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The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke novel. A total of 269 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. I.by Edmund Burke.PREFACE.Before the
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. I.by Edmund Burke.PREFACE.Before the philosophical works of Lord Bolingbroke had appeared, great things were expected from the leisure of a man, who, from the splendid scene of action in which his talent
- 269 THE END……
- 268 This act of injustice, against which we have fulminated the thunder of our resolutions as a heavy crime, as a crime that dishonored the nation, and which measures ought to be taken to redress, this man has the insolence to bring before your Lords.h.i.+ps
- 267 At the same time that we call for your justice upon this man, we beseech you to remember the severest justice upon him is the tenderest pity towards the innocent victims of his crimes. Consider what was at that time the state of the people from whom, in d
- 266 The first thing that will occur to your Lords.h.i.+ps is an a.s.sertion of the accuser's:--"I am morally certain, that jaidads or a.s.sets for ten lacs, either in a.s.signment of land or in bills, had been prepared, and were in the charge or pos
- 265 When he had got rid of the majority in the Council, which thwarted him, what did he do? Did he himself correct any of the evils and disorders which had prevailed in the service, and which his hostile majority had purposed to reform? No, not one,--notwiths
- 264 "We wish we could refute the observation, that almost every attempt made by us and our administrations at your Presidency for the reforming of abuses has rather increased them, and added to the miseries of the country we are so anxious to protect and
- 263 My Lords, here is a man who is to administer his own affairs, who has arrived at sufficient age to supersede the counsel and advice of the great Mahometan doctors and the great n.o.bility of the country, and he is put under the most absolute guardians.h.i
- 262 "For my own part, I have ever considered the reserve which has been enjoined us in this respect as a consequence of the doubts which have long prevailed, and which are still suffered to subsist, respecting the rights of the British government and the
- 261 Mr. Hastings, having received these orders from the Court of Directors, did--what? He alleges in his defence, that no positive commands were given him. But a very sufficient description was given of the person who ought to succeed Mahomed Reza Khan, in wh
- 260 I do not know, my Lords, that it is necessary to make any observation upon this state of things. You see that the native authority was, as we have proved, utterly extinguished by Mr. Hastings, and that there was no superintendent power but his. You have h
- 259 "And the said Warren Hastings further says, that in certain letters written by David Anderson, Esquire, and John Bristow, Esquire, it was represented that the said Mirza Jungli did apply to the said Bristow, through the said Anderson, then on an emba.s.s
- 258 "Sir,--I beg leave to address you again concerning the women in the Khord Mohul. Their behavior last night was so furious that there seemed the greatest probability of their proceeding to the utmost extremities, and that they would either throw themselve
- 257 SEVENTH DAY. THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1794.My Lords,--When I had last the honor of addressing your Lords.h.i.+ps from this place, my observations were princ.i.p.ally directed to the unjust confiscation and seizure of the jaghires and treasures of the Begums, wi
- 256 You see, my Lords, the Directors had received every one of his false impressions. They had conceived an idea, that, after the rebellion of Cheyt Sing, (but not before, upon his own showing,) the Begums had shown a disposition to arm. They here a.s.sume a
- 255 Let us suppose our proof to be, that two persons who never appeared before nor since, that two grenadiers in English uniforms, (which would be a great deal stronger than the case of the nudjeeves, because they have no particular uniform belonging to them,
