situation of their affairs_, viz., by receiving money privately against
law, has stated a presumption highly injurious to the integrity of the
said Directors, viz., that they will not object to, or even inquire
into, any extraordinary expenses incurred and charged by their Governors
in India, provided such expenses are reimbursed by money privately and
illegally received. That he has not explained what that situation of
their affairs was or could be to which so dangerous and corrupt a
principle was or might be applied.--That no evidence has been produced
to prove that it was true, nor any ground of argument stated to show
that it might be credible, that any native of India had voluntarily and
gratuitously given money privately to the said Warren Hastings, that is,
without some prospect of a benefit in return, or some dread of his
resentment, if he refused. That it is not a thing to be believed, that
any native would give large sums privately to a Governor, which he
refused to give or lend publicly to government, unless it were to derive
some adequate secret advantage from the favor, or to avoid some mischief
from the enmity of such Governor.--That the late confessions made by the
said Warren Hastings of money received against law are no proof that he
did not originally intend to appropriate the same to his own use, such
confessions having been made at a suspicious moment, when, and not
before, he was apprised of the inquiries commenced in the House of
Commons, and when a dread of the consequence of those inquiries might
act upon his mind. That such confessions, from the obscure, intricate,
and contradictory manner in which they are made, imply guilt in the said
Warren Hastings, as far as they go; that they do not furnish any color
of reason to conclude that he has confessed all the money which he may
have corruptly received; but that, on the contrary, they warrant a just
and reasonable presumption, that, in discovering some part of the bribes
he had received, he hoped to lull suspicion, and thereby conceal and
secure the rest.