The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

Hastings, in affirming that he had not time to answer the questions put to him by the
Directors, while he was in Bengal,—in not bringing with him to England the documents
necessary to enable him to answer those questions, or in pretending that he has not brought
them,—in referring the Directors back again to Bengal for those documents, and for any
further information on a subject on which he has given them no information,—and
particularly in referring them back to a person in Bengal for a paper which he says
contained the only account he ever kept of the transaction, while he himself professes to
doubt whether that paper be still in being, whether it be in the hands of that person, or
whether that person can recollect anything distinctly concerning it,—has been guilty of
gross evasions, and of palpable prevarication and deceit, as well as of contumacy and
disobedience to the lawful orders of the Court of Directors, and thereby confirmed all the
former evidence of his having constantly used the influence of his station for the most
scandalous, illegal, and corrupt purposes.

IX.—RESIGNATION OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR-
GENERAL.

That Warren Hastings having by his agent, Lauchlan Macleane, Esquire, on the 10th day of
October, in the year 1776, "signified to the Court of Directors his desire to resign his office
of Governor-General of Bengal, and requested their nomination of a successor to the
vacancy which would be thereby occasioned in the Supreme Council," the Court of
Directors did thereupon desire the said Lauchlan Macleane "to inform them of the authority
under which he acted in a point of such very great importance"; and the said Lauchlan

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