FOOTNOTES: CHAPTER 12
[154]. 27th of February, 1762.
[155]. This fact he mentions in several letters. In one to Mr. Amyatt, after entreating that gentleman to remain a short time longer in Bengal, to succeed Mr. Vansittart in the government, he warns him against retiring till possessed of an ample fortune. He notices the disappointment experienced by many of their friends, by the discovery of their inadequate means, and adds, that he had already spent[] (in a period of eighteen months) upwards of 60,000l.
[b]. This letter is dated 27th of February, 1762. Clive could not have reached England before September or October, 1760, and had been a twelvemonth on a sick bed.
[156]. 27th of February, 1762.
[157]. 27th February, 1762.
[158]. We have already noticed, that the most violent of Mr. Sulivan's opponents were the gentlemen from Bengal, who formed, on this occasion, a party, long afterwards known in the India House by the name of the "Bengal Squad."
[159]. 22d November, 1762.
[160]. For this letter, vide antè, p. 129.
[161]. In the heat of the canvass at the India House, in the beginning of 1763, a copy of this letter was obtained and circulated. One was sent to Clive, who transmitted it to Mr. Vansittart, with expressions of the most unqualified indignation.
[162]. Colonel Coote, when he took Pondicherry, supported by the Admiral, desired to keep that fortress for the King of England, and appointed an officer to command it. Mr. Pigot, and the gentlemen in Council at Fort St. George, refused to advance pay to the army till the fortress was given up; and having thus compelled that concession, removed the commandant nominated by Colonel Coote.
[163]. The rapid march of Captain Knox to the relief of Patna in 1760, and the severe action he afterwards fought with a handful of men against Cuddim Hussun Khan, who had a considerable army, were exploits worthy of Clive himself.
[164]. Mr. Pitt resigned on the 5th October, 1761.
[165]. We find in Clive's correspondence many allusions to his intercourse with Mr. Pitt, whom he describes as impressed with the fullest conviction of the importance of India to England. In a draft of a private note to the Chairman of the Directors, (which is not dated) he observes; "A few days ago I was with the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt. The discourse of the former was truly in the courtiers' style—many professions of friendship and regard, many offers of service, without the least meaning in them; but the discourse of the latter, which lasted an hour and a half, was of a more serious nature, and much more to the purpose. The subject was the support and welfare of the East India Company. Mr. Pitt seems thoroughly convinced of the infinite consequence of the trade of the East India Company to the nation; he made no scruple to me of giving it the preference to our concerns in America. Indeed, a man of Mr. Pitt's influence and way of thinking is necessary to oppose to the influence of Lord Anson, who certainly is no friend to our Company."
[166]. 23d November, 1762.
[167]. Bussy carried home a very large fortune, and through its influence he attained great consideration. The favour he enjoyed at court was increased by his connection with the Duc de Choiseul, whose niece he married soon after his return to France.
[168]. Letter from Lord Bute, 1st September, 1762.
[169]. The act to which I here allude is the appointment of Sir John Lindsay, ambassador from the King of England to the Nabob of Arcot. For an account of this transaction, vide Political India, vol. ii. p. 36.
[170]. 2d February, 1762.
[171]. The history of this bill is very curious, and is fully given in the letters of Mr. Walsh and others to Clive. It was brought forward in 1764, and read twice; but owing to some informality in its wording, was thrown out that session. This was imputed by Mr. Sulivan to the measures of his opponents, many of whom would have been disqualified, from not having had the stock for the prescribed period: they, on the other hand, accused Mr. Sulivan of having so timed the bill, as to establish his own votes and destroy those of his opponents.
[172]. Mr. Walsh, in a letter to Lord Clive, of the 14th of February, 1765, after telling him of Mr. Sulivan's having split a number of votes, and of Mr. Divon (a partner of Child's house) having split 30,000l. to support him, informs Clive that he means to do the same with some of his money. He adds, "I am splitting mine to the amount of 20,000l. It is a troublesome and dangerous business, but the act of parliament will put an end to it."
[173]. 19th March, 1763.
[174]. Clive here alludes to a quarterly meeting of the Court of Proprietors.
[175]. 28th February, 1762.
[176]. The extract here quoted is part of a larger paper in defence of Lord Clive's conduct, and believed to be written by the late Sir Henry Strachey.
[177]. The contents of this private letter to the President of the Council at Bengal were as follows:—"That all cordiality being at an end with Lord Clive, the Court of Directors had stopped payment of his jaghire; a measure which would have taken place years ago, had it not been for him (Mr. Sulivan); and that, on this head, the said President was to obey every order which he might receive from the Court of Directors; and that more was not, nor must be expected of him."
[178]. Lord Clive, in his address to the proprietors in 1764, answers all these objections in a very full and conclusive manner. In treating of the supposed claims of the Emperor and the want of power in the Nabob to grant a jaghire, he remarks, that the arguments used against him by the Directors are exactly those which the Dutch government had recently brought against them, in the affair of the destruction of their armament in 1760; and he refers the Court, in answer to their present plea, to the memorial they lately submitted to his Majesty; in which, after justly describing the Emperor of Delhi as possessing, beyond very narrow limits, only a nominal power, they observe; "The Nabob makes war or peace, without the privity of the Moghul; that there appears still some remains of the old constitution in the succession to the state of Nabob; yet, in fact, that the succession is never regulated by the Moghul's appointment: the Nabob in possession is desirous of fortifying his title by the Moghul's confirmation, which the court of Delhi, conscious of its inability to interpose, readily grants. The Nabob of Bengal is, therefore, de facto, whatever he may be de jure, a sovereign prince."
