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of no confequence; and this will be found. to be the opinion of all the Council when they entered into a new treaty with Meer Jaffier, at which time none of them thought there was any neceffity of demanding faghire Sunnuds."

It appears, however, from the negocia tions with Meer Jaffier, that the Company's fervants required grants more extenfive than Fageer in behalf of the Company; and "Meer Jaffier objected to the words, that the three provinces shall be invested in the Company for ever;' alledging that, in fact, it is not material to the Company, as any future Nabob, who was inclined and able to difpute the Company's poffeffions, might infift it was a ceffion which he had no right to make; and that the fame might be objected to his prejudice by the King if he comes to be established at Delhi, and therefore defire the article may remain as formerly." The teftimony of Lord Clive+ does not invalidate

* Vanfittart's Narrative, Vol. III. p. 356.

+ Letter to the Proprietors of Eaft-India Stock, 1764.

this statement; he informs the Proprietors, that when the Nabob Meer faffier, in 1759, notified by Jagger Seat that he was made an Omrah, he inquired where the Jageer ufually annexed to that dignity was located, to which he was answered, that the Nabob never granted Jageers in Bengal, that Oriffa was too poor, but that he might have one in Bahar; but it was only after the fuccefs of the English over the King's fon he was informed of the amount, and that it was granted in Bengal. Lord Clive obferves, "It gave me the greater pleafure to find it to be the lordship of the Company's lands, because the Company was thereby freed from all dependance on Government." "The lands ceded to the Company by the ninth article of the treaty with Meer Jaffier were only ceded as perpetual Zemindars, or renters, the Nabob referving the lordship and quit-rent, which amounted to £30,000 a year, and the Company could never be lawfully difpoffeffed fo long as they continued to pay that quit-rent." It was then the lordship. and rents fo reserved that the Nabob tranfferred to Lord Clive, and no prejudice

arofe to the Company's revenue*; the grant paffed all the ufual forms of the country, was founded on the very fame authority with that the Company had for all their acquifitions, the power of a Soubah; yet in May, 1764, the Directors apply the reafoning of Mr. Amyatt's minute to fufpend the payment of Lord Clive's Jageer. Mr. Sullivan informed the Prefident of Fort William," that all cordiality being at an end with Lord Clive, the Court of Directors had ftopped payment of the Jageer;" and in effect the Directors ordered this fageer to be carried to their own account, and announce that his Lordship's pretensions shall be fettled in London; on which Lord Clive obferves, "the Directors at once boldly affirm my fageer to be determined by the removal of Meer faffier from the throne, fince the grant, as they alledge, did not bind his fucceffor, without the leaft confideration of the natural inference fuch an affertion would produce +."

* Letter to the Proprietors of Eaft-India Stock, p. 36. + Ibid. p. 52.

It was not therefore without reafon Lord Clive, on his return to India, in 1765, was impreffed with the arbitrary diftinctions in the conftruction of a Soubab's grants acquired for the English, grants from the Mogul of all the territory in which the British armies had difputed the power of France and of ufurpers. But we are now told that humanity calls on Great Britain to attend to the feelings and prejudices of the natives, by giving effect to treaties. they understand, and which are connected with their well-being; to this error I fhall only adduce the teftimony of the Governor and Select Committee of Bengal to the Directors, January 31, 1766. "To us it evidently appears, there remained but the alternative to advance as we have done and grafp at the whole power, or fhrink back into our primitive condition of fimple merchants; to abandon our poffeffions, disband our forces, and reft our future hopes on the clemency of Princes who will not eafily forget or forgive the fuperiority we have maintained; in a word, this last meafure was impracticable, for we must obferve, although with much regret, that

the mifconduct of individuals hath rendered the English name fo odious, that we are no longer fecure than while our hands. are armed for the defence of our lives and properties."

The ceremony with which the Company was invefted with the Dewanne, is ftated by the gentlemen who were fent from Calcutta for that purpofe, in a letter to the Sele&t Committee, dated April 30, 1766. "We thought it by no means advifeable to deviate, upon flight occafions, from the eftablished forms and cuftoms of the anniverfary of the Poonah, and, therefore, accepted, for ourselves and for you, the ufual prefents of a drefs and elephant to each; which fhall be forwarded by the first opportunity. This expence hath formerly been charged to the Government; it muft therefore now be brought to the Company's account; but, as the amount is very inconfiderable, it is fcarce worth while to introduce any innovation to leffen our dig

* Appendix to the Report of the Eaft-India Company, 1772, No. 46.

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