692 A. D. 1781. 



EngliHi courts, with all their ruinous train of extorfions, opprcfTions, de- 

 lays, quibbles, and abufcs ; though at the fame time they rcfufed to 

 Britifh fubjeds the benefit of that glorious boaft of the Englilh law, the 

 trial by jury. The judges were moreover accufed of invading the privi- 

 leges of the governor-general and council, which were clearly defined 

 and limited by ad of parliament, and by the king's letters patent ; of 

 llretching their pov.er in a mofl arbitrary manner to many perfons and 

 adions beyond the extent of their commiflion, (which was at leaft fuffi- 

 cienily ample) and of bringing before themfelves trials for adions of 

 times long bypafl. Of many ads of enormity, with which they were 

 particularly charged, I fhall only mention that, which was moll inftru- 

 mental in bringing matters to a crifis between the governor and the 

 judges. The officers of the court, ading under the authority of the 

 judges, had cruelly abufed and infulted a native prince (zemindar) tri- 

 butary to the company, polluted the private apartments of his women, 

 and prophaned the temple of his religious worfhip, without making the 

 fmallell allowance for the national cuftoms and religious prejudices, 

 which none of the fervants of the company had ever prefumed to viol- 

 ate, and which even the furious bigotry of the Mohamedan conquerors 

 had refpeded. The natives, who are remarkable for their ftrong at- 

 tachment to their hereditary princes, even in their prefent flate jf hu- 

 miliation, flew to the rcfcue of his family from violation and rapine. 

 The bailiffs were reinforced with a frefli gang of eighty-fix armed men : 

 and the feizurc, begun in the name of juftice, ended in battle and 

 bloodfhed. It is proper to obfer\'e, that the zemindars are by no means 

 amenable to Britifli laws, and, indeed, have no further connedion 

 with the company than to pay them the fixed rent or tribute, formerly 

 paid by their ancefl:ors to the fuperior princes of the country. The 

 governor-general and council, thinking it incumbent upon them to pro- 

 ted their tributary princes, and convinced that fuch excefTes threatened 

 the very exiflence of the Britifh power and influence, confidered it to be 

 their duty to oppofe by force the proceedings of the fupreme court. And 

 then was exhibited to the afl:oniflied natives the fpedacle of a large gang 

 of Britifli officers of the court and their troop of followers carried pri- 

 foners to Calcutta by a miUtary force, fent after them by the Britifli 

 governor, or, in fliort, of a houfe divided againfl: itfelf, which cannot 

 fland, and afl order and government fubverted and buried under an- 

 archy and irreconcileable pretenfions. Indeed, fo wretched was the 

 flate of the country, as it was reprefented in the petition of the natives, 

 that many had flown from their native country ; and they declared, that, 

 if they could obtain no redrefs, all, who had the means, would abandon 

 their deareft connedions, and fly wherever they could ; and thofe, who 

 had no ability, would lay themfelves down in refignation, and hope for 

 rehef in death. * After this, let the foil of this country remain, and the 