- 254 My Lords, I must here observe to your Lords.h.i.+ps that there is no act of violence which, merely as an act of violence, may not in some sort be borne: because an act of violence infers no principle; it infers nothing but a momentary impulse of a bad min
- 253 _Letter from Mr. Johnson to the Officer commanding the Guard.Lucknow, 28th June, 1782._ "Sir,--The Nabob having determined to inflict corporal punishment upon the prisoners under your guard, this is to desire that his officers, when they shall come, may
- 252 That your Lords.h.i.+ps may learn something of one of these ladies, called the Munny Begum, I will refer you to Major Browne's evidence,--a man who was at Delhi, the fountain-head of all the n.o.bility of India, and must have known who this lady was that
- 251 The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. XII.by Edmund Burke.SPEECH IN GENERAL REPLY.FIFTH DAY: SAt.u.r.dAY, JUNE 7, 1794.My Lords,--We will now resume the consideration of the remaining part of our charge, and of the prisoner's attempts to de
- 250 It is stated in evidence upon your minutes that this bloated leech went back to Calcutta; that he was supposed, from a state of debt, (in which he was known to have been when he left that city,) to have returned from Oude with the handsome sum of 300,000_
- 249 The next point to which I have to direct your Lords.h.i.+ps' attention is that part of the prisoner's conduct, in this matter, by which he exposed the nakedness of the Company's authority to the native powers. You would imagine, that, after
- 248 Your Lords.h.i.+ps will remember that the counsel at the bar have said that they undertook the defence of Warren Hastings, not in order to defend him, but to rescue the British character from the imputations which have been laid upon it by the Commons of
- 247 _Extract of the Proceedings of the Resident at Benares, under date the 26th February, at the Purgunnah of Sekunderpoor._ "The Resident now leaves Sekunderpoor to proceed to Nurgurah, the head cutchery of the purgunnah. He is sorry to observe, that, d
- 246 Observe, my Lords, the person that put Durbege Sing in prison was Mr.Markham; while the complaint in the arzee is, that Mr. Markham was himself the cause of the very failure for which he imprisoned him. Now what was the conduct of Mr. Hastings as judge? H
- 245 Your Lords.h.i.+ps tread upon corruption everywhere. Why was such a large revenue given to the young Rajah to support his dignity, when, as they say, Cheyt Sing did not spend above a lac and half in support of his,--though it is known he had great establi
- 244 [98] Hedaya, Vol. II. p. 621.SPEECH IN GENERAL REPLY.THIRD DAY: TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1794.My Lords,--We are called, with an awful voice, to come forth and make good our charge against the prisoner at your bar; but as a long time has elapsed since your Lords.h
- 243 In expectation of danger, he seized the person of the Rajah, and he pretends that the Rajah suffered no disgrace from his arrest. But, my Lords, we have proved, what was stated by the Rajah, and was well known to Mr. Hastings, that to imprison a person of
- 242 It is known, my Lords, that Mr. Hastings, besides having received proposals for delivering up the beautiful country of Benares, that garden of G.o.d, as it is styled in India, to that monster, that rapacious tyrant, Asoph ul Dowlah, who with his gang of m
- 241 It may be necessary that I should recall to your Lords.h.i.+ps' recollection the principles of the accusation and of the defence. Your Lords.h.i.+ps will bear in mind that the matters of fact are all either settled by confession or conviction, and th
- 240 I mean to prove the direct contrary of everything that has been said on this subject by the prisoner's counsel, or by himself. I mean to prove that the people of India have laws, rights, and immunities; that they have property, movable and immovable,
- 239 This sympathetic revenge, which is condemned by clamorous imbecility, is so far from being a vice, that it is the greatest of all possible virtues,--a virtue which the uncorrupted judgment of mankind has in all ages exalted to the rank of heroism. To give
