liquidated. Should his excellency proffer the payment of the kist at any time between he dispatch of this letter and the receipt of your lordship's commands, I shall not think myself warranted in refusing it, but shall demand an adequate interest from the time it became due.

24. I shall now proceed to offer some observations on his excellency's letter to me of the 18th instant.

25. The accusation of my having adopted measures for taking possession of the countries proposed to be ceded, with out his consent and co-operation, is in consistent and absurd. His excellency was repeatedly, both in writing and personally, earnestly solicited to grant his acquiescence to the territorial cession, and to assist in the necessary arrangements; and on his final refusal to participate, was informed, that he must not be surprised if, in the course of a few days, he should learn that I had taken preparatory steps for establishing the company's authority in the districts enumerated.

26. The assertion of my having sent written instructions to the officers commanding the out-stations, to establish the company's authority, is totally unfounded, and I shall call upon the vizier to state through what channel he obtained his information, or in what act of the military he grounds his assertion.

27. The circumstances under which I was acting, necessarily, as a measure of common precaution, required that the several detachments should be maintained in a state of guarded vigilance; and to this point alone were my instructions di rected, as your lordship will be informed by the copy of my secret circular letter herewith inclosed.

23. Equally unfounded is the insinuation of my having prohibited the aumils from attending his excellency. The only aumils present at Lucknow are Almas Ali Khan, and Mirza Mehudy; the former has completed his payments for the year, and received a rei are from all demands, and both are unremitting in their attendance at the durbar.

29. The payment of the kist, even under the proposed condition, your lordship will observe, his excellency grants as a favour, to prevent the affairs of the company from being embarrassed, and not as the fulfilment of an indispensable obligation.

30. The general tenor of the letter indicates, according to my comprehen

sion, a belief that the territorial cession will not take place this year, it evinces a total disregard to the communication which I had made to his excellency of your lordship's earnest desire that the negotiation should be brought to a final conclusion without a moment's delay; and it contains an evasive departure from the promise made to me on the 17th instant, of submitting to my consideration a paper relative to the pending pegotiation, a promise given after his excellency was made acquainted by me with the mission of Mr. Wellesicy; if, as his excellency then assured me, the draft was prepared, the excuse of its length is frivolous, since it only required to be copied.

31. I cannot conclude this address without expressing my extreme anxiety that the latter part of my conduct may be honoured with your lordship's approval. I confide in your lordship's liberality to make ample allowances for the difficulty of my situation; and I intreat that, in passing judgment on particular acts, your lordship will consider the character and disposition of the vizier, ever on the watch to seize occasions for exaltation, whose arrogance would be uncontrolJable, and demands extravagant and exorbitant, were any contested points yielded to his obstinacy.

32. The papers accompanying the dispatch are copy and translation of a letter from me to the vizier, dated the 18th instant; copy and translation of a letter of the same date, enclosing the above copy and translation of his excellency's letter to me of the 18th instant; copy of instructions to the officers commanding at out-stations, under the date of the 29th of June.

I have the honour to be,
With great respect, &c. &c.
(Signed) W.SCOTT,
Resident, Lucknow.

Lucknow, 28th May, 1801.

"To the Vizier.

jects. Friday passed away without my receiving the kist, or any intimation regarding its being sent; but Friday being a day on which your excellency's servants are not accustomed to transact business, I refrained from noticing the delay of that day; Saturday, however, having passed away in the same manner, I feel it a duty incumbent on ine, intrusted with the charge of the public rights of the company, to demand, in the name of his excellency the most noble the governor-general, the instantaneous payment of the kist, and the charges of the additional troops for the month of June.

In the event of my not receiving complete satisfaction on this point, by three o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, the 19th instant, I must report the circumstance to his excellency the governorgeneral; and, if compelled to make such report, I shall think it my further duty to refrain from all personal intercourse or communication with your excellency, excepting on points which may affect the tranquillity of your excellency's dominions, until I shall be instructed by his lordship how to act in a case of so extraordinary an emergency as that of your excellency's wilful and premeditated violation of your engagements with the company.

(Covering the foregoing)
To the Vizier.

Dated 18th July. Previous to the receipt of your excellency's letter of this date, I had prepa red a letter to your excellency, which I have the honour to enclose, on the subject of the company's kist. The contents of your excellency's letter does not require that any alteration should be made in the inclosed; for the kist for the month of June, being the uncoubted right of the company, the payment of it is wholly independent of any proviso whatsoever, as I have oftener than once, personally, stated to your execllency. In the event of your excellency immediately sending me the kist, I shall fully reply to your excellency's letter above mentioned, and shall also give to the aumils such orders as may be expedient; but otherwise I shall state the whole circumstance to his excellency the most noble the governor-general.

Whatever orders I may have communicated to the aumils, in respect to the ensuing year, are no ways connected with the company's kist for the past and cur

rent months, or with any which may be come due prior to the establishment of the company's authority in the territories to be ceded; how then can the rescinding of the orders alluded to be admitted as a condition of your excellency's payment of the kist?

From the Vizier to lieutenant colonel Scott.

