Division of Mysore.-Political Arrangements.-Importance of the Conquered Territory to Great Britain.-The News received in England with universal Satisfaction and Delight.-The Thanks of both Houses of Parliament and of the East India Company voted to Lord Mornington, Lord Clive, and Mr. Duncan, and to General Harris, &c., and the Army.-Buonaparte quits Egypt.-Series of Private Letters, written from Fort William by Sir Alured Clarke to Lord Mornington at Madras. Letters of Lord Mornington to Sir Alured Clarke and Hon. F. North (afterwards Earl Guilford).—Note respecting Mr. North.

LORD MORNINGTON's arrangements in reconstructing the kingdom of Mysore, and partitioning the conquered provinces, it is universally admitted, exhibited the utmost address and the soundest judgment. The wife of the Hindoo sovereign of Mysore, who had been thrust from his throne by Hyder Ally's usurpation, was alive; for it had been Hyder's policy not to assume the style of a monarch, though he exercised with undisputed authority the sovereign power; and it was his custom annually to exhibit to the people some member of the ancient royal family. The surviving representative of the royal line of Mysore was found to be a boy five years old; and Lord Mornington resolved to invest him, under certain limitations, with the Rajahship, or kingly authority. By the partition treaty, the kingdom of Mysore was reduced to the extent, and nearly to the exact condition, in which it was before Hyder

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Ali commenced his career of aggression on surrounding states. On the principle of indemnification for the expense of past operations, and as a security against aggression from the sea, it was determined that the English should assume the sovereignty of, and permanently occupy, the territory possessed by the Sultaun on the coast of Malabar; together with the fortress, city, and island of Seringapatam and other valuable and important districts. An equal portion of territory was assigned to the Nizam, as a reward for his fidelity. A portion of the territory was also allotted to the Mahrattas. According to the partition treaty, the new Rajah of Mysore was to maintain a British force, and annually pay for its support seven lacs of pagodas, and to place himself, in political affairs, under the direction of the English Government. Lord Mornington by these measures added to the annual revenues of the Company in the peninsula of India a sum of not less than twelve lacs of pagodas, and secured the advantage of strengthening the British frontier, by establishing a continuity of territory from sea to sea-from the coast of Coromandel to that of Malabar.

The news of the fall of Seringapatam and its Sultaun was received in every part of the British empire with unbounded delight and exultation. Addresses from the presidencies of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras were presented to the Governor-General. The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were unanimously voted to Lord Mornington, Lord Clive, Mr. Duncan, and the army engaged in the war; and the East India Company passed resolutions expressive of their admiration of the important services rendered to them by their

servants in the East; while his Majesty testified his approbation of the Earl of Mornington's conduct by raising him to the dignity of Marquess in the peerage of Ireland, and granting him an honourable augmentation to his family arms. The effect of the intelligence upon Buonaparte in Egypt, can easily be imagined. Seringapatam was stormed on the 4th of May; Napoleon quitted Egypt on the 23rd of August.

The following private letters were written after the intelligence reached Calcutta: they will contribute to throw a light upon the posture of affairs in India at that crisis, and convey an idea of the innumerable subjects which pressed upon the attention of the GovernorGeneral at this period.

SIR ALURED CLARKE TO THE EARL MORNINGTON.

(Private.)

"MY DEAR LORD,

"Fort William, May 26th, 1799.

"On the 17th I, with heart-felt satisfaction, wrote you a congratulatory letter on the glorious and most important news from Seringapatam :* and on the 23rd, I, with equal concern, acquainted your Lordship of the death of our valuable and ever-to-be-lamented friend Cooke, whose remains were attended to the grave by a very numerous and respectable part of this community on the evening of that day. The

* The Commander-in-Chief, writing to Lord Mornington, May 17th, 1799, remarks, "I remember your observation of humbling Tippoo before the anniversary of your entering upon the duties of this government, which took place precisely this day twelve months."

vessel you dispatched express with the happy tidings from Harris got on shore in some place in the northern Circars, and is not yet arrived; and the land express reached us only yesterday: so that we should have been deprived of some days' happiness had not Lieutenant-Colonel Kirkpatrick's letter to Scott, and the gazette extraordinary that you published on the 11th, come in another vessel that. fortunately had a quick passage, and enabled us to publish our signal success to the world immediately, which was done, and expresses sent to every part of the country. Mr. Barlow has this day received a letter from Mr. Lumsden, signifying his readiness to comply with your wishes, and enclosing a formal resignation of his office, which he says he shall be prepared to deliver over to his successor on his arrival at Lucknow, whither Colonel Scott will proceed as soon as possible. The inconvenience and difficulties, both public and personal, that I shall be subjected to from this arrangement, your Lordship has foreseen, and I have mentioned in a former letter: it therefore only remains for me to get over them as well as I can; and with this view, after considering the matter in every possible shape, I have directed a letter to be written to LieutenantColonel Black of the cavalry, intimating my intention to recommend him to be Adjutant-General of the army, if he is disposed to undertake the duties of that office. My earnest wish is, to have a post of so much importance to the military establishment of this presidency at large filled by the fittest man that can be found, and no other consideration has operated in my intended nomination of Colonel Black, with whom I

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have very little personal acquaintance; but as he is a man of respectable character, who stands high in rank, and has established the reputation of possessing much zeal and professional ability, and has, in addition, the general good opinion of the army, I trust he may fulfil the expectation I have formed from the combination of those favourable qualities, and prove a useful public officer to the Company. My recommendation of him in preference to the present Deputy Adjutant-General, Major Darby, does not proceed from any want of good opinion of this officer, who I also named to the office he holds, and I have had much reason to be satisfied with his conduct in it; but as the period since his appointment has been too short to admit of his having procured much more knowledge of the detail of the department than Colonel Black * may immediately possess, and other circumstances were favourable to the latter, I have thought it incumbent on me to select him, and if he should undertake the charge, and transact the business of the department, which is heavy and important, in nearly as satisfactory a manner to Government and myself as his predecessor has done, I shall be quite happy in the choice I have made, which, I must repeat to your Lordship, has been solely influenced by a sense of public duty. I have the honour to be, with great respect and esteem, your Lordship's most obedient and most faithful humble servant,

"ALURED CLARKE.”

* This meritorious officer did not long live to enjoy the honours conferred on him. His premature death is alluded to in a letter from the Governor-General to Sir Alured Clarke, in the August following.Vide page 329.