- 238 MAY AND JUNE, 1794.SPEECH IN GENERAL REPLY.FIRST DAY: WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1794 My Lords,--This business, which has so long employed the public councils of this kingdom, so long employed the greatest and most august of its tribunals, now approaches to a clo
- 237 1794, February 27.--Lords' Minutes._Answer._--The Lord Chief-Justice of the Court of Common Pleas delivered the unanimous opinion of the Judges upon the said question,--"That it is not competent for the Managers for the Commons to ask the witnes
- 236 _Answer._--The Lord Chief-Baron of the Court of Exchequer delivered the unanimous opinion of the Judges upon the said question, in the negative,--and gave his reasons.1789, May 27.--Pa. 771._Fourth._ _Question._--Whether the public accounts of the Nizamut
- 235 _To the Second Question._ "Supposing the day appointed by the judgment for execution should lapse before such execution done, (which, however, the law will not presume,) we are all of opinion that a new time may be appointed for the execution, either
- 234 [45] Digest. Lib. XXII. t.i.t. 5.[46] Calvinus, voce _Praesumptio_.[47] Bartolus [48] Lib. II. Obs. 149, -- 9.[49] Lib. I. Obs. 91, -- 7.[50] Antiqua jurisprudentia aspera quidem illa, tenebricosa, et tristis, non tam in aequitate quam in verborum superst
- 233 [1] 4 Inst. p. 4.[2] Rol. Parl. Vol. III. p. 244, -- 7.[3] 4 Inst. p. 15.[4] 16 Ch. I. 1640.[5] Lords' Journals, Vol. IV. p. 133.[6] Id. Vol. XIX. p. 98.[7] Lords' Journals, Vol. XIX. p. 116.[8] Lords' Journals, Vol. XIX. p. 121.[9] Lords&#
- 232 Thus it is with things which owe their existence to men; but where the subject is of a physical nature, or of a moral nature, independent of their conventions, men have no other reasonable authority than to register and digest the results of experience an
- 231 For these reasons your Committee did and do strongly contend that the Court of Parliament ought to be open with great facility to the production of all evidence, except that which the precedents of Parliament teach them authoritatively to reject, or which
- 230 Your Committee thinks it scarcely possible that the Lords could be influenced by such a feeble argument. For, admitting the fact to have been as supposed, there is no sort of reason why so uniform a course of precedents, in a legal court composed of a pee
- 229 The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. XI.by Edmund Burke.NOTE.In the sixth article Mr. Burke was supported, on the 16th of February, 1790, by Mr. Anstruther, who opened the remaining part of this article and part of the seventh article, and
- 228 My Lords, I have one farther remark to make upon these accounts. The cabooleats, or agreements for the payments of these bribes, amount, in the three specified provinces, to 95,000_l._ Do you believe that these provinces were thus particularly favored? Do
- 227 Hastings must have taken some money in some irregular way, or he could not have made those payments. Mr. Larkins begins to suspect him. "Where did you lose this bodkin?" said one lady to another, upon a certain occasion. "Pray, Madam, where
- 226 My Lords, you will observe in this most astonis.h.i.+ng account which he gives here, that several of these sums he meant to conceal forever, even from the knowledge of the Directors. Look back to his letter of 22d May, 1782, and his letter of the 16th of
- 225 He goes on to say (and the threat is indeed alarming) that by calling him to account they may provoke him--to what? "To appropriate," he says, "to my own use the sums which I have already pa.s.sed to your credit, by the unworthy and, pardon
- 224 My Lords, you see what an account Mr. Hastings has given of some obscure transaction by which he contradicts the record. For, on the 26th of June, he generously, n.o.bly, full of enthusiasm for their service, offers to the Company money of his own. On the
- 223 My Lords,--Agreeably to your Lords.h.i.+ps' proclamation, which I have just heard, and the duty enjoined me by the House of Commons, I come forward to make good their charge of high crimes and misdemeanors against Warren Hastings, Esquire, late Gover
