The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

from the interference of the Company's servants, and the usurpation (as he called it) of a
Resident, and thereby to restore it to its proper tone and energy; whereas the measures he
took were such as to leave no useful or responsible superintendence in the British, and no
freedom in the Nabob's government: for he did confirm the sole, unparticipated, and entire
administration, with all the powers annexed to the government, on the minister, Hyder Beg
Khân, to whom he prevailed on the Nabob Vizier to commit the entire charge of his
revenues, although he knew that his master was a cipher in his hands,—that he "had affixed
his seal to letters written without his knowledge, and such as evidently tended to promote
Hyder Beg Khân's influence and interest,"—that his said master did not consider him as a
minister of his choice, but as an instrument of his degradation,—that "he exists as a minister
by his dependence on the Calcutta government, and that the Nabob himself had no other
opinion of him,—that it is by its declared and most obvious support alone that he could
maintain his authority and influence." And in his instructions to his secret agent, Major
Palmer, dated 6th of May, 1782, to ease his mind and remove his jealousy with regard to
British interference, he did instruct him, "that much delicacy and caution will be required in
your declarations on this subject, lest they should be construed to extend to an immediate
change in the administration of his affairs, or the instruments of it. Their persons must be
considered as sacred, while they act with the participation of our influence. This distinction
the Nabob understands; nor will it be either necessary or proper to allude to it, unless he
himself should first introduce the subject." And the said Hastings did assume, as to a
dependant of the lowest order, to prescribe to him the conditions on which he is to hold his
place,—to threaten him with scrutinies into his conduct, with dismission, with punishment,
—that he was guilty of falsehood and duplicity, and that he had made his master assert what
was true to be false,—that he suspected he had withheld from his master what he ought to

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