Captain Gordon was one of Colonel Hannay’s under-farmers.  He was hunted out of the country and, as one of the Begums says, pursued by a thousand of the zemindars, for robbing the whole country.  This woman, through respect to the British name, that name which guarantied her possessions to her, receives this Captain Gordon and Captain Williams with every mark of kindness, hospitality, and protection, that could be given them.  She conveys them from the borders to the city of Fyzabad, and from Fyzabad, her capital, supposed to be the nest of her rebellion, on to their place of destination.  They both write her letters full of expressions of gratitude and kindness for the services that they had received.  They then pass on to Lucknow to Sir Elijah Impey, and there they sink every word of kindness, of any service or protection that they had received, or of any acknowledgment that they had ever made of it.  They sink all this:  not one word of it appears in their affidavits.

How, then, did we come to the knowledge of it?  We got it from Major Gilpin, who was examined in the course of these proceedings; and we used it in our charge, from the papers that we hold in our hands.  Mr. Hastings has confessed the fact; and Mr. Middleton has endeavored to slur it over, but could not completely conceal it.  We have established the fact, and it is in evidence before your Lordships.

You have now, then, in this manner, got these testimonials given by English officers in favor of these women; and by the same means the letters of the latter accusing the former are come to your hands:  and now these same English officers come here with their recriminatory accusation.  Now why did they not make it at Lucknow?  Why did not Mr. Hastings, when Mr. Middleton had such papers for him in his hands, why, I ask, did not Mr. Hastings procure some explanation of the circumstances whilst he was in India?  I will read your Lordships the letter, that you may not only know, but feel, the iniquity of this business.

     Letter from the Mother of the Vizier to Mr. Hastings; received the
     6th of January, 1782.

“Our situation is pretty well, and your good health is constantly prayed for.  I had sent Behar Ali Khan to you.  Accordingly people invented a falsehood, that Behar Ali Khan was gone to get the deputyship of the Subah; and some persons here were saying, ’Wherefore has she sent Behar Ali Khan to Calcutta to the Nabob Amaud ul Dowlah?  We will never permit the affair to succeed.’  And accordingly it has so happened.  For they say that you also have not put your seal to the treaty:  and the people here say, ’Why does the noble lady correspond with the English gentlemen?’ On this account, I did not send a letter at the time when you came this way.  Now the state of affairs here is thus.  On the 27th Zehedja, Asoph ul Dowlah Banadur, without my knowledge, sent his own aumils into my jaghires.  I accordingly wrote several times to Mr. Middleton on