Jency to ascertain whether your lordship's remarks on his paper of requests shall occasion any relaxation in his apparent obstinacy. 17. I have made several attempts to open an intercourse with Ruttun Chund, but such is the jealousy of the two favorites in regard to each other, and such his excellency's vigilance over both, that it is impossible to procure a personal conversation with either, unless he is deputed to me by his excellency. I hope, however, that I have at length opened a channel for communication with Ruttun Cound. In respect to the molavy, either his sincerity or his influence with the vizier must be suspected. My moonshee yesterday morning, in consequence of directions from me, engaged him in a conversation, when I had retired with the vizier, and informed him of the light in which your lordship had viewed his excellency's paper of requests. The molavy made the strongest assurances of his having predicted to the vizer your lordship's tora! disapprobation of the paper, and of his having used, in addition to the arguments with which I had furnished him, all his powers of persuasion to retract the requests. 18. It is my intention to prepare a memorial to the vizier, recapitulating the substance of some part of my conversation, and representing to his excellency, that if he entertains the belief of evading or postponing the settlement of the affairs of his country, under the specious show of submission, the deliberate, the decided, and repeated assurances of your lordship's unalterable resolution to apply an effectual remedy, without delay, to the existing abuses in the province of Oude, ought to satisfy his excellency that such a belief must be totally erroneous, and that should your lordship be ultimately compiled to have recourse to extremities for preserving the united interes's of his excelency and the company in Oude, his excellency must be responsible for any disorders and disturbances, and for any failure in the revenues, which may arise from the want of has co-opera tation of a statement of remarks which your lordship has been pleased to prepare upon it. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. Lucknow, 8th of June, 1801. To Lieutenant Colonel Scott, Resident at Lucknow. Sir,--Para. 1. I have received your letter of the 8th instant, in reply to which I think it necessary to dispatch, by express, the following instructions for your immediate direction. 2.-You will persevere, with the ut most degree of assiduity and firmness, in requiring from the nabob vizier the instantaneous liquidation of the whole arrear due by his excellency on account of the augmentation of the army in Oude. For this purpose you will inform his excellency that you have received my orders to forward to me, by express, a daily report of the sums paid into your treasury by his excellency on account of the balance. You will further apprize his excellency that if any additional delay should be created by him in the discharge of this just demand, you have received authority and directions from me to sequestrate a sufficient portion of his excellency's revenue for the satisfaction of the company's claims. The various pretexts which his excellency now opposes to a clan of which he has repeatedly ac knowledged the justice, reduce me to the nece sity of proceeding to measures of compulsion for the recovery of the public rihis entrusted to iny charge. 3. In pursuance of the spirit of this order you will sequestrate the revenue of whatever district will appear to you to be most convenient for the purpose, obser ving that the temporary sequestration of revenue for the discharge of the arrear of a part of the subsidy, is to be kept complotely distinct from the permament territorial cession for the future security of the whole subsidy. 4. I am anxious to learn what progress has been made in the further reduction of the vizier's military force, and I earnestly desire that you will suffer no consideration to delay for a moment the completion of that most necessary reform; it is therefore my wish that you should make me a weekly report of the progress of the reduction of his excellency's troops. It may be useful that the vizier should know a 9. If a know that you have received orders from Hussein Reza Khan, and the principal .me to this effect. personages in Oude, with attested copies 5. I entertain a confident expectation of suon parts of that paper as tend to disthat the remarks which I have forwarded close the comprchensive project of conto you upon the paper of requests lately fiscation, proscription, and tyrannical vioreceived from the vizier, will have lence entertained by his excellency brought his excellency to a sense of his against his own family, nobılıy, and duties; it, however, I should be disap- people. pointed in this hope, I authorise and di you should concur with me in rect you to proceed, as soon as you may opinion that such a communication to i he judge convenient, to establish the coni- persons named and descubed in the prepany's authority within the whole line ceding paragraph mighi br usefui, I due of ierritory described in my recent in- thorize you to make it at the period of structions, with this addition, thai, under time, and to the exient, which you may the present circumstances of the case, judge advisable. I think it will be necessary to take pos I am, &c. session of the whole of the two districts (Signed) WELLESLEY. of Azimghur and