To Colonel John Collins, Resident with Dowlut Rao Scindia.

Sir,

I AM directed by his Excel lency the Governor General to transmit to you the inclosed notes, which are intended to form the ba. sis of detailed instructions for the regulation of your conduct in the actual crisis of affairs.

2. Those instructions will be prepared and transmitted to you at the earliest practicable period of time. In the mean while his Excellency directs you to act under the authority of the inclosed document, which your knowledge and discernment will enable you to apply to actual circumstances in the manner best calculated to promote the views and interests of the British government.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c.

own ascendancy in the government of Poona.

The following arguments and observations to be stated to Dow lut Rao Scindia, for the purpose or preventing his proceeding to Poona :

1. Treaty of Bassein to be fully communicated to Scindia without a moment of delay, and explaincd to Scindia. A copy of the treaty to be given to him if he desires it.

2. The Peishwa possessed a full right to avail himself of the aid of the British power for his restoration, and to contract his pre sent engagements with that power, independently of the consent of the feudal chiefs of the Mahratta empire.

3. Dowlut Rao Scindia and the other chiefs were unable to afford the P'eishwa the necessary aid for the restoration of his authority, after the success of the rebellion of Hokar; and the assistance which the Peishwa solicited, and has received from us, was the only possible mode of recovering his authority.

The treaty of Bassein not only offers no injury to the indepen dence of the feudatory Mahratta chiefs, but expressly provides ad ditional security for it.

5. Dowlut Rao Scindia himself invited the co-operation of the British power, for the purpose of restoring the Peishwa.

6. Dowlut Rao Scindia's own power and dominions have been saved from ruin by the interfer

ence

ence of the British power, which bas checked the progress of Hol kar's arms.

7. Dowlut Rao Scindia has admitted the expediency and wisdom of our engagements with the Peishwa, and has formally disavow. ed any intention of obstructing the completion of the arrangement.

8. Under all these circumstances we have a right to expect that Dowlut Rao Scindia shall not adopt any measures which we deem calculated to impede the accomplishment of that arrangement, unless such measures be absolutely necessary for Dowlut Rao Scindia's security.

9. Dowlut Rao Scindia's march to Poona, or his continuance south of the Nurbuddah, can have no other view than to disturb our arrangement with the Peishwa; neither Scindia's march to Poona, nor his continuance to the south of the Nurbuddah is necessary to his security.

10. An attempt on the part of any power to oppose or counteract that which another power is strictly authorized by the law of nations to perform, may justly be considered as an act of hostility.

11. In communicating the whole of the treaty of Bassein to Scindia, point out to him particularly, that it provides against any molestation being offered to his government, unless he should place himself in the situation of an enemy to the Peishwa, or to the British government.

12. Dowlut Rao Scindia must therefore retire, or must expect to expose to hazard all the advantages which the treaty offers to him.

13. If Dowlut Rao Scindia should be disposed to accede to the treaty as a contracting party, the British government is ready to negotiate the terms with him."

VOL. 6.

14. The British government will not be offended if Dowlut Rao Scindia should object to acceding to the treaty as a contracting party; he is at liberty to remain, if he thinks fit, utterly unconnected with us; but the disadvantages of such a separation to him are evident.

15. We cannot, however, suffer him in any degree to obstruct the execution or operation of the treaty with the Peishwa; and the Governor General is resolved not to admit the slightest opposition on the part of any power to the execution of a treaty founded in principles of undeniable justice, equity, and moderation.

16., Dowlut Rao Scindia must therefore explain himself without reserve, and must return to his own dominions north of the Nurbuddah. The first pledge required of his amicable intentions, even if he should choose to accede to the treaty, is, that he should imme. diately cross the Nurbuddah.

17. Offer to arbitrate any demands Dowlut Rao Scindia may have on the Peishwa or on Holkar.

18. Offer a subsidiary treaty and guarantee.

19. Positive declaration of friendship, and of a determination to abstain from any attempt whatever upon the independence of Dowlut Rao Scindia, unless he should provoke hostility.

