ht themselves obliged to
decline any verbal explanation from the person who is defendant in the
suit, relative to matters which on the part of the complainant appear
upon record, and to leave the whole matter, as it is charged, to the
judgment of the House to determine how far it may be worthy of a further
inquiry, or how far they may admit such allegations as your Committee
could not think themselves justified in receiving. To this effect your
Committee ordered a letter to be written Mr. Barwell; from whom they
received the following answer.

"Sir,--In consequence of your letter of the 17th, I must request the
favor of you to inform the Select Committee that I expect from their
justice, on any matter of public record in which I am personally to be
brought forward to the notice of the House, that they will at the same
time point out to the House what part of such matter has been verified,
and what parts have not nor ever were attempted to be verified, though
introduced in debate and entered on the records of the Governor-General
and Council of Bengal. I am anxious the information should be complete,
or the House will not be competent to judge; and if it is complete, it
will preclude all explanation as unnecessary.

"I am, Sir,
"Your most obedient humble servant,
"RICHARD BARWELL.

"St. James's Square, 22nd April, 1783.

"P.S. As I am this moment returned from the country, I had it not in my
power to be earlier in acknowledging your letter of the 17th."

Your Committee applied to Mr. Barwell to communicate any papers which
might tend to the elucidation of matters before them in which he was
concerned. This he has declined to do. Your Committee conceive that
under the orders of the House they are by no means obliged to make a
complete state of all the evidence which may tend to criminate or
exculpate every person whose transactions they may find it expedient to
report: this, if not specially ordered, has not hitherto been, as they
apprehend, the usage of any committee of this House. It is not for your
Committee, but for the discretion of the party, to call for, and for the
wisdom of the House to institute, such proceedings as may tend finally
to condemn or acquit. The Reports of your Committee are no charges,
though they may possibly furnish _matter_ for charge; and no
representations or observations of theirs can either clear or convict on
any proceeding which may hereafter be grounded on the facts wh