COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. stant and permanent system of preparation and precaution, as might effectually secure the safety of Oude under all circumstances. The retreat of Zemaun Shah, the suppression of Vizier Alli's rebellion,` and the overthrow of Tippoo Sultaun, appeared to open a favourable crisis for the establishment of external security, and internal order in Oude, and for preventing the recurrence of similar alarm. 275. Convinced of the justice of these principles, and urged by the recollection of past dangers, by the pressure of present calamity, and by the prospect of future destruction to all the interests connected with the prosperity of Oude, lord Wellesley felt it to be his duty to recommend to the Nabob the adoption of such arrangements as might afford the hope of remedy to the evils which ha i prevailed, or of prevention to the ruin which was apprehenzet. The governor-general was of opinion, that neither the civil nor military government of Oude could be placed on foundations of security without the direct interference of the British power; and his lordship therefore proposed,* that the civil and military government of the country should be vested in the company under certain conditions, calculated to provide for the Nabob's dignity and convenience, and to secure an ample allowance for his expenses, and for those of his family, relations, and dependants. The Nabob, however, having peremptorily rejected this proposition, no other alternative remained to lord Wellesley than to insist upon adequate security for the company's rights and interests in Oude. It was indispensably necessary, consistently with lord Wellesley's sense of the danger to which these interests were exposed, and of his duty to his country, to insist that the funds for the regular payment of the subsidy, to the full extent of the augmented force, should be placed, without delay, beyond the hazard of failure. The only security which lord Wellesley deemed to be satisfactory, with a view to the attainment of this object, was a cession to the company of such portion of territory as should be sufficient, according to the existing produce, and after deducting the expense of collections, to provide for the subsidy, and for the expense of the additional troops, the former amounting to 76 lacs of rupees per annum, and the latter to 54,12,929, making the aggregate sum of 1,35,12,929 rupees, or 1,639,1161. 276. It is unnecessary, in this place, to enter into a consideration of the various negotiations which pre ceded * Vide lord Wellesley's letter to the Nabob, dated 5th April, 1801, page 185 of No. 3; also instructions to colonel Scott, dated 28th April, 1801, page 193 of No. 3. The territory that was selected for the proposed cession (the Doab of the Jumma and the Ganges) and Rohilcund, was added to the possessions of the Nabob by the British arms, and was not the original possession of his ancestors. The honour and dignity of the Nabob's government was therefore as much consulted as it was possible (consistently with the attainment of security) in the adop tion of this arrangement. COURT'S DRAFT, OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURT'S DRAFT, ceded the conclusion of the treaty of Lucknow in all connection with the state of Oude. 277. But it has already been observed, that the security of Oude is indispensably necessary to that ef our provinces. It is not possible for the British government to leave that country to become the victim of evil counsels and the prey of our enemies, without exposing our own safety to imminent hazard; the onnection with Oude must therefore be maintained or such principles, as shall render that connection comformable to the spirit of our original engagements for its protection, and shall secure to the British government the important frontier of Oude, under such cir cumstances as shall render it an effectual barrier agin an enemy. On this subject ample explanation is afforded by the governor-general's declaration, ccatained in page 6, of No. 2, of the printed papers, and by the governor-general's instructions, of the 19th September, 1801, to Mr. Wellesley and to colere. Scott, page 18 of the same collection of papers. 278. Great aivantages have been derived to the company from the conclusion of the treaty of Lucknow in 1801. The treaty embraces every point connecte! with the welfare of both states; and, while it exce rates the nabob from the weight of obligations of an indefinite extent, it has consolidated the British powe, and fixed its stability on solid foundations, by extending the operation of the laws and regulations of the British government to a large tract of country. In fact, the treaty may be considered to afford many inportant advantages to the nabob. The nature of his obligations to the company are now clearly defined; instead of a fluctuating and considerable subsidy, the nabob, by a territorial cession, has fixed the precise extent of his pecuniary engagements, while the secu rity These instructions contain the principles on which the British government would have been justified in assuming the entire civil and military administra tion of Oude, in the event of the Nabob's having rejected both the propos tions submitted to him, as well as any admissible modification of them. OURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. rity of his reserved dominions, and the stability of his power, are fully established by the dismissal of his mutinous and undisciplined troops, and by the introduction of the regular and disciplined forces of the company. The nabob has also gained in point of finance by the treaty, since the territories ceded to the company, under the treaty of Lucknow, did not regularly produce to the vizier more than was sufficient to pay the permanent subsidy, previously to the introduction of the additional troops. 279. 5th. The whole of this transaction was reported, through all its stages, to the government at home, and approved by the same authority. 280. By a reference to the printed papers, laid before the House of Commons, relative to India affairs, marked No. 5, it appears, that, as early as the 3d October, 1798, lord Wellesley stated to the secret committee that he had under consideration means of securing the regular payment of the subsidy in Oude, and of reforming the nabob's army." the best 281. In his letters of the 21st and 28th November, 1799, lord Wellesley continues to state "his anxiety to carry into execution such a reform of the nabob vizier's military establishments as should secure us from all future danger on the frontier of Oude, and should enable him to introduce a varity of necessary improvements in the government of the country." 282. The subject is again brought before the consideration of the secret committee on the 25th January, 1800, and the 7th March, 1800. In the last letter lord Wellesley observes, "when I shall have completed my arrangement for the military defence of Oude, and shall have disarmed the useless and da gerous troops of the vizier, I shall proceed to adopt the most effectual measures for the reform of all branches of his excellency's government. Such a reform cannot be postponed without the certain injury, if not the absolute destruction, of the valuable resources which the company at present derives from that country; and his excellency's repeated and earnest application for my direct interference in the administration of his affairs, will abundantly justify the most decided interposition of the British government in the manage. ment of Oude, whenever the proper period for exercising our authority shall arrive.' 