20. Inform Scindia, that his military operations, conducted in opposition to our remoustrances, will compel measures of precaution on our part, and on every boundary of his dominions; and that certain intelligence of his accession to any confederacy against the British power, will produce immediate hostility on all parts of I K

his frontier, and will justify the destruction of his power.

21. Inform Scindia, that similar representations have been addressed to the Rajah of Berar, for whom the British government feels an equal regard, with an equal resolution to anticipate any sinister project by promptitude and alacrity.

22. Intelligence from various quarters has excited a just apprehension that negotiations have been commenced between the Rajah of Berar and Scindia, of a nature injurious to the connection established Letween the Peishwa and the British government. Scindia must be required to state explicitly the nature of his negotiations with the Rajah of Berar, and the propositions of that chief.

23. The same requisitions to be urged respecting the propositions of Heikar to Scindia, and the recent negotiations which have passed between these chiefs.

24. Inform Scindia, that any attack upon the territories of his Highness the Nizam will be considered as an act of hostility against the British government. (A true Copy.) N. B. EDMONSTONE, Sec. to Gov.

No. 2.

Governor General's Instructions

to Colonel Collins, Resident ut the Court of Dowlut Rao Sein

dia.

Sir,

In my letter of the 5th of May, I had the honour to transmit to you, by the orders of his Excellency the Most Noble the Goveruor General, a document contain

ing the general heads of his Excellency's instructions on the sub

ject of a representation to be made to Dowlut Rao Scindia, for the purpose of inducing that chieftain to recross the Nurbuddah, and to return to his dominions in Hindustan. I am now directed to communicate to you the following detailed observations and instructions for the regulation of your conduct in the present crisis of affairs.

2. While Jeswunt Rao Holkar continued at the head of a powerful army in the vicinity of Poona, and maintained in the Mahratta state the ascendancy which he had acquired by his successful rebellion against the authority of the Peishwa, and while the result of measures adopted by the British government at the solicitation of the Peishwa, for his Highness's restoration to the Musnud of Poona, continued in suspense, Dowlut Rao Scindia would have discharged his duty as a feudatory chieftain of the Mahratta empire, in directing the exertion of his power to the extinction of Jeswunt Rao Holkar's rebellion, and to the support of the supreme exe. cutive authority of the state, and the co-operation of his army with the British troops might have been eventually necessary for that pur pose. But Scindia having in fact made no effort against the power of Holkar, and the ap proach of the British army towards Poona having induced Jeswunt Rao Holkar to abandon his design of eflecting a revolution in the Feishwa's government, and to retire with his troops from that capital; and the promptitude and energy of our operations having secured the restoration of the Peish

wa

wa to his legitimate authority, without the aid of Scindia, the prosecution of that chieftain's march to Poona, for the purpose either of supporting the cause of the Peishwa, or for providing for the security of his own power and dominions against the ambitious projects of Jeswunt Rao Holkar, is now become unnecessary; and under these circumstances the perseverance of Dowlut Rao Scindia in his intention of marching with his army to Poona can have no other object than the subversion of the arrangements lately concluded between his Highness the Peishwa and the British government, and the re-establishment of his own usurped ascendancy in the state of Poona.

3. His Excellency bears in mind the formal declaration of Scindia in his conference with you on the 24th March 1803, after being apprised of the conclusion of a treaty of defensive alliance be tween the Peishwa and the British government, that he had no intention to obstruct the completion of that arrangement; but the subsequent conduct of Dow lut Rao Scindia, and the information which his Excellency has received from your dispatches, and from various other quarters, of a projected confederacy between that chieftain, the Rajah of Berar, and Jeswunt Rao Holkar, afford reason to doubt the sincerity of that declaration. His Excellency there fore deems it necessary to endeavour to preclude the adoption of any designs on the part of Dowlut Rao Scindia of a nature hostile to the British interests, by requiring Scindia either to return with his troops to the northward

of the Nurbuddah, or to afford some other unequivocal proof of his intention to refrain from any at. tempt to disturb the arrangement concluded between the British government and his Highness; and 1 am accordingly directed to communicate to you the following observations and instructions for the regulation of your conduct on this occasion, conformably to the note which you have already received under date the 5th ulti

mo.

