ansaction in his evidence is perfectly coherent, and consistent with
the recorded part. The original accounts, alleged to be delivered by the
lady in question, were produced by him, properly sealed and
authenticated. Nothing is opposed to all this but a paper without
signature, and therefore of no authority, attended with a translation of
a very extraordinary appearance; and this paper, in apologizing for it,
confirms the facts beyond a doubt.

Finally, your Committee examined the principal living witness of the
transaction, and find his evidence consistent with the record. Your
Committee received the original accounts, alleged to be delivered by the
lady in question, properly sealed and authenticated, and find opposed to
them nothing but a paper without signature, and therefore of no
authority, attended with a translation of a very extraordinary
appearance.

In Europe the Directors ordered opinions to be taken on a prosecution:
they received one doubtful, and three positively for it.

They write, in their letter of 5th February, 1777, paragraphs 32 and
33:--

"Although it is rather our wish to prevent evils in future than to enter
into a severe retrospection of the past, and, where facts are doubtful,
or attended with alleviating circumstances, to proceed with lenity,
rather than to prosecute with rigor,--yet some of the cases are so
flagrantly corrupt, and others attended with circumstances so oppressive
to the inhabitants, that it would be unjust to suffer the delinquents to
go unpunished. The principal facts[56] have been communicated to our
solicitor, whose report, confirmed by our standing counsel, we send you
by the present conveyance,--authorizing you, at the same time, to take
such steps as shall appear proper to be pursued.

"If we find it necessary, we shall return you the original covenants of
such of our servants as remain in India, and have been anyways concerned
in the undue receipt of money, in order to enable you to recover the
same for the use of the Company by a suit or suits at law, to be
instituted in the Supreme Court of Judicature in Bengal."

Your Committee do not find that the covenants have been sent, or that
any prosecution has been begun.

A vast scene of further peculation and corruption, as well in this
business as in several other instances, appears in the evidence of the
Rajah Nundcomar. That evidence, and all the proceedings relating to it,
are entered in the Appendix. It was the