CHRONICLE. 



205 



the son of Dr. Francis, the trans- 

 lator of Horace. He received 

 the rudiments of education in 

 Ireland, but came to England for 

 further instruction, and was 

 placed at St. Paul's School. In 

 1758 he was appointed secretary 

 to Gen. Bligh, and was present 

 at the demolition of Cherburgh. 

 In 1763 he was nominated to a 

 considerable post in the War- 

 Office, which he afterwards re- 

 signed on account of a difference 

 with Viscount Barrington. He 

 then travelled to the continent, 

 and on his return to England, was 

 recommended to Lord North. 

 At that period the affairs of the 

 East Indies became a matter of 

 anxious deliberation in the Ca- 

 binet ; and it being made a ques- 

 tion to whom the territorial 

 sovereignty of the newly acquired 

 dominions should appertain, it 

 was decided that our Cabinet 

 should have permanent jurisdic- 

 tion. The British Government 

 determining to give a new form 

 to our Eastern possessions, it was 

 resolved to establish a central 

 authority at Calcutta, to which 

 Madras and the other presiden- 

 cies should be subject. A bill 

 was therefore framed in 1773 by 

 Lord North, by which the civil 

 government of Bengal was to be 

 vested in a Governor General and 

 Council ; and it was determined 

 to send out three persons of 

 known integrity, both to enforce 

 the act, and to constitute a 

 majority in the council. The 

 persons chosen were the Com- 

 mander-in-Chief, Sir John Claver- 

 ing; Colonel Monson; and Mr. 

 Philip Francis ; and the last, as a 

 man of business, was to organize 

 the plan, and direct the proceed- 



ings. The death of the two first, 

 in 1776 and 1777, totally changed 

 the state of affairs, and Mr. 

 Francis being now left in a 

 minority, in which Mr. Hastings 

 and Mr. Barwell adopted the old 

 system, the faith and stability of 

 the councils in England was 

 utterly disregarded. The quarrel 

 between Hastmgs and Francis 

 occasioned a duel in August 1780, 

 in which the former shot the 

 latter through the body, Mr. 

 Francis fpund himself able to leave 

 Bengal in December 1780 ; and 

 after passing five months in St. 

 Helena, he returned to England 

 in Oct. 1781. When, in the session 

 of 1788, Mr. Hastings delivered 

 in his answer to the articles of 

 impeachment, the Commons pro- 

 ceeded to the appointment of a 

 Committee who should propose a 

 reply. When the name of Mr. 

 Francis was put, a division ensued, 

 in which the Ayes were 23, and 

 the Noes 97; an augury which 

 gave small hopes to the party of 

 Ayes. These, however, by the 

 weight of uncommon abilities, 

 supported themselves beyond ex- 

 pectation ; and when Mr. Francis 

 received a letter written by Mr. 

 Burke, and signed by all the 

 managers, requesting his assist- 

 ance and advice in the important 

 business on which they were 

 engaged, it was remarked, " that 

 an exact knowledge of the affairs 

 of Bengal was requisite in every 

 step of their proceedings, and it 

 was necessary that their informa- 

 tion should come from sources, 

 not only competent, but unsus- 

 pected. They had perused with 

 great attention the records of the. 

 Company, and they had found 

 there inculcated, on the part of 

 Mr. Francis, 



