ountry to the other. He
was there to receive bribes for Mr. Hastings; the Committee were to be
pure with impotent hands; and then came a person with ample power for
Mr. Hastings himself. And lest this person should not have power enough
in this Committee, he is made the general bribe-broker to Mr. Hastings.
This secret under-current, as your Lordships will see, is to counteract
everything, and, as fast as one part is rendered pure, totally to
corrupt all the rest.

But, my Lords, this was not the private opinion of Mr. Shore only, a man
of great abilities, and intimately acquainted with the revenue, who must
know when he was in a situation to do good and when not. The other
gentleman whom I have mentioned, Mr. Hastings's confidant in everything
but his bribes, and supposed to be in his closest secrets, is Mr.
Anderson. I should remark to your Lordships, that Mr. Anderson is a man
apparently of weak nerves, of modest and very guarded demeanor, as we
have seen him in the House of Commons; it is in that way only I have the
honor of knowing him. Mr. Anderson being asked whether he agreed in the
opinion and admitted the truth of his friend Mr. Shore's statement
relative to the dewan of the Committee, his answer was this: "I do not
think that I should have written it quite so strong, but I do in a great
measure agree to it: that is, I think there is a great deal of truth in
the observation; I think, in particular, that it would require great
exertion in the Committee, and great abilities on the part of the
President, to restrain effectually the conduct of the dewan; I think it
would be difficult for the Committee to interpose a sufficient control
to guard against all the abuses of the dewan."

There is the real President of the Committee,--there the most active,
efficient member of it. They are both of one opinion concerning their
situation: and I think this opinion of Mr. Anderson is still more
strong; for, as he thinks he should have written it with a little more
guard, but should have agreed in substance, you must naturally think the
strongest expression the truest representation of the circumstance.

There is another circumstance that must strike your Lordships relative
to this institution. It is where the President says that the use of the
President would be to exert his best abilities, his greatest
application, his constant guard,--for what?--to prevent his dewan from
being guilty of bribery and being guilty of oppres