Goruckpcor, instead of Fort Williain, 15ih June, 1801. adoping th: parsial line of demarcation, drawn through those districts in my re- My dear sir, -I have been fivoured cent instructions. with your lettei of the 5th inson'. In 6. It is become marter of serious consequence of a willen Equisition consideratior, whether the conduct of the fron ine to the vizier,chat h woul comvizier may not require the speedy adop- ' mence liquidang:he company's demand tion of a more comprehensive arran - on him for anner, of subsidi, bis exrel. ment for the coinplete establishment lency, in the first werk of this month, of the company's authority over every sent iwo lacks of rupres on tha! account: part of the icrritory of Oude. In the soine davs ainer he commenced prving mean while the completion of the ter- th: kise for the preceding month, out as ritorial cession, as stated in my recent the money did not come in with a disinstructions, will facilitate any further pa ch, or in quantities proporcioned tu the Seulement which may be deemed (& hcary deina ds upon his treasury, and pedient, as I had reason to specchie his design 7. I take this opportunity of appri- was to pin out the ani: unuilibe next hist sing you that it is my intention to visit should be due, I repeaied inc' demand for the upper provinces during the approach- ihe Fiyment of the arrears, and pressed ing season, and ibat with this view I for a more speedy discharge of tokist, hope to be able to embark on the river His excellency atfectudio he burt at hebefore the close of the present month. ing called on for the payment of the kiss, This intelligence will probably afford and rerunned my lerier, noucing also that the vizier a fresh pretext for procrasti the terms which I had unit in it, if nation and evasion, but I desire that you giving a receipe for the two licks on acwill proceed 10 exécute my orders with- courit of ihe arrear, did not correspond out reference to any sibierfuge which with those which he had used in sending his excellency may her after artem pe 10 the money. This is one of the tricks practise. It is indeed doubrful whether I which his excellency has frequently had may think it expedient her to pay any recourse to for the purpose of trying to visit to his excellency, or to receive any obtain some concession from ine; chey from him during the actual crisis of have never succeeded; and on the prescos affairs. occasion I returned one letter with a sull 8. His excellency's object in desiring more perem prory demand for the pays that his paper of requests should be restor- ment of the whole anjount of the airear cd to him is sufficiently ohvious. I con- without a momoni's delay. His excel clude you have retained an artested copy lency also mentioned in his letter an inof that paper of which you have sent me tention of replying to lord Wellesley's the original. If it should become neces- letters, and of preparing a rejoinder to his sary to assume the districts without his ex- lordship’sanswer on his article of requests, cellency's consent, I desire you to con- presented to him on the 11th this ant. sider whether it may not be expedient to To this intimation I replied, tha! I trustfurnish the begum, Almas Alli Khan, ed his excellency's answer to his lord ship's 1 postponed in consequence of the reports now in circulation of lord Wellesley's design of honouring this part of the country with his presence. It has ever been a prevalent desire of his excellency to nego tiate immediately with his lordship, and whilst such an expectation exists, it will be his study to procrastinate and evade a final arrangement. am, my dear sir, &c. (Signed) Lucknow, 5th June, 1801. W. SCOTT, Resident, Lucknow. N. B. Edmonstone, Esq. Inclosed is a private letter from lientenant-colonel Scott to Mr. Edmonstone, dated 5th June, 1801. The vizier yesterday communicating his sentiments to Molavy Sudden, observed that there was much room both for hope and fear; to which Molavy Sudden answered that as yet nothing had been done, that if his excellency would give him his dismissal he would proceed, and satisfactorily accomplish his excellency's affairs and wishes. That he pledged himself to this point, provided that his excellency would furnish him with such letters as he might wish to the governor-general, and to the other gentlemen, and that he would give him his dismissal; his excellency observed that he was his hand, his tongue, and his eyes, and that if he sould dismiss him he would be able to do nothing; that he must remain entirely inactive, and that derangement would ensue to his affairs; that if the pending negotiation did not oppose an obstacle, he would certainly have allowed him to go. Molavy Sudden again repeatedly endeavoured to persuade him, and said, that when the affair should once pass out of their hands, nothing could afterwards be done; his excellency answered, that upon receiving an answer from Calcutta he would do whatever might be advisable; to which Molavy Sudden answered, that nothing could possibly be settled by writing; that it was utterly impossible. A true copy. N. B. EDMONSTONE," Secretary to government. To (Signed) ship's demand for the payment of the arrears would be a communication of his having discharged a considerable portion, and of his determination to continue the payments without intermission until the whole debt should be cleared off; since an answer of any other tenor after his