The

motive than that of fidelity and attachment, and which could not be productive of ill, if it failed of the means of deliverance from his diAtreffes. He painted the fituation of the King's. family in ftrong and affecting colours. whole of what he faid on this fubject may be comprised in a few words. In the courfe of the laft twelvemonth, the whole income which he had received for the fubfiftance of fo large a domestic aftablishment, from a territory of fome extent, and from the rights of an empire which once yielded many crores (I think he faid fix) fcarce amounted to a lack and fifty thoufand rupees. It was natural, he said, for those by whose power the Sultanut, fuch as it was, was fupported, to endeavour to raise themselves to the independent poffeffion of it; and to that he could fubmit; but it was the condition of vaffalage and meannefs to which the fervants of the King had reduced him, by degrading him into a mere inftrument of their interested and fordid defigns, that he regretted; and this was fuch a condition as neither his pride, nor the fenfe of duty, would allow him to view with forbearance. It would. be impoffible to follow this difcourfe through avery branch of it, though connected; I have hastily written it, as it occurred to my memory, and may have ufed repetitions which did not appear in its original delivery. My reply ought

to be confined to its fubftance. I told him that our government had just obtained relief from a fate of univerfal warfare, and required. a term of repofe; that our whole nation was weary of war, and dreaded the renewal of it; it would be equally alarmed at any movement, of which it could not immediately fee the iffue or progrefs, but which might eventually tend to create new hoftilities; that I came hither with a limited authority, and could not, if I chofe it, engage in a bufinels of this nature without the concurrence of my colleagues in office, who believed would be averle to it; that the country of Owde was in a difordered ftate, and the nabob incapable of joining immediately in fuch a plan; and that my fole bufinefs here, was to aflift him with the power and influence of our government, in retrieving his affairs, which I hoped a few months would effect, and enable him to perform the du ties of loyalty to his fovereign. In the mean time, the prince's refidence in this place, though he fat ftill and inactive, would be of fome ufe; it would be a check on the people at Delhi, who would not dare to proceed to further extremities, but find it their intereft and policy to make their court to the King, while there was an appearance or poffibility of his caufe being efpouled from this quarter, with fo powerful a fanction for it; that I would reprefent his fituation to the joint members of my own government, and wait their determination. In the mean time, I advifed him to make advances to Madajee Scindia, both because our government

was

in intimate and fworn connection with him, and because he was the effectual head of the Mahrattah State, befides, I feared his taking the other fide of the queftion, unless he was early prevented. This is all that materially paffed

betwixt us."

It will be proper to add, that no perfon was either prefent, or within hearing, during this conference, and that I have yet only made a pri vate communication of it to the other members of the board, as there are many circumstances related in it which ought not to be expofed to the risk of being publicly known.

Major Browne, who is your refident at the court of Delhi, left it on the 2d inftant, by the King's command, on the exprefs errand of reconducting the prince to court, and to give him an affurance of pardon for his paft tranfgreffion.

What may be the final iffue, or even the progrellive events, of this vifit, I cannot conjecture; the fcene is too novel to be judged by any comparison of fuch as have fallen within the compafs of my experience. I can only pro mife my moft watchful care that it may not lead to any confequences which may involve your inthes, interfere with the economy of my prefent plaf, or difturb the tranquillity of your poffeffions..

I am strongly tempted to mention, and I hope not improperly, one trait of the Prince's cha racter, which has fallen within my own imperfect obfervation. When he arrived at the place where the firft honours were paid him, on his approach to Lucknow, he was devoid of almoft every neceffary of life, and had fearce a change of raiment for his own ufe; nor was his fituation with refpect to the means of expence immedi ately improved on his arrival at the place of his appointed refidence at the city. To his own diftreffes he appeared infenfible, or affected a fpirit of felf-dependence which raided him above the confideration of them; but he privately hinted to the gentleman who was appointed by the Nabob Vizier, and myself, to attend on him on our joint behalf, that the King, his father, was in fuch a state of wretchedness, that any fupply of money, however small, would be an acceptable gift. Even at the inftant in which I am writing, I receive an additional evidence of the fame difpofition, which, whether it be real benevolence, or let it flow from whatever fource, is at leaft commendable, in a report. made to me by the fame channel, which is that of my Perfian interpreter, Captain Scott, who is jutt returned from the Prince, to whom the Nabob Vizier had fent him with a supply of 15,000 rupees for his private expence; and E fhall ufe his own words, written immediately in my prefence for the recital of it.

