Star.
London, England, 1806-02-21 00:00:00

it. This point I afcertained from the lam officeis of
the Nizamat •Adowlut, when in Calcutta and in
Lucnow, the parentage of Vizier Ali is generally
aligned to a Frauth. I could quote various ',thence'
to prove it.
Whilft rumour pronounced Viiier Ali fpuriout,
without identifying his parentage ; whilit the ac-
knowledgment of the Nabob, and a feries of corre-
fponding ads were impeached by report only; whillt
the fandion of the Begum was liable to a fufpicioit
only originating in Pelf iatereft, and what' we were
!taught to infer that our doubts of Vizier Ali's right
were not the prevailing Antiments of the inhabitants
of Lucnow, it would have been contrary .to every
principle of juflice to have pronounced him fpurious
and his claim to the Mufnud ill founded.
We have evidence now before us, that the Na-
I bob has acknowledged and educated children as his
own, who were not begotten by him ; we have in-
formation which &Mop the weight of the law of
acknowledgtnent in favour of Vizier Ali ; we have
evidence as to the birth of Vizier Ali, which leaves
not a doubt that it is fpurious ; and inforthation,
converting my fufpicions into proof, that the acqui-
efcence of the Begum was dictated by the hopes of
preferving her controol and her averfion to the Eons
of Shujah nd Dowlah. We have the dectaratiobs
of the younger Begunsahat the fucceffion was fet-
tled without inveftigation or confideratiun ; the de•
Bided declaration, that Vizier Ali and all his bre-
thren are fpurious ; and that the juiliee of the title
to the Mufnud, vefts in the Eons of Shujah ad Dow-
lab $ mid we have evidence that the elevation of Vi-
zier Ali was confialered by all perfons of refpedabi-
-14, as a violation of juflice.
To this may be added the indignation of Mires
Jungly, at the forced connection between Reza Ali
and his daughter ; the exprcffion of Huffein Reza
lUsaun, that the fuccellion had been haftily decided $
the conduit and declarations of Alums, conformable
to the public fentitnents $ nor (hall I omit the decla-
rations of the &gum herfelf, upon the authority of
Zelifeen and Immamuddeen, that Vizier Ali and all
the lons of the Nabob were fpurious. Alma*, fince
my arrival at Lucnow, in the prefence of the Mini-
fter, has fpoken of the Nabob in terms of marked
obloquy and difrefped. I lay lets arch upon the
condud of Mirza Jungly, in withdrawing his daugh-
ter fmce the Nabob's death, as it may be imputed to
the infamous attempts Paid to be made by Vizier Ali
to get poffeflion of his brother's wife. It is seated
with equal confidence and notoriety at Lucnow, that
he actually attempted the life of Reza Ali, in more
ways than one.
The refult of the whole, in my opinion, is this,
that Vizier Ali, and all the reputed lons of the de-
ceafed Nabob, are undoubtedly fpurious.
The imp reffions which I received on this fubjell
fince myinquiries commenced, are very different
from dusk which I entertained in Calcutta. The
parentage of Vizier Ali, as many of the perfons to
whom I have appealed obferve, is not confidered as
any matter of delicacy in Lucnow. A fuppofition
that he is the fon of Afoph ud Dowlah would have
been treated with ridicule, excepting by the partifans
of the Nabob, or thole who benefit by his follies and
extravagance; and I could add many anecdotes to
prove, that Vizier Ali has often, previous to the
death of Afoph ud Dowlah, been reproached as the
fon of a Frauds, and that the Nabob frequently
alluded to his bale origin. His elevation to the Mut-
nud was a matter of furprize to perfons of all ranks,
and was even fpoken of with contempt by the native
troops at Cawnpore. In Calcutta, the aftertainment
of his parentage teemed to reit upon a point equally
beyond the reach of inveftigation ex proof, and
involve inquiries fubverfive of all decorum, and
terminating in doubt and uncertainty. I have no
fufpkion that an inquiry might be concluded without
violating decency, or that would terminate in
demonft ration. Feeling, in all its force, the impref-
fion of the popular belief of the fpurious birth of
Vizier Ali, and aware of all the confequences to our
political reputation and juftice, which might refult
from the acknowledgment of him as the fucceffor of
Afoph ud Dowlah, f fill was not authorized to make
them the grounds of rejecting it, in oppofition to the
acknowledgment and declarations of his prefumed
father, whilft I felt equal repugnance to fix tiblcquy
on the reputation of the deceafed Nabob, by an in-
quiry dilated by general rumours only. It is now
no longer dubious, that the repugnance to the admit.-
'fion of Vizier Ali'e fuccetlion, after an interval of
reflation, was general—that the acknowledgment
of it by the Company excited furprize and difap-
pointment—that it was efteemed both difgraceful
and onjuft—and that nothing but the fupport of the
Begum and the Company would have fuppreffed the
expreftion of that repugnance. That may now veal
in a lefs degree, but the difgrace attached to our
decifion Rill remains.
I conclude with repeating, that the prevailing
opinion of the fpurious birth of Vizier Ali was not a
partial rumour, originating in enmity or intereft, at
his acceffion—that it has ever invariably and univer-
fally prevailed, in oppofitinn to the acknowledgments
of him as his fon, by the Nabob Afoph ud Dowlah,
which never obtained credit with a (Ingle hilman
being ; and that the truth of it is now ettablifkeelby
the clear, pofitive, and circumftantial evidence of '
Zehfeen Ali Khaun, which carries with it the fulltft
convidion of its truth, as well from his character as
from his fituation, which enabled him, and him only,
to have a perfonal knowledge of the circumßances
which he has detailed. In his lioufe, Vizier Ali was
born, and he paid the purchafe money for him to his
mother. That evidence to clear was to be obtained,
was not indeed within the probability of expedtation.
I now proceed to another head of inquiry, the cone
dud of Vizier Ali, fince his acceffion to the Mufnud.
The letters from the Refident at Lucnow, both
previous and fubfequent to my &porn', e from Cal.
cotta, will point nut what has been fince fully proved,
the early dcteomination of the Nabob to ellablith his
own power, by the fubvei lion of the influence of the
I Company, in the province of Oude.
The extent to which the meafures in fupport of this
determination were carried, are left known in Cal-
cutta, although notorious at Lucnow ; for a particular
account, f refer to the accompanying copy of an mi-
-1 official letter from Mr. Oufely, to the Perfian tranf-
I ato r.—( To is moriarswl.)