he produced (unexpectedly to Col. Baillie) a paper containing remarks upon the reform proposed for the administration of Oude, and a passage relating to the Resident, of the following equivocal import :

By your Lordship's kindness, Major Baillie loves me from his heart. Under the influence of this disposition, in consequence of my father's demise, he visits me almost every day; and agreeably to rule, I also have gone to visit him. While Major Baillie may continue to remain here, there is no need for making any representation': after he shall have gone away, it is my wish that the practice of visiting, as observed between the Resident and my father, may be reverted to.

Lord Hastings' secretary having subsequently learned, by means of Mr. Clarke and Capt. McLeod, two English gentlemen in the service of the Nawaub Vizier, that his Excellency was in "absolute despair" at the disappointment of his expectations of being delivered from "the despotism of Col. Baillie," his Lordship sent for them, and learned" that the Nawaub had mentioned many matters of grievance to them; but that his mind was in such subjection to Col. Baillie, that he would never complain of that gentleman in his presence." His Lordship accordingly gave him an opportunity of explaining himself in the absence of the Resident; the Nawaub was shy of entering into particulars," and promised to send, the following day, à paper containing the subjects of complaint, but which was not forwarded till near a fortnight after, when his Lordship had arrived at Lucknow; and, when sent, contained no reference whatever to Col. Baillie.

Some doubt having fastened itself upon his Lordship's mind, as to his Excellency's preference of Mr. Law, or Mr. Wilson, for his physician, and Col. Baillie having asked the appointment, in the name of the Vizier, for the latter, his Lordship desired Capt. Gilbert, whom the Vizier had invited to breakfast with him, to endeavour to ascertain the real fact. Upon the question being put to the Vizier, he exclaimed, carnestly, that it was Mr. Law, and that the Resident wished to force Mr. Wilson upon him. His Excellency then unfolded a long string of grievances against Col. Baillie, professing, that as long as the latter should remain at Lucknow he (the Nawaub) could never have an hour's comfort.

At a subsequent conference with his Lordship, the Vizier (who had previously confirmed, in the most distinct manner, to Mr. Ricketts, one of the Govern ment-Secretaries, all he had said to Capt. Gilbert) acknowledged he had complaints against the Resident, and presented a paper which he said contained them all. These complaints were, in substance, as follows:-1st, the Resident's absence from the late Vizier's funeral; 2dly, his extorting certain grants from his Excellency for the Moonshee Alee Nuckee Khan; 3dly, his shutting up a high road contiguous to the Residency, and erecting a lofty gate, which overtopped the Vizier's buildings; 4thly, his stationing British guards over the treasuries and jewel rooms; 5thly, his calling one of the late Vizier's ladies into his presence, regardless of his Excellency's late father's honour; 6thly, his bringing with him persons not entitled to sit, and causing them to have chairs; 7thly, his encouragement of complaints from the Vizier's dependants; 8thly, his interference with the concerns of the Vizier's family; 9thly, his placing over the Vizier the sons of Mirza Jäfer, in such a manner, that his Excellency never had a moment's privacy from them; 10thly, his suffering an attack on a horseman in the Vizier's service, which lowered his Excellency in the eyes of the people; 11thly, his perusing the accounts of the country daily, and issuing his own orders, in answer to petitions; nominating Ameens, as if his Excellency had no concern whatever with the Government; assigning Asiatic Journ. VOL. XXI. No. 121. C the

the Muhal of Sandee, the Chowdree's right of which had been usurped by Moonshee Alee Nuckee Khan, to that person's nephew ; directing the ministers to attend him for orders, &c. The Vizier added, verbally, that the nobut, or state drum in the gateway of the palace, was not suffered to be beaten, because the sound disturbed the Resident, and asked that it might be beaten as formerly, which his Lordship directed.

Upon his Excellency's wishes being consulted as to his ministers, he desired that Hukeem Mehdee might be paishcar to his son, the nominal minister; and on his Lordship's remarking that the Hukeem had not the confidence of the British Government, the Vizier replied that he had his confidence; but he had enemies, because he would not join with the Resident.

