judicial inquiry into his conduct at the board of which he was
president, and declared the meeting of the board dissolved." That the
board continued to sit and examine witnesses, servants of the Phousdar,
on oath and written evidence, being letters under the hand and seal of
the Phousdar, all directly tending to prove the charge: viz., that, out
of the salary of seventy-two thousand rupees a year paid by the Company,
the said Phousdar received but thirty-two thousand, and that the
remainder was received by the said Warren Hastings and his banian. That
the Phousdar, though repeatedly ordered to attend the board, did, under
various pretences, decline attending, until the 19th of May, when, the
letters stated be his, that is, under his hand and seal, being shown to
him, it was proposed by a member of the board that he should be asked
whether he had any objection to swear to the truth of such answers as he
might make to the questions proposed by the board; that the said Warren
Hastings objected to his being put to his oath; that the question was
nevertheless put to him, in consequence of a resolution of the board;
that he first declined to swear, under pretence _that it was a matter of
serious consequence to his character to take an oath_, and, when it was
finally left to his option, he declared, "Mean people might swear, but
that his character would not allow him,--that he could not swear, and
had rather subject himself to a loss." That the evidence in support of
the charge, being on oath, was in this manner left uncontradicted. That
it was admitted by the said Warren Hastings, that neither Mussulmen or
Hindoos are forbidden by the precepts of their religion to swear; that
it is not true, as the said Warren Hastings asserted, that it was
repugnant to the _manners_ either of Hindoos or Mussulmen; and that, if,
under such pretences, the natives were to be exempted from taking an
oath, when examined by the Governor and Council, all the inquiries
pointed out to them by the Company's instructions might stop or be
defeated. That no valid reason was or could be assigned why the said