The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

Cossim Ali Khân proposed to Mr. Holwell, what would have been no bad supplement to the
flash of lightning, the murder of the Nabob; but Mr. Holwell was a man of too much honor
and conscience to suffer that. He instantly flew out at it, and declared the whole business
should stop, unless the affair of the murder was given up. Accordingly things were so
settled. But if he gave the Nabob over to an intended murderer, and delivered his person,
treasure, and everything into his hands, Cossim Ali Khân might have had no great reason to
complain of being left to the execution of his own projects in his own way. The treaty was
made, and amounted to this,—that the Company was to receive three great provinces: for
here, as we proceed, you will have an opportunity of observing, with the progress of these
plots, one thing which has constantly and uniformly pervaded the whole of these projects,
and which the persons concerned in them have avowed as a principle of their actions,—that
they were first to take care of the Company's interest, then of their own; that is, first to
secure to the Company an enormous bribe, and under the shadow of that bribe to take all
the little emoluments they could to themselves. Three great, rich, southern provinces,
maritime, or nearly maritime, Burdwan, Midnapoor, and Chittagong, were to be dissevered
from the Subah and to be ceded to the Company. There were other minor stipulations,
which it is not necessary at present to trouble you with, signed, sealed, and executed at
Calcutta between these parties with the greatest possible secrecy. The lieutenancy and the
succession were secured to Cossim Ali, and he was likewise to give somewhere about the
sum of 200,000l. to the gentlemen who were concerned, as a reward for serving him so
effectually, and for serving their country so well. Accordingly, these stipulations, actual or
understood, (for they were eventually carried into effect,) being settled, a commission of
delegation, consisting chiefly of Mr. Vansittart and Major Calliaud, was sent up to
Moorshedabad: the new Governor taking this opportunity of paying the usual visit of
respect to the Nabob, and in a manner which a new Governor coming into place would do,

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