"On the nature and magnitude of your offence it is unnecessary for me to dwell: whatever has a tendency to depreciate the honour and justice of this House, particularly in the exercise of its inquisitorial functions, tends, in the same proportion, to weaken and degrade the energies and dignity of the British constitution.

"The privileges of this House have a claim to the respect of every subject of this country. As a member of this House, it is your duty, as it is a part of your trust, to support and protect them. Had a sense of these obligations produced its due influence on your mind and conduct, you would have avoided the displeasure of this House, and I should have been spared the pain of declaring to you the result of it. The moderation of the House is not, however, less manifest on this occasion, than their just sense of their own dignity, and of the importance of their own privileges. It is my duty, in addressing you, to be guided by the lenity which marks their proceedings; and, in the persuasion that the judgment of the House will operate as an effectual admonition to yourself and to others, I forbear to say more, than that the House have directed that I reprimand you for your said offence; and, in obedience to their commands, I do reprimand you accordingly."

Anterior to this event, Major Scott had frequently experienced the support of the House, and moved several questions, in most of which he proved successful. But the current, after the reprimand, appears to have run in a contrary direction; and, indeed, his enemies seem to have considered this as a complete triumph over him.

However, the major continued to harrass the managers in every possible way, sometimes with, and at other times without the assistance of ministers. In 1792, he stoutly opposed the production of papers, then moved for, on the part of those who conducted the impeachment. This was founded on the danger arising from such communications, so far as they regarded the native powers in India. "A right honourable gentleman" (Mr. Dundas), observes he, "has

changed his opinion on this subject, but I have not altered mine. He sets up a distinction between the events of the present and the former war, because the original enquiry in respect to it, originated in a secret committee; but that committee reported every thing to the House, even including all secret consultations, minutes, and negociations; and upon these were formed a series of criminatory resolutions now upon the journals, closing with the solemn opinion of a former parliament, that the first subject in India, the governor-general, should be removed.

"These resolutions arrived in India, in August, 1782; the most critical moment of the last war, when the British empire actually hung by a thread, and I can bring proof to your bar, that these mischievous resolutions stopped the ratification of the Mahratta peace, for seven months, and most absurdly weakened the government of Bengal, on which every thing depended, at the time when, of all others, it required every possible support from home. So thinking, I shall certainly oppose the production of papers in this war, though our situation is so materially different; having all India with us now, except Tippoo Sultan, and no European army to contend with."

But Major Scott did not confine his opposition to the production of papers, for he objected to the expenses of the prosecution, as outrageously excessive; and at the same time complained, that in some of their proceedings, the Managers were actuated by personal hostility against himself. He accordingly moved the printing a statement of the charges made by Messrs. Wallis and Troward.

"On a former occasion," observed he, "when the Marquis of Graham made a similar motion, which was supported by His Majesty's Ministers, I took no part; but when, by a late correspondence, the Lords of the Treasury appear to be alarmed at the expenditure, I have been led to examine the accounts with some accuracy, and must say, that they are enormous in their amount, unauthorised in their matter in many instances, and contain items truly disgraceful. The more clearly to show the grounds on which I proceed, it will

only be necessary to read an extract from the Treasury letter, with the managers' answer. By those documents it will appear, that 3495l. had been expended in eleven days of the trial; and as the lords were apprehensive lest a very heavy charge might be incurred by the public, they recommend to the managers to consider whether that charge might not be diminished in future. The reply was, that a great part of the sum alluded to, had been spent in applying and arranging the general body of the evidence.

"It is upon these papers," continues he, "that I found my opinion of the enormous and profligate waste of the public money. After reading over all the accounts with great attention, I am ready to prove, that there are charges to a very large amount which the solicitors, who are the servants of this House, had not the least authority to contract. Among the rest there is one too inconsiderable, in its amount, to be noticed, but which betrayed a spirit that would have disgraced a Spanish inquisition. One item of this bill, is 25 guineas for reading over newspapers from 1788 to 1790, in order to select censurable or libellous passages written by me. This was no part of the business delegated by the House to the solicitor; and the man, be he whom he would, who employed him in such a character, degraded his own character, and disgraced the House of Commons. But this was too trivial for notice, except that it was one among many instances, where the public interest had been sacrificed to private purposes. There were also many other improper items, and the expense of this prosecution having now amounted to 33,000l., I shall move that Mr. Troward be called to the bar of the House, at some future day, to give an account of these things."

