d systematic plan of bribery
and peculation,--he resolved to put it out of the power of his Council
in future to check or control him in any of his evil practices.

The first thing he did was to form an ostensible council at Calcutta for
the management of the revenues, which was not effectually bound, except
it thought fit, to make any reference to the Supreme Council. He
delegated to them--that is, to four covenanted servants--those functions
which by act of Parliament and the Company's orders were to be exercised
by the Council-General; he delegated to four gentlemen, creatures of his
own, his own powers, but he laid them out to good interest. It appears
odd that one of the first acts to a Governor-General, so jealous of his
power as he is known to be, as soon as he had all the power in his own
hands, should be to put all the revenues out of his own control. This
upon the first view is an extraordinary proceeding. His next step was,
without apprising the Court of Directors of his intention, or without
having given an idea of any such intention to his colleagues while
alive, either those who died in India, or those who afterwards returned
to Europe, in one day, in a moment, to annihilate the whole authority of
the Provincial Councils, and delegate the whole power to these four
gentlemen.

These four gentlemen had for their secretary an agent given them by Mr.
Hastings: a name that you will often hear of; a name at the sound of
which all India turns pale; the most wicked, the most atrocious, the
boldest, the most dexterous villain that ever the rank servitude of that
country has produced. My Lords, I am speaking with the most assured
freedom, because there never was a friend of Mr. Hastings, there never
was a foe of Mr. Hastings, there never was any human person, that ever
differed on this occasion, or expressed any other idea of Gunga Govind
Sing, the friend of Mr. Hastings, whom he intrusted with this important
post. But you shall hear, from the account given by themselves, what the
Council thought of their functions, of their efficiency for the charge,
and in whose hands that efficiency really was. I beg, hope, and trust,
that your Lordships will learn from the persons themselves who were
appointed to execute the office their opinion of the real execution of
it, in order that you may judge of the plan for which he destroyed the
whole English administration in India.

"The Committee must have a dewan, or executive o