the year, into cultivation, and that, it being equally the Rajah’s directions and his own wish, he does not doubt of being successful in regard to the remaining part of the waste land.”

    Report, dated the 18th of February, at the Purgunnah of Bulleah.

“The Resident, having come yesterday into this purgunnah from that of Gurrah Dehmah, finds its appearance much superior to that purgunnah in point of cultivation; yet it is on the decline so for that its collectible jumma will not be so much this year as it was last, notwithstanding all the efforts of Reazel Husn, the agent of Khulb Ali Khan, who has farmed this purgunnah upon a three years’ lease, (of which the present is the last,) during which his, that is, the head farmer’s, management cannot be applauded, as the funds of the purgunnah are very considerably declined in his hands:  indeed, Reazel Husn declares that this year there was little or no khereef, or first harvest, in the purgunnah, and that it has been merely by the greatest exertions that he has prevailed on the ryots to cultivate the rubby crop, which is now on the ground and seems plentiful.”

    Report, dated the 20th of February, at the Purgunnah of Khereed.

“The Resident, having this day come into the purgunnah of Khereed, finds that part of it laying between the frontiers of Bulleah, the present station, and Bansdeah, (which is one of the tuppahs, or subdivisions, of Khereed,) exceedingly wasted and uncultivated.  The said tuppah is sub-farmed by Gobind Ram from Kulub Ali Bey, and Gobind Ram has again under-rented it to the zemindars.”

    Report, dated the 23d February, at the Purgunnah of Sekunderpoor.