furnish him with copies of all the documents and information which may appear to you to be necessary for his guidance, in contormity to the intimation contained in the 8th paragraph of his Excellency's instructions to the lonourable the Governor. 15. It will occur to you that these instructions are equally applicable to the case (adverted to in your letter to Mr. Duncan of the 5th instant) of the Peishwa's proceeding to Bassein, where he would in fact be indebted for his safety to the vicinity of Bombay, and be in a situation to benefit by the immediate protection and aid of the British government. 16. In the event of the Peishwa's acceptance of reasonable terms, it will be necessary that we should stipulate for the payment of such expences as we may incur in any operation directed to the object of restoring him to the Musnud. This sum must be in addition to the amount of permanent subsidy. The probable amount of these charges might be calculated on a moderate scale, and the demand of a fixed sum on this ac count might be made; the exact limit and time of payment of this sum might form a special article of the treaty with the Peishwa. 17. His Excellency is apprehensive that your continuance at Poona in the present state of af fairs may be productive of public embarrassment; his Excellency is therefore anxious to learn that you have proceeded to Bombay, or that you have joined the Peish wa. His Excellency has, how ever, deemed it proper to empower the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, to negotiate with the Peishwa on the basis of these instructions, in the event of any occurrence which might interrupt your intercourse with the Peishwa, or might render your continued absence from him necessary or expedient. 18. Copies of this dispatch will be transmitted to the Right Honourable the Governor of Fort St. George, the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, and the Residents at Hydrabad, and with Dowlut Rao Scindia. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) N. B. EDMONSTONE, Fort William, Sec. to Gov. 29th Nov. 1802. His P. S. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th ultimo, which has reached his Excellency the GovernorGeneral since the foregoing instructions were prepared. Excellency directs me to communicate to you his entire approbation of your proceedings, as described in that dispatch. His Excellency is of opinion that the general tenor of that dispatch confirms the propriety of the foregoing instructions. His Excellency has perused a copy of the private letter which Major Malcolm addressed to Mr. Duncan on the 5th ultimo, and which you have referred to in your letter to Mr. Duncan of the 9th ultimo, and entirely approves the sentiments expressed by Major Malcolm, under the uncertainty which at that time existed with respect to the determination of the Governor General on the question of supporting the cause of the Peishwa in the present em barrassed crisis of affairs. (Signed) N. B. EDMONSTONE, From the Governor-General to the Secret Committee; dated 10th; with P. S. dated 14th Feb. 1803. Received per Swallow, 9th July, 1803. To the Honourable the Secret Com- IN my dispatch to your Honourable Committee, dated the 24th of December 1802, forwarded overland, I had the honour to submit to you a statement of the late transactions in the Mahratta empire, and to explain to your Honourable Committee the system of policy which I considered it to be my duty to pursue, for the security and improvement of the British interests in India, in the actual crisis of affairs at Poona.. 2. I am apprized by the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, that, in conformity to my instructions, it was his intention to forward to your Honourable Committee with that dispatch, a cortinuation of the narrative of events and proceedings in that quarter to the latest period of time. That narrative will comprehend the occurrences of a date subsequent to my last advices from Bombay; I shall therefore confine the present dispatch to a statement of my ge neral sentiments on the actual situation of affairs in the Mahratta empire, and of the course of policy which I propose to pursue. 3. Your Honourable Committee will be apprized by that dispatch of the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, to which the preceding paragraph refers, of the actual conclusion of a definitive treaty of defensive alliance between the British government and his Highness the Peishwa. 4. The terms of that treaty being strictly conformable to the tenor of my criginal propositions to his Highness, and to the spirit of my subsequent instructions to the Resident at Poona, I have not hesitated to ratify and confirm the treaty. A copy of the treaty is annexed to this dispatch. The conclusion of this important ar rangement promises to establish the British interests in the Mahratta empire on the most solid and durable foundation, and to afford additional security for the permanent tranquillity and prosperity of the British dominions in India. 5. The complete operation of this beneficial arrangement is, however, still subject to doubt. 6. It has always been sufficiently manifest, that the principal bran ches of the Mahratta state are averse to an alliance between the British government and the sovereign power of the Mahratta empire. The distractions prevailing among the feudatory chieftains afforded the most favourable prospect for the conclusion of such an alliance. It is also evident, that his Highness the Peishwa has been induced to conclude the treaty with the British government, by his conviction that no other means existed of recovering any portion of his just authority, or of securing the tranquillity of his dominions. * See this treaty, entitled the Treaty of Bassein. Asiatic Register, Vol. 5. State Papers, p.7. 7. The knowledge of our arrangement with the Peishwa may induce Dowlut Rao Scindia and Holkar to compromise their differences, and to offer to the Peishwa proposals for restoring his Highness to the Musnud of Poona, which his Highness may be dispos. ed to accept, notwithstanding the actual conclusion of engagements for that purpose with the British government. In such an event, it is not my intention to attempt to compel the Peishwa to adhere to the faith of his engagements, at the hazard of involving the Company in a war with the combined Mahratta states. The course of measures which it is my intention to pursue in this supposed case is described in the enclosed copy of my instructions to the Resident at Poona of the 30th of December, in which provisions are made for such a contingency. 8. If, however, the Peishwa should adhere to the faith of his engagements, and if the majority of the Mahratta Jaghiredars and chieftains, subject to his Highness's authority, should concur in the restoration of the Peishwa's authority under the treaty with the Company, I shall consider it to be my duty to proceed without regard to any partial opposition on the part of Scindia or of Holkar, either singly or united. 