And claiming this, we do say that the prisoner's conduct
towards Durbege Sing was illegal, unjust, violent, and oppressive. The
imprisonment of this man was clearly illegal on the part of Mr.
Hastings, as he acted without the authority of the Council, and doubly
oppressive, as the imprisoned man was thereby disabled from settling his
account with the numberless sub-accountants whom he had to deal with in
the collection of the revenue.
Having now done with these wicked, flagitious, abandoned, and abominable
acts, I shall proceed to the extraordinary powers given by Mr. Hastings
to his instrument, Mr. Markham, who was employed in perpetrating these
acts, and to the very extraordinary instructions which he gave this
instrument for his conduct in the execution of the power intrusted to
him. In a letter to Mr. Markham, he says,--
"I need not tell you, my dear Sir, that I possess a very high opinion of
your abilities, and that I repose the utmost confidence in your
integrity." He might have had reason for both, but he scarcely left to
Mr. Markham the use of either. He arbitrarily imposed upon him the tasks
which he wished him to execute, and he engaged to bear out his acts by
his own power. "From your long residence at Benares," says he, "and from
the part you have had in the business of that zemindary, you must
certainly best know the men who are most capable and deserving of public
employment.
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