Here, indeed, is genuine and heroic gratitude,—­gratitude for money received, not for money taken away; and yet this gratitude was towards a person who had paid himself out of the benefit which had been conferred, at the expense of a third party.  For Gunga Govind Sing had kept for himself 20,000_l._ out of 40,000_l._ taken from the Rajah.  For this cheat, stated by Mr. Larkins to be such, and allowed by Mr. Hastings himself to be such, he, with a perfect knowledge of that fraud and cheat committed upon the public, (for he pretends that the money was meant for the Company,) makes this supplication to his colleagues, and departs.

After his departure, Gunga Govind Sing, relying upon the continuance of the corrupt influence which he had gained, had the impudence to come forward and demand the confirmation of this grant by the Council-General.  The Council, though willing to accede to Mr. Hastings’s proposition, were stopped in a moment by petitions much more natural, but of a direct contrary tenor.  The poor infant Rajah raises his cries not to be deprived of his inheritance; his mother comes forward and conjures the Council not to oppress her son and wrong her family; the uncle comes and supplicates the board to save from ruin these devoted victims which were under his protection.  All these counter-petitions come before the Council while the ink is hardly dry upon the petitions which Mr. Hastings had left behind him, as proofs of the desire of this family to be disinherited in favor of Gunga Govind Sing.  Upon the receipt of these remonstrances, the board could not proceed in the business, and accordingly Gunga Govind Sing was defeated.

But Gunga Govind Sing was unwilling to quit his prey.  And what does he do?  I desire your Lordships to consider seriously the reply of Gunga Govind Sing, as it appears upon your minutes.  It is a bold answer.  He denies the right of the Rajah to these estates.  “Why,” says he, “all property in this country depends upon the will of your government.  How came this Rajah’s family into possession of this great zemindary?  Why, they got it at first by the mere favor of government.  The whole was an iniquitous transaction.  This is a family that in some former age has robbed others; and now let me rob them.”  In support of this claim, he adds the existence of other precedents, namely, “that many clerks or mutsuddies and banians at Calcutta had,” as he says, “got possession of the lands of other people without any pretence of right;—­why should not I?” Good God! what precedents are these!

Your Lordships shall now hear the razinama, or testimonial, which, since Mr. Hastings’s arrival in England, this Rajah has been induced to send to the Company from India, and you will judge then of the state in which Mr. Hastings has left that country.  Hearken, my Lords, I pray you, to the razinama of this man, from whom 40,000_l._ was taken by Mr. Hastings and Gunga Govind Sing, and against whom an attempt was