lordship's final sentiments had been so repeatedly conveyed to him would be only an useless trouble. On the subject of his intended rejoinder I replied, that it was my hope that his lordship's remarks on his excellency's paper had made such an impression on his mind 2s to suppress for ever any further mention of it; I beg you will assure lord Wellesley that my demands for the payment of the money shall be unceasing and suited to the dignity of his lordship's government. The negotiation is now in a state which occasions me a good deal of anxiety, and this is aggravated by an apprehension that the endeavours which I have used to influence the vizier's mind through the agency of Molavy Sudden, although my arguments, as addressed to his excellency, were not of a mollifying quality, have produced the effect of hard ening his resolution of passive submission, under a conception that the solicitude shewn to obtain his consent implies an unwillingness, if not a repugnance, to proceed in the business without it. I have, however, prepared a paper which will, I trust, convince his excellency that he is deceiving himself by such an idea, and that it is indispensable for him to resume the discussion of the territorial cession with a sincere and earnest desire of bringing it to a speedy conclusion. The explanation of his lordship's sentiments respecting the state in which the company's defensive engagements will be placed under an arrangement founded on the territorial cession, shall be duly regarded. I received the proposed stipulation of the vizier in regard to the constant maintenance of a specific number of British troops within the ceded territory, as one of those vexatious and childish articles which his excellency has introduced for the sake of teazing, and not as one that he would think of contending for when the several provisions should assume the shape of a formal treaty. I inclose to you a small paper of intelligence from the vizier's secret durbar; the intention therein mentioned of deputing Molavy Sudden, I understand, is Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, Resident at Lucknow. Sir,-Para. 1. I am favoured with your letter of the 15th instant, which I have duly submitted to lord Wellesley's perusal; and I am directed by his lordship to communicate to you the following "letters as he might wish to the governor"general, and to the other gentlemen, "&c." His lordship requests that you wilt inform him, if you can, who are those gentlemen to whom his excellency had it in contemplation to write on such an occasion as that of sending an ambassador to the representative of the British government in India. 4. The other passage alluded to is this; "his excellency answered, that upon receiving an answer from Cal"cutta he would do whatever might be "advisable." His lordship is doubtful whether by this expression his excellency means an answer from his lordship to an intended remonstrance on the part of his excellency, or whether he adverts to any other correspondence which he holds with persons residing at Calcutta. following observations and instructions upon the points adverted to in that let ter. 2. You will have observed by his lordship's letter to you of the 15th instant that he anticipated the effect upon his excellency the vizier's conduct of his lordship's intended visit to the upper provinces, and therefore expressed a doubt whether he should think it expedient to meet his excellency during the actual crisis of affairs. As his lordship's conjecture regarding the effect of his intended journey has been verified, his lordship deems it of the utmost importance to remove from his excellency's mind those impressions upon which he founds the hope of procrastination, or of a relaxation of the de-mands which have been made upon him. His lordship there fore desires that his excellency the vizier may be given to understand that it is his lordship's resolution not to have any personal intercourse with him until the pending negotiation shall have been finally and completely concluded. His lordship further wishes that his excellency should understand, that it is not his lordship's practice to conduct political negotiations in person. His lordship reposes the fullest confidence in those officers whom he has selected for the conduct of political affairs, and he considers them fully competent to be the agents of his lordship's views at the several courts where they are stationed. Upon this principle it is his lordship's determination to terminate the negotiation with his excellency the vizier through the same official channel by which they have been hitherto conducted, and his lordship accordingly desires that you will diligently extinguish every hope which his excellency may entertain of any alteration in the equitable demands of the British government, or of any delay in their fulfilment, founded on his lordship's visit to the upper stations; and that you will rather mention his lordship's journey as an additional argument for the necessity of an immediate adjustment of the pending negotiations, since his lordship is resolved to avoid a meeting with his excellency until they shall have been finally and completely closed. 