BRITISH INDIA-BENGAL PRESIDENCY. and the Armenian merchants 700,000. In addition to all this they asked 2,500,000 rupees for the squadron, and the same amount for the army. "When this was settled," said Clive, "Mr. Becher (a member) suggested to the committee that he thought that committee, who managed the great machine of government, was entitled to some consideration as well as the army and navy.” Of course, the proposal was eminently acceptable to that patriotic and disinterested body. Accordingly the Governor, Mr. Drake, received 280,000 rupees, Clive 280,000, and the inferior members of the committee 240,000 each. Thus," says Mr. Howitt, "did these Englishmen bargain with a traitor to betray his prince and country-the traitor, for the bribe of being himself made prince, not merely to sell his master, but give two millions three hundred and ninety-eight thousand pounds sterling, or, according to the historian Orme, £2,750,000, with valuable privileges and property of state; while these dealers in treason and rebellion pocketed each from two hundred and forty to two hundred and eighty thousand pounds sterling! A more infamous transaction is not on record." And what aggravates the villany of this transaction is the fact, that at the very moment when they were carrying on this treasonable negotiation with Meer Jaffier, Clive was writing in the most affectionate terms to Surajah Dowlah-the same post which carried a "soothing letter" to the Nabob carrying to Clive's agent at his court another letter couched in these terms: "Tell Meer Jaffier to fear nothing. I will join him with five thousand men who never turned their backs." But not one half of this tale of infamy has been told. The individual through whom Clive and the Committee communicated with Meer Jaffier was a Bengalee of the name of Omilchund, a native merchant of great wealth, residing at Calcutta. This man, who held in his hand the whole thread of the conspiracy, imitating the conduct of the English members of the plot, demanded of them at the last moment three hundred thousand pounds sterling as compensation for his services. These worthies, so prompt to exact enormous donations for themselves, were extremely incensed at the demand. But Clive-a man, says Mills, "to whom deception, when it suited his purpose, never cost a pang," had a plan in readiness whereby they might secure the assistance of Omilchund and yet save paying the reward for which he stipulated. This BRITISH INDIA-BENGAL PRESIDENCY. was no easy matter; for the Hindoo merchant distrusting, no doubt, the honesty of his British-fellow conspirators, had required that an article stating his claim should be inserted in the treaty between Meer Jaffier and the English, which he further insisted on seeing with his own eyes. But what was Clive's expedient? He caused two copies of the treaty to be drawn up, one genuine, the other fictitious, the latter containing the engagement demanded by Omilchund, the former omitting all mention of his name. There was, however, another obstacle in the way. Admiral Watson, joined with Clive in the command, having some small remnant of honesty, hesitated about signing the simulated treaty. And what did Clive do? forged Admiral Watson's name. The plot then proceeded against Surajah Dowlah. The English general, having matured his plans, changed the tone of flattery and friendship in which he had hitherto indulged towards the unfortunate Prince into violent accusation and menace, and intimated his intention at once to march his troops against him. This was done accordingly, and Meer Jaffier, when his master was in agony of disaster and defeat in the field of battle, drew off his division of the army and joined the English. Surajah Dowlali was defeated, and shortly after assassinated by the son of Meer Jaffier. He And how fared it with Omilchund, the go-between in this precious conspiracy, whose right to compensation had been, as he believed, solemnly guaranteed by treaty? Mr. Macaulay shall relate the residue of the tale," The new sovereign was now called upon to fulfil the engagements into which he had entered with his allies. A conference was held at the house of Jugget Seit the great banker, for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements. Omilchund came thither, fully believing himself to stand high in the favour of Clive, who, with dissimulation surpassing even the dissimulation of Bengal, bad, up to that day, treated him with undiminished kindness. white treaty was produced and read. Clive then turned to Mr. Scrafton, one of the servants of the Company, and said in English, It is now time to undeceive Omilchund.' 'Omilchund,' said Mr. Scrafton in Hindostanee, the red treaty is a trick; you are to have nothing.' Omilchund fell back insensible into the arms of his attendants. He revived, but his mind was irreparably ruined. . . . From the moment of that sudden shock the unhappy man gradually sank into idiocy." ... The BRITISH INDIA-BENGAL PRESIDENCY. 