disposed of their superfluous wealth? To which Mr. Hastings replied, In modes common to all countries, in dissipation and pleasure, but there were some forms of luxury from which they refrained; for instance, the pleasures of the table, particularly inebriety. In answer to the next question, whether the disposal of their superfluous wealth was likely to create in any way a consumption of European commodities? he said, that wealthy persons were in the habit of purchasing European furniture, broad cloth, and British lace, but not in great quantities; and that in Bengal such goods would certainly find purchasers. He stated that the character of the native Indians had hitherto been stationary, but that any new system of policy might give a different direction to that character. The instances of the natives affecting European habits and manners were very rare. Eu ropean commodities were certainly exposed to sale in all the chief settlements; but he conceived that the European inhabitants were the principal purchasers.

The examination by Mr. Adam here closing,

Mr. Hastings begged permission to make an observation to the committee. As it might, although he trusted it would not, be suspected that the evidence which he had given with respect to the danger of allowing European adventurers to settle in India, was so given under the bias of attachment to the East India company, it became necessary that he should, if possible, obviate the injurious effect which such an imputation would have on the credit of his evidence. Attach ment to the East India company he certainly felt. He felt gratitude for that service which had for

merly given him bread, and which had employed all the active portion of his life; and he was no less grateful for that bounty to which he owed his present means of subsistence. But all this did not affect the evidence which he had that night given, and which was founded on opinions that he had not taken up on slight grounds. To prove this, he stated that he had addressed, at different periods, three letters to the chairman of the court of directors on the subject to which his evidence that night had principally referred. The first was written twenty years ago, when the existing charter was under consideration. In that letter he had strongly urged the necessity of providing against the irruption of British adventurers in India beyond the boundaries of the British settlements; arguing that they would assuredly molest and oppress the natives, and thereby occasion incalcu lable mischief. This letter he had the pleasure to think was approved of by the gentleman who then presided over the board of control (Mr. Dundas), aman of whom it might be said, if it could be said of any one, that he required no light from the judgement of another to aid his own. He had not, therefore, the arrogance to suppose that the regulations which then ensued were attributable to his own recommendation: he mentioned the fact of his having made the suggestion, only to show that his opinions on that subject had long been established. On the 12th of March 1802, he had addressed another letter to the chairman of the court of directors, with reference to the licenses contained in the preliminary clause of the act of parliament of that day, stating it as his opinion, that thus to allow favoured and licensed in

dividuals

dividuals to settle in India, out of the boundaries of the British settlements, would be productive of still more mischief than if all individuals who chose to do so were allowed indiscriminately to settle there. The third time that he had addressed the court of directors on the subject was in April last, when he again recommended the restrictions to which he had already alluded in his evidence. He trusted that what he had said would satisfy the committee that his opinions were not suddenly embraced, or produced for the occasion, but that they were the result of long and deliberate conviction, as the documents which he had just described, and which might at any time be referred to, would sufficiently testify.

Mr. Grenfell inquired, whether, during Mr. Hastings's residence in India, he recollected that any persons were employed in that country as missionaries?-Mr. Hastings replied, that he recollected a German in the Carnatic so employed, whose name was Schwartz, and another in Bengal, by whom one Indian had been converted, whose conversion was celebrated with great pomp. He recollected also a catholic priest in the Decan, who had a large flock of men about him, whom he called Christians, although he (Mr. Hastings) was persuaded that the ignorance of this person of the common languages of India must have rendered it impossible for him to communicate to the natives the divine truths of the Christian revelation, In answer to further questions on the subject by Mr. Grenfell, Mr. Hastings stated, that the individuals whom he had described, while they were in the territories of the company, were certainly

amenable to the laws of the company. If, during the time that he administered the government of India, there had been persons there of that description unlicensed by the company, and subject to no restraint as to the mode they might choose to adopt for the conversion of the natives, as long as those persons demeaned themselves with propriety he would have taken no notice of them; but if he had found that their conduct was such as to justify apprehensions of mischievous results, he should certainly have interfered.