On the following day, an old servant of the Vizier, named Agha Meer, was deputed to invite Messrs. Swinton and Adam, the Government Secretaries (who were present at the interview just mentioned), to breakfast with, and to receive a communication from, his Excellency, who, upon their visit, retracted the complaints against Col. Baillie, and charged Capt. McLeod, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Law, and a Mr. De L'Etang (also in the Vizier's service), with having urged him to make them! The Vizier confirmed this declaration by a letter to the Governor-General, wherein he says that he had understood that an accusation against the Resident would be agrecable to his Lordship, whereas he had no cause of complaint or dissatisfaction against that gentleman; and that he had dismissed Mr. Clarke, and the other contrivers of the sorcery," from his service.

His Lordship, in these perplexing circumstances, deputed Messrs. Ricketts, Adam, and Swinton, to request of the Vizier an explanation of his contradictory statements; apprizing him that the gentlemen charged with instigating the accusation against Col. Baillie desired to attest on oath, that the subject was spontaneously urged upon them by the Vizier; and putting the question, in a solemn manner, to his Excellency's honour, whether (as it had been represented to be his Lordship's wish to hear Col. Baillie criminated) his name had been used to influence his subsequent conduct.

At this conference the Vizier re-asserted, in the most serious and positive manner, his last statement; affirming that he had been deceived by the practices of Mr. Clarke and others, who had influenced his mind by using the Governor-General's name; that, in particular, Mr. Wilson was the physician of his choice, and not Mr. Law; that the declarations of Mr. Clarke and his confederates were false; that Mr. Law first suggested the removal of Major Baillie, whose enemy he was, because he ascribed the preference of Mr. Wilson to his influence. He added, that no person had prompted his retractation: "I passed a sleepless night," he observed," and the next morning I, of my own free will, determined to dismiss Mr. Clarke and the others from my service, and sent the message by Agha Meer." Three days after, his Excellency nominated Agha Meer his minister.

Each of the gentlemen charged by the Vizier has most distinctly and unequivocally denied the matters imputed to them; and the Governor-General has expressed his unwavering conviction of their entire innocence. Capt. McLeod declares his firm belief that Agha Meer, "acting in the interest of another or others," though in the service of the Nawaub, had betrayed and deceived his master, by intimidating him to make his subsequent declaration.

Lord Hastings intimates his persuasion that the Vizier had "floating dissatisfaction" against the Resident; that he had been irritated by points of behaviour in Col. Baillie, some of which (as before stated) his Lordship had

himself

himself witnessed; and that he became apt to the purposes of Hukeem Mehdee, whose representations he might have confounded with the names of the gentlemen referred to. His Lordship considers that the affair was an intrigue of Hukeem Mehdee, overset by some other (a branch of which was the recalling the Vizier to a sense of his obligations to Col. Baillie), the success of which intrigue was reaped by Agha Meer, a low man, who had never yet been mentioned as eligible for the appointment of minister,

The paper of complaint against Col. Baillie having been retracted by the Vizier, that gentleman's exculpation of himself from the charges seemed superfluous; he has, however, either totally denied, or satisfactorily explained, each item; observing (p, 897) that they formed "a tissue of the most glaring falsehoods and absurdities, and that he did not, in his conscience, suspect the Vizier of having, even for one moment, entertained the sentiments, far less of having fabricated the assertions conveyed by them."

When, however, the minute of the Governor-General (before quoted) was communicated to the Resident (26th January 1815), and which contained expressions of slight disapprobation towards that gentleman, though accompanied by a letter commending his zeal, talents, and industry, he addressed (29th April) to the Government-Secretary, a letter containing copious remarks upon the preceding transactions.

