The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

justice for the protection of life and property, at the same time that he did not hesitate, in the
case of the confiscation of the jaghires, and the proceedings against the mother and
grandmother of the Nabob, totally to supersede his authority, and to force his inclinations in
acts which overturned all the laws of property, and offered violence to all the sentiments of
natural affection and duty, and accusing at the same time his instruments for not going to
the utmost lengths in the execution of his said orders, is guilty of an high crime and
misdemeanor.

XLIV. That the said Hastings did highly aggravate his offence in discountenancing and
discouraging the reëstablishment of magistracy, law, and order, in the country of Oude,
inasmuch as he did in the eighth article of his instructions to the Resident order him to
exercise powers which ought to have been exercised by lawful magistrates, and in a manner
agreeable to law. And in the said article he did state the prevalence of rebellion in the said
country of Oude,—as if rebellion could exist in a country in which there was no magistracy,
and no protection for life or property, and in which the native authority had no force
whatever, and in which he himself states the exercise of British authority to be an absolute
usurpation; and he did accordingly direct a rigorous prosecution against the offence of
rebellion under such circumstances, but "with a fair and impartial inquiry," when he did not
permit the establishment of those courts of justice and magistracy by which alone rebellion
could be prevented, or a fair and impartial inquiry relative to the same could be had; and
particularly he did instruct the said Resident to obtain the Nabob's order for employing
some sure means for apprehending certain zemindars, and particularly three, in the
instruction named, whom he, the said Hastings, did cause to be apprehended upon what he
calls good information, founded upon some facts to which he asserts he has the testimony
of several witnesses, "that they had the destruction of Colonel Hannay and the officers

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