XX. MAHRATTA WAR, AND PEACE.

I.

THAT by an act passed in 1773 it was expressly ord and provided," that it should not be lawful for any presid and council at Madras, Bombay, or Bencoolen, for the t being, to make any orders for commencing hostilities. declaring or making war, against any Indian princes powers, or for negotiating or concluding any treaty of pe or other treaty, with any such Indian princes or pow without the consent and approbation of the governor-gen and council first had and obtained, except in such cases imminent necessity as would render it dangerous to postp such hostilities or treaties, until the orders from the vernor-general and council might arrive."-That nevert less the president and council of Bombay did, in Decemb 1774, without the consent and approbation of the govern general and council of Fort William, and in the midst of P found peace, commence an unjust and unprovoked war agai the Mahratta government; did conclude a treaty with a c tain person, a fugitive from that government, and proscrib by it, named Ragonaut Row, or Ragoba; and did, und various base and treacherous pretences, invade and conqu the island of Salsette, belonging to the Mahratta governme

II.

That Warren Hastings, on the first advices received Bengal of the above transactions, did condemn the same the strongest terms; declaring, that "the measures adopt by the presidency of Bombay had a tendency to a very e tensive and indefinite scene of troubles; and that their co duct was unseasonable, impolitic, unjust, and unauthorized.

-And the governor-general and council, in order to p a stop to the said unjust hostilities, did appoint an amba sador to the peshwa or chief of the Mahratta state, resider at Poona; and the said ambassador did, after a long negotia tion, conclude a definitive treaty of peace with the said peshw on terms highly honourable and beneficial to the East-Indi Company, who by the said treaty obtained from the Mah

rattas a cession of considerable tracts of country, the Mah. ratta share of the city of Broach, twelve lacks of rupees for the expenses of the said unjust war, and particularly the island of Salsette, of which the presidency of Bombay had possessed themselves by surprise and treachery; that in return for these extraordinary concessions, the articles principally insisted on by the Mahrattas, with a view to their own future tranquillity and internal quiet, were that no assistance should be given to any subject or servant of the peshwa, that should cause disturbances or rebellion in the Mahratta dominions, and particularly that the English should not assist Ragonaut Row, to whom the Mahrattas agreed to allow five lacks of rupees a year, or a jaghire to that amount, and that he should reside at Benares; that nevertheless the presidency of Bombay did receive and keep Ragonaut Row at Bombay, did furnish him with a considerable establishment, and continue to carry on secret intrigues and negotiations with him, thereby giving just ground of jealousy and distrust to the Mahratta state: that the late Colonel John Upton, by whom the treaty of Poorunder was negotiated and concluded, did declare to the governor-general and council, "that while Ragonaut Row resides at Bombay in expectation of being supported, the ministers can place no confidence in the council there; which must now be productive of the greatest inconveniencies, and perhaps in the end of fatal consequences." That the said Warren Hastings, concurring with his council, which then consisted of Sir John Clavering, Richard Barwell, and Philip Francis, Esquires, did, on the 18th of August, 1777, declare to the presidency of Bombay, that "he could see no reason to doubt, that the presence of Ragoba at Bombay would continue to be an insuperable bar to the completion of the treaty concluded with the Mahratta government; nor could any sincere cordiality and good understanding be established with them, as long as he should appear to derive encouragement and support from the English." That Sir John

Clavering died soon after, and that the late Edward Wheler, Esquire, succeeded to a seat in the supreme council. That on the 29th of January, 1778, the governor-general and council received a letter from the presidency of Bombay, dated 12th December, 1777, in which they declared, "that

they had agreed to give encouragement to a party forine Ragoba's favour, and flattered themselves they should with the hearty concurrence of the governor-general council in the measures they might be obliged to pursu consequence." That the party so described was said to sist of four principal persons in the Mahratta state, whose part some overtures had been made to Mr. Will Lewis, the resident of Bombay, at Poona, for the assista of the Company to bring Ragoba to Poona. That the Warren Hastings, immediately on the receipt of the pre ing advices, did propose and carry it in council, by mean his casting voice, and against the remonstrances, argume and solemn protest of two members of the supreme cour that the sanction of that government should be given to plan, which the president and council of Bombay had agr to form with the Mahratta government; and also, tha supply of money (to the amount of ten lacks of rupe should be immediately granted to the president and council Bombay for the support of their engagements above mentione and also that a military force should be sent to the pre dency of Bombay. That in defence of these resolutions said Warren Hastings did falsely pretend and affirm, "t the resolution of the presidency of Bombay was formed such a case of imminent necessity, as would have rendered dangerous to postpone the execution of it until the orde from the governor-general and council might arrive; a that the said presidency of Bombay were warranted by treaty of Poorunder to join in a plan for conducting Rag naut Row to Poona on the application of the ruling part the Mahratta state;" whereas the main object of the sa treaty on the part of the Mahrattas, and to obtain whi they made many important concessions to the India Co pany, was, that the English should withdraw their forc and give no assistance to Ragoba, and that he should be e cluded for ever from any share in their government, being person universally held in abhorrence in the Mahratta e pire; and if it had been true (instead of being, as it wa Dotoriously false) that the ruling part of the administratio of the Mahratta state solicited the return of Ragonaut Row Poona, his return in that case might have been effected by ac of their own, without the interposition of the English powe

and without our interference in their affairs. That it was the special duty of the said Warren Hastings, derived from a special trust reposed in him, and power committed to him by parliament, to have restrained, as by law he had authority to do, the subordinate presidency of Bombay from entering into hostilities with the Mahrattas, or from making engagements, the manifest tendency of which was to enter into those hostilities, and to have put a stop to them, if any such had been begun. That he was bound by the duty of his office to preserve the faith of the British government, pledged in the treaty of Poorunder, inviolate and sacred, as well as by the special orders and instructions of the East-India Company to fix his attention to the preservation of peace throughout India; all which important duties the said Warren Hastings did wilfully violate, in giving the sanction of the governorgeneral and council to the dangerous, faithless, and ill-concerted projects of the president and council of Bombay hereinbefore mentioned, from which the subsequent Mahratta war, with all the expense, distress, and disgraces, which have attended it, took their commencement; and that the said Warren Hastings therefore is specially and principally answerable for the said war, and for all the consequences thereof. That in a letter dated the 20th of January, 1778, the president and council of Bombay informed the governorgeneral and council, that in consequence of later intelligence received from Poona, they had immediately resolved, that nothing further could be done, unless Saccaram Baboo the principal in the late treaty [of Poorunder] joined in making a formal application to them. That no such application was ever made by that person. That the said Warren Hastings finding, that all this pretended ground for engaging in an invasion of the Mahratta government had totally failed, did then pretend to give credit to, and to be greatly alarmed by, the suggestions of the president and council of Bombay, that the Mahrattas were negotiating with the French, and had agreed to give them the port of Choul, on the Malabar coast, and did affirm, that the French had obtained possession of that port; that all these suggestions and assertions were false; and if they had been true, would have furnished no just occasion for attacking either the Mahrattas or the French, with both of whom the British nation was then at peace:-that