of so much domestic anxiety, in which, I assure you, I
took the deepest concern. I also had an expectation that Mr.
Sullivan, with whom I had constant intercourse, might have had the
opportunity of seeing you in Buckinghamshire (if Lord Temple's
health should allow you to see anybody), and that he would have
apprised you of every circumstance which could affect Hobart's
interest or reputation; to both of which objects, it is my sincere
opinion that the utmost regard has been shown by all parties in
this affair: I say by _all_ parties, because common justice compels
me to declare that Mr. Dundas, instead of having impeded or
frustrated the arrangement proposed for Hobart, or of having
sacrificed him to any intrigue at the India House, has to my
certain knowledge asserted Hobart's cause with the warmest zeal,
used every means of representing it to the Company in the most
advantageous light, and even entered into personal engagements for
the benefit of Hobart far exceeding any demand which could justly
or reasonably have been made upon him by Hobart or by his friends.
A short statement of facts will, I think, satisfy you of the truth
of my opinion.

After a very full consideration of all the despatches both from
Bengal and Madras, relating to the affairs of the latter
Government, Mr. Dundas wrote a letter to the Directors, of which he
sent me a copy, expressing his sense of Lord Hobart's services in
these words: "To his zeal and promptitude in the execution of his
orders, after the unfortunate rupture with Holland, I in a very
great degree attribute the very proud and advantageous situation in
which our Indian empire is now placed." The letter concludes with
the following recommendation to the Court to make a provision for
Lord Hobart: "If the Court of Directors concur with me in thinking
that Lord Hobart has performed very meritorious services, but that
there are at the same time very forcible grounds of expediency why
he should not proceed to the higher situation originally destined
for him, I can have no doubt, from the known justice and liberality
of the East India Company, that they will concur with me in
thinking that he ought not to return to his own country without a
substantial mark of the approbation and favour of the East India
Company