" He next adds,--"This also, I
believe," (observe, he says he is not quite sure of it,) "I communicated
to Mr. Markham; but not being perfectly certain," (of a matter the
immediate knowledge of which, if true, was of the highest importance to
his country,) "I now think it my duty to remove the possibility of your
remaining unacquainted with, a circumstance which may not be unconnected
with the present conduct of the Rajah."
Here is a man that comes with information long after the fact deposed
to, and, after having left to another the communication of his
intelligence to the proper authority, that other neglects the matter. No
letter of Mr. Markham's appears, communicating any such conversation to
Mr. Hastings: and, indeed, why he did not do so must appear very obvious
to your Lordships; for a more contemptible, ridiculous, and absurd story
never was invented. Does Mr. Balfour come forward and tell him who his
informant was? No. Does he say, "He was an informant whom I dare not
name, upon account of his great consequence, and the great confidence I
had in him"? No. He only says slightly, "I have some confidence in him."
It is upon this evidence of a reporter of what another is _said_ to have
_said_, that Mr. Hastings and his Council rely for proof, and have
thought proper to charge the Rajah, with having conceived rebellious
designs soon after the time when Mr.
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