- 222 This is followed by another letter, in which he shows who those corrupt men were that had gained the ascendency over the Nabob's temper,--namely, the eunuchs of Munny Begum: one of them her direct instrument in bribery with Mr. Hastings. What you wou
- 221 Hastings wishes to appeal to a court of justice, rather than to give satisfaction to his employers,) "though supported by the cries of the people and the most authentic representations, it is yet impossible in most cases to obtain legal proofs of it;
- 220 I will have nothing to do with the great question that arose upon the Governor-General's resolution to dissolve a board, whether the board have a right to sit afterwards; it is enough that Mr. Hastings would not suffer them, as a Council, to examine
- 219 "Your order for the reduction of the Nabob's stipend was communicated to him in the month of December, 1771. He remonstrated against it, and desired it might be again referred to the Company. The board entirely acquiesced in his remonstrance, an
- 218 My Lords, I think it is necessary to state, that there has been some little difficulty concerning this word, _presents_. Bribery and extortion have been covered by the name of presents, and the authority and practice of the East has been adduced as a pall
- 217 After the evidence upon this article had been adduced, it was summed up and enforced by Mr. Anstruther, on the 11th day of April following.The next article with which the Commons proceeded was brought forward on the 15th of April, 1788, by Mr. Adam, and s
- 216 "I therefore move the board that Gunga Govind Sing may be forthwith required to surrender the original deeds produced by him as a t.i.tle to the grant of Salbarry, in order that they may be returned to the Rajah's agents, to be made null and voi
- 215 Goodlad, who had no authority but that of receiving the accounts and rents of the district from Rajah Debi Sing, and occasionally to be the channel of communication between him and the Committee."Thus your Lords.h.i.+ps see what Mr. Hastings's o
- 214 Other principles of policy, and other rules of government, and other maxims of office prevailed in the Committee of Mr. Hastings's devising.In order to destroy that just and natural credit of the officer, and the protection and support they were boun
- 213 There is a revenue in that country, raised by a tax more productive than laudable. It is an imposition on public prost.i.tutes, a duty upon the societies of dancing-girls,--those seminaries from which Mr. Hastings has selected an administrator of justice
- 212 His conduct upon these occasions may be thought irrational. But, thank G.o.d, guilt was never a rational thing: it distorts all the faculties of the mind; it perverts them; it leaves a man no longer in the free use of his reason; it puts him into confusio
- 211 The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. X.by Edmund Burke.SPEECH IN OPENING THE IMPEACHMENT.THIRD DAY: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1788.My Lords,--The gentlemen who are appointed by the Commons to manage this prosecution, have directed me to inform y
- 210 [18] 15th Dec, 1775. [19] On the 15th of November. [20] Resolution of the House of Commons, 28th May, 1782. [21] Andersons letter of 26th January, 1782. [22] Andersons letter of 24th February, 1782. [23] Sic orig. [24] Sic orig. [25] Observations on Mr. B
- 209 This is the provincial const.i.tution, and these the laws of Bengal; which proves, if there were no other proof, by the division of the functions and authorities, that the supreme power of the state in the Mogul empire did by no means delegate to any of i
- 208 To bring this point a little nearer home,--since we are challenged thus, since we are led into Asia, since we are called upon to make good our charge on the principles of the governments there, rather than on those of our own country, (which I trust your
- 207 Thus began a new division that split the Presidency into violent factions; but the faction which adhered to Nundcomar was undoubtedly the weakest. That most miserable of men, Mir Jaffier Ali Khan, clinging, as to the last pillar, to Nundcomar, trembling a
