lived a widow, who, from her great poverty, not being able to bring up her daughter Munny, gave her to a slave girl belonging to Summin Ali Khan, whose name was Bissoo.  During the space of five years she lived at Shahjehanabad, and was educated by Bissoo after the manner of a dancing-girl.  Afterwards the Nabob Shamut Jung, upon the marriage of Ikram ul Dowlah, brother to the Nabob Surajah ul Dowlah, sent for Bissoo Beg’s set of dancing-girls from Shahjehanabad, of which Munny Begum was one, and allowed them ten thousand rupees for their expenses, to dance at the wedding.  While this ceremony was celebrating, they were kept by the Nabob; but some months afterwards he dismissed them, and they took up their residence in this city.  Mir Mahomed Jaffier Khan then took them into keeping, and allowed Munny and her set five hundred rupees per month, till at length, finding that Munny was pregnant, he took her into his own house.  She gave birth to the Nabob Nujim ul Dowlah, and in this manner she has remained in the Nabob’s family ever since.”

My Lords, I do not mean to detain you long upon this part of the business, but I have thought it necessary to advert to these particulars.  As to all the rest, the honorable and able Manager who preceded me has sufficiently impressed upon your Lordships’ minds the monstrous nature of the deposing of the Nabob’s mother from the guardianship of her son, for the purpose of placing this woman there at the head of all his family and of his domestic concerns in the seraglio within doors, and at the head of the state without, together with the disposal of the whole of the revenue that was allowed him.  Mr. Hastings pretends, indeed, to have appointed at the same time a trusty mutsuddy to keep the accounts of the revenue; but he has since declared that no account had been kept, and that it was in vain to desire it or to call for it.  This is the state of the case with respect to the appointment of Munny Begum.

With regard to the reappointment of Mahomed Reza Khan, you have heard from my worthy fellow Manager that he was acquitted of the charges that had been brought against him by Mr. Hastings, after a long and lingering trial.  The Company was perfectly satisfied with the acquittal, and declared that he was not only acquitted, but honorably acquitted; and they also declared that he had a fair claim to a compensation for his sufferings.  They not only declared him innocent, but meritorious.  They gave orders that he should be considered as a person who was to be placed in office again upon the first occasion, and that he had entitled himself to this favor by his conduct in the place which he had before filled.