[179]. Mr. Amphlett (a connection of Lord Clive) was a civil servant of Bengal; but his abilities as an engineer had led to his being employed in improving the works at Fort William.
[180]. 28th April, 1763.
[181]. The Shah-Zada (Shah Alum) had, before Clive's letters arrived, succeeded to the throne of Delhi.
[182]. MSS. of Sir Henry Strachey.
[183]. I have extracted this summary of what Lord Clive said upon this subject from the MSS. before quoted.
[184]. March, 1764.
[185]. This agreement between the Company and Lord Clive is as follows:—
"By indenture bearing date the 16th May, 1764, between the United Company of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies on the one part, and Robert Lord Clive on the other part, it is agreed, that the said Company shall, for the term of ten years, cause to be paid to Lord Clive, his administrators, &c. out of their treasury in Bengal, (to be computed from the 5th May, 1764,) the full amount of the said jaghire rents; provided nevertheless, that in case the said Lord Clive should die before the expiration of the said ten years, the Company shall make good the payment of the jaghire only to the time of the death of him the said Lord Clive; provided also, that in case the Company shall not be in actual possession of the lands out of which the said jaghire issues, and the revenues thereof, to and for their own use, and during the said term of ten years, then and in such case, the said Company shall not be compellable or subject to pay any further part of the jaghire than shall accrue due during the said Company's actual possession of the said lands out of which it issues."
[186]. Mr. Sulivan was not defeated without an active struggle. Mr. Walsh, in a letter to Lord Clive of the 5th April, 1765, speaking of the contest, observes:—"Lord Bute joined him (Mr. Sulivan) very strenuously, and got the Duke of Northumberland to do the same. This change may appear extraordinary; but abject submissions on the one part, and tender solicitations on the other, are said to have brought it about!"
[187]. 13th December, 1765.
[188]. 14th October, 1764.
[189]. 14th October, 1765.
[190]. The following is the account of this medal given by Mr. Stuart (commonly called Athenian Stuart) by whom it was designed. "The medal commemorates the battle of Plassey, and is in honour of Lord Clive. On one side is his Lordship, holding the British standard in one hand, and with the other he bestows the ensign of Subahship on Meer Jaffier. In the space between, are grouped together a globe, a cornucopia, and an antique rudder, to which the legend refers. The cornucopia symbolises the riches with which Meer Jaffier atoned for the injuries done to our countrymen by his predecessor; the rudder is for the augmentation of our navigation and commercial privileges; and the globe, for our territorial acquisitions; all of which were consequences of this victory. In the exergue is written, 'A Soubah given to Bengal.'
"On the other face of the medal is a victory seated on an elephant, bearing a trophy in one hand, and a palm-branch in the other. The inscription is 'Victory at Plassey,' 'Clive Commander.' In the exergue is the date of the victory, and the mark of the Society for Promoting Arts and Commerce."
[191]. In the collection of letters in my possession are many which prove the happiness Lord Clive enjoyed, at this period, in his family; but he was not exempt from severe afflictions. I have before mentioned the loss of an infant boy, when he sailed on his second visit to India. When he left Calcutta in 1760, his youngest boy was so ill, that he could not embark; the child was left in charge of Mr. Fullarton, and died. A daughter, as has been mentioned, was born to Lord Clive after his arrival in England; and Lady Clive, when he sailed, was on the point of being confined again.
[192]. Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) Chambers.
[193]. Dr. Nevil Maskelyne is better known as Astronomer-Royal at Greenwich.
[194]. Mr. Harry Clive.
[195]. Mr. Watts estimated Lord Pigot's fortune at 400,000l. It had chiefly been made (according to the same authority) by lending money at high interest to the Nabob, the chiefs, and managers of provinces. This practice was then too common to be considered as in any way discreditable; though it was soon afterwards discovered to be one of the most baneful and injurious to the public interests that the Company could tolerate in any of their servants, but above all, in those high in station.
[196]. 21st November, 1764.
[197]. Major Carnac, in 1760, came to St. Helena with Lord Clive, and from thence returned to Bengal.
[198]. June, 1764.
[199]. One of Lord Clive's letters to Mr. Vansittart is dated 17th December, 1762. The passage alluded to is as follows:—"I must again repeat my desire of having a large elephant embarked for his Majesty, if the thing be practicable, of which you must be a better judge than I, who are upon the spot; and if you can send me any curiosities, such as antelopes, hog-deer, nilgows or lynxes, I shall be much obliged to you."
[200]. One of the elephants was so large that it could not be embarked.
[201]. In this letter, which is dated January, 1764, Lord Clive observes; "I am sorry there should be any mistake about the elephant; and although I was somewhat affected at first at the commission you gave me to present the elephant to his Majesty in your name, instead of my own, yet the thing in itself appears to me to be of too trifling a nature for either of us to think any more about it. Your brother will inform you in what manner Sampson has acted, owing, I believe, to the instigation of Sulivan."
[202]. Mr. Walsh writes to Lord Clive, that Mr. Vansittart told him his fortune did not exceed 2,500l. per annum.
[203]. Afterwards Sir Archibald Campbell, Governor of Fort St. George.
[204]. 14th October, 1764.