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"alternatives on which the Governor declared "himself to have refolved, if Cheit Sing refused to "comply with the requifition, were, to the best of my remembrance, either a removal from his Zemidary entirely, or by taking poffeffion of "his forts, to obtain out of the treasure deposited "in it the above fum for the Company.

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EDWARD WHELER."

After fuch an appeal it would be as fuperfluous as indelicate to call on the aid of other teftimonies, if all that were required were no more than to afcertain that I did hold fuch a converfation as that which I allude to with him. The conclufion will be much strengthened by its agreement with declarations made by me on the fame fubject, and nearly at the fame point of time, to others. I fhall therefore require fimilar atteftations from Major Palmer, my military Secretary, and from Mr. Anderson, my appointed affiftant on this deputation. With these references, and their refult, I fhall make my last and folemn appeal to the breast of every man who fhall read this; whether it is likely, or morally poffible, that I fhould have tied down my own future conduct to fo decided a procefs and feries of acts, if I had fecretly intended to threaten, or to ufe a degree of violence, for no other purpose than to draw from the object of it a mercenary atonement for my own private emolument, and suffer

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all this tumult to terminate in an oftenfible and unfubftantial fubmiffion to the authority which I represented? Whether it is likely, or morally poffible, that I fhould have chosen to irritate the feelings of my colleague in office, and expofe myself to all the effects of his indignation, by fo wanton and unneceffary a deception; or lower my own dignity and character, and afford fo base an example to my inferiors, by pretending to make them privy to acts which I never meant to perform, and from which I could not depart with any poffible fhew of reafon, but the manifeft facrifice of my integrity? A man actuated by fuch a motive, and poffeffing the truft which I held, would have used a cover to his venality he would not have compromised himfelf by pofitive declarations of what he would do, much lefs by detailing his intentions in a series of trials as they might fucceffively fail; but would have been content with diftant and indefinite inti mations and suggestions, which obviously left his actions open to enquiry and variation; which could not fubject him to the imputation of inconfiftency, if they were productive of no effect; and which he might ufe as juftifications, if his artifices fhould chance to operate with the effect oftenfibly portended by them.

I now return to my narrative.

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I arrived at Benares on the morning of the 14th of Auguft; the Rajah some hours later. I forbad

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his coming that evening to my quarters as he had intended, and required him to defer his future vifits until he should receive my permiffion, as I had fome previous matters to fettle with him, of which he would be informed by the Refident, whom I should depute to him the next morning for that purpose.

My narrative will be beft continued, nor will the thread of it be broken, by the following copy of my report of my proceedings, and the confequences. which attended them to Mr. Wheler, then the only effective member of the Board.

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TO EDWARD WHELER, Efq.

" SIR,

"I arrived at Benares on the 14th inftant. My transactions with the Rajah being of a most important nature to the present and future inte"refts of the Company, I have determined to "inform you of them without delay, in the order "in which they have occurred.

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"The first step which I judged it necessary to take, as the ground on which my future proceedings with the Rajah were to be conducted,

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was to recapitulate in writing the feveral in"ftances of his conduct which for fome time paft have repeatedly drawn upon him the fevere reprehenfions of the Board, and to demand a clear "and fatisfactory explanation.

"This paper I fent to the Rajah by the hands. " of Mr. Markham, who was directed to require an immediate anfwer. Late in the evening his anfwer arrived. The following are copies of "both:

"To Rajah CHEIT SING.

"It is about fixteen months fince Lalla Saddanund, your Buxey and confidential fervant, came to Calcutta, charged with an exprefs com"miffion and authority to make excuses for your

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paft conduct, and to give me affurances, con"firmed by oath, of your future fubmiffion to my advice and the orders of my government. "As a teft of your fincerity, I required an imme"diate and unreferved acquiescence in the demand,

which at the fame time was made to you in the "the name of the Governor General and Council, "of a fubfidy of five lacks of rupees for the exWith this demand you in your anfwer to my

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pences of the war. oftenfibly complied,

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letter; and the Buxey promifed me verbally in your name, and in terms fo ftrong as amounted "to the fulleft affurance, that there should be no

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delay in the payment. Relying on this agree"ment and promife, I gave orders to Mr. Fowke, "who was then Refident at this place, to re"ceive the money, and remit it to Colonel Camac, "for the pay of the army which had been "ordered to march towards the Province of "Malva, and I made no other provision for it. "Such was my confidence in your faith, but you deceived me; and after having made the first payment of a few rupees, either confulting "the temper of the times, or conforming to a premeditated defign, you by shifts and pretexts "with-held the remainder until the army, for "whofe ufe it was intended, was reduced to the last state of distress: many hundreds deserted, " and had an enemy at that time appeared against them, their total deftruction had been inevitable. "In all this time daily application was made to you by the Refident, and I wrote repeated let"ters to you, but you paid no regard to either.

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Befides this, I required in the name of the Go"vernor General and Council by letter, and "ordered Mr. Fowke to repeat the requifition in "person, that you should furnish a body of horse "to affift and act with the armies of the Company; "and, when Mr. Markham fucceeded Mr, Fowke,

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