knows, gentlemen, and, when you have had time to reflect upon his conduct of this day, I leave you to form an impartial judgment between him and me. LORD COCHRANE,-Gentlemen, I was brought here by no person; I was induced to do myself the honour of presenting myself to you by the public address of Mr. Cobbett, which I read at Plymouth; and I have now only to add, that if you do me the honour to elect me, I give you my word, that I NEVER WILL (EXCEPT IN THE WAY OF MY PROFESSION, RECEIVE A SHILLING OF THE PUBLIC MONEY, EITHER. FOR MYSELF OR ANY ONE DEPENDENT UPON ME. My constant endeavour shall be to be useful to my country in general, and to this borough in particular; and I am, besides, extremely anxious to be able to point out some ENOR MOUS ABUSES, which, from my own obser vation, I know to exist. Here the Portreeve having asked, whether any one demanded a poll, Lord Cochrane demanded it; and, as there were no hustings prepared for taking the poll, the proceedings were adjourned until the next day (Tuesday) at ten o'clock. ARTICLES OF CHARGE OF HIGH CRIMES AND COLLEY MARQUIS WELLESLEY, IN HIS population of nearly six millions of souls. That the government is monarchical in form, and absolute in the person of the sovereign, whose title is that of Nabob Vizier; who had under him, previous to the spoliation and extortion of Marquis Wellesley, a high and opulent nobility; whose court exhibited every mark of splendor, and every proof of reverence and devotion to the sovereign; whose jewels alone were worth four millions of pounds sterling; whose retinue was so numerous, that he was sometimes attended with five hundred elephants, richly caparisoned, the whole number of his elephants and stable horses amounting to several thousand; and whose army consisted of more than thirteen thousand horse, and thirty thousand foot, exclusive of artillery, and exclusive also of an armed police. That the principality of Oude abounds in fertile lands, and yields (besides those sorts of grain which are common to England) cotton, indigo, rice, sugar and many other valuable commodities. That the manufactories, previous to the spoliations of Marquis Wellesley, were extensive, and the reports thereof great, both in quantity of goods and in amount of value; and that the revenues of the country were abundant, and daily increasing. That the mode of raising the revenues of Oude has grown out of the nature of the govern ment; according to the which, the sovereign, 's and usages of is to say, the Nabob Vizier, is the sole and exclusive owner of the lands, there being in the country no property but that which is derived from the profits of the taxes farmed out or let by him, and collected by his authority, and, if need be, by the aid of his troops. That the great renters or farmers-general of the taxes, are called Aumils, of whom there are about twenty in number, and to whom the taxes of counties or portions of the country are let; the two principal Aumils being Almas Ali Cawn and Mirza Mehindy, the former having the farm of one-third and the latter of one-fourth of the revenues of the whole country. That there is another class of renters or farmers of the taxes under the Aumils, called Zemindars, a su That Richard Colley Marquis Wellesley was appointed, constituted, and actually became a servant of the United Company of Merchants of England trading to the East-Indies, in the month of October, in the year of our Lord 1797, and in the year of the reign of His Majesty the thirty-seventh. That, the office which he was appointed to fill was that of Governor General of Bengal, and subsequently of Captain General of all the King's and Company's Forces serving in the British Territories. in the East-Indies. That he arrived and took possession of the government committed to his charge, in the month of May 1798; and that he continued to fill, and to exercise the powers of, the said Office and Offices, until the month of August 1805, when he was therein super-perior class of whom are also distinguished seded by Charles Marquis Cornwallis.That Oude is an independent principality in in the peninsula of India, adjoining on the one side to the British territories, being in extent somewhat larger than England and Wales; having many large and populous cities, amongst which is Lucknow, the present capital, exceeding in number of inhabitants London and Westminster together; and containing, in the whole principality, a by the name of Rajabs, who rent of the Aumils the taxes of their several townships or villages, each Zemindar being, however, in such his minor district, a sort of hereditary feudal chieftain, having his family, his clan, and generally a fortress to defend himself against the Aumil, in case of a quarrel arising from the oppression of the latter, or from any other cause. That from the ryots or husbandmen, and manufactures (which character is generally united in the same person) the taxes are collected by their respective Zemindars. That the rent of the taxes is