The Irish standard., 1908-12-26


those who by their rapaeity and op-
preston had brought ruin on the ma
tives Of India. Sheridan then dwelt
on the enornity Of the attack on the
Princesses Of, Dude.
Having alluded to- the. different de.
fences mades.by the prisoner, he said
that the managers had proved the high
birth and great rank Of the Begums
or Princesses; they had also proved
iwhat an appropriate name) and 9th.
ers how sacred was the residence OF
women in India. A threat, therefore,
to force that residence, and violate it's
purity by sending armed men into it,
was species Of. torture, the cruelty
OF which could not be conceived by
those who are unacquainted with the
customs and notions Of the inhabitants
Of Hindostan. Such was their sense Of
oelicacy that to them the sight of man
was pollution. and the piety Of the
[ration rendered their residence a
sanctuary. What, then, would their
lordships think of the tyranny of tile
man who could act in open defiance OF
those prejudices, which were so inter-
woven with the very existence of ladies
in that country, that they could no4
be removed but by death? What.
he asked, would their lordships think
of the man who could threaten to pro-
fame and violate the sanctuary of. the
highest description Of ladies in Dude,
by saying that he would storm it with
his troops, and remove the inhabitants
from it by force.' a..
Sheridan next showed that there was
a very good ground for presuming that
the treasures possessed by the Begun
were the property Of that Princess;
she had endeared herself, to her hus-
band, the late Nabob, by flying to him
in the moment of his Distress after
his defeat at Buxar, and carrying with
Ter to his relief the Jewels with which
he had enriched her; upon these she
raised him a large supply. When, the
political generosity Of this country re-
stored him, afterwards, to his throne,
his gratitude to his wife knew no
bounds; her ascendency over him was
such that she prevailed upon him to
appoint his son, by her, his successoi.
"The present Nabob, as had ap-
peared from letter written by Has
tings to him, and since proved in evi-
dence, owed to her not only his birth
and succession to the crown, but also
the preservation Of his life; for one
day, his savage father in a rage at
tempting to cut him down with his
scimitar, the Begun rushed between
her husband and her son, and saved
the latter through the loss of some of
her own blood for she was wounded
by the blow that was aimed not at her.
A son so befriended and SO preserved,
Hastings had armed against such g!
mother; he invaded the rights of that
prince. that he might compel him to
violate the laws of nature by plunder-
ing his parent; and he made him y
slave, that he might afterward make
him monster. i. Warren Hastings was
bound to be the protector Of the Be-
gum, instead of her plunderer; for
her husband, on his death-bed,. be-
qreathed her to his friendship; and
Hastings had always called that hus.
band his brother, but no consideration
could make him discharge the duties
Of any obligation that could set bounds
to his rapacity.' a,..
The transactions in which sir Elijah
Impey bore share, and the tenor of
his evidence, We're the next objects
of Sheridan's animadversion THE
late chief justice of Bengal" he, re-
marked. "had repeatedly. stated that.
Hastings had left Calcutta with two
resources In 'xew-those ;;of; Benares
end Dude. 1t appeared, however, from
every circumstance. that the latter re-
source was never in his contemplation.
until the insurrection in Benares. ter
minating in the capture Of Bedjegur, !.
had destroyed all his hope in that
province. At that ihstant. the mind of
Hastings. fertile in resources. Axed Il.
SELF ON the treasures OF the Beg,ms
and Impey was diapatched to collect
naA&eEialE 1orstheir cyipsi1 ottsn. HIT