Sir H. Montgomery inquired what Mr. Hastings's opinion was as to the political effects which might result from a church establishment in India?-Mr. Hastings replied, that it was a question of great intricacy and delicacy, on which he would be glad to decline offering any opinion, but for the respect he entertained for the house. He could not judge of the present necessity which might exist for such a measure, but it was impossible for him to conjecture the effects which might flow from it. He hoped he might be allowed to say, that he wished any other time had been chosen for the experiment. A rumour had gone abroad, of its being the intention of ministers to force the religion of the state upon the consciences of the natives of Bengal, and he could not venture to say what effects might be produced upon the minds of men, to whom, in the maintenance of our sovereignty, we should have recourse in the last resort. He feared to say all that crowded upon his mind upon the subject, but he conceived it to be an experiment of great hazard.

Mr. Ward asked, whether it was the opinion of Mr. Hastings that

the same danger would exist now, from the introduction of missionaries into India, as twenty years ago, considering the great political changes which had since taken place? Mr. Hastings replied, that he considered the danger as greater now, from the change of circum. stances which had taken place, and the religious discussions which had gone abroad.

In answer to some questions by Mr. Forbes, Mr. Hastings stated that he thought the residence of European merchants in the interior of India would be attended with bad consequences, for the reasons he had already stated. The union of the sovereignty and commerce of India in the hands of the company, he considered to be unat tended by any bad consequences, and the confinement of the commerce to the company to be much more beneficial to the interests of Great Britain and India, than if free admission was given to all the subjects of the British dominions. With respect to the opinion expressed by him in a work entitled "A Review of the State of Bengal," and written some years ago, he did not conceive that he had come to the bar of the house to defend any inconsistencies in his opinion. Several of the sentiments contained in that work he now abjured, as not suited to present circumstances. He might have thought it expedient to admit American ships to Calcutta, as a matter of favour or policy, but not as a right, which he should have considered unwise. In reply to some further questions relative to the policy of sending missionaries to India, who might speak in op. probrious epithets of the religious rites of the Bramins or Mahometans, Mr. Hastings stated it to be

his opinion, that it was neither consistent with the safety of the British empire in India, nor with the dictates of humanity, to treat the religion of any people with contempt or insult. It would be to declare a religious war, and it would be impossible for him to tell the consequences of exciting the zeal of thousands in the defence of their religion. He would not say that such evils would happen from any measures now in contemplation, but it was known that they had often happened from similar causes.

In answer to some questions by sir William Geary, it was stated by Mr. Hastings, that in his calcu lation of the consequences which might result from the residence in India of persons who were not the servants of the company, he certainly meant to make a distinction between British subjects and Americans, which distinction consisted in the laws and prejudices to which they might be respectively subject, and which gave to one an advantage over the other.

The chairman having signified to Mr. Hastings, that the committee had no further trouble to give him, that gentleman withdrew from the bar amidst the loud and general cheers of the house, after having given his evidence in the most clear, distinct and perspicuous manner.

The next witness called was lord Teignmouth, whose examination was commenced by Mr. Randall Jackson, counsel for the company. His lordship stated, that he had been thirty years in the service of the company, from 1768 to 1798; that he had chiefly resided in Bengal ; that he filled the office of governorgeneral four years and a half; that he had been chiefly employed in

the

the revenue department before he succeeded to the situation of member of the supreme council; that he had formed an accurate opinion of the character and habits of the natives of India, and was acquainted with the common language of India and the Persian. He was inclined to think that an unrestrained influx of Europeans into India would be prejudicial to the interests of this country, as connected with India. He admitted that there were many ports at a considerable distance from the principal seats of government, but there were some of the government authorities residing at each. According to the regulations at Bengal, it would be easy for the government to prevent Europeans from proceeding into the interior. It would be difficult to regulate Europeans with respect to conduct and abode, in proportion to the number that might proceed to India, but he did not think that such a regulation was altogether impracticable: where ever the authority of the country could extend, he did not think restraint impracticable. If, from the circumstances of Europeans trading from port to port, the restraints imposed by the government were not found to be sufficient, that fact must imply their defect, and would in short amount to a suspension of the government. Evils certainly would result if individuals were allowed to go into the interior without the approbation or know ledge of the government. Knowing the habits and manners of the natives of India, even though there were to be a more extended European intercourse, he did not think that there would be a greater demand for the commodities of this country than there was at the present moment. He knew of very