- 206 It might have been expected, too, that, in that enlightened state of the world, influenced by the best religion, and from an improved description of that best religion, (I mean the Christian reformed religion,) that we should have done honor to Europe, to
- 205 With all the faults of their nature and errors of their inst.i.tutions, their inst.i.tutions, which act so powerfully on their natures, have two material characteristics which ent.i.tle them to respect: first, great force and stability; and next, excellen
- 204 I must, however, remark, before I go further, that there is something in the representation of the East India Company in their Oriental territory different from that, perhaps, of any other nation that has ever transported any part of its power from one co
- 203 LATE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF BENGAL.SPEECH IN OPENING.FEBRUARY, 1788.SPEECH IN OPENING THE IMPEACHMENT.FIRST DAY: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1788.My Lords,--The gentlemen who have it in command to support the impeachment against Mr. Hastings have directed me to ope
- 202 FULL VINDICATION OF FYZOOLA KHaN BY MAJOR PALMER AND MR. HASTINGS.I. That, in the course of the said negotiation for establis.h.i.+ng the rights of the Nabob Fyzoola Khan, Major Palmer aforesaid did communicate to the Resident, Bristow, and through the sa
- 201 1st. That the said Hastings doth acknowledge therein, that he did, in a public instrument, solemnly recognize, "_as a breach of treaty_," and as such did subject to the consequent penalties, an act which he, the said Hastings, did at the same ti
- 200 III. That the said Resident Middleton, and the said Governor-General Hastings, did not, as they were in duty bound to do, endeavor to allay the apprehensions of the Nabob Fyzoola Khan by a.s.suring him of his safety under the sanction of Colonel Champion&
- 199 That the intention of the said Warren Hastings, in pressing for a peace with the Mahrattas on terms so dishonorable and by measures so rash and ill-concerted, was not to restore and establish a general peace throughout India, but to engage the India Compa
- 198 XIX. That the said Hastings had declared, in his said letter of the 16th June, 1784, that the Mogul's right to our a.s.sistance had been constantly acknowledged, that the Mogul had been oppressed by the lesser Mahomedan princes in the character of hi
- 197 X. That, the Nabob Jaffier Ali Khan dying in February, 1765, Mahomed Reza Khan was appointed guardian to his children, and administrator of his office, or regent, which appointment the Court of Directors did approve. But the party opposite to Mahomed Reza
- 196 namely,--"that he had found that the lands in that province, as well as in some parts more immediately under the Company, have suffered in a grievous manner, being completely exhausted of their natural moisture by the total failure of one entire seas
- 195 x.x.xIII. That the demands, claims, &c., made by the said Warren Hastings upon the government of Oude in that year amounted to the enormous sum of 2,530,000_l._ sterling; which joined to the arrears to troops, and some internal failures, amounting to 255,
- 194 XV.--REVENUES.PART I.That the property of the lands of Bengal is, according to the laws and customs of that country, an inheritable property, and that it is, with few exceptions; vested in certain natives, called _zemindars_, or landholders, under whom ot
- 193 That, about the end of the year 1780, the said Warren Hastings, in contradiction to the order above mentioned, did take away the sale of the opium from the Board of Trade, though he disclaimed, at the same time, _any intention of implying a censure on the
- 192 The Works Of The Right Honourable Edmund Burke.Vol. IX.by Edmund Burke.VII.--CONTRACTS.That the Court of Directors of the East India Company had laid down the following fundamental rules for the conduct of such of the Company's business in Bengal as
- 191 [63] 18th Jan., 1782. [64] Letter from Mr. Middleton, 2d Feb., 1782. [65] Lucknow, 22d July, 1782. [66] Major Gilpins Letter, 15th June, 1782. [67] Mr. Johnsons letter, 9th July, 1782. [68] Ibid., 4th July, 1782. [69] Major Gilpins Letter, 6th July, 1782.