283. On the 31st August, 1800, the whole of the negotiations, down to that period of time, with the nabob vizier, were reported to the secret committee by the governor-general in council; and it is observed, "that it is the intention of the governor-general in council to proceed, with the least possible delay, to a revision of his excellency the nabob vizier's civil establishment, and of the general interests of the company in the province of Oude." 284. The treaty was concluded on the 10th Nov. 1801. The intelligence of the conclusion of the treaty was transmitted to England on the 18th Nov. 1801, and a copy of the treaty was forwarded on the following day to the secret committee, who were placed in their dispatch,* OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. dispatch, under date the 19th November, 1803, to signify their approbation of the provisions of that engagement, and to observe, that they considered "the stipulations therein contained as calculated to improve and secure the interests of the vizier, as well as those of the company, and to provide more effectually hereafter for the good government and prosperity of Oude, and, consequently, for the happiness of its native inhabitants." 285. The court of directors also, in their revenue dispatch, dated 14th September, 1803, in reply to the report of the settlement of the revenues of the ceded districts in Oude, after expressing their satisfaction at the increase of the revenues of those districts, state, "that they received great pleasure from the informa. tion in Mr. Wellesley's letter of the 23d March, 1802, that the utmost tranquillity prevailed throughout the ceded provinces, and that the change in the govern ment appears to have given general satisfaction." This letter is signed by Mr. Bosanquet and Mr. Roberts, two of the three directors who signed the letter from the secret committee, dated the 19th November, 1808, approving of the treaty of Lucknow. 286. Without entering into any question respecting any differences of opinion which may have prevailed in England, between the court of directors and the government; it is evident, therefore, that, as far as lord Wellesley could form any judgment of the opinion of the government at home respecting his transac tions in Oude, he had every reason to believe, that his conduct, on that occasion, in all its stages, was entirely approved by the controlling authorities in England. 287. The arrangement has produced all the advan tages which were in lord Wellesley's contemplation. There is every reason to believe that the nabob vizier is perfectly satisfied, under the operation of his engagements with the company; and it is certain that, during the late Mahratta war, he manifested the greatest zeat for the success of the British arms, and, unsolicited, afforded abundant aid in loans of money, and other military resources, to the army under lord Lake. On the other hand, by the conclusion of the treaty of Lucknow, the British government has become the instrument of restoring to affluence and prosperity one of the most fertile regions of the globe, now daily improving, but reduced, at the period of concluding the treaty, to a condition of the most afflicting misery, by the weak and inefficient administration of the native government of Ouie. 288. The territory of Furruckabad is situated on the right, or west side of the river Ganges, constituting a small district, yielding an annual gross revenue of about 10,000,000 of rupees, or 1,25,000l. and entirely surrounded by the possessions, which the British government * Vide No. XII. of list of papers, printed and marked No. II. page 58. + Vide letter from the governor-general in council to the court of directors, dated 28th March, 1805. COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURT'S DRAFT, No. 128. government had received from the nabob vizier, on whom the nabob of Furruckabad was dependant. 289. By an agreement concluded between the Vizier Assof ul Dowlah and the Nabob of Furruckabad (under the guarantee of the company), the Nabob of Furruckabad was bound to pay an annual tribute of 4,50,000 rupees, or 56,2501. to the Vizier. The number of troops to be maintained by the Nabob of Furruckabad was limited to purposes of state, and the Vizier was charged with the protection and defence of the country from internal and external enemies. 290. Although the internal administration of affairs was conducted by the Nabob of Furruckabad, that province was considered to be a dependancy of the dominions of the Nabob Eizier; and the occasional interference of the Vizier and of the company, in the administration of affairs, was practised and admitted. 291. On the death of the late Nabob of Furruckabad, the eldest son, being convicted of the murder of his deceased father, was carried to Lucknow, and confined, by order of the Vizier. The succession devolved upon the present Nabob, (the second son,) then a minor; a manager was appointed by the British government, with the consent of the Vizier, to conduct the affairs of Furruckabad, during the minority of the Nabob. This arrangement continued in force until the month of November, 1801, when the transfer to the company of the tribute of Furruckabad, and of all the Vizier's rights over that principality, by the treaty of Lucknow, placed it immediately in a state of dependance on the company. 292. A violent animosity subsisted between the Nabob of Furruckabad, and the person appointed to conduct the administration of affairs during the Nabob's minority, which had produced great disorder in the government, and had augmented the evils and abuses resulting from a defective and vicious system of administration. Both parties solicited the interposition of the British authority, for the accomplishment of their respective views. The Nabob accused the manager of mal-administration, and (the period of his minority being nearly expired) claimed the right of being vested with the management of his own affairs, and of appointing a minister of his own choice, for conducting the detai's of his government. On the other hand, the manager complained of the obstacles opposed to the due administration of affairs, by the counteraction of the Nabob, and of his profligate associates; and declared his utter inability to discharge the duties of his station, unless his authority should be supported by the active interference of the British power. 293. In the meanwhile the notoriously turbulent disposition, and ferocious character of the inhabitants of Furruckabad (who are principally Afghans), the total want of system and subordination in the government of the province, and the distractions which prevailed in it, rendered the contiguity of Furruckabad to the possessions lately acquired by the company |