3. In the paper of intelligence inclosed in your letter his lordship observed two passages of which he is desirous of receiving an explanation. The first passage is this," he (Molavy Sudden) pledge "ed himself to this point, provided his "excellency would furnish him with such 5. His lordship requests that you will state for his information, what you may know, or what your opinion is upon these two points. As you may not have retained a copy of the paper of intelligence I have the pleasure to return it. 6. There is another point materially connected with the subject of your letter, to which his lordship has directed me to draw your attention. 7. You will no doubt be informed at Lucknow of a report promulgated at Calcutta of a change in the ministry at home, by the resignation of Mr. Pitt and the duke of Portland, and the appointment of the speaker and the marquis of Lansdowne to their situations respectively. It has occurred to his lordship, that should this report, vague and unsupported as it is, reach his excellency's ears, he may be induced to believe that a charge of administration in India may be the consequence, or that his lordship may think it advisable to wait the sentiments of his majesty's ministers, upon the measures now under discussion with his excellency; and in this expectation his excellency may be more anxious than before to procrastinate a final adjustment. His lordship therefore deems it proper that you should be prepared to discountenance any such belief in the mind of his excellency, and that you shall press the final adjustment of the pending negotiations with increased earnestness. 8. His lordship observes, that you have already received such repeated injunctions on the subject of urging payment of the pecuniary demands upon his excellency, that it is superfluous to add any further directions, the more so as you scem My lord,—Para. 1.—I had the honour, on the 10th instant, to receive from the Persian translator to government the statement of remarks which your lordship had been pleased to prepare on the vizier's of and on the 11th paper requests, instant presented it to his excellency. 2. The observations with which I accompanied the delivery of that document were intended to impress his excellency with the necessity of his resuming the discussion of the negotiation which has been so long on foot, with a sincere and earnest desire of concluding a definitive arrangement on the basis of one of the propositions; and it was my further aim to convince his excellency, that if, under the specious show of resignation, he hoped to postpone or evade satisfying the just demand of the company for territorial security, he was suffering himself to be deceived by the weakest 4. Perceiving from these circumstances, as well as from what I understand to be the language of his durbar, that his excellency is acting upon the declaration which he verbally delivered to me on the 7th instant, of abstaining, from any participation or co-operation in the measures which your lordship might adopt, and despairing of ob aming his consent to either of the propositions through the medium of mild persuasion,I thought it indispensable for the promotion of the interests committed to my charge, to address his excellency in the language of strong remon strance upon the spirit of invasion which governs his counsels and his conduct in regard to the territorial cession. 5. For this purpose I prepared a mememorial which was yesterday delivered to his excellency by my moonshee, inclosed in a short letter, copies of both which papers, in English and Persian, accompany this dispatch. 6. The vizier, previous to his receipt of the above paper, but whilst the moonshee was on his way to the palace, sent a message that he would breakfast with me this morning; his excellency accordingly came, but declined engaging in a private conversation on the plea that he had not perused my memorial. 7. Although no doubt can exist, that his excellency is now acting upon the declaration adverted to in the 4th paragraph of this dispatch, yet it remains to be discovered whether he is governed by a sincere determination of meeting the consequence of a perseverance in his refusal to adjust the terms of a territorial cession, or whether he is guided by a belief that your lordship will refrain from dccisive measures in the event of his persisting such a refusal. One object of my memorial being to ascertain, if possible, by which of these sentiments he is actuated, I judged that the communication of my being in possession of your lordship's instructions, providing for the event of his excellency's refusal to adjust a conclusive arrangement, afforded the most probable means of obtaining that knowledge. 8. If his excellency has been acting under a persuasion that no measures will be pursued without his acquiescence, the above communication, by undeceiving him, will probably induce him to renew the discussion of the territorial cession; in which case, and provided he engages in the discussion with a cordial desire of concluding the arrangement, I have little doubt of his consenting to the stipulations regarding the right of the company to station the British troops in such parts of his excellency's dominions as shall be judged expedient, and of reducing his own military establishment to the compass proposed; he will probably also forbear to renew the subject of his papers of requests; but a long study of his excellency's character and disposition constrains me to express my apprehensions that he will contend against the introduction into his reserved dominions of regula tions of police, under the controul of the company's |