preclude the danger to which the tranquillity of the British dominions, and those of its allies, may be exposed by the consequences of the Peishwa's conduct, his Excellency will probably direct his attention to the cultivation of an alliance with those independent Mahratta chieftains with whom the interests of the Company dictated the policy of a close connection; that motives of delicacy towards the Peishwa, and the expectation of concluding an alliance with the Peishwa, on terms calculated to secure the interests of his Highness's government and the tranquillity of Hindustan, has hitherto withheld the British government from the prosecution of that course of policy; but that his Highness's violation of his public faith would render it necessary for the British government to seek, by means of other alliances, that security which it had hitherto been anxious to combine with the improvement of the Peishwa's interests, and with the consolidation of his power.

10. It will be proper at the same time to signify to the Peishwa, that a demand for the reimbursement of all the expences which the British government has incurred under the obligation of its engagements with the Peishwa, will form a part of any system of measures which the Governor General may think proper to pursue in the event of the Peishwa's refusal to adhere to the faith of his engagements. The Peishwa must be aware that when our power and influence in the province of Guzerat shall have been completely consolidated, we shall possess am ple means, not only of enforcing that demand, but of arresting the whole of that important branch of his revenues which

he derives from his possessions in the province of Guzerat. It is reasonable to expect, therefore, that these intimations will have the effect of inducing his Highness to adhere to the obligations of the engagement which he has already concluded with the British government.

11. In the event, however, of his Highness persisting in his resolution to reject the interference of the British power, which he has already solicited for the arrangement of his affairs, his Excellency will be prepared to adopt measures for the security of the British interests and those of its allies, under such a state of circumstances founded in the considerations above detailed.

12. Under every view of the case, it is necessary to effect the complete establishment of the British power and influence in the state of Guick var, at the earliest practicable period of time; and as the extent of the force as sembled under the Presidency of Fort Saint George, added to the detachment from the subsidiary army stationed at Hydrabad, which is prepared to act in support of the Peishwa's cause, and to the contingent which his Highness the Nizam is pledged by treaty to provide for the same purpose if required, must be considered to constitute a force fully adequate to the restoration of the Peishwa authority against any supposable opposition, his Excellency consi ders the assembling of a body of troops for that service at Bombay to be of inferior importance to the application of the whole of the disposable force of that Presidency to the indispensable object of securing the British power and interests in the province of Guzerat. 13. From the latest accounts G2

which

which his Excellency has received of the state of affairs at Broderá, his Excellency is led to suppose that the whole of the disposable force under the Presidency of Bombay will be required for that purpose. His Excellency therefore trusts, that these considerations will have induced the Honourable the Governor of Bombay to deviate from that part of his Excellency's instructions, which enjoined the Government of Bombay to assemble a force at that Presidency for the purpose of co-operating with the troops of Fort Saint George and Hydrabad, in the restoration of the Peishwa's authority.

14. His Excellency desires that you will communicate this dispatch to the Honourable the Governor of Bombay, and that you will signify to the Honourable the Governor his Excellency's request, that he will consider the two foregoing paragraphs to convey to the honourable the Governor his Excellency's instruc

tions for the regulation of his conduct in relation to the affairs of Guzerat.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient and
humble servant,
N. B. EDMONSTONE,
Sec. to Gov.

(Signed)
Fort William,
30th Dec. 1802.

P. S. I am directed by his Excellency the Most Noble Governor General to transmit to you for your information, the inclosed copy of a letter of this date, from his Excellency to the Right Honourable the Governor of Fort Saint George.

Copies of this dispatch will be forwarded to the Residents at Hydrabad, and with Dowlut Rao Scindia.

(Signed) N. B. EDMONSTONE, Sec. to Gov.

(A true Copy.) (Signed)

E. STRACHEY. Sec. (A true Copy.)

J. GRANT,

Sec. to Gov.

My Lord,

I HAVE received from the Resident at Poona, the intimation of his intention to recommend the advance of the British army assembled at Hurryhaul, into the Mahratta territory, at the earliest practicable period of time.

2. The situation of the affairs of the Mahratta empire, and the

views and intentions of the contending parties, were not suffici ently decided when my instruc tions to the Resident at Poona, of the 29th of November, and 30th of December, were issued, to enable me to determine the precise extent of the force which it might be expedient to advance into the Mahratta territory, from the seve ral stations at which troops had been ordered to assemble for eventual service. The regulation of that question was, therefore, en

trusted

trusted to the discretion of the Resident at Poona, to be guided by future events and circumstances. 3. The length of time required for the complete equipment of the force which your Lordship had directed to be assembled on the frontier of the Mahratta territory, precluded the necessity of immediate instructions with regard to the ultimate destination of the army. The transactions in the Deccan, and the situation and views of the several contending parties, having now assumed a more distinct form, I am enabled to apply the general principles by which I propose to regulate the proceedings of the British government in the actual crisis of affairs.

4. The objects of assembling British troops on the frontier of Mysore, were, the effectual detence of our possessions during the convulsed state of the Mahratta empire, and the eventual establishment of a subsidiary force at Poona, under the operation of the general defensive alliance concluded with the Peishwa.

5. Your Lordship is apprized of my intention (in conformity to the system of alliance founded by the treaty of Hydrabad in 1800) to exert the British influence and power for the restoration of the Peishwa to the Musnud of Poona, on the basis of the subsidiary treaty recently concluded by Colonel Close. In pursuing this intention, it is, however, absolutely necessary to attend to the leading principles of policy by which my conduct has been governed. First, the maintenance of peace with the Mahratta States; Secondly, the preservation of the internal tranquillity of the British possessions. Our proceedings, in the present

crisis of affairs, must be strictly conformable to to these leading principles.

