They never admitted, nor did the Nabob ever contend,
that he had any right at all to take this money from them. At that time
it was not Mr. Hastings's opinion that the badness of the system would
justify any violence as a consequence of it; and when the advancement of
the money was agreed to between the parties, as a family and amicable
compact, he was as ready as anybody to propose and sanction a regular
treaty between the parties, that all claims on one side and all kind of
uneasiness on the other should cease forever, under the guardianship of
British faith.
Mr. Hastings, as your Lordships remember, has conceded that British
faith is the support of the British empire; that, if that empire is to
be maintained, it is to be maintained by good faith; that, if it is to
be propagated, it is to be propagated by public faith; and that, if the
British empire falls, it will be through perfidy and violence. These are
the principles which he assumes, when he chooses to reproach others. But
when he has to defend his own perfidy and breaches of faith, then, as
your Lordships will find set forth in his defence before the House of
Commons on the Benares charge, he denies, or at least questions, the
validity of any treaty that can at present be made with India.
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