HONORABLE SIRS,—
In a letter which I have had the honor to address you in duplicate, and of which a triplicate accompanies this, dated 20th January, 1782, I informed you that I had received the offer of a sum of money from the Nabob Vizier and his ministers to the nominal amount of ten lacs of Lucknow siccas, and that bills on the house of Gopaul Doss had been actually given me for the amount, which I had accepted for the use of the Honorable Company; and I promised to account with you for the same as soon as it should be in my power, after the whole sum had come into my possession. This promise I now perform; and deeming it consistent with the spirit of it, I have added such other sums as have been occasionally converted to the Company's property through my means, and in consequence of the like original destination. Of the second of these you have been already advised in a letter which I had the honor to address the Honorable Court of Directors, dated 29th November, 1780. Both this and the third article were paid immediately to the Treasury, by my order to the sub-treasurer to receive them on the Company's account, but never passed through my hands. The three sums for which bonds were granted were in like manner paid to the Company's Treasury without passing through my hands; but their appropriation was not specified. The sum of 58,000 current rupees was received while I was on my journey to Benares, and applied as expressed in the account.
As to the manner in which these sums have been expended, the reference which I have made of it, in the accompanying account, to the several accounts in which they are credited, renders any other specification of it unnecessary; besides that those accounts either have or will have received a much stronger authentication than any that I could give to mine.
Why these sums were taken by me,—why they were, except the second, quietly transferred to the Company's use,—why bonds were taken for the first, and not for the rest,—might, were this matter to be exposed to the view of the public, furnish a variety of conjectures, to which it would be of little use to reply. Were your Honorable Court to question me upon these points, I would answer, that the sums were taken for the Company's benefit at times in which the Company very much needed them,—that I either chose to conceal the first receipts from public curiosity by receiving bonds for the amount, or possibly acted without any studied design which my memory could at this distance of time verify, and that I did not think it worth my care to observe the same means with the rest. I trust, Honorable Sirs, to your breasts for a candid interpretation of my actions, and assume the freedom to add, that I think myself, on such a subject, and on such an occasion, entitled to it.
I have the honor to be, Honorable Sirs,
Your most faithful, most obedient,
and most humble servant,
WARREN HASTINGS.
B. No. 4.
An Account of Sums received on the Account of the Honorable Company of the Governor-General, or paid to their Treasury by his Order, and applied to their Service.
| 1780. | ||
| October. | ||
| The following sums were paid intothe Treasury, and bonds granted for the same,in the name of the Governor General, inwhose possession the bonds remain, with adeclaration upon each indorsed and signed byhim, that he has no claim on the Company forthe amount either of principal or interest, nopart of the latter having been received: | ||
| One bond, dated the 1st October,1780, No. 1539 | 1,16,000 0 0 | |
| One bond, dated the 2d October,1780, No. 1540 | 1,16,000 0 0 | |
| One bond, dated the 23d November,1780, No. 1354 | 1,74,000 0 0 | |
| 4,06,000 0 0 | ||
| November. | ||
| Paid into the Treasury, and carriedto the Governor General's credit in the12th page of the Deposits Journal of 1780-81,mohurs of sorts which had been coined in theMint, and produced, as per 358 and 359pages of the Company's General Journal of 1780-81: | ||
| Gold mohurs, 12,861 12 11, or | ||
| Calcutta siccas | 2,05,788 14 9 | |
| Batta, 16 per cent | 32,926 3 6 | |
| 2,38,715 2 3 | ||
| 1781. | ||
| 30 April. | ||
| Paid into the Treasury, and creditedin the 637th page of the Company's GeneralJournal, as money received from theGovernor General on account of Durbar charges: | ||
| Sicca rupees | 2,00,000 0 0 | |
| Batta, 16 per cent | 32,000 0 0 | 2,32,000 0 0 |
| Carried forward | 8,76,715 2 3 | |
| Brought forward | 8,76,715 2 3 | |
| August. | ||
| Received in cash, and employed indefraying my public disbursements, and creditedin the Governor General's account ofDurbar charges for April, 1782 | 58,000 0 0 | |
| Produce of the sum mentioned in theGovernor General's letter to the HonorableSecret Committee, dated 20th January, 1782,and credited in the Governor General's accountof Durbar charges for April, 1782 | 10,30,275 1 3 | |
| Current rupees | 19,64,990 3 6 | |
(Errors excepted.)