2 We must now revert to Meer Jaffier. He was raised to the throne of the master whom he had betrayed, and, while he continued sufficiently obsequious to the English, and sufficiently ready to pour money into the maw of their insatiable rapacity, he was sustained there by their power. But this did not last long. He, in his turn, was dethroned by these commercial king-makers, in favour of his son-in-law, Meer Causim. This man, by employing every species of cruelty to extort the necessary funds from his unhappy subjects, to serve the purposes of the English, pleased the latter for a while. But in about three years they wearied of him also; dismissed him from the royalty of Bengal, and re-installed Meer Jaffier once more. From this time forward the English became, of course, the real masters of Bengal, though they continued for some time to rule in the name of some puppet nabob or another. This is an ugly tale to begin with; and many such an ugly tale might be told of what the British rulers have done there since, during the past hundred years, in adding, by force or fraud, territory after territory to their dominions. And what good have they done? True it is that within the past fifty years many horrid customs have been suppressed; but these were not done until after repeated remonstrances from the people of England. Within the past fourteen years, the Chairman of the Company says, they have received 300 millions of revenue, and have only spent £1,400,000 in improving the country by public works. Verily we do not wonder that this punishment has come upon them, for they have been unjust stewards. Had it not been for one thing which at the time this Company did all they could to prevent-the introduction of the Bible into India, with the preaching of the Gospel-we could now have no hope for the future. Yes, it is a fact that ought to be more known and talked about, that the Rulers of India, like their prototypes at Jerusalem, forbade the first baptist missionaries, Carey and Marshman, to publish the gospel either by word of mouth, tract, or book! When that excellent man, Henry Martyn, a pious Church Missionary, heard of this, he was so distressed that he could not sleep. But they did d; and what they did in giving India the Bible is now our chief ground of hope. Singular too, it is, that their most active defender, General Havelock, himself a baptist, married the daughter of Marshman. POETRY.-ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. Poetry. FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. GREAT God, the nations of the earth Are by creation thine; And in thy works, by all beheld, Thy radiant glories shine. But, Lord, thy greater love has sent Unveiling what rich stores of grace Lord, when shall these glad tidings spread O when shall India's sable sons When shall the untutored heathen tribes, Sit down at our Immanuel's feet, And learn and feel his grace. Smile, Lord, on each sincere attempt To spread the gospel's rays; And build on sin's demolished throne Anecdotes and Selections. CHOOSING AFFLICTION.-The Rev. H. Venn once told his children that he would take them to see one of the most interesting sights in the world. He would not tell them what it was; but in the evening led them to a miserable hovel. "Now," said he, "my dear children, can any one that lives in such a wretched habitation as that be happy? Yet this is not all; a poor young man lies there on a miserable straw bed, dying of disease, at the age of nineteen, consumed with fever, and afflicted with nine painful ulcers." "How wretched!" they all exclaimed. He then led them into the cottage, and addressing the por dying young man, said, “Abraham Midwood, I have brought my children here to show them that it is possible to be happy in a state of disease, and poverty, and want: now, tell them if it is so." The dying youth, with a sweet smile, replied, ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. "Oh! yes, sir; I would not change my state with that of the richest person on earth, who has not those views which I have. Blessed be God! I have a good hope, through Christ, of being admitted into those blessed regions where Lazarus now dwells, having long forgotten all his sorrows and miseries. Sir, this is nothing to bear while the presence of God cheers my soul, and whilst I can have access to him, by constant prayer, through faith in Jesus. Indeed, sir, I am truly happy, and I hope to be happy for ever through the unsearchable riches of His grace." ONLY A PRAYER MEETING.-Some christians excuse themselves from a weekday evening service by the careless remark, "It is only a prayer meeting!" Not so a poor labouring man, who said, "I love the house of God; I love preaching; but more than all I love the prayer-meeting. I always feel as if I were going to my Father's house when I go into the place where we meet for prayer!" The place for prayer his Father's house! What a beautiful thought! This poor man felt himself to be a child of God; and where should the child go but to his Father's house, to ask his father for what he felt he wanted? And when weary with a hard days work, where should he seek for refreshment and rest but in his Father's house? A pious cartman, who was always found in his place at the prayer-meeting, said, "I find I can rest all the better by going to meeting; for there I forget all my toil and pains, and feel stronger and better prepared for the next days work." སྙན་ NOT TO BE LAUGHED OUT OF RELIGION.-A working man who had heard the preaching of the Gospel, and to whom it had been greatly blessed, was the subject of much profane jesting and ridicule among his fellow-workmen and neighbours. On being asked if these daily persecutions did not sometimes make him ready to give up his profession of attachment to divine truth, he replied, "No; I recollect that our minister once said in his sermon, that if we were so foolish as to permit such people to laugh us out of our religion, till at last we dropped into hell, they could not laugh us out again." LORD BROUGHAM ON WAR.-My principles-I know not whether they agree with yours: they may be derided, they may be unfashionable but I hope they are spreading far and wide-my principles are contained in the words which that great man, Lord Falkland, used to express in secret, and which I now express in public-Peace, PEACE, PEACE. I abominate war as unchristian. I hold it the greatest of human crimes. I deem it to include all others-violence, blood, rapine, fraud, every thing which can deform the character, alter the nature, and debase the name of man." |