Col. Baillie begins by adverting to the introduction of Hukeem Mehdee at the late Vizier's court in 1811, and ascribes to that person the obstruction of the reform, and every untoward occurrence which subsequently took place at Lucknow. One of his first devices was to excite a personal enmity in the Vizier towards the Resident, whom he desired to remove from his post. He endeavoured to intrigue, by means of agents, at Calcutta; and when Capt. McLeod arrived at Lucknow in 1811, Col. Baillie was informed that the Hukeem endeavoured to open an intercourse with him; and as Capt. McLeod was on intimate terms with the Resident, the latter cautioned him against the Hakeem. The Vizier's reconciliation with the Resident took place on the 2d October 1813, when Hukeem Mehdee had been banished from his Excellency's councils, and treated as an enemy and traitor.

It is here necessary to break the connexion of Col. Baillie's narrative, and examine the statement of Capt. McLeod. That officer solemnly delares, that when he proposed to take leave of the late Vizier, and embark for Calcutta, "early in the month of October 1813," his Excellency took him aside, with tears in his eyes, and, apparently in the deepest distress, deplored his degraded situation, through the interference of Col. Baillie in every branch of his Government; entreated of Capt. McLeod to represent to the Governor-General that he was the most wretched of beings, and wished death would put an ead to his miseries; that the Resident trampled on his authority, gave encouragement to his disobedient servants, &c.; and that he (the Vizier) had no means of imparting his grievances to the British Government but through the Resident, whose interest it would be to withhold the communication, &c. &c. Col. Baillie proceeds to state that Hukeem Mehdee was soon recalled to the Vizier's councils (about the end of November), and a more perverse conduct on the part of his Excellency was the result of this event, and of " encouragement received from the presidency," by communications from Capt. McLeod (whose acquaintance with Lady Loudon was frequently talked of), or from some native agents at Calcutta.. Col. Baillie concludes it to be apparent that there existed "a diabolical intrigue, the object of which was, to frustrate C 2 the

the just views of our Government, by removing from the situation of Resident the instrument of the accomplishment of those views."

Col. Baillie intimates a strong suspicion that communications passed at this period between the Vizier and the Government of Bengal, on public subjects, to which he was not privy; and he quotes a paper of intelligence, containing a direct assertion of Hukeem Mehdee that Lord Moira had declared, that the adoption or rejection of the reform was to be totally uncontrolled by the advice of the Resident: he also concludes that the untoward proceedings from this period till the death of the Vizier were connected with the " deputation" of Capt. McLeod and the intrigues of Hukeem Mehdee.

The death of the Vizier again destroyed the Hukeem's influence; and the new Vizier's attachment was demonstrated to be animated and ardent towards the Resident up to the moment of Lord Hastings' arrival.

Col. Baillie then details minutely the circumstances attending the appointment of Mr. Wilson as physician to the Vizier, in which he had no concern, but which drew upon him the enmity of Mr. Law, and of his friend Capt. McLeod. He then makes some remarks upon the connexion of Mr. Clarke with these gentlemen, as tending to develope the designs with which he became a party to their measures. Lastly, he vindicates himself from the sup posed offence of obtruding the family of Mirza Jāfer upon the Vizier, which appears, he observes, as the only ground of Lord Hastings' censure of his proceedings. With respect to the general remarks of his Lordship, that "there were other particulars in the Resident's conduct which his Lordship found reason to censure, and some on which he suspected that disapprobation should rest ;" and with respect also to the points of misbehaviour towards the Vizier in his Lordship's presence; Col. Baillie solemnly disavows, on his honour, his having "made use of any expression, far less committed any act, that could wound his Excellency's feelings, or detract from the dignity or independence of his station."

Col. Baillie then explains the origin of the charges made, and soon after retracted, by the Vizier, which he traces to an intrigue more base and more complicated" than the former; conducted by Hukeem Mehdee and the European gentlemen already mentioned.

The grounds of the Hukeem's animosity to the Resident must be obvious: he had opposed his accession to power; he had disappointed his views of proceeding to Lord Hastings at Cawnpore, with treasure, which he designed to ́embezzle; and he had urged a reform which must prejudice his interests.* These, and other grounds, are assigned, or easily assignable.