His Highnefs received the money with many expreffions of thanks, but obferved, that while he knew his father daily experienced the greateft diftreffes, he thought it unlawful for him to enjoy the luxuries of life; that he wished, therefore, the Governour and Nabob Vizier would remit the money to the Nabob Mirza, for his Majefty's ufe. His Highnefs obferved alfo, that he at prefent, from the attention of the English and Nabob Vizier, had many fuperfluities, which he fhould difpatch to his Majesty în a few days."

WARREN HASTINGS.

PRICES

of STOCKS, &c. in JANUARY, Compiled by C. DOMVILLE, Stock-Broker, No. 95, Cornhill.

reduced

Ann. Ann.

3 per C 3 per C. | 4 per C. | 5 per C. | Long Short India India India Old New Navy Exch. confols. confols.

1785.

Wind Weath.

Stock

Ann. Bonds Ann.

Ann. Bills.

Bills.

27 Holiday 28

Deal London SW Rain

55

555

71

1361

5231

7፤

89 7

56

16

I

54%

I

8

6

N. B. In the 3 per Cent Confols. the highest and lowest Price of each Day is given; in the other Stocks the highest Price only.

135

I

14

S W

135

2

14

S W

33

666

16/0

I dif.

N W

N W

N W

N

33

2

tional burthens, to fecure the true principles of the conftitution, and to promote the general happiness and welfare of your people."

To which his Majefty was pleafed to return this moft gracious anfwer: "My Lords,

I Return you thanks for this dutiful and affectionate addrefs.

Nothing can give me more fatisfaction, than your affurance that you will immediately enter into the confideration of the matters which I have laid before you.

"You may depend upon the utmoft care and attention, on my part, to fettle every thing which concerns the intereft of my kingdoms upon a folid and durable foundation.”

Their lordships having returned, and reported his Majefty's anfwer, they appointed the Lord Bishop of Bristol to preach before them in WeftminfterAbbey, on the next Monday, being the day obferved as the martyrdom of King Charles the Firft.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. Wednesday, Jan. 26. THE ufual orders and forms of the Houfe were iffued.

Appointed a committee of privileges and elections.

Report was made from the committee appointed yesterday to draw up an addrefs of thanks, that an addrefs was drawn up, which was again read and agreed to; and that fuch members as are privy counfellors do wait on his Majefty, to know when he will be attended therewith.

Received and read a petition for bringing in a bill for employing the poor at Exeter, which was referred to a committee.

Wednesday, February 2. WESTMINSTER PETITION. Colonel Fitzpatrick informed the Houfe, he then held a petition from the independent electors of Weftminfter, complaining of the complicated hardships which they at prefent endure, from remaining a fecond feffion unreprefented; previous to the petition's being read, he earnestly wished to caution the Houfe againft taking any of,

fence at the expreffions which the pe titioners had adopted to convey their fentiments, as he could with confidence affert, that nothing like reproach or infult was intended, that the lan guage was nothing more than fuch as feemed to them moft expreffive of their fufferings. He then moved, that the petition be read, which was agreed to; and the following is a copy thereof, verbatim:

"To the honourable the Commons of Great-Britain, in parliament assembled. "The humble petition of the feveral perfons whofe names are hereunto fubfcribed, electors of the city and liberty of Westminfter, on behalf of themselves, and many other electors of the faid city and liberty, Sheweth,

"THAT notwithstanding the parliament is now affembled in its fecond feffion, after a long recefs, the city of Westminster, equally to the furprife and concern of your petition ers, is ftill without any reprefentatives in parliament.

