A. D. 1781. 691 



The company's fervants at Bombay in the mean time dircded an ex- 

 pedition againftthe Dutch, by which they were expelled from their fac- 

 tories at Baroach near Surat. 



The fervants of the company in the fupreme prefidcncy of Bengal, 

 though they found means to keep actual warfare at a diftance from their 

 own refidence, were very far from being in a ftate of tranquillity. The 

 reader will recoUecl that in the year 1773 the Britifli Icgiflature eftablifli- 

 ed a fupreme court of judicature in Bengal, co-ordinate with, and inde- 

 pendent of, the governor-general. That court in a great meafure fuper- 

 feded the authority of the mayor's court of Calcutta, the judges of 

 which, being gentlemen in the company's fervice, not bred to the prn- 

 feflion of the law, were fuppofed incompetent to the difcharge of fuch 

 duties ; though, as they regulated their proceedings by the cAabhflied 

 laws and cuftoms of the country, and with the afliftance of the native 

 raagiftrates, their decifions had generally given much fatisfadion. The 

 new eftablifhment was undoubtedly intended, and was alio confidcred 

 by moft people, as a meafure of humanity as well as policy, calculated 

 to protect the natives from the oppreflion of the company's fervants, to 

 conciliate the jarring interefts of the natives and Europeans, to adminii- 

 ter impartial juftice to all, and to guard the company's revcnuet; and 

 commjrcefrom the depredations of their own fervants. Perhaps, if the 

 change had been effected gradually, and with great addrefs and mildneis, 

 it might have been produdive of fome of the benefits cxpecled from it; 

 though even that is very doubtful. But the eftabliflnnent was fuddcn, 

 and the operations of the court were reprefcnted, as rigorous and fevcre 

 in the extreme, by great numbers of petitions, which were repeatedly 

 received at home, but which had not hitherto met with much attention. 



Of the petitions fent home this year complaining ot the condud 

 of the judges and their adherents, one was llgned by Mr. Hartings, 

 the governor-general of the Britilli fettlemcnis in India, and by 

 the members of the fupreme council ; another by 648 Britifh lub- 

 jedls in Bengal, Bahar, and OrilTa ; and a third, written in the Perf- 

 ian language, and addreiled to the king, by the natives of the pro- 

 vince of Patna. In thefe petitions and other communications it was 

 aflerted. that the condudl of the judges was calculated, not to con- 

 ciliate, but to exafpcratc ; not to introduce order and regularity, but to 

 fubvert the eftablilhed fimplc and iuitable laws, which had been re- 

 vered and underftood by the civilized and polilhcd anceltors ot the na- 

 tive Hindoos, probably, for ages before a human footlUp had prefied 

 the ibore of Britain, and to fubditute in their place the unknown laws 

 of England, the incomprehenfible diftindion between law ami equity, 

 and the endlefs intricacy, the fidions, and the perplexing jargon of the 



of war : and then it will l)c iinpolTiblc for .^ lund- fifty tiinci their picfcnt mimbfr, lo ktcp (o roan> 

 fill of (Iraiigtri, ihougli tlitv were auiTmcr.tfd to millions of the natives in fubjcd^ion. 



4.S 2 



