Hertford Street, April 20th, 1797.
MY DEAR LORD,
I received your very kind and affectionate letter last night at
Dropmore, where I had been for a few days. When you were last in
town, the projects of arrangement for India remained so nearly in
the state in which our last conversation had left them, that I
thought it unnecessary to trouble you at that time on the subject.
Since that time, the matter has certainly taken a more distinct
shape, although it is not true, as the newspaper has stated, that
my appointment has actually taken place, or that I am to embark
within a few days for India. Had you continued in town, I would
have communicated to you, step by step, every stage of the
transaction, and especially whatever concerned Hobart; but the
distance of your situation rendered such a detailed communication
difficult, and I was besides unwilling to intrude upon your time in
a moment of so much domestic anxiety, in which, I assure you, I
took the deepest concern. I also had an expectation that Mr.
Sullivan, with whom I had constant intercourse, might have had the
opportunity of seeing you in Buckinghamshire (if Lord Temple's
health should allow you to see anybody), and that he would have
apprised you of every circumstance which could affect Hobart's
interest or reputation; to both of which objects, it is my sincere
opinion that the utmost regard has been shown by all parties in
this affair: I say by _all_ parties, because common justice compels
me to declare that Mr. Dundas, instead of having impeded or
frustrated the arrangement proposed for Hobart, or of having
sacrificed him to any intrigue at the India House, has to my
certain knowledge asserted Hobart's cause with the warmest zeal,
used every means of representing it to the Company in the most
advantageous light, and even entered into personal engagements for
the benefit of Hobart far exceeding any demand which could justly
or reasonably have been made upon him by Hobart or by his friends.
A short statement of facts will, I think, satisfy you of the truth
of my opinion.
After a very full consideration of all the despatches both from
Bengal and Madras, relating to the affairs of the latter
Government, Mr. Dundas wrote a letter to the Directors, of which he
sent me a copy, expressing his sense of Lord Hobart's services in
these words: "To his zeal and promptitude in the execution of his
orders, after the unfortunate rupture with Holland, I in a very
great degree attribute the very proud and advantageous situation in
which our Indian empire is now placed." The letter concludes with
the following recommendation to the Court to make a provision for
Lord Hobart: "If the Court of Directors concur with me in thinking
that Lord Hobart has performed very meritorious services, but that
there are at the same time very forcible grounds of expediency why
he should not proceed to the higher situation originally destined
for him, I can have no doubt, from the known justice and liberality
of the East India Company, that they will concur with me in
thinking that he ought not to return to his own country without a
substantial mark of the approbation and favour of the East India
Company."
The grounds of expediency for Lord Hobart's recal, Mr. Dundas
stated in these terms: "I am, after the most mature consideration
of the subject, thoroughly satisfied that, after the unfortunate
misunderstandings which have prevailed between Lord Hobart and the
Government-General, and the equally unfortunate differences which
exist between his Lordship and the Nabob and the Rajah of Tanjore,
it would be inexpedient to re-appoint him to the
Government-General; and still more so, that he should remain longer
at Madras."
Upon this letter, my dear Lord, I am persuaded that your own
justice and candour will anticipate my observations; but the very
strong expressions contained in your letter render it my duty to
observe, that in this application to the Court of Directors, Mr.
Dundas has chosen the very same topics, on which to urge the claims
of Lord Hobart to the gratitude of the Company, which you concurred
with me in selecting as the most favourable grounds to found a
public motion in the Court of Proprietors, with a view to
obtaining a pension for Lord Hobart; and Mr. Dundas has stated the
expediency of removing Lord Hobart on no other grounds than those
which in conversation you and I have repeatedly agreed to be of the
greatest force, and at the same time perfectly consistent with Lord
Hobart's fair reputation and unsullied honour. It cannot,
therefore, be denied that Mr. Dundas has dealt fairly by Lord
Hobart's character and interests, both in the reasons assigned for
his recal, and in those urged in favour of his services.
To this letter the Chairman of the Court of Directors returned an
answer, concurring in Mr. Dundas's opinion of the necessity of
recalling Lord Hobart, admitting the extent of his services, and
expressing the inclination of the Court to propose a provision for
him to the consideration of the proprietors; but postponing the
moment for making that proposal to a period which appeared to me
rather too distant, and not sufficiently defined.
