e
of the Honorable Company, and in the hope that the Supreme Council would
make inquiry from impartial persons into my distressed situation; but I
am now forced to a representation. From the _great increase of expense_,
the revenues were necessarily farmed out _at a high rate;_ and
deficiencies followed yearly. The country and cultivation is abandoned;
and this year in particular, from the excessive drought, deductions of
many lacs" (stated by the Resident, in his letter to the board of the
13th of the month following, to amount to twenty-five lac, or
250,000_l._ sterling) "have been allowed the farmers, who were still
left unsatisfied. I have received but just sufficient to support my
absolute necessities, the revenues being deficient to the amount of
fifteen lac [150,000_l._ sterling], and for this reason many of the old
chieftains with their troops, and the useful attendants of the court,
were forced to leave it, and there is now only a few foot and horse for
the collection of my revenues; and should the zemindars be refractory,
there is not left a sufficient number to reduce them to obedience." And
the said Nabob did therefore pray that the assignments for the new
brigade, the corps of horse, and the other detached bodies of the
Company's troops might not be required from him: alleging, "that the
former was not only quite useless to his government, but, moreover, the
cause of much loss, both in the revenues and customs; and that the
detached bodies of troops under their European officers brought nothing
but confusion into the affairs of his government, and were entirely
their own masters."

VI. That it appears that the said Nabob was not bound by any treaty to
the maintenance, without his consent, _even of the old brigade_,--the
Court of Directors having, in their letter of the 15th December, 1775,
approved of keeping the same in his service, "_provided it was done with
the free consent of the Subah, and by no means without it_." And the
_new brigade_ and temporary corps were raised on the express condition,
that the expense thereof should be charged on the Nabob only "_for so
long a time as he should require the corps for his service_." And the
Court of Directors express to the Governor-General and Council their
sense of the said agreement in the following terms: "But if you intend
to exert your influence first to induce the Vizier to acquiesce in your
proposal, and afterwards _to compel him to keep the troops in h