The agent of Mr. Hastings, on this occasion, was treated with great harshness by both sides of the House. Lord North, one of the managers, observed " that if the person to whom the 25 guineas had been given, did but his duty, he had fairly earned this sum, as it was not easy to find any one to read as fast as the major could write." Mr. Sheridan flippantly observed, that "if any attorney had the patience to read all

the trash alluded to, no person could say that this sum was extravagant; but the officer in question possessed the very singular consolation, that he had, at least, one reader," the Chancellor of the Exchequer who "was pleased to consider this as a very niggardly payment,' for reading all the honourable member's productions," and on dividing the House for the production of papers, but one member appeared for the affirmative, while 104 voted against the motion.

Major Scott, however, finally triumphed; for, after a trial, unexampled either in point of length or expense, Mr. Warren Hastings was finally acquitted by the House of Lords. In addition to this, the East India Company passed a vote, to indemnify him from the heavy charges accruing in consequence of the prosecution; to that was superadded a liberal pension; and although never employed by the Crown, yet, after a decent interval, during which Mr. Burke ceased to exist, he was raised to the rank of a Privy Counsellor of Great Britain.

When the hurry of the impeachment was over, Major Scott Waring determined to retire from public affairs, and dedicate the remainder of his life to domestic comfort. He accordingly led to the Hymeneal altar, Miss Hughes, a lady of some celebrity, who, a little before this, had withdrawn from the stage. He accordingly bought a charming house and estate near Fulham, where he lived for some years; and by this lady he had a son, now an officer in the army. This union was dissolved by a catastrophe equally singular and affecting; for his lady, happening, in 1812, to go to bed unattended, is supposed to have fallen backwards, by some unlucky accident, the body being discovered at the foot of the well-staircase early next morning, entirely deprived of life.

After some time spent in widowhood, the major made choice of the beautiful Mrs. Eston, who, in the former part of her life, had also been on the stage.

By this time he had attained a good old age, and it became evident, a few years after, from his infirm state of body, that the period of his dissolution was fast approaching. Major

Scott Waring, accordingly, after occupying the public attention during many years, died at his house in Half Moon Street, Piccadilly, on Wednesday morning, May 5, 1819.

List of the Works of Major Scott Waring.

1. A Short Review of the Transactions of Bengal during the last Ten Years, 8vo. 1782.

2. A Narrative of the Transactions in Bengal during the administration of Mr. Hastings, 8vo.

1784.

3. Two Letters to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, in reply to the insinuations and palpable misrepresentations contained in a pamphlet entitled, The Ninth Report from the Select Committee, 8vo. 1783.

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4. Letter to Mr. Fox on his India Bill, 8vo.

1783.

5. Reply to Mr. Burke's Speech on Mr. Fox's East India Bill, 8vo. 1784.

6. The Conduct of His Majesty's late Ministers considered, as it affected the East India Company and Mr. Hastings, 8vo. 1784.

7. Speech in the House of Commons on the Declaratory Bill, 8vo.

1788.

8. Observations on Mr. Sheridan's Comparative Statement, 4to.

1788.

9. Charge against Mr. Burke, 8vo.

1788.

10. Seven Letters to the People of Great Britain, by a Whig, 8vo. 1789.

11. Letter to the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, on the extraneous matter contained in Mr. Burke's Speeches in Westminster Hall, 8vo. 1789.

12. A Second Letter to Mr. Fox, containing the final decision of the Governor-General and Council of Bengal on the charges brought against Rajah Deby Sing, 8vo. 1789.

13. A Third Letter to Mr. Fox, on the same subject, 8vo. 1789.

14. Speech in the House of Commons, proving the increase of the revenue of Bengal during the administration of Mr. Hastings, 8vo. 1791.