Dated 5 Rubbe ul Omul, 18th July. In the visit which you paid me on Wednesday the 2d instant, we had some conversation relative to the kist, and other subjects, to all which I promised to reply the next conference we should hold together; accordingly, having met again on Friday last, you acquainted me with his lordship's intention of deputing his brother, Mr. Wellesley, to Lucknow, in order to afford me certain explanations on the subject of the negotiation in

hand.

In respect to the kist, you well know that in opposition to, and in defiance of, me, you have called before you the aumils and their vakeels, and without my acquiescence, or any participation on my part, you have told them, that such and such countries belonged to the company; you have desired them not to use harsh measures in realizing arrears; to be dilig gent in the business of cultivation, and have forbid them giving me the peishgee, or advance; and further, you have directed the officers in command of the troops to establish themselves in the countries alluded to. Judge then, what confusion these circumstances must have given rise to in the country, and what confidenke the aumils can now repose in me! what disgrace I have suffered from this difference which had occurred between us, and what pain this affair has given me!

I understood that, without my concurrence or acquiescence, you have separated and assumed a portion of my country in jaidad; responsibility for the kist, under such circumstances, no longer rests with me; and since I am no longer responsible, how is it possible for me to,

provide the kist? in consideration, however, of the present necessities of the company, (although, under the circumstances of the orders you have given, I should be justifiable in delaying the payment of it) and adverting to the inconveniences which the company would suffer, (and it is not now, nor ever was, my design to put them to any,) I shall provide and send the kist, upon this condition; that, since by the orders you have given, confusion has been created, and the aumils, withholding the payment of the money, are in perplexity, and at a loss 40 whom they are to pay it; you, therefore, summons them before you, and desire them to continue, as usual, to give their attendance on, and make their payments to me, for, without the attendance of the aumils, money is by no means to be expected from them. How can this be? You first deprive me of the means of collecting the reve nues, and then call upon me to make

payments.

In consideration of the friendship and union subsisting between the company and me, I have no desire to dispute the payment of the kist. The moment that you speak to the aumils, and their deputies, to the above effect, (in order that I be satisfied in regard to my receipts of cash) I shall provide and send you the kist. The expediting, or delaying, of this matter now rests with you. A true translation."

(Signed)

Το

WM. SCOTT,
Resident, Lucknow.

(Secret, circular)

VOL. 9.

2. Whilst I deliver to you these cautionary instructions, I think it incumbant on me, in the most forcible manner, to recommend the observance of a perfect conciliatory line of conduct to persons of all descriptions; and an uncommonly strict attention to prevent the soldiers and followers of your detachment from engaging in disputes with the vizier's troops, and the inhabitants of the towns and villages, or from doing any injury to their persons or property.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
(Signed) W. SCOTT.
Lucknow, 29th June, 1801.

To his excellency the most noble the marquis Wellesley, K. P. governorgeneral.

My lord,-I have the honour to ac quaint your lordship, that at half past four o'clock, three hours after I had dispatched my address to your lordship of this date by express, my moonshee received a note from Molavy Sudden, writ ten by order of the vizier, desiring him to inform me, that his excellency had given orders for the payment of the kis; and as my treasurer has received the same intimation from his excellency's treasurer, I conclude that the money will be immediately sent.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) WILLIAM SCOTT, Resident, Lucknow. His excellency the most noble the marquis Wellesley, K. P. governor. general, &c.

My lord,-The vizier having on the 21st instant commenced the payments on account of the kist for June, I thought it exp dient to reply to his excellency's letter to me of the 18th instant; and accordingly, on the 22d, addressed a letter of some length to his excellency,copy and translation of which I do myself the ho nour to enclose for your lordship's intor mation. The payments of the kist, and of the charges of the additional troops for June, were only completed on the evening of the 25th instant, and no notice have been taken by his excellency of my above-mentioned letter to him.

2. Adverting to the inconvenience which the officers and men of the 11th regiment (which has been detained at Lucknow Since the first of the month) are exposed to in camp at this season of

H

the

To the Vizier.

Dated July 22d, 1801.

I have had the honour to receive your excellency's letter of the 5th of Rubbe ul Uwent.

Your excellency having ordered the kist due to the honourable company for the month of June to be paid into the company's treasury, after expressing my extreme surprize and concern that your excellency should have been influenced by the advice of evil counsellors to contest a point of such unquestionable right to the company, until the period when I had actually dispatched a report of the circumstance to his excellency the most noble the governor-general, I think it expedient to add that, under any circumstances whatever, your excellency is and must be responsible for the said subsidy and the expenses of the addition al troops, until the company's officers shall have actually taken possession of the countries proposed to be ceded in commutation of these charges, and until the season of collections shall arrive, there can be no interval in which the receipts of money on the above accounts can be suspended.

Your excellency observes, that, "in "defiance of you I have called the aumils "and their vakeels before me, and with"out any participation or acquiescence on your part, have given them such "and such orders." It must be in your excellency's recollection how often and how earnestly, both verbally and in writing, I solicited your excellency's assist ance and co-operation in the arrangements for the territorial cession; and that on your final refusal to participate in those arrangements, I told your excel lency, that you must not be surprised if,

.

in the course of a few days, you should hear that I had taken preparatory steps, for establishing the company's authority in the districts to be ceded.

