The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

That, notwithstanding the right of property and inheritance, repeatedly acknowledged by
the said Warren Hastings to be in the zemindars and other native landholders, and
notwithstanding he had declared "that the security of private property is the greatest
encouragement to industry, on which the wealth of every state depends," the said Warren
Hastings, nevertheless, in direct violation of those acknowledged rights and principles, did
universally let the lands of Bengal in farm for five years,—thereby destroying all the rights
of private property of the zemindars,—thereby delivering the management of their estates
to farmers, and transferring by a most arbitrary and unjust act of power the whole landed
property of Bengal from the owners to strangers. That, to accomplish this iniquitous
purpose, he, the said Warren Hastings, did put the lands of Bengal up to a pretended public
auction, and invited all persons to make proposals for farming the same, thereby
encouraging strangers to bid against the proprietors,—in consequence of which, not only
the said proprietors were ousted of the possession and management of their estates, but a
great part of the lands fell into the hands of the banians, or principal black servants of
British subjects connected with and protected by the government; and that the said Warren
Hastings himself has since declared, that by this way the lands too generally fell into the
hands of desperate or knavish adventurers .[6] That, before the measure hereinbefore
described was carried into execution, the said Warren Hastings did establish certain
fundamental regulations in Council, to be observed in executing the same.[7] That among
these regulations it was specially and strictly ordered, that no farm should exceed the
annual amount of one lac of rupees, and "that no peshcar, banian, or other servant, of
whatever denomination, of the collector, or relation or dependant of any such servant,
should be allowed to farm lands, nor directly or indirectly to hold a concern in any farm,
nor to be security for any farmer." That, in direct violation of these his own regulations, and
in breach of the public trust reposed in him, and sufficiently declared by the manifest duty

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