6. The stipulations of treaty on which I found my intention to facilitate the restoration of the Peishwa's authority, originated in a supposition that the majority of the Mahratta Jaghiredars, and the body of the Peishwa's subjects, entertain a desire of co-operating in that measure: justice and wisdom would forbid any attempt to impose upon the Mahrattas a ruler whose restoration to authority was adverse to the wishes of every class of his subjects. The recent en gagements with the Peishwa involves no obligation of such an extent; whatever might be the success of our arms, the ultimate objects of those engagements could not be attained by a course of policy so violent and extreme. If, therefore, it should appear that a decided opposition to the restoration of the Peishwa is to be expected from the majority of the Mahratta Jaghiredars, and from the body of the Peishw:.'s subjects, I shail instantly relinquish every attempt to restore the Peishwa to the Musnud of Poona,

sistent with a principal object of this armament.

8. Under all circumstances of the case, therefore, I consider the advance of the whole of the English army assembled at Hurryhaul, to Poona, to be a measure of such hazard to the tranquillity of the English possessions, as could not be justified by any probable expectation of a more spee dy and complete accomplishment of our views at that court.

9. With the view of fulfilling our engagements with the Peishwa without deviating from the principles stated in this dispatch, it is my intention, first, that the whole of the subsidiary force serving with his Highness the Nizam, together with the regiment of Europeans, and the regiment of cavalry to be furnished for the service of his Highness under the orders of the Governor General in Council of the 31st December 1802, shall proceed to join the troops of the Nizam assembled on his Highness's western frontier, and that the whole of that force shall occupy within his Highness's territory the station nearest to Poona, and shall be prepared, at a proper season, to advance to that capital. Secondly, that as large a proportion of the English army assembled at Hurryhaul as can be detached consistently with the internal security of the English territories, shall advance in concert and co-operation with such of the Mahratta chiefs and Jaghiredars occupying the southern frontier of the Mahratta territory, as are attached to the Peishwa's cause; and that the remainder of the English army shall maintain its position on the frontier of Mysore, for the combined purpose of eventually supporting

the advanced detachment, and of preserving the internal tranquillity of the Company's territory. Thirdly, that the advanced detachment shall proceed from Hurryhaul, together with such of the Mahratta forces as may unite with it, either to Meritch, or to any other station where the Peishwa may be enabled to join that force, or that the detachment from Hurryhaul shall form a junction with the combined army of the Nizam and with the English subsidiary troops, on the frontier of his Highness's dominions. The immedi ate destination of the advancing army must necessarily be regulated by contingent events; the extent of the force to be thus detached from the main body of the English army at Hurryhaul must be decided by the discretion of your Lordship in Council, aided by the judgment of the Commander in Chief, and strictly regulated by the principles stated in the preceding part of this dispatch.

10. Such detachment of English troops, supported by the cooperation of the majority of the southern Jaghiredars, or by the force united with the army of the Nizam, will be sufficient to preclude the opposition of any individual chieftain, who may consider the restoration of the Peishwa to the Musnud of Poona to be incompatible with his separate interests, and who might be disposed to resist, or embarrass the progress of that measure.

11. The actual period of the advance of the proposed detachment from Hurryhaul, must be regulated by the information which your Lordship may receive of the progress of the subsidiary force from Hydrabad, and of the Ni

zam's

zam's troops; and also by the tenor of the advices which may be transmitted to your Lordship by the Resident at Poona.

12. The co-operation of the majority of the Mahratta Jaghiredars for the restoration of the Peishwa to the due exercise of his authority, being considered to form an indispensable part of the arrangement for the accomplishment of that object, it is necessary that your Lordship should be apprized of my sentiments with regard to the conduct to be observed in encouraging those Jaghiredars to cooperate with the English troops,

13. It may be expected that those Jaghiredars will require, as the condition of their support, assurances from the English government of security for their respective rights and interests in the general settlement of affairs. Without an accurate knowledge of the respective rights of the Jaghiredars and of the Peishwa, we cannot justly pledge the faith of the British government to any special engagement on this subject.

14. Every practicable means should be employed to conciliate the good will of those chieftains, and to obtain their co-operation in the general object of restoring the Peishwa to the due exercise of his authority; and for that purpose it will be proper to afford to the Jaghiredars every assurance, that the utmost influence of the British government will be employed, after the successful restoration of Baajy Rao, to provide for the security of the interests of each chieftain to the extent which may be practicable, consistently with the just rights of the Peishwa: any engagements of a more detinite nature might involve ok!

gations inconsistent with public faith.

15. In framing any engagements with the several Mahratta Jaghiredars occupying the frontier of Mysore, for the purpose of securing their aid and co-operation on the present occasion, your Lordship may be disposed to avail your self of the services of Major Malcolm, whose extensive informa tion with regard to the general political system of India, and whose intimate knowledge of my sentiments on this particular branch of my policy, will furnish peculiar advantages in accomplishing the measures which your Lordship may pursue, for the purpose of securing the support of the Mahratta feudatories: your Lordship may anticipate my approbation of any orders which you may issue, for the purpose of employing the services of Major Malcolm in the discharge of any duty of a political nature, connected with the views and interests of the British government, with the Mahratta chieftains, or at the court of Poona.

16. Your Lordship will issue such instructions to the commanding officer of the detachment as may appear to be proper, with the view to conciliate the good will of the inhabitants of the country through which the detachment may have occasion to pass, in the Mahratta territory.

17. Copies of this dispatch, together with corresponding instructions to the Pesidents at Poona and Hydrabad,will be forwarded to those officers with all practicable expedition. I have the honour, &c. (Signe) WELLESLEY. Fort William, 2d February, 1803.