-I confess myself at a loss with respect to dates; the army collected on the threatened invasion of Zemaun Shah, at Anopshire, and a body of troops, under colonel Russel, remained at Cawn pore; that army dispersed on hearing of the assassination of Mr. Cherry. Sir James Craig, with the principal part of the army, marched to the vicinity of Lucknow, and General Stuart, with a division, towards Rohilcund.

From the month of January, 1799, when the army is stated to have so dispersed till the end of the year 1801, were any movements made in the army stationed in the vizier's dominions, with a view to the apprehended invasion of Zemaun Shah ?--No, their was no considerable body of troops afterwards assembled with a view to the invasion of Zemaun Shah.

Was not Zemaun Shah considered as the determined enemy of the British in India ?-I understood so.

Was not the object of his intended invasion generally considered to be the conquest and the destruction of the British possessions in Hindostan, as far as you understood? I understand

Though there might have been strong reasons to conclude that Zemaun Shah intended to invade it. I believe it was not generally credited that he had the means of approaching it ?- Opinions I know were very various; I believe we generally, when we assembled at Anopshire, thought he would come.

It was deemed advisable to make extensive preparations, to repel any atack which might be made?-Unquestionably those preparations were made as far as the means would afford.

Sir James Craig was appointed to command the troops? - Sir James Craig commanded the troops on the oc

As far as you know, did not the nabob, on that occasion, shew the greatest zeal and cordiality in the cause ?-I understood so, he gave us great assistance in carriage and cattle.

It was immediately upon hearing of the massacre of Mr. Cherry that the army returned, one part to Lucknow, and the other to Rohilcund? Yes, the camp broke up immediately upon that.

Considering the ultimate object of the invader, Zemaun Shah, the situation of Oude, and the motives which induced the company to make the great preparations they did, on whom did you think the expense would fall at that period?-Upon my word I really could not possess the information to judge; the nabob assisted us with a great deal of cattle, and, I believe, with grain.

You have stated that you were in Sir James Craig's confidence ?- Only as being selected as his confident; I never was present at any of the interviews with Mr. Scott, nor did Sir James inform me of the result of them.

Are you aware of the facts which induced Sir James Craig to withdraw the army from Anopshire, as well as vizier Ali's massacre of Mr. Cherry?—No, it was considered that it might be necessary to protect Lucknow and the nabob's person; and as he had fled towards Rohilcund, part of the army was sent there, and Sir James went to Lucknow, in cave of any dissatisfaction appearing in that town, which I do not know that there did.

Do you know that there was any other inducement he had to break up the army ?-No, I was not informed even of what I have mentioned by Sir James, only that it was gerally conceived.

Do you know that the troops you stated to have marched under general Stuart marched to Rohilcund?— No, only that they marched that way, the route in which vizier Ali went, and in which some of the nabob's troops went, particularly Candahars.

Do you know what Sir James's object was in assembling the troops with which he marched to Lucknow ?-I am not acquainted with any object proposed by him; I conceive it was to preserve the general peace and tranquillity of the country.

Was there any disturbance made by vizier Ali in Oude, subsequent to the IN

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Do you not know that ever since that period he has been a close prisoner at Fort William ?-I understand he has.

I understand you to have stated, there were some instances in which our troops went against the nabob's troops, and obliged them to disband?—Yes, one battalion of the nabob's moved out with their guns, and our troops marched after them; one day they got up with them; I believe the nabob's troops claimed a part of their pay, which was in arrear at the time.

Were they considered as acting against the nabob's cause as well as the Bri tish ?- I believe they were; I believe our troops were considered as acting with the nabob's concurrence.

Did you understand it was by the nabob's concurrence, under the resident's influence, or his own real wish ?—I can only speak from conjecture, whether the nabob was willing to have his army disbanded or not, or from other circum stances consented to it; all I can say is, that it was arranged that our troops should go to these stations.

You have no immediate knowledge of that part of the transaction?—No, further than that the troops did go to certain stations, the nabob's troops were disbanded, and a proportion of our troops remained in stations formerly occupied by them.

Then how far the nabob consented to it, and on what grounds, you have no knowledge ?-No; I cannot possibly know that.

