ncil not to oppress her son and wrong her family; the
uncle comes and supplicates the board to save from ruin these devoted
victims which were under his protection. All these counter-petitions
come before the Council while the ink is hardly dry upon the petitions
which Mr. Hastings had left behind him, as proofs of the desire of this
family to be disinherited in favor of Gunga Govind Sing. Upon the
receipt of these remonstrances, the board could not proceed in the
business, and accordingly Gunga Govind Sing was defeated.

But Gunga Govind Sing was unwilling to quit his prey. And what does he
do? I desire your Lordships to consider seriously the reply of Gunga
Govind Sing, as it appears upon your minutes. It is a bold answer. He
denies the right of the Rajah to these estates. "Why," says he, "all
property in this country depends upon the will of your government. How
came this Rajah's family into possession of this great zemindary? Why,
they got it at first by the mere favor of government. The whole was an
iniquitous transaction. This is a family that in some former age has
robbed others; and now let me rob them." In support of this claim, he
adds the existence of other precedents, namely, "that many clerks or
mutsuddies and banians at Calcutta had," as he says, "got possession of
the lands of other people without any pretence of right;--why should not
I?" Good God! what precedents are these!

Your Lordships shall now hear the razinama, or testimonial, which, since
Mr. Hastings's arrival in England, this Rajah has been induced to send
to the Company from India, and you will judge then of the state in which
Mr. Hastings has left that country. Hearken, my Lords, I pray you, to
the razinama of this man, from whom 40,000_l._ was taken by Mr. Hastings
and Gunga Govind Sing, and against whom an attempt was made by the same
persons to deprive him of his inheritance. Listen to this razinama, and
then judge of all the other testimonials which have been produced on the
part of the prisoner at your bar. His counsel rest upon them, they glory
in them, and we shall not abate them one of these precious testimonials.
They put the voice of grateful India against the voice of ungrateful
England. Now hear what grateful India says, after our having told you
for what it was so grateful.

"I, Radanaut, Zemindar of Purgunnah Havelly Punjera, commonly
called Dinagepore:--As it has been learnt by me, the mutsuddies and
respectab