ancient possessions of the Bhurt pore rajah!

From the period of the month of Nov. 1804, Holkar and the rajah were in open and avowed confede. racy, their interests were completely identified, and they carried on the war in conjunction. Indeed, for the remainder of the campaign, Holkar depended exclusively upon the Bhurtpore chieftain for supplies of money, and every other branch of military resource. Lord Lake therefore allowed of no relaxation in his efforts, but continued his operations with undiminished activity, and, after a variety of the most brilliant achievements, the minute details of which are too voluminous for a work like ours, he succeeded in compelling Holkar to yield to the decided superiority of the British arms, after having experienced all the perils and distress which were the natural consequences of his temerity, in hazarding an unprovoked aggression against the company's government.

The defeat of Holkar's armies, the capture of his guns, forts, and territories, and the reduction of his power and resources were effected, under circumstances which are equally calculated to augment the glory of the British name, and to confirm and perpetuate the important benefits which have resulted, in every quarter of India, from the successful efforts of our counsels and

Our arms.

The final result of these operations is calculated to cement the stability of the pacification, which was the fruit of our victories over Dowlat Rao Scindiah and the rajah of Berar; to manifest the justice and moderation of our policy, and to confirm the intrinsic strength

2

of our power. All the contiguous nations will receive a warning from this instance, of our vigilance to frustrate treachery, and to resist and punish aggression; and will regard these prominent features of our conduct as the attributes of a great, powerful, and well-ordered government, uniting moderation of principle with energy and prompitude of action, and equally determined to respect the just rights of other states, and to maintain and assert its own.

Upon the whole, after having given the utmost attention to the numerous official documents, which have appeared upon this subject, we find abundant cause to congratulate our country, on the meritorious example, which is furnished in every part of the proceedings of the government of India, connected with the military operations against Jeswunt Rao Bolkar. Whether we advert to the continued moderation and forbearance exercised towards that chieftain; to the wise precau tions adopted by the government, with a view to frustrate his hostile designs, aud to provide effectually against the contingency of eventual war; to the memorable exertions of the army and of the government, after the commencement of hostili ties; to the brilliant and decided triumph, which ultimately crowned the efforts of the British power; or to the notorious and unquestionable justice of the cause in which our arms were employed, we consider the marquis Wellesley, and all those who acted under his lordship's or ders, on this occasion, to be eniinently entitled to the cordial acknow ledgments of the East India company, and to the unqualified approbation and gratitude of their coun try. In concluding our review of Mahrattah

Mahratta affairs, it is scarcely necessary to advert to the dangers to which the British interests would have been exposed, in 1802, if Jeswunt Rao Holkar had been permitted to prosecute his successes against the Peishwa and Scindia, and to unite, in his own person, by their reduction, all the resources of the two principal branches of the Mahratta state, in addition to those of the Holkar family, which he had usurped in the Deckan and in Malwa. That danger was solely averted by the treaty of Basseen, and the successful issue of the late war!-Both measures of the marquis Wellesley's government.

At the same time, notwithstanding the vexatious interruption of tranquillity in India, by the renewed war with Holkar and his adherents, the most perfect cordiality and confidence continue to subsist between the company and the Peishwa, as well as with the Guick war state, while the alliances with the Nizam and the Mysore still exist with unabated friendship, efficacy, and strength.

The peace with Scindia, and the Berar rajah, has not been interrupted by the recent disturbances, and although the conduct of those chiefs has occasionally betrayed symptoms of the spirit of intrigue and duplicity, inseparable from the Mahratta character, no reason exists to justify any apprehension of danger to the stability of the treaties existing between the company and those powers. Such are the consequences of the enlightened policy of the late government in India.

We shall now offer a few observations, which we think it right to Vol. XLVII.

lay before our readers, relative to the return of the marquis Wellesley to Europe, from his government in India, as it has been the obvious design of the enemies of that illustrious character to impress the public mind with a belief, that his lordship's conduct, during his administration, had been disapproved by his majesty's ministers, and that the disapprobation of those high authorities had occasioned the peremptory recal of lord Wellesley, and an abrupt supercession of his lordship, by the marquis Cornwallis.