fixed by agreements annually made, first between the Nabob Vizier and the Aumils, who are besides great nobles, composing a part of his court, and, except in the season of collecting, residing in the capital; next between the Aumils and the Zemindars from whom the former obtain as high a rent as they can prevail on the latter to give; and, lastly between the Zemindars and their ryots, to each of whom is left out of the produce of his labour, the means wherewith to subsist in a greater or less degree of ease, 'there being, according to the laws and usages of the country, no possibility of his acquiring any thing to which the name of property can apply. That, from such a state of existence, so degrading in the eyes of Britons, it became a British Governor and commander (if at all justified in interfering) to endeavour to exalt the people of Oude; but that, as it will hereinafter appear, the aforesaid Marquis Wellesley, after having under pretences the most groundless, encroached upon and extended his sway over the principality of Oude, did upon the people thereof, impose burdens greatly surpassing any tha thad ever been imposed even by the most oppressive of their native Sovereigns, their Aumils, or their Zemindars-That the British connection with Oude began in the year 1765, under the governor generalship of Robert Lord Clive, by the treaty of Allahabad, being a treaty of peace, and of defensive alliance between the East India Company and the then reign ing sovereign, Sujah ul Dowlah; stipulat ing, amongst other things, that," in case the dominions of his Highness Sujah ut "Dowlah shall at any time hereafter be at"tacked, the English Company shall assist him with forces according to the oxigency of his affairs and that in such case the extraordinary expence of the "forces so employed, shall be defrayed by "him;" the said treaty, in form, language, and tenor, fully shewing, that the said Nabob Vizier Sujah ul Dowlah, was to all intents and purposes, the sovereign of a state perfectly independent. That in 1768, by a treaty made at Benares, between the English Company and the Nabob Vizier Sujah ul Dowlah, an explanatory clause was added to the treaty of Allahabad, respecting the number of troops to be in future maintained by his highness, and confirming the said treaty of Allahabad. That in the year 1773, under governor generalship of Warren Hastings, esquire, a treaty of cession and of subsidy was made at Benares between the English Company and the Naboh Vizier Su jah ul Dowlah; by which treaty, were ceded for ever to the Vizier and his heirs, three considerable districts of country, then belonging to or claimed by the Company; in consideration of which it was stipulated, on the part of the Nabob Vizier, that he should pay to the English Company, at different periods there stated, fifty lacks of sicca rupees; and in a second article it was stipulated, in order to prevent disputes concerning the payments to be made by the Nabob Vizier for expenses of the company's troops, which might be called to march to his assistance, that the expense of a brigade should be computed at two lacks ten thousand sicca rupees (or £. 26,250) per month, such brigade to consist of two battalions of Europeans, six battalions of sepoys, and one company of artillery: and further it was stipulated, that "exclusive of the above-men tioned sum, no more shall, on any ac"count, be demanded from him; and should "the company and the English chiefs have "occasion to send for the troops of the Na"bob Vizier, the company and the English "chiefs shall also pay their expences in the "like manner." That in the year 1775, upon the death of Sujah ul Dowlah, Warren Hastings, esquire, being still governor ge neral as aforesaid, a new treaty was made at Lucknow, between the English Company and the Nabob Vizier Ašoph ul Dowlah, son and successor of Sujah ul Dowlah, by which treaty it was stipulated that the said Nabob Vizier, for the aid and assistance of the English troops when stationed with him, should pay monthly for the charges of a bri gade from the time that the said troops should enter his territories, at his request, unt their return, the sum of two lacks sixty thousand sicca rupeces (or 32,500l.); and, as the subsidy above stipulated for related particularly to the defence of possessions in the vicinity of the British territories, it was further stipulated in a subsequent article, that "if the aforesaid Nabob Vizier shall ever re 'quire the aid or assistance of the English Company for the defence of any other of "his countries, he will fix something for the Company in proportion to the service;" and in conclusion this solemn declaration was made," The English Company, and "all the English Sirdars (or Chiefs) engage "to perform whatever articles are now mu "tually settled; and in the future, during "the life of the Nabob Vizier Asoph ul "Dowlut, they will not, in any respect or "manner, make requests of any thing new, 66 contrary to the tenor of this treaty ; and