- 190 _Copy of a Letter to Mahomed Jewar Ali Khan and Behar Ali Khan, from Mr.Gordon._ Sirs, my indulgent friends, Remain under, &c., &c.After compliments. I have the pleasure to acquaint you that yesterday having taken leave of you, I pa.s.sed the night at Noo
- 189 excited any commotions previous to the imprisonment of Rajah Cheyt Sing, and only armed themselves in consequence of that transaction; and, as it is probable, that such a conduct proceeded from motives of self-defence, under an apprehension that they them
- 188 x.x.xII. That bullion, jewels, and goods, to the amount of five hundred thousand pounds and upwards, were actually received by the Resident for the use of the Company before the 23d of February, 1782; and there remained on the said extorted bond no more t
- 187 That it further appears, that, notwithstanding the new administrator aforesaid was appointed two months, or thereabouts, after the beginning of the Fusseli year, that is to say, about the middle of November, 1782, and the former administrator had collecte
- 186 III. That the said Warren Hastings, having formed the plans aforesaid for the ruin of the Rajah, did set out on a journey to the city of Benares with a great train, but with a very small force, not much exceeding six companies of regular black soldiers, t
- 185 That the East India Company, having on their part violated the engagements and renounced the conditions on which they received and have hitherto held and enjoyed the duanne of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa from the King Shah Allum, have thereby forfeited all
- 184 There does not appear to have been any interest paid on the above bonds to 31st May, 1782, the last accounts received. In the Interest Books, 1780-81, the last received, the Governor-General has credit for interest on the first six to April, 1781, to the
- 183 I have the honor to be, Honorable Sirs, Your most faithful, most obedient, and most humble servant, WARREN HASTINGS.B. No. 4._An Account of Sums received on the Account of the Honorable Company of the Governor-General, or paid to their Treasury by his Ord
- 182 [40] Vide Appendix B. No. 4.[41] Vide Appendix B. No. 6.[42] Ibid., No. 7.[43] Vide Appendix B. No. 6.[44] Ibid.[45] Act 13 Geo. III. cap 63.[46] Vide Mr. Hastings's Letter of 16 December, 1782, in Appendix B. No.6.[47] Vide Appendix B. No. 6.[48] Vi
- 181 To these sentiments Colonel Monson and Mr. Francis adhered. Mr. Hastings thought it more safe, on principles similar to those a.s.sumed by Mr.Barwell, to refuse to hear the charge; but he reserved his remarks on this transaction, because they will be equa
- 180 On the 2d of May, 1775, Mr. James Grant, accountant to the Provincial Council of Moorshedabad, produced to the Governor-General and Council certain Persian papers which stated nine lacs of rupees (upwards of ninety thousand pounds sterling) received by Mu
- 179 That the House may be apprised of the nature of this article of deposit, it may not be improper to state that the Company receive into their treasury the cash of private persons, placed there as in a bank.On this no interest is paid, and the party deposit
- 178 Although evidence on record, as well as verbal testimony, has appeared before your Committee of presents to a large amount having been received by Mr. Hastings and others before the year 1775, they were not able to find distinct traces of that practice in
- 177 This transaction is of a piece with those that preceded it. On the 6th of July, 1781, Mr. Hastings announced to the board the arrival of a messenger and introduced a requisition from the young Nabob Mobarek ul Dowlah, "that he might be _permitted to
- 176 Barwell as his a.s.sistant, at a salary of about four hundred pounds a year. Against this extraordinary act General Clavering and Mr. Francis entered a protest.So early as the 6th of the following January the appointment of these gentlemen was communicate
- 175 "Europeans of credit and responsibility," that is, Europeans armed with wealth and power, and exercising offices of authority and trust, instead of being excepted from the spirit of the restriction, must be supposed the persons who are chiefly m
- 174 They proceed: "We do not mean," say they, "to convey any censure on Mr.Sulivan respecting the transaction; but we cannot withhold our displeasure from the Governor-General and Council at such an instance of _contempt_ of our authority."
- 173 The first of the internal authorized monopolies is that of opium. This drug, extracted from a species of the poppy, is of extensive consumption in most of the Eastern markets. The best is produced in the province of Bahar: in Bengal it is of an inferior s
- 172 Thus, having found by experience that this trade, whilst carried on upon the old principles, of whatever advantage it might have been to the British manufacturers, or to the individuals who were concerned in it in Bengal, had proved highly detrimental to
- 171 The internal trade of Bengal has next attracted the inquiries of your Committee.The great and valuable articles of the Company's investment, drawn from the articles of internal trade, are raw silk, and various descriptions of piece-goods made of silk
- 170 [Sidenote: How reduced.]But that the greatness of all these drains, and their effects, may be rendered more visible, your Committee have turned their consideration to the employment of those parts of the Bengal revenue which are not employed in the Compan