The steps which I did take were as cautious and as limited as could be devised, under the circumstances of the case, and the orders which I gave to the aumils, Almas Ali Khan, and Mirza Mehedy, were such as naturally arose out of the measure in contemplation.

The vakcels whom I called before me, were those of the aumils of Rehr and Goruckpore, and my communication to them was confined to the probability of my having occasion, in a short time, to transmit orders to their principals.

In enumerating the orders given by me, your excellency asserts that I had written to the officers commanding the troops, desiring them to establish themselves in the countries. I must desire that your excellency will acquaint me through what channel you obtained this information, or upon what act of the military you found your assertion; and I think it necessary stedfastly to persist in this desire, that proper notice may be taken of the persons who have made such gross misrepresentations.

Having never, in the most distant manner, prohibited the aumils from giving their attendance upon your excellency, and as they do attend Almas Ali Khan as usual, Mirza Mehedy constantly and, indeed, as one of your excellency's official servants, what other constructiont can I put on your excellency's desire that I should order them to give their attendance as usual, but an extravagant wish in your excellency that I should, in the most humiliating way, publish to the world, that the British government had relinquished their equitable demand for territorial security?

From the general tenor of your excellency's letter, and from the above circumstance in particular, it appears to me that your excellency either yourself misconceived the present state of the negotiation, or are desirous of deceiving others. If his excellency, the most noble the governor-general, in pure consideration for your excellency's feelings, has suspended the measure of assuming the countries intended to be ceded, his lordship has not, nor ever will relinquish the just demand for territorial security. If his lordship, with the view of making another effort for obtaining your excellency's consent, has deputed

deputed his lordship's brother to your court, it is not to compromise the affair which has so long been in agitation, it is to give weight to the negotiations, to confirm to your excellency his lordship's unalterable resolution never to depart from the demand of territorial security, and, finally, to prosecute the negotiation to its intended conclusion.

This being the state of the case, and it being, as I assured your excellency, the earnest desire of lord Wellesley that the negotiation should be concluded without a moment's delay, it appears to me, that the best and most satisfactory return which your excellency can make for the forbearing consideration of his lordship, is to engage with me seriously, and cordially, in adjusting the terms of the territorial cession, so that the countries to be ceded may be transferred to the company at the commencement of the new year, and no question be agitated in regard to whom the peishghy is to be given.

To this end I exhort your excellency to order an accurate statement to be prepared of the revenues of the districts, which have been so often mentioned to your excellency, according to their present jumma, and to furnish me with the paper relative to the territorial cession, which, in the conversation I had the honour to hold with you on the 17th instant, you informed me was prepared. If the draft, as your excellency then assured me, is ready, there can be no reason for deferring to submit it to my consideration until the arrival of the honourable Mr. Wellesley, since, as I informed your excellency, I am authorized, and commanded, by his excellency the governor-general, to exert all my endeavours to conclude the negotiation without a moment's delay, and without waiting the arrival of his lordship's brother. At all events, the production of the above-mentioned statement, and paper, will enable me to place matters in a state of preparation by the time Mr. Wellesley shall arrive; and should there be any point of a doubtful nature in your excellency's paper, it may immediately be submitted to his lordship's determi

but to the influence of those evil and self-interested counsels which has prevailed on your excellency to refuse your consent to a measure, the execution of which will afford the greatest satisfaction to your best friends, and which will provide for the permanent security and increasing prosperity of these dominions? Let me exhort your excellency to come forward in a candid and dignified manner, and with a sincere and earnest desire to conclude the arrangement of the territorial cession, to the end that no cause of uneasiness, vexation, or altercation, may hereafter arise.

And let me further exhort your excellency to pay, without delay, the balance of the arrears of subsidy, and to concert with me the further indispensable reductions in your excellency's military establishments; to the end, that on the arrival of Mr. Wellesley, if the conditions of the territorial cession cannot be adjusted between your excellency and me, that important object may be entered upon unembarrassed with other points of contention.

(Signed) WM. SCOTT,

Resident at Lucknow. A true copy.

(Signed) N. B. EDMONSTONE, Secretary to Government.

To the Vizier.

Written 14th August, 1801. With the utmost degree of astonishment and concern, I received from lieutenant-colonel Scott information, that your excellency had adopted the extraordinary resolution of withholding the future payments of subsidy to the com pany, under the plea, that colonel Scott's orders to your excellency's aumils, and to the company's military officers, preparatory to the eventual occupation of the territory proposed to be ceded, had deprived your excellency of the means from which the subsidy was to be realized. Admitting that the orders issued by lieutenant-colonel Scott were such as your excellency thought proper to describe, they could not be considered to exonerate your excellency from the subsidy until the territories to which those orders applied should have been com pletely occupied by the company's of ficers. The effect of colonel Sco.'s orders, even as described by your excellency, could not have impaired the resources for the payment of the kist, which