As to the hand of God,
though some members of your House may have departed this life since the
commencement of this trial, yet the body always remains entire. The
evidence before you is the same; and therefore there is no reason to
presume that your final judgment will be affected by these afflicting
dispensations of Providence. With regard to his witnesses, I must beg to
remind your Lordships of one extraordinary fact. This prisoner has sent
to India, and obtained, not testimonies, but testimonials to his general
good behavior. He has never once applied, by commission or otherwise, to
falsify any one fact that is charged upon, him,--no, my Lords, not one.
Therefore that part of his petition which states the injury he has
received from the Commons of Great Britain is totally false and
groundless. For if he had any witnesses to examine, he would not have
failed to examine them; if he had asked for a commission to receive
their depositions, a commission would have been granted; if, without a
commission, he had brought affidavits to facts, or regular recorded
testimony, the Commons of Great Britain would never have rejected such
evidence, even though they could not have cross-examined it.
Another complaint is, that many of his witnesses were obliged to leave
England before he could make use of their evidence.
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