, HASTINGS, WARREN, a memorable name in the history of British India, was born in the middle rank of life in 1733, and after receiving the usual education at Westminster school, went out iu 1750 as a writer in the service of the Emit India Company. His first advancement was duo to his own industry and discernment, which led him to master the l'ersian and llindustsnee languages, a study at that time almost universally neglected ; and he was therefore chosen for more than one useful and honourable employment, commercial and diplomatic, in the interior. After residing about fourteen years iu India, he returned home with a moderate fortune, inteudiog apparently to pass the remainder of his life in tranquillity. In 1769 however he unexpectedly received the appointment of second in council at Madras, and in 1772 was appointed to the highest office in the Company s service; that of President of the Supreme Council of Bengal. His powers were enlarged by the alteration of the Indian constitutiou by act of parliamcut, in virtue of which he became, January I, 1774, governor-general and supreme head of all our Indian dependencies. Affairs were at this time in great disorder. The ter ritories of the Company had been greatly extended by the conquests of Clive and his successors : but their dominion, authority, and influence were still unconsolidated, and were exposed during the government of Mr. Hastings to great danger from the inveterate enmity of Hyder Ali, rajah of Mysore, supported by the Mahrattas, and others of the native powers. That he did many things under the pressure of circumstances, which nothing but expedience could justify is hardly denied by his defeuders or himself: iudeed it seems to have been part of his defence, that Indian statesmen were not to be bound or judged by European rules of justice or morality. Right or wrong, he weathered the dangers to which the British Empire in India were exposed; and if ho left the provinces under his charge wasted and depopulated, the increased revenue more than counterbalanced by the increased debt, he also left the power of our enemies broken, our own consolidated, and an easier task to his successors than fell to his own share.
Notwithstanding his services, Hastings gavo satisfaction neither to the Home administration nor to the Court of Directors. Ths public ear was offended by rumours of cruelty, corruption, and unjust aggres sion ; the directors censured the lavish and corrupt expenditure, and the presumptuous independence of his conduct. Repeated attempts
were made to obtain his dismissal, but these were uniformly defeated by the Court of Proprietors. Thus supported, he carried matters with a high hand; neglected or positively refused to obey the orders sent by the Directors ; overruled the opposition of the Council, of which a majority was, in the first instance, opposed to his views [Fnaarcis, SIR name]; and practically exercised au absolute and irresponsible power until February 1785, when he resigned his office and set sail for England, well aware that a storm awaited his arrival.
As soon as Mr. Hastings had arrived, Mr. Burke intimated his reso lution of instituting an inquiry into the late governor-general's con duct. Proceedings however were not commenced until the session of 1786, in the course of which articles of impeachment were brought forward by Mr. Burke, charging him with numerous acts of injustice and oppression committed against native princes and people, de pendants or allies of the Company ; with the impoverishment and desolation of the British dominions ; with the corrupt and illegal reception of presents himself ; with the corrupt exertion of his great influence by conniving at unfair contracts, and granting inordinate salaries, and with enormous extravagance and bribery, intended to enrich his dependants and favourites. The several accusations were finally confined to four heads : the oppression and final expulsion of the raj th of Benares; the maltreatment and robbery of the Begums (or princesses) of the house of Oude; and the charges of receiving pre sents and conniving at unfair contracts and extravagant expenditure. The sessions of 1786-87 having been consumed in preliminary pro ceedings, the House of Lords assembled in Westminster Hall, February 13th, 1788, to try the impeachment, and on the 15th, the preliminary forms having been gone through, Burke, in the name of the Corn mous of England, opened the charges against the prisoner in a compre hensive, elaborate, and most eloquent speech [Burrs; EDMUND] which lasted upwards of three days. He was assisted in the manage ment of this most arduous cause by Fox, Sheridan, Grey, and others.