Whether a man acquires this power by law or by usurpation, there are
certain duties attached to his station. Let us now see what these duties
are.
The first is, to take care of that vital principle of every state, its
revenue. The next is, to preserve the magistracy and legal authorities
in honor, respect, and force. And the third, to preserve the property,
movable and immovable, of all the people committed to his charge.
In regard to his first duty, the protection of the revenue, your
Lordships will find, that, from three millions and upwards which I
stated to be the revenue of Oude, and which Mr. Hastings, I believe, or
anybody for him, has never thought proper to deny, it sunk under his
management to about one million four hundred and forty thousand pounds:
and even this, Mr. Middleton says, (as you may see in your minutes,) was
not completely realized. Thus, my Lords, you see that one half of the
whole revenue of the country was lost after it came into Mr. Hastings's
management. Well, but it may perhaps be said this was owing to the
Nabob's own imprudence. No such thing, my Lords; it could not be so; for
the whole _real_ administration and government of the country was in the
hands of Mr. Hastings's agents, public or private.
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