of the Council, directly against his colleagues, directly against the
authority of the East India Company and the authority of the act of
Parliament, to put a dead stop to all these inquiries. He broke up the
Council, the moment they attempted to perform this part of their duty.
As the evidence multiplied upon him, the daring exertions of his power
in stopping all inquiries increased continually. But he gave a credit
and authority to the evidence by these attempts to suppress it.

Your Lordships have heard that among the body of the accusers of this
corruption there was a principal man in the country, a man of the first
rank and authority in it, called Nundcomar, who had the management of
revenues amounting to 150,000_l._ a year, and who had, if really
inclined to play the small game with which he has been charged by his
accusers, abundant means to gratify himself in playing great ones; but
Mr. Hastings has himself given him, upon the records of the Company, a
character which would at least justify the Council in making some
inquiry into charges made by him.

First, he was perfectly competent to make them, because he was in the
management of those affairs from which Mr. Hastings is supposed to have
received corrupt emolument. He and his son were the chief managers in
those transactions. He was therefore perfectly competent to it.--Mr.
Hastings has cleared his character; for though it is true, in the
contradictions in which Mr. Hastings has entangled himself, he has
abused and insulted him, and particularly after his appearance as an
accuser, yet before this he has given this testimony of him, that the
hatred that had been drawn upon him, and the general obloquy of the
English nation, was on account of his attachment to his own prince and
the liberties of his country. Be he what he might, I am not disposed,
nor have I the least occasion, to defend either his conduct or his