The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

of Captain Knox and Mr. Lushington, that his [Calliaud's] conscience, at the time, never
reproached him with a bad design."

Your Lordships have heard of the testimony of a person to his own conscience; but the
testimony of another man to any one's conscience—this is the first time, I believe, it ever
appeared in a judicial proceeding. It is natural to say, "My conscience acquits me of it"; but
they declare, that "his conscience never reproached him with a bad design, and therefore,
upon the whole, they are satisfied that his intention was good, though he erred in the
measure."

I beg leave to state one thing that escaped me: that the Nabob, who was one of the parties to
the design, was, at the time of the inquiry, a sort of prisoner or an exile at Calcutta; that his
moonshee was there, or might have been had; and that his spy was likewise there; and that
they, though parties to this transaction, were never called to account for it in any sense or in
any degree, or to show how far it was necessary to quiet the Nabob's mind.

The accomplices, by acquitting him upon their testimony to his conscience, did their
business nobly. But the good Court of Directors, who were so easily satisfied, so ready to
condemn at the first proposition and so ready afterwards to acquit, put the last finishing
hand of a master to it. For the accomplices acquit him of evil intentions and excuse his act.
The Court of Directors, disapproving indeed the measure, but receiving the testimony of his
conscience in justification of his conduct, and taking up the whole ground, honorably acquit
him, and commend this action as an instance of heroic zeal in their service.

The great end and purpose for which I produce this to your Lordships is to show you the
necessity there is for other inquiries, other trials, other acquittals of parties, than those made

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