a reference to the record,—­that the farmers were forbidden to take or give any money to any person whatever, beyond their engagements.  Now, if a Governor-General comes to that farmer, and says, “You must give a certain sum beyond your engagements,” he lets him loose to prey upon the landholders and cultivators; and thus a way is prepared for the final desolation of the whole country, by the malversation of the Governor, and by the consequent oppressive conduct of the farmers.

Mr. Hastings being now put over the whole country to regulate it, let us see what he has done.  He says, “Let me have an arbitrary power, and I will regulate it.”  He assumed arbitrary power, and turned in and out every servant at his pleasure.  But did he by that arbitrary power correct any one corruption?  Indeed, how could he?  He does not say he did.  For when a man gives ill examples in himself, when he cannot set on foot an inquiry that does not terminate in his own corruption, of course he cannot institute any inquiry into the corruption of the other servants.

But again, my Lords, the subordinate servant will say, “I cannot rise” (properly here, as Mr. Hastings has well observed) “to the height of greatness, power, distinction, rank, or honor in the government; but I can make my fortune, according to my degree, my measure, and my place.”  His views will be then directed so to make it.  And when he sees that the Governor-General is actuated by no other views,—­when he himself, as a farmer, is confidently assured of the corruptions of his superior,—­when he knows it to be laid down as a principle by the Governor-General, that no corruption is to be inquired into, and that, if it be not expressly laid down, yet that his conduct is such as to make it the same as if he had actually so laid it down,—­then, I say, every part of the service is instantly and totally corrupted.

* * * * *

I shall next refer your Lordships to the article of contracts.  Five contracts have been laid before you, the extravagant and corrupt profits of which have been proved to amount to 500,000_l._ We have shown you, by the strongest presumptive evidence, that these contracts were given for the purpose of corrupting the Company’s servants in India, and of corrupting the Company itself in England.  You will recollect that 40,000_l._ was given in one morning for a contract which the contractor was never to execute:  I speak of Mr. Sulivan’s contract.  You will also recollect that he was the son of the principal person in the Indian direction, and who, in or out of office, was known to govern it, and to be supported by the whole Indian interest of Mr. Hastings.  You have seen the corruption of Sir Eyre Coote, in giving to Mr. Croftes the bullock contract.  You have seen the bullock contracts stated to Mr. Hastings’s face, and not denied, to have been made for concealing a number of corrupt interests.  You have seen Mr. Auriol’s contract, given to the secretary