also, that the brigade shall be stati"ened or moved wherever the Nabob shall "direct, in the mode prescribed by the "former treaty with the Nabob Vizier "deceased: And finally, that whenever "the Nabob Vizier shall require a further "aid of troops from the Company, the pay and allowances shall commence from the day of their passing the Carumnassa; "also, should the assistance of the Nabob's "this the parties mutually swear according" rupees per month (or £.3,125.) the regi "to their respective faiths." That in the "ment to be relieved every three months; year 1781 Warren Hastings, esquire, being still the governor general as aforesaid, another treaty between the English Company and the Nabob Vizier Asoph ul Dowlah, was made at Chunar: That previous to the making of this treaty, the subsidiary force having been found unequal to the purposes of external defence and internal tranquillity, other troops had been from time to time introduced, under the denomination of sibbendies, temporary brigade, &c. &c. so that the expences of the military department became a burthen too great for the finances of the country to support; wherefore, by the treaty herein last named, it was declared and agreed, that the said Nabob Vizier having repeatedly and urgently represen"ted that he is unable to support the exit pences of the temporary brigade, cavalry, "and English officers, with their battalions, as well as other gentlemen, who are now paid by him, under the denomination of sebundy, &c. &c, and having made sun"dry requests to that and other purposes, "and as the constancy and firmness of his "alliance with the Company entitle him to " troops be required by the Company, their 66 pay and allowances, as may then be agreed on, be allowed during the time they may serve." That thus, by this new treaty, it was settled that the temporary brigade and all other troops, the subsidiary brigade excepted, should be withdrawn; that the subsidiary brigade should be augmented with one regiment of sepoys, for which the Nobob Vizier was to pay at the rate of 25,000 rupees a month, making the whole subsidy amount to two lack and eightyfive thousand rupees or ( ÷ 35,625) a month, and that whatever further troops might be sent into the country, at the special request of the Nabob Vizier he should pay for at a rate to be, agreed upon; and that, in conclusion, it was, by the said treaty declared and agreed, "That the treaties made "between the English and the Nabob to every consideration and relief that may depend upon us, I Warren Hastings, "Governor General, have agreed that the "temporary brigade, and three regiments "of cavalry, be no longer charged to the "Nabobs account for the year Fussellee 1189, excepting a term for two and a half months, which is required for their pas sing the Nabob's boundaries; and for which, together with all former allow "ances and arrears, their usual pay and "allowances are to be made good; also, "that the English Officers, with their sebundy báttallions, and other gentlemen, excepting the Resident's office, now upon the Nabob's list, be no longer at his "charge for the year 1189, the arrears being paid up, with the addition of two "months allowances; the true meaning of "this being, that no more troops be paid for by the Nabob, than the number of European artillery and sepoys agreed for under the title of one brigade, with the "late Nabob Sujah ul Dowlah now paid "for at the rate of 2,60,000 rupees (or 232,500. per month to which is now to "be added one regiment of sepoys of the present establishment, expressly allowed for the purpose of protecting the office, treasury, and person of the Resident at Lucknow, the pay and allowances of which shall commence from the first of Aughun next, at the rate of 25,000 " R " Sujah ul Dowlah should be ratified be"tween the present parties, as far as might "be consistent with the above written arti "cles; and that no officers, troops, or "others, should be put upon the Nabob's establishment, exclusive of those before "stipulated." That, under the date of the treaty here mentioned of 1791, there was an agreement entered into between the English Company and the Nabob Vizier. in which agreement the Nabob Vizier promised to accept of and conform himseir to the advice of the governor general as to the reduction of his expences, and the appro priation of his revenue, but that, in the said advice or agreement, it was expressly "declared," that "the ultimate object "thereof was the Nabob Vizier's interest alone, the interest of the English Com*. pany being no further concerned than it "the influence which they will eventually "have in the payment of the debt due from "the Nabob Vizier to the Company." That in the year 1787, Charles Marquis Cornwallis being then governor general under the said East India Company as aforesaid, a new treaty was made, on the twenty-first of July in the said year, between the said Company and the said Nabob Vižjer Asoph ul Dowlah. That this last-mentioned treaty was in form of