The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

happened upon it is uncertain. Mr. Hastings is stated by some evidence to have acted as
interpreter in this memorable congress. But Major Calliaud agreed to it without any
difficulty. Accordingly, an instrument was drawn, an indenture tripartite prepared by the
Persian secretary, securing to the party the reward of this infamous, perfidious, murderous
act. First, the Nabob put his own seal to the murder. The Nabob's son, Meeran, affixed his
seal. A third seal, the most important of all, was yet wanting. A pause ensued: Major
Calliaud's seal was not at hand; but Mr. Lushington was sent near half a mile to bring it. It
was brought at length; and the instrument of blood and treachery was completely executed.
Three seals were set to it.

This business of the three seals, by some means not quite fully explained, but (as suspected
by the parties) by means of the information of Mr. Holwell, who soon after came home,
was conveyed to the ears of the Court of Directors. The Court of Directors wrote out, under
date of the 7th of October, 1761, within a little more than a year after this extraordinary
transaction, to this effect:—that, in conjunction with the Nabob, Major Calliaud had signed
a paper offering a reward of a lac of rupees, or some such sum, to several black persons, for
the assassination of the Shahzada, or Prince heir-apparent,—which paper was offered to the
then Chief of Patna to sign, but which he refused on account of the infamy of the measure.
As it appeared in the same light to them, the Directors, they ordered a strict inquiry into it.
The India Company, who here did their duty with apparent manliness and vigor, were
resolved, however, to do it with gentleness, and to proceed in a manner that could not
produce any serious mischief to the parties charged; for they directed the commission of
inquiry to the very clan and set of people who, from a participation in their common
offences, stood in awe of one another,—in effect, to the parties in the transaction. Without a
prosecutor, without an impartial director of the inquiry, they left it substantially to those

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