In this state of the matter, Mr. Dundas proposed to me the
reversion of the Government-General after Lord Cornwallis, having
previously furnished me with a copy of the correspondence, to which
I have already referred. I expressed my doubts whether the
provision for Lord Hobart was yet sufficiently secure to admit of
my accepting the offer made to me consistently with my good wishes
for him. Mr. Dundas then informed me, that he knew the intention of
the Directors was to propose the pension to the Court of
Proprietors in May; and he added, that if at that time the pension
should fail in either court, he would himself move it in
Parliament, and charge it upon the revenues of Ceylon, or take some
other effectual means of securing it. He also said, that there
would be no objection to calling Lord Hobart to the House of Peers
within a very short time, probably even before Lord Cornwallis's
departure.
Here again I must observe, that Mr. Dundas offers a personal
pledge in favour of Lord Hobart, which neither you nor I, nor any
of Lord Hobart's friends ever had required, and which we could not
on any fair grounds have demanded. When Mr. Dundas had thus stated
to me the situation of Lord Hobart in terms so perfectly
satisfactory, and affording such undeniable proofs of his sincere
wish to serve him under all possible contingencies, I entered into
a variety of points relating to my own views (which I will state to
you when we meet); and the conversation ended without my final
acceptance of the proposal made to me. In a day or two afterwards I
saw Mr. Sullivan, and communicated to him what had passed between
me and Mr. Dundas relative to Lord Hobart. I had then the
satisfaction to learn from Mr. Sullivan, that he also had seen Mr.
Dundas, from whom he had received the very same assurances, which
Mr. Dundas had given to me in relation to Lord Hobart's pension and
peerage; and Mr. Sullivan further stated, that Mr. Dundas had
desired that those assurances might be communicated to Lord
Guilford. I then asked Mr. Sullivan whether, under all the
circumstances of the case, he thought that my acceptance of the
Government of Madras, with the reversion of the Government-General
after Lord Cornwallis, could be in any degree injurious to Lord
Hobart's interest or honour? Mr. Sullivan answered, certainly it
could not; and added, that he and Lord Guilford were now perfectly
satisfied with the footing on which Mr. Dundas had placed the
credit and welfare of Lord Hobart.
Having seen Lord Cornwallis, and at length made up my mind to
undertake this most arduous charge, I communicated to Mr. Dundas
about a week ago my final acceptance of the Government of Madras,
with the provisional succession to Bengal after Lord Cornwallis. My
appointment not having yet been formally made by the Court of
Directors, I cannot yet acknowledge my destination to India; you
will, therefore, be so good as to speak of the whole matter merely
as a vague report until you hear further from me.
Thus, my dear Lord, you will perceive that whatever has been done
relating to Hobart in the conclusion of this arrangement for India,
has received the sanction of his nearest relations, of persons
whose affectionate friendship for Hobart, and just discernment of
his interests, will readily be acknowledged by you. In a situation
of peculiar delicacy and embarrassment, it has been a great
satisfaction to me to have been able to submit every step which I
have taken in this affair to the judgment of such a man as Mr.
Sullivan.
The various delays which have retarded the conclusion of this
arrangement, have rendered it impossible for me to embark with Lord
Cornwallis. However, I am in constant habits of the most
confidential intercourse with him from day to day; and I mean to
pass six weeks or two months with him in Bengal before his
resignation of the government. My departure will probably not take
place sooner than July or August.
Finding that the office of Private Civil Secretary at Bengal would
be well worth my brother Henry's acceptance, I mean to take him
with me. After a very accurate inquiry from Lord Cornwallis, I am
concerned to find that it would not be in my power to be of any
assistance to Mr. Fisher in India. My intention is to take no other
person, besides my servants, excepting my brother Henry, and to
avoid all engagements universally in Europe, in order to secure
myself against any temptation to an irregular distribution of
patronage. In this resolution, which I formed very early, on
principles which a long attention to the affairs of India has
enabled me to fix with some degree of confidence, I have been
strongly confirmed by Lord Cornwallis, and I am persuaded that you
will approve of my determination.
Pray accept my cordial thanks for the kindness and friendship
which appear in every part of your letter, and believe me, my dear
Lord, ever yours most faithfully and affectionately,