said or
insinuated that he knew or ever heard thereof at a more early period,
though it appears by Major Palmer's affidavit that the design of taking,
not four _or_ five, but absolutely five, hundred thousand pounds from
the Rajah, was communicated to him as early as the month of June. And it
does not appear by the declarations of the said Wheler he did ever
casually or officially approve of the measure; which long concealment
and late communication, time not being allowed to his colleague to
consider the nature and consequences of such a project, or to advise any
precaution concerning the same, is a high misdemeanor.

XVI. That the said Hastings, having formed a resolution to execute one
of the three violent and arbitrary resolutions aforesaid,--namely, to
sell the Company's sovereignty over Benares to the Nabob of Oude, or to
dispossess the Rajah of his territories, or to seize upon his forts, and
to plunder them of the treasure therein contained, to the amount of four
or five hundred thousand pounds,--did reject the offer of two hundred
thousand pounds, tendered by the said Rajah for his redemption from the
injuries which he had discovered that the said Hastings had
clandestinely meditated against him, although the sum aforesaid would
have been a considerable and seasonable acquisition at that time: the
said Hastings being determined, at a critical period, to risk the
existence of the British empire, rather than fail in the gratification
of his revenge against the said Rajah.

XVII. That the first of his three instituted projects, namely, the
depriving the Rajah of his territories, was by himself considered as a
measure likely to be productive of much odium to the British government:
he having declared, whatever opinions he might entertain of its justice,
"that it would have an appearance of _severity_, and might furnish
grounds _unfavorable to the credit of our government, and to his own
reputation_, from the natural influence which every _act of rigor_,
exercised in the persons of men in _elevated situations_, is apt to
impress on those who are too remote from the scene of action to judge,
by any evidence of the facts themselves, of their motives or propriety."
And the second attempt, the sum of money which he aimed at by attacking
the fortresses of the Rajah, and plundering them of the treasure
supposed to be there secured, besides the obvious uncertainty of
acquiring what was thus sought, would be liable to the