pany's express orders, praying to be
informed of the charge against him. This letter appears to have been
received by Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell very loftily. Mr. Hastings
said, "that such applications were irregular; that they are not
accountable to Mr. Fowke for their resolution respecting him. The
reasons for suspending the execution of the orders of the Court of
Directors contain _no charge, nor the slightest imputation of a charge_,
against Mr. Fowke; _but I see no reason why the board should condescend
to tell him so_." Accordingly, the proposition of Mr. Francis and Mr.
Wheler, to inform Mr. Fowke "that they had no reason to be dissatisfied
with his conduct," on the previous question was rejected.

By this resolution Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell discovered another
principle, and no less dangerous than the first: namely, that persons
deriving a valuable interest under the Company's orders, so far from
being heard in favor of their right, are not so much as to be informed
of the grounds on which they are deprived of it.

The arrival soon after of Sir Eyre Coote giving another opportunity of
trial, the question for obedience to the Company's orders was again[13]
brought on by Mr. Francis, and again received a negative. Sir Eyre
Coote, though present, and declaring, that, had he been at the original
consultation, he should have voted for the immediate execution of the
Company's orders, yet he was resolved to avoid what he called _any kind
of retrospect_. His neutrality gained the question in favor of this, the
third resolution for disobedience to orders.

The resolution in Bengal being thus decisively taken, it came to the
turn of the Court of Directors to act their part. They did act their
part exactly in their old manner: they had recourse to their old remedy
of repeating orders which had been disobeyed. The Directors declare to
Mr. Hastings and Mr. Barwell, though without any apparent reason, that
"they have read _with astonishment their formal resolution_ to suspend
the execution of their orders; that they shall take such measures as
appear necessary for _preserving the authority of the Court of
Directors_, and for preventing _such instances of direct and wilful_
disobedience in their servants in time to come." They then renew their
directions concerning Mr. Fowke. The event of this _sole_ measure taken
to preserve their authority, and to prevent instances of direct and
wilful disobedience, your Committee wil