[Withdrew.

HENRY STRACEY, Esq. called in, and examined.

When did you first arrive in India ?— In September, 1792.

State the different situations you have filled in the company's service?- The situation of register translator to the Sudder Dewannee Adawlut; judge and magistrate of Midnapore; lastly, third judge of the court and circuit of appeal in the ceded provinces.

Is not the Adawlut a court of justice? -Yes.

Is not the Dewannee the treasurership which the company held?-Here it means a court of justice."

You were judge of the court for appeals in civil causes, and likewise a judge of criminal jurisprudence?—Yes, in the coded provinces, I was.

Im

In what situation was the district of Midnapore when you were appointed? In a bad state, in a state of rebellion.

Was not it in a state of considerable rebellion?-Yes, the Jungles were.

Midnapore is in the very heart of the company's territories?-It is not in the middle, it is to the South-west of Calcutta boundary, towards the Mahratta country.

What steps did you recommend to the governor to restore order, and to quiet the minds of the inhabitants?-Merely to put the police into the hands of the Zemindars.

Did you recommend the increase, or decrease, of the number of troops in the district?--I do not recollect that I recommended an increase, or a decrease, in the district, but I withdrew the troops from the Jungles, where they were stationed when I arrived there.

State the means you took, in common with the collector, to restore peace and quiet to the district? I do not recollect any other means than withdrawing the troops from the Jungles, and putting the police into the hands of the Zemindars.

By those means was not peace acquir ed to the district, and the people very much satisfied with the arrangement? Yes.

Did you ever know of murders and robberies within the provinces, either in the districts under your own management, or in those of others?—Yes, certainly, frequently.

Within the company's provinces, Jessore and Midnapore?—Yes, in all the districts I have been in I have known of murders.

Have you not heard of atrocious murders committed in the seat of government itself, I mean in Calcutta?-I think I have, as I have in London.

After you were appointed to the court of appeal and circuit, what opinion did you form as to the attachment of the Natives, in general, to the British government; will you state as particularly

as you can that opinion, and the grounds upon which it was formed?-Generally speaking, I thought the lower orders of the people attached to the British government, the higher orders I did not think so.

State the grounds on which you form ed that opinion?- General observation, and information I received from the persons with whom I conversed and corresponded.

Was the presence of the troops necessary to insure obedience to the laws?→ In some instances it was, not every where.

Was not the presence of the troops necessary to insure the collection of the revenues? Yes, the presence of the troops was necessary for that.

Do you not know that there was a considerable defalcation in the revenues of the ceded provinces in the year ending April, 1805?-I believe there were heavy arrears, but I beg to state, that I had nothing to do with the collection of the revenue.

To what do you attribute the defalcation of the revenue during that year?— Chiefly to the drought; I believe want of rain.

Was there no other cause?-There were some other local causes; there had been disturbances.

Were there not considerable disturb ances, owing to the disaffection of the Zemindars? There were when the war broke out.

Were the people of the ceded provinces becoming more reconciled to the British government when you left them? Yes, I think they were.

Was the conduct observed at Sassnee, Bidjeghur, Cawnpore, and other places, the best calculated, in your opinion, to conciliate the affections of the people, or to ensure the respect of the neighbouring princes?-I do not know any thing of that.

What was the opinion of the better sort of the Natives about Bareilly, and in the other districts which you visited in consequence of the proceedings at Sassnee, "Bidjeghur, and other places, of the means pursued for rendering the people more satisfied with the Bengal government?-I really do not know; those transactions took place before I arrived at Bareilly.

Did you know the late Mr. Leslie ?No, N2

No, I never saw him; he died before I went there.

Did you not hear, when you took charge of your situation of judge, that Mr. Leslie was actually assaulted while sitting in his situation as judge of the court of appeal?-I do not recollect hearing that.

What is your opinion of the government of lord Wellesley, as it tended to increase, or diminish, the attachment of the Natives, both within and without the provinces?-1 held no political situation, and do not feel myself competent to answer that question.

What was your opinion, and that of the Natives with whom you conversed, as to the government of lord Wellesley, both within and without the 1 provinces?