9. No reason however exists to justify an apprehension, that in the event supposed, Scindia would proceed to such an extremity; nor is any such desperate course of proceeding to be apprehended from the Rajah of Berar. Uncombined with the power of Scindia, Holkar will not probably venture to resist the Peishwa. Holkar has anxiously solicited the arbitration of the British government with respect to his claims. Your Honourable Committee will be apprized by the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, that Holkar has transmitted distinct propositions, with that view, to Lieutenant Colonel Close. 10. Under these circumstances, I have issued instructions to the Government of Fort St. George, and to the Residents at Poona and Hydrabad, with respect to the mode of carrying into effect the engagements lately concluded with the Peishwa. Copies of those instructions are enclosed for the information of your Honourable Committee. 11. In the present situation of the affairs of the Mahratta empire, and under the circumstance of our recent engagements with the Peishwa, I have judged it to be expedient that an officer of approved talents and experience in the political interests of the British government in India, should be immediately appointed to reside at the court of the Rajah of Berar; and I have therefore determined to avail myself on this occasion of the distinguished qualifications of Mr. Webbe, who at present holds the situation of Resident at Mysore. I have accordingly appointed Mr. Webbe to be Resident at Nagpore, and I have directed the Right Honourable the Governor of Fort St. George to permit Mr. Webbe to proceed to that Court, as soon as the services of that gentleman, in the commission to which he was appointed under the authority of the government of Fort St. George, should be no longer required. 12. With reference to the peculiar nature of our connection with the state of Mysore, the local circumstances of that important branch of our political relations, and the actual crisis of affairs in the Mah ratta ratta empire, appeared to require that an able and experienced political Resident should immediately proceed to the court of Mysore, and should permanently reside at the court. For that purpose, I have recommended to the government of Fort St. George the appointment of Major J. Malcolm in the room of Mr. Webbe. Major Malcolm accordingly embarked a few days ago for Madras. The various considerations which in fluenced my judgment in framing these arrangements, are detailed in the enclosed copy of my instructions to the Right Honourable the Governor of Fort St. George on that subject, to which I have the honour to refer your Honourable Committee. Your Honourable Committee will be apprized by the government of Bombay of the state of affairs in Guzerat, where, I trust, an establishment is now formed from which great advantages may be derived to the political, military, and commercial interests of the Company in that quarter of India: I have the honour to be, Honourable Sirs, Your most faithful humble Servant, WELLESLEY. (Signed) Fort William, 10th February, 1803. P. S. Since the date of this letter, I have received advices from the Resident at Poona, to the 23d ultimo. The general tenor of those advices appears to me to be of the most favourable description. His Highness the Peishwa has dispatched two of his principal officers to Dowlut Rao Scindia, for the express purpose of recon ciling that chieftain to the ar rangement which his Highness has concluded with the British government. His Highness the Peishwa has addressed letters to the several Mahratta chieftains, subject to his Highness's authority, who oc cupy the districts situated be tween Poona and the river Kistua, apprizing them of his alliance with the British government, and directing them to join and cooperate with the British forces. These circumstances have considerably diminished my apprehensions with regard to the possibility of the Peishwa's departure from the faith of his engagements. Dissensions have arisen between Emrut Rao and Jeswunt Rao Holkar, which may be expected to produce a separation of interests between those chieftains; Jeswunt Rao Holkar is extremely embarrassed by the want of money for the payment of his troops, and is endeavouring to supply the failure of his resources by levying oppressive contributions from the inhabitants of Poona. That chieftain has repeated his propositions in a modified form to the Resident, for an accommodation with the Peishwa, and has solicited the mediation of the Resident and of the Peishwa for the satisfaction of his demands on Dowlut Rao Scindia. As a proof of his sincerity, Jeswunt Rao Holkar has signified his intention of sending the females of the Peishwa's family to his Highness at Bassein. Jeswunt Rao Holkar has been equally earnest in soliciting the mediation of his Highness the Nizam. This situation of affairs justifies a confident expectation of the speedy and happy conclusion of the late arrangements with his Ilighness the Peishwa, and of the amicable adjustment of the differences ferences existing among the Mahratta chieftains, through the mediation and influence of the British power. I avail myself of this opportunity to transmit, for the information of your Honourable Committee, a copy of my instructions of the 11th inst. to the Resident at Poona, on the subject of the (Signed) INCLOSURE (B.) Letter from the Governor General of Fort St. George; on the other hand, it may be expected that the extent of our military preparations will promote To the Right Honourable Lord the success of my endeavours to My Lord, I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's dispatches of the dates specified in the margin. 2. My official dispatch, No. 4. of the 29th ultimo, will have communicated to your Lordship my entire approbation of the extent of the forces which your Lordship had deemed it expedient to prepare for eventual service in the actual state of affairs in the Mahratta empire. 3. Any measures, indicating an intention on the part of the British government to interpose its power and influence for the restoration of order in the Mahratta territory, may possibly induce Scindia and Holkar to compromise their differences, and to propose to the Peishwa acceptable terms of accommodation. The probability of such an accommodation would not have been affected by any diminution of the forces which your Lordship has judiciously provided on the present extended scale; accomplish the restoration of the Peishwa on the Musnud of Poona, by the means of an amicable negotiation. The expediency of assembling so considerable a force from the Presidency of Fort St. George is further confirmed, by adverting to the state of affairs at Bombay. The force now in the field from Madras is such as to admit of the applica tion of the whole of the disposable force under the Presidency of Bombay, to the important object of establishing our power and influence in the province of Guzerat, under the engagements lately concluded between the British government and the state of the Guickwar. 4. I shall be prepared to furnish your Lordship with a supply of specie from Bengal, or to authorise your Lordship to raise money at Fort St. George, for the expences of the campaign, if the course of events should require the advance of the army into the Mahratta territory. 5. The measure adopted by your 1. |