her strong presumptions of his
criminality, and of his knowledge that the act he was doing was
criminal.

I have another fact to lay before your Lordships, which affords a
further presumption of his guilt, and which will show the mischievous
consequences of it; and I trust your Lordships will not blame me for
going a little into it. Your Lordships know we charge that the
appointment of such a woman as Munny Begum to the guardianship of the
Nabob, to the superintendency of the civil justice of the country, and
to the representation of the whole government, was made for no other
purpose than that through this corrupt woman sixteen thousand pounds a
year, the whole tattered remains of the Nabob's grandeur, might be a
prey to Mr. Hastings: it could be for no other. Now your Lordships would
imagine, that, after this, knowing he was already grievously suspected,
he would have abstained from giving any further ground for suspicion by
a repetition of the same acts through the same person; as no other
reason could be furnished for such acts, done directly contrary to the
order of his superiors, but that he was actuated by the influence of
bribery. Your Lordships would imagine, that, when this Munny Begum was
removed upon a charge of corruption, Mr. Hastings would have left her
quiet in tranquil obscurity, and that he would no longer have attempted
to elevate her into a situation which furnished against himself so much
disgrace and obloquy to himself, and concerning which he stood charged
with a direct and positive act of bribery. Your Lordships well know,
that, upon the deposition of that great magistrate, Mahomed Reza Khan,
this woman was appointed to supply his place. The Governor-General and
Council (the majority of them being then Sir John Clavering, Colonel
Monson, and Mr. Francis) had made a provisional arrangement for the
time, until they should be authorized to fill up the place in a proper
manner. Soon after, there came from Europe a letter expressing the
satisfaction which the Court of Directors had received in the acquittal
of Mahomed Reza Khan, expressing a regard for his character, an high
opinion of his abilities, and a great disposition to make him some
recompense for his extreme sufferings; and accordingly they ordered
that he should be again employed. Having no exact ideas of the state of
employments in that country, they made a mistake in the specific
employment for which they named him; for, being a Mahometan,