be
inflicted upon him, in any manner commensurate with the atrocity of his
crimes?

At last, my Lords, these unhappy men were released. Mr. Bristow, who had
been sent to Lucknow, writes to Mr. Hastings, and informs him that
severities could do no more, that imprisonments and menaces could get no
more money. I believe not, for I doubt much whether any more was to be
got. But whether there was or not, all the arts of extortion, fortified
by all the arts of tyranny, of every name and species, had failed, and
therefore Mr. Bristow released the prisoners,--but without any warrant
for so doing from Mr. Hastings, who, after having received this letter
from Mr. Bristow, gets the Supreme Council to order these very
severities to be continued till the last farthing was paid. In order to
induce the Council to sanction this measure, he suppressed Mr. Bristow's
declaration, that severities could do nothing more in exacting further
payments; and the Resident, I find, was afterwards obliquely punished
for his humanity by Mr. Hastings.

Mr. Bristow's letter is dated the 12th of December, and he thus writes.

"The battalion at Fyzabad" (where the Begums and their ministers had
been confined) "is recalled, and my letter to the board of the 1st
instant has explained my conduct to the Begum. The letter I addressed
her, a translation of which I beg leave to inclose, (No. 2,) was with a
view of convincing her that you readily assented to her being freed from
the restraints which had been imposed upon her, and that your
acquiescence in her sufferings was a measure of necessity, to which you
were forced by her extraordinary conduct. I wished to make it appear
this was a matter on which you directed me to consult the Vizier's
pleasure, that it might be known you were the spring from whence she was
restored to her dignity and consequence."

On the 3d of March following, the Council agree to send the following
order to Mr. Bristow.

"We desire you will inform us if any and what means have been taken for
recovering the balance due from the Begum at Fyzabad, and, if necessary,
that you recommend it to the Vizier to enforce the most effectual means
for that purpose."

My Lords, you see the fraud he has put upon the Council. You will find
that Mr. Bristow's letters, up to the 3d of March, had been suppressed;
and though then communicated, yet he instigated his cat's-paw, that
blind and ignorant Council, to demand from the Vizier the renewal o