few articles that were likely to be used by them that were not used now; and so far as he had ever observed, all the wants were amply supplied by the existing regulations. He was not aware of any wants that could not be supplied by the present regulations. He had never known any instances of natives desiring European commodities, without also having the opportunity of gratifying such desire by the articles being in the market.

Here Mr. Jackson closed his examination; and in answer to questions put by different members, his lordship stated to the committee, that he did not think it would be consistent with the safety of India for missionaries to preach publicly, particularly if they were to inveigh in opprobrious terms against the customs and idolatries of the Brahmins; but he did not deem it necessary, nor was it the practice of the missionaries, to proceed in any such manner: they commenced by holding confe rences, and they never preached publicly until they had obtained a congregation of converts. From all that he had seen and learned, he had no reason to apprehend that danger would result from these conferences; on the contrary, he thought that such a mode of proceeding was calculated to raise the esteem of the natives towards us. The exercise of indiscriminate zeal might be dangerous, but there were proofs that a judicious and prudent zeal might safely be exercised for the conversion of the natives. He thought it would be much better to leave the control over those persons, who might go with the professed object of endeavouring to convert the natives, to the government in India; in India they would be the best judges I 4

how

how to exercise that control. As to the episcopal establishment that was proposed to be sent out, he thought the natives would view it with perfect indifference. There had been instances of conversion on the Malabar coast; but of his own knowledge he did not know any one instance of the conversion of a respectable Hindoo to Christianity; for, when he was at Bengal, there were not any missionaries in that part of the country till a very short time before he left. If a law were to be passed for converting the natives of India to Christianity in such a manner as to have the appearance of being a compulsory law, he had no hesitation in saying that such a law might be attended with very dangerous con

sequences.

In answer to questions put by Mr. Tierney, his lordship stated, that the native police, as it at present existed, consisted of one person under the character of a magistrate, and there were natives under him who regularly made their reports of every occurrence, such as the arrival of strangers, &c. He thought the only regulation that could be devised to prevent improper conduct on the part of European adventurers arriving there, the whole coast being open to them, must consist of increased vigilance in the native police. It would be difficult for Europeans to penetrate beyond the limits of the settlements without being detected and detained by the way, and proper legislative enactments might prevent any danger from arising on that account.

Questioned by another member. -There were parts on the coast of Coromandel and Malabar in the possession of the native powers. Owing to the low rate of wages in

India, the demand for our finer manufactures would not be increased. He did not know of any commodities for the common people that would be purchased so as to extend the present trade. He had forgotten the amount of the rate of labourers' wages in India, but provisions were cheaper there than in any part of the world: for three shillings a month a man might live luxuriously. He did not know how much money was required to clothe a labourer yearly; but it could not be much, for the cloth was cheap, and the quantity required was little.

Questioned by Mr. Stephen.His opinion of the general standard of moral character of the people of Hindostan was, that it was very far below the Christian standard of this country.. Falsehood formed a prominent part of their character; they were a compound of servility, fraud, and duplicity. Their character might have originated in some degree in the despotism of the ancient government. Their crimes were the burning of women on the funeral pyres of their husbands, which he had learned was a com mon practice, and also infanticide in some particular districts. They immolated themselves sometimes by prostrating their bodies before the procession of their idols, permitting the car to pass over them and crush them to death, which they considered a meritorious sacrifice. He had likewise learned that on particular occasions they leaped into the rivers, where they drowned themselves. He was not aware that their religious festivals were celebrated with rites of unnatural obscenity; he had seen inde cent pictures on their temples, but never witnessed any obscenities. The murder of a Bramin by a stranger,