4. Any design on the part of Scindia to aim at the subversion of the late arrangement must be supposed to originate either in an apprehension that it is directed to objects injurious to his just rights and independence, and to the general interests of the Mahratta empire, or in an impatience. of that effectual controul to which his ambitious and unwarrantable projects are subjected, by the provisions of the alliance concluded with his Highness the Peishwa; and with a view to remove from Scindia's mind any erroneous impressions with regard to the real objects of that alliance, and to convince him of the justice and moderation of our views, his Excellency directed you, in my note of the 5th ultimo, to communicate to Scindia the whole of the treaty of Bassein, to explain to that chief, in the fullest manner, the general principles on which it is founded, and the just and moderate views to which it is directed; and you were authorized at the same time, if Scindia should desire it, to furnish him with a copy of the treaty. You will state to Scindia, that the uniform object of the endeavours of the Governor General has been to establish a permanent ‡K 2 foundation

foundation of general tranquillity in India, by securing to every state the fice enjoyment of its just rights and independence, and by frustrating every project calcu. lated to disturb the possessions, or to violate the rights of the established powers of Hindustan or of the Deccan. You will observe to Scindia, that the treaty of Bassein is founded on the application of this general principle to the circumstances of his Highness the Peishwa's situation and government; and you will particularly explain to Scindia, that while the treaty of Bassein establishes his Highness the Peishwa in the full and independent exercise of his legitimate authority in the Mahratta state, it provides the most effectual se, curity for the preservation of the respective interests and possessions of all the Mahratta chieftains within the limits of their separate dominions and authorities; that the treaty, being exclusively of a defensive nature, imposes no restraint upon any state or power which shall respect the rights and possessions of the British governnent and of its allies; and that no right or power to interfere in the internal concerns of any of the Mahratta chiefs can be derived from the stipulations of that treaty beyond the limits of the Peishwa's legitimate authority, to maintain which is equally the duty of his Highness's subjects, feudatories, and allies. Finally you will endeavour to convince Dow. Jut Rao Scindia, that, in concluding the late alliance with his Highness the Peishwa, the objects of the Governor General are to secure the British dominions, and those of our ally the Nizam, from the dangers of contiguous anarchy and confusion, to full, the duties

of friendship towards our ally the Peishwa, and to provide at the same time for the safety of the se veral branches of the Mahratta empire, without disturbing the constitutional form of the state, and without affecting the legiti, mate independence of its feuda, tory chieftains: and that this course of policy must tend to strengthen the bonds of amity and alliance with Dowlut Rao Scin. dia, as well as with every other branch of the Mahratta power.

5. It will be proper that you should point out to Dowlut Rao Scindia those stipulations of the treaty of Bassein, which contain an explicit disavowal of any intention on the part either of his Highness the Peishwa, or of the British government, to molest any of the Mahratta chieftains who shall not place himself in the con dition of a public enemy, by the adoption of measures hostile to the rights and interests of the British government and its allies.

6. Although it may not be dif ficult to convince Dowlut Rao Scindia of the justice and mo deration of our views in conclud. ing the late alliance with the Peishwa, and to remove from his mind all apprehension of danger to the security of his legitimate rights and independence from the operation of the treaty of Bassein, it is not to be expected that he will be immediately disposed to subscribe cordially to an arrange. ment by which the prosecution of his known projects of ambition will be eflèctually controul ed, and his ascendancy in the state of Poona will be permanently excluded. You will observe to Scindia, however, that his ascendancy at Poona had in fact been annihilated by the success of

Holkar,