a letter from Marquis Cornwallis to the Nabob Vizier, the propositions in which letter contained, being accepted in a letter from the Nabob Vizier, became the stipulations of a treaty between the parties aforesaid. That by this treaty it was stipulated, that," after the "first of March 1787, the whole sum to "be paid annually by the Vizier to the "Company should be fifty lacks of Fyzabad << 16 sun rupees (or 600,000!) including "the charges for the brigades, those of the residency, the allowance to Saadut Ali "Cawn, and the stipends of the Rohillas i "there should be no excess unless the "Vizier should demand more forces from "the Company; in that case the increase "to be provided for on a fair estimate: *that if either of the two brigades or corps "of cavalry should be recalled or any cou"siderable diminution in their number should take place, the Company should allow the Vizier for the decrease of the expence from the sum of fifty lacks, "agreable to a fair valuation; that the "arrears due to the residency to the troops connection between him and the Company, being concluded upon principles "of mutual advantage to both; and that "notwithstanding the renunciation of the large claims of the Company's government 66 upon the Nabob Vizier, it must in a "pecuniary light be deemed beneficial to "the Company; and that the negociation "would appear conformable to the spirit of "the Company's instructions regarding the "conduct of their government to the Nabob "Vizier." That, in conformity with the stipulations of the treaty here mentioned, the said governor general did, amongst other his instructions to Edward Otto Ives, Esq. then resident at Lucknow, strictly enjoin him not to interfere in the internal government of the Nabob Vizier; observing and ordering as follows; to wit:" That an interfe rence with the internal government of the "Nabob Vizier's dominions being now un necessary, as well as contrary to the engagements subsisting between us and "the Vizier, you will be careful to avoid "both the reality and appearance of any; "and you will use your endeavours to ac"quire the confidence.of the Vizier and his ministers, and to convince them, that We have nothing in view but to render the “connection with Oude of mutual benefit "to both parties.". That an account of the conducting and of the result of these nego to Saadut Ali Cawn, to the Rohillas, and to Lieutenant Anderson, should be paid is to the 1st of March, but the other arrears "charged to the governor be struck out, "and no longer considered as a demand "of this government on his Excellency;ciations, between the Nabob Vizier and the "that a resident should remain at his Ex-Marquis Cornwallis, having been communi"cellency's court, but it being a system "now positively and declaredly established, "that the company should not interfere in it any respect in the details of the Vizier's 66 government, strict orders should be sent "him neither to interfere himself, nor "suffer any interference, for any public or "private claims of British subjects or per sons under our authority; and that the "whole management of the Vizier's "country should be left to his Excellency " and his ministers, and no appeals from any of its inhabitants be received by the "Company's government." That the said governor general Marquis Cornwallis. in council did afterwards in a letter by them addressed to the Secret Committee of the East India Company, dated on the 16th of August 1787, state that the satisfaction "of the Nabob Vizier at the conduct and " conclusion of this negociation had been expressed in a letter addressed by him to "the governor general, a copy of which, as "well as of the Kistbundy executed by him, "were enclosed; that upon the whole, they had every reason to affirm that it "would prove the foundation of a permanent cated to the said East India Company, the Court of Directors of the said Comnyany by a letter to the said governor general in Council, dated on the eighth of April 1789, did "approve of the general arrangement, and "of the principles upon which it was fram. "ed," and did express their satisfaction, that "the nature of the connection with the Nabob Vizier was now accurately defined, "the defence of Oude being as signed to the "British troops under a fixed subsidy, and "the internal government of the country "remaining with the Nabob Vizier." That thus the Nabob Vizier paying an annual subsidy of 600,000l. to the East India Company, the connection between the Company and the Nabob Vizier did continué uninterrup ted and unaltered for the space of ten years. That, in the year 1797, Sir John Shore, Bart. (now Lord Teignmouth) being the thep governor general under the said East India Company, it having been found necessary to augment the Company's forces, and "the governor general having represented to "his Excellency the Nabob Vizier, the "late very great increase of the Company's "establishments, by the addition of several regiments of cavalry, both European and "Native; and