A few trifling occurrences, wherein diminished attention was accidentally or unavoidably displayed by the Governor-General towards the Resident, is appealed to by Col. Baillie; he dwells, also, in a pointed manner, upon the 'circumstance of Capt. McLeod and Mr. Clarke being the vehicles of communi'cation between the Vizier and the Governor-General, without the knowledge of the Resident, in violation of the express orders of Government; and upon the irregular visit of Capt. Gilbert. He observes:—

To this deputation of Capt. Gilbert, and his private conference, assisted by Mr. Clarke, with the Vizier, I ascribe the maturation of the plot: a conspiracy designed by Hukeem Mchdee, most readily entered into by Capt. McLeod and Mr. Clarke, and unintentionally

* Hukeem Mehdee's amilship must have been valuable; the district he farmed yielded a revenue of thirty lacs per annum. '

unintentionally encouraged by Lord Moira; the principal objects of which were the subversion of the reform of this Government, my removal from the office of Resident, and the elevation of Hukeem Mehdee Alee Khan to the station of prime minister to the Vizier. Some other subordinate objects, which have a natural tendency to explain, and were necessary, perhaps, to account for, the extraordinary association and views of the subordinate instruments of the intrigue, have been ascribed to it by general report, which the Vizier, as I understand, has authenticated, and which his minister has frequently declared to me to consist with his personal knowledge. Capt. McLeod and Mr. Clarke are reported to have each had a promise from his Excellency of the sum of a lac of rupees, as the reward of their labours in ascertaining the sentiments of the Governor-General with regard to the reform and the Resident; and his Excellency had further engaged to make good such other douceurs, to a very considerable amount, as Capt. McLeod and Mr. Clarke might recommend to be given to their friends who assisted the progress of their inquiries. Mr. Clarke was to be aide-de-camp and major, with the salary anuexed to those offices when held in former times by Mr. Ouseley; and Mr. Law was to be appointed to the office of personal surgeon to the Vizier.

The failure of the conspiracy Col. Baillie shortly explains by stating, that Agha Meer, who had been perfectly aware of the intrigue and its authors, revealed it to the Resident's moonshee (Alee Nuckee Khan), who assured him of its exposure when the matter was investigated. Agha Meer, next day (succeeding that in which the charges had been made), attended the Vizier for orders, and found him in a state of agitation and terror, owing to the occurrence of the preceding evening. Agha Meer declares he sounded the Vizier's mind by seeming to encourage his perseverance in the accusations; but finding his contrition cordial, he changed ground, and recommended a message to Col. Baillie. The Vizier concurred, and directed him to adopt the steps which have been already detailed.

With respect to the appointment of Agha Meer (whom Col. Baillie represents as a seyyud, of respectable parentage and connexions), his nomination originated purely with the Vizier; and there was no person of distinction or note at the court of Lucknow who was eligible for the office of principal minister.

Col. Baillie states, that on discovering what had occurred, he waited on the Governor-General, and in the course of this interview, spoke of the encourage. ment afforded to the base designs of his (the Resident's) enemies by his Lordship's ignorance of the native character, and declared he must consider Capt. McLeod and Mr. Clarke as authorized spies on his conduct.

In the postscript to his letter, which explains the reasons of its delay (it not being sent till September 29th), Col. Baillie refers to subsequent intrigues, which, "supported by native emissaries, as formerly, in the suite of the Governor-General," had ruined Agha Meer, and impressed the Vizier with a belief that this minister was disliked by his Lordship, and that certain measures, suggested by the Resident, were disapproved by the Governor-General, though prescribed by the Government.

Upon receipt of this communication, the Governor-General declared in council, that his feelings could never allow him to hold confidential intercourse with Col. Baillie; and, from the general tone of the paper, he considered him to be wholly unfit to be continued as his Lordship's representative at the court of Oude. The other members of council concurred in the propriety of his removal.

In a subsequent minute of 3d February 1816, Lord Hastings has entered at great length into a vindication of his own conduct, with respect to Col.

Baillie,