his former tenure, did resolve that
a letter should be written by the Governor-General himself to the Rajah
of Benares, to be delivered to Mr. Fowke, the Resident, together with
his credentials; in which letter they declare "the board willing to
continue the grant of the zemindary to him _in as full and ample a
manner as he possessed it from former sovereigns_; and on his paying the
annual tribute," &c;--and in explaining the reasons for granting to him
the mint and criminal justice, they inform him that this is done in
order "that he may possess an _uncontrolled and free authority_ in the
regulation and government of his zemindary."

XII. That on the 26th February, 1776, the Board and Council did order
that the proper instruments should be prepared for conveying to the
Rajah aforesaid the government and criminal justice and mint of Benares,
with its dependencies, "in the usual form, _expressing the conditions
already resolved on in the several proceedings of the board_." And on
the same day a letter was written to the Resident at Benares, signifying
that they had ordered the proper instruments to be prepared, specifying
the terms concerning the remittance of the Rajah's tribute to Calcutta,
as well as "_the several other conditions which had been already agreed
to_,--and that they should forward it to him, to be delivered to the
Rajah." And on the 20th of March following, the board did again explain
the terms of the said tribute, in a letter to the Court of Directors,
and did add, "that a _sunnud_ [grant or patent] for his [Cheyt Sing's]
zemindary should be furnished him _on these and the conditions before
agreed on_."

XIII. That during the course of the transactions aforesaid in Council,
and the various assurances given to the Rajah and the Court of
Directors, certain improper and fraudulent practices were used with
regard to the symbols of investiture which ought to have been given, and
the form of the deeds by which the said zemindary ought to have been
granted. For it appears that the original deeds were signed by the board
on the 4th September, 1775, and transmitted to Mr. Fowke, the Resident
at the Rajah's court, and that on the 20th of November following the
Court of Directors were acquainted by the said Warren Hastings and the
Council that Rajah Cheyt Sing had been invested with the _sunnud_
(charters or patents) for his zemindary, and the _kellaut_, (or robes of
investiture,) in all the proper forms; but on