Such an impression so evidently tends to diminish that just reward of his public services, which his lordship is highly entitled to look for in the gratitude and applanse of his country, and is so entirely incom-' patible with a correct knowledge of the real facts connected with his lordship's return to England, that we consider it a duty which we owe to the cause of impartial justice, to state the following particulars on the subject, which have been collected from the first and best sources of information.

For a considerable period of time, previously to the appointment of lord Cornwallis to the government of India, in the month of December, 1804, it was well known to his majesty's ministers and to the court of directors, that lord Wellesley was desirous of returning to England, his lordship having applied to the government at home for that purpose. In the year 1802, lord Wellesley actually resigned the government of India, and signified his intention of embarking for Europe, at the close of the year 1803, but at the special request of Р

his

lord Cornwallis's arrival, and to deliver over the government to him.

Lord Cornwallis reached Madras on the 18th of July, 1805; his lordship arrived at Diamond harbour on the 28th, and at Calcutta at eight o'clock on the morning of the 29th of the same month; when he was received with all the honours due to his lordship's high rank. The ceremonial of his reception was arranged agreeably to his own wishes, after full communication with the confidential officers of lord Wellesley's staff, who had been sent down the river to attend lord Cornwallis to Calcutta.

Lord Wellesley remained at that city till the 22nd of August, when he embarked on board the frigate, which, (under the orders of the admiralty, in consequence of the marquis Wellesley having particularly requested, as early as 1802, for one of his majesty's ships,) had been prepared for his accommodation. On the 29th of July, ten days after lord Cornwallis's arrival in India was publicly known, an address was voted to lord Wellesley, by the inhabitants of Calcutta ; our information, however, from India, enables us to assert, that lord Wellesley did not wish to receive that address, until he knew whether it would be agreeable to lord Cornwallis that he should do so. Lord Cornwallis expressed a wish, that the address should be publicly received at the government house, and his lord ship held a levee on the occasion, immediately after the address had been presented to lord Wellesley. These facts are notorious, and are stated in this place, only in order to refate the false representations, which, for evident purposes, were

circulated in England, on this subject, in the course of the year 1805.

Justice and impartiality compel us also to state, without meaning to cast reflections on others, that previously to lord Wellesley's departure from Bengal, tranquillity had been completely restored to the company's possessions in every quarter of India. Peace with the rajah of Bhurtpore having been concluded on that chieftain's submission to the British power, on the 17th of April, 1805, when lord Lake immediately pursued Holkar, who had fled from Bhurtpore, and who never, from the month of May 1805, ventured to approach within 100 miles of any of the British detachments. Holkar was left without territory or resources of any description, Scindia's power was reduced to the lowest state, and Aumeér Khan, who was a common robber, never made any attempt against the company's possessions, after his expulsion from the Doab, by general Smith, and his ignominous flight, followed for 40 days by the British cavalry.

Previously to lord Wellesley's departure, (as the papers on the table of the house of commons prove,) orders were also issued by his lordship, for the distribution of the army at its permanent stations, in different parts of the country; for the reduction of all extra expences, and for every arrangement necessary to the final and entire consolidation of our alliances, in every quarter of India; not an enemy had appeared in the Deckan for many months; and the company's paper, which, on lord Wellesley's arrival, bore a discount of 15 per cent. was nearly at par!

During the course of the adminis tration of the marquis Wellesley,

the general state of public credit in India, was improved in a proportion of more than twelve per centum, at each of the three presidencies: while the growing resources of India have not only kept pace with the demands upon them, and she has not only paid her own expences, but has actually contributed, (exclusively of the increase of commerce and duties,) upwards of ten millions sterling, in aid of the mother country. During the Indian administration of the marquis Wellesley, also, the various sources of commerce throughout India were materially extended and improved; the defec tive parts of our frontier, consider ably strengthened; our political re

inkers defined and consolidated,

as to preclude all probability of future war, with any of the native states; the permanent annual revenues of India raised from seven to upwards of fifteen millions sterling; (of which increase £1,319,531 was occasioned by improvement of the old revenues of Bengal, under lord Wellesley's immediate superinten dance), and the general condition of our power and resources established on a firm basis, which may bid defiance to the hostile projects of all our enemies, and which, under a firm system of government, promises to Great Britain every benefit which may be expected to result, from the uninterrupted and progressive prosperity of her Indian empire.

CHAP.