having, in compliance with "the Company's order, solicited his exceltency's assistance to defray the consequent "additional expense," it was stipulated, in an agreement made at Lucknow, in the month of March, in the year last-mentioned, between the said governor general and the Nabob Vizier, that," his excellency "the Nabob Vizier, in the fullest reliance "that the Company's troops are ever ready, "in conformity to existing circumstances, to protect and defend his dominions "against the attacks of all his enemies, will armually defray the actual bonâ fide expenses of a regiment of Europeans and one of Native cavalry (that is to say) two regiments (the amount of which expenses, the governor general cannot at present specify) provided they shall not "exceed, upon every account, five lacks "and a half of rupees per annum. The amount to be defrayed by monthly instalments, of which the first shall commence "with the month of Bysade of the present "Fussiley year." That, in the year 1797, the Nabob Vizier Asoph ul Dowlah died, and was, for a short space, succeeded in the musnud (or throne) by a pretended. son, named Vizier Ally Cawn, who, through the aid of the elder Begum and of the great Aumil Almas Ali Cawn, usurped the throne to the prejudice of the rightful heir Saadut Ali Cawn, brother of the late Nabob Vizier Asoph ul Dowlah. That, by the aid of the English East India Company, the usurper was dethroned, and Saadut Ali Cawn was placed on the throne on the 21st of January, 1798. That, on the 21st of February in the year last-mentioned, a new treaty was made at Lucknow, between the said Nabob Vizier Saadut Ali Cawn, on the one part, and the said East India Company on the other part, the said Sir John Shore being still the governor general as aforesaid. That, in the treaty here mentioned, it was stipulated, that, as the English Company had "incur"red a considerable expense by their exer"tions to restore the Nabob Vizier to the "possession of his rights, he, the said Na"bob Vizier should, in consideration there"of, pay to the Company the sum of twelve "lacs of rupees;" and further, it was in the said treaty stipulated, that, "with a view. to enable the English Company to fulfil "their engagements to defend the domi "nions of the Nabob Vizier, and at the ་་ same time to provide for the protection of "their own dominions, the Company having largely increased their military establishments by new levied regiments for that 66 "purpose" that the annual subsidy paid to the Company by the Nabob Vizier should be augmented from fifty-five and a half to seventy-six lacs of rupees (or £950,000) including the stipends to the Begums and others, and which subsidy the Nabob Vizier was to pay by monthly kists (or instalments) each instalment being in amount equal to a twelfth part of the whole Annual subsidy; and further, it was in the said treaty stipulated as to the Company's troops to be maintained in the principality of Oude, for its defence, that the said troops should " never consist of less than ten "thousand men, including Europeans and "natives, cavalry, infantry, and artillery; "and that if, at any time, it should become necessary to augment the troops of the Company in Oude beyond the number of "thirteen thousand men, including Europeans and natives, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, the Nabob Saadut Ali Cawn "should pay, the actual difference occasion"ed by the excess above that number; and "that in the same manner, if the troops of the Company of Oude, from any necessity, should be less than eight thousand men, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, "natives, and Europeans, a deduction should "be made from the annual stipend of seventy"six lacs of rupees, equal to the actual dif"ference of men below the specified num"ber:" And further,, it was in the said treaty stipulated, with regard to security for the regular payment of the kists as afore said, that," as the payment of the Com"pany's troops in Oude depends upon the regular discharge of the subsidy, stated in "the second and third articles of the treaty, "the said Nabob engages to exert his ut"most endeavours to discharge the stipu"lated kists with punctuality; but that if, *6 contrary to the sincere intentions and "exertions of the said Nabob, the payinent "of the kists should fall into arrear, the "said Nabob Saadut Ali Cawn engages and "promises that he will then give such se-"curity to the Company for the discharge "of the existing arrears, and the future res gular payment of the kists, as shall be "deemed satisfactory." And further, in the said treaty it was stipulated, with respect to reductions of expense in the government of the Nabob Vizier, that "the subsidy to "the Company being now considerably in"creased, and many other permanent charges upon his excellency being incur "red, on a comparison of his disbursements "with the assets or pecuniary means of his country, it becomes necessary to make "such reductions in the superflucus charges |