The question being objected to:
[Withdrew.

The question was withdrawn, by leave of the Committee, and Henry Stracey, Esq. was called in again.

State, as well as you can, what is the opinion of the higher orders of the Natives, as far as you could collect it, with respect to the conduct of lord Wellesley, both within and without the provinces ?— I feel a difficulty in answering that question; there were different opinions of lord Wellesley.

can

State it as nearly as you can?-I ca state no more, than that some thought favourably, and some unfavourably, I believe.

What was your opinion of the revival of the internal dutics that had been abolished by lord Cornwallis, and what was the opinion of the Natives in gene. ral?-They were not revived that I know of.

In 1802, did not lord Wellesley put to you the question, whether there were any articles in your district on which a tax could be raised without oppression to the people, and if so, desire you to name the articles, the rate of the tax, and the manner in which you would propose it to be levied?-I do not remember any such question being put to me by lord Wellesley.

Do not you know that such questions were put generally to the magistrates and collectors throughout the districts?Probably not to the magistrates; to the Collectors probably they were.

Do you know Mr.Courtney Smith !-I do.

What is your opinion upon that gen. tleman's character and his sentiments? The question being objected to:

[Withdrew.

The question was, by leave of the Committee, withdrawn, and Henry Stracey, Esq. was called in again. When you quitted the upper provinces, was it known to you, or any of those you conversed with, what were the measures adopted by lord Wellesley for obtaining possession of Oude and Furruckabad?-No, it was not known to me, not the whole of it; I knew as much as the public knew from public conversation; I did not know as much as I now know from reading the papers before the house.

What was the general opinion and your own, as far as you can state it, lesley for getting possession of Oude and of the measures adopted by lord WelFurruckabad?-It will be merely a private opinion; I held no political situation.

What was your own private opinion?Do you mean of the policy and justic■' of it?

Yes, of the policy and justice of the measure?

The question being objected to:
[Withdrew.

The question was, by leave of the Committee, withdrawn, and Henry Stracey, Esq. was again called in. During the time you were in the upper provinces, and, during the time you made your circuit round the upper provinces, did you ever hear of any steps taken by lord Wellesley for introducing an improved system of police into the reserved territories of the vizier ? -I did not.

Will you not take upon yourself to say, that up to the end of 1805, no improved system was introduced into the reserved territories? I can only say, that I heard of none.

Do you know of any considerable number of Zemindars having retained their forts within the ceded provinces, and still paving their revenues to the government?--Yes, I heard of very few being dispossessed; a great many retained their forts.

Were

Were you not assistant at Lucknow? -No, I was not; it was my brother.

The disturbances mentioned in Midnapore were on the borders, and the woody parts?-Yes, they were.

Do you know that the vizier's provinces, previous to the cession, were in a greater state of disorder than the adjoining provinces in the possession of the Mahrattas, particularly the Doab, and the country across the Jungles?--I believe they were, but I only speak from what I heard; I did not see the country at that time.

Are you disposed to think that the vizier's troops were different in any material degree from the other Native troops, and troops in the service of the Mahrattas, those that were not governed by Europeans?-I know nothing about the vizier's troops; I was not in Oude till some time after the country was ceded.

[Withdrew.

[JOHN STRACHEY, Esq. was called in, and no questions being proposed, he was directed to withdraw.]

Captain JAMES SALMON called in, and examined.

Where you employed in 1801 to calculate the amount of the charges incurred on account of additional troops serving in Oude, from the month of November 1798 to the month of November 1799, in order that the demand might be made on the nabob for those expenses ?-I was.

State from whom, or in what manner, you were furnished with the documents and materials on which your calculations are made?- The documents were contained in the military auditor general's office.

Can you state from what official channel those documents came to you?-The documents are regular accounts kept in the office, to which any body can refer on occasion. I could have no documents from which I could draw those estimates, except the usual reports of the office, in which all the military expenses were calculated, and from which they were checked.

Can you state on what principle you proceeded in making up those estimates?1 perceive in the printed paper there is a letter from myself, in which I have endeavoured to explain the principles on