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That, at the opening of the pre fent parliament, after the electors of Westminster, according to the exigency of the King's writ for meeting his people in parliament on the 18th day of May laft, and conformably to law and ancient ufage, had duly chofen two citizens to reprefent the fame, the faid electors were, by an act equally illegal and unprecedented, deprived of their juft and valuable right to a share in the legislation of their country through their reprefentatives, chofen into the Commons House of parlia ment; the high bailiff of Weitminfter, though folemnly called upon, having refused to make any return of citizens to ferve in parliament for the faid city.

"That your petitioners, impreffed with a high fenfe of the value of that branch of the legislature, which they have been taught to confider as the natural guardian of the rights of the people, from whom it derives its power, and to whom it is accountable for the execution of the truft, could not behold without great indignation an attempt fo infulting to the dignity of parliainent,

parliament, which has been thereby rendered maimed and incomplete in its construction, as well in direct contradiction to the King's writ of fummons for meeting his people in a full parliament, as to the manifeft degradation of the character and importance of that auguft affembly. Nor can your petitioners, confiftently with their duty to themselves, with a juft regard to the common rights of their fellow fubjects, and what they owe to their pofterity, omit any proper occafion to exprefs their honeft fentiments; and ftill as free men, though deprived of the facred diftinction which makes men free, prefer their juft complaints against a proceeding fo unprecented in the annals of parliament, fo full of danger in its example, and which is not more a grievous injury to the interefts and privileges of the citizens of Weftminster, than utterly fubverfive of the rights of the whole conftituent body of this country.

That the falutary wifdom and honeft vigilance of the Houfe of Commons to check the progrefs of corruption, and to guard against the inAuence of the minifters of the crown, in the elections of members to ferve in parliament, will have become altogether fruitless, if it may happen, that after electors hall have withflood every unconftitutional attempt to dictate particular perfons to their choice, and fhall have exercifed their fuffrages freely and independently, a new and extraordinary device may be reforted to, by means of which it may be in the power of those who have, or who by fecret and corrupt management may obtain an undue influence over a returning officer, to exclude from parliament, and to fubject to an expence which might be ruinous to the moft ample fortune, under the pretence of a fcrutiny, any perfon, the exertion of whofe abilities may be peculiarly neceffary to the interefts of his country, but whofe attachment to the true principles of the conftitution may have rendered him an object of extraordinary perfecution.

"That_there never was a period in which the prefence and affiftance of

its members in parliament was more effential to the peace and prosperity of the city of Westminster.

66

That, during the laft feffion of parliament, befide many important regulations of trade and revenue, várious new and burthenfome taxes, to the amount of near a million per annum, were impofed on the nation, a very confiderable part whereof hath been, and muft continue to be paid by this city.

"That your petitioners have always understood it to be a fundamental principle in the conftitution of this government, that the money of the subject could not be taken without his confent; a a pofition which would have more found than fenfe or meaning, if the opportunity of giving their voices in the grant of money could be withholden from thofe places which are invefted with the privilege of fending members to parliament. This dear and ineftimable privilege, however it may have been difregarded in the impofition of the late taxes upon the city of Westminfter, when they had no opportunity of giving or withholding their confent, your petitioners yet CLAIM, and INSIST UPON, as their indubitable right, and the heavy grievance of which they complain will indeed be feverely ag gravated, if fuffered to remain during any further part of the prefent moft important feflion of parliament, in which objects of the deepeft concernment to all his Majefty's fubjects, and peculiarly interefting to thofe in whom the rights of representation are vested, have been announced to be brought forward under a folemn call, for the ftrict attendance of all the representatives of the people.

"That the neceffity for regulating and amending the police of the city of Weftminfter is univerfally felt, and loudly calls for immediate attention, and to whom, in this, as in all other parliamentary bufinefs in which the citizens of Westminster are particularly interested, is it natural for them to look to for counsel and affiftance, but to thofe whom they have chofen to reprefent them in parlia ment?

L 2

"That