Now was this the case with Mr.
Hastings and Cantoo Baboo? Mr. Hastings was just arrived at his
government, and Cantoo Baboo had been but a year in his service; so that
he could not in that time have contracted any great degree of friendship
for him. These people do not live in your house; the Hindoo servants
never sleep in it; they cannot eat with your servants; they have no
second table, in which they can be continually about you, to be
domesticated with yourself, a part of your being, as people's servants
are to a certain degree. These persons live all abroad; they come at
stated hours upon matters of business, and nothing more. But if it had
been otherwise, Mr. Hastings's connection with Cantoo Baboo had been but
of a year's standing; he had before served in that capacity Mr. Sykes,
who recommended him to Mr. Hastings. Your Lordships, then, are to judge
whether such outrageous violations of all the principles by which Mr.
Hastings pretended to be guided in the settlement of these farms were
for the benefit of this old, decayed, affectionate servant of one year's
standing: your Lordships will judge of that.
I have here spoken only of the beginning of a great, notorious system of
corruption, which branched out so many ways and into such a variety of
abuses, and has afflicted that kingdom with such horrible evils from
that day to this, that I will venture to say it will make one of the
greatest, weightiest, and most material parts of the charge that is now
before you; as I believe I need not tell your Lordships that an attempt
to set up the whole landed interest of a kingdom to auction must be
attended, not only in that act, but every consequential act, with most
grievous and terrible consequences.
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