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 <>70 JIISTOIIY C>F INI>IA. [Book III.

AD. 1760. till the affairs of the country were settled, and th(finances were flourishing^.

They might have waited long for sucii a peri(jd ; and as Meer Cossim seemwl in

Mucr Jaffier jjq Imrry to renew his offer, they refresherl liis memory, and demanded rmymcnt

clepoaedand _ "^ 'J J' I J

i.en»ioneii Qf tlie mouey thus shamefully extorted, £30,000 went into the pocket of Mr. Holwell. Mr. Vansittart, after refusing to concur in the demand of payment, surmounted his scruples, and accepted £58,000 as his share.

All these arrangements had been made without the knowledge of Meer Jaffier, who became acquainted with them for the first time when a deputation of the council of Calcutta waited upon him, for the purpo.se of conferring with him generally upon matters of government. Mr. Vansittart, who headed the deputation, laboured to impress the nabob with the abuses of his administration, and having thus wrung from him an expression of his willingness to be guided by the advice of his English friends, suggested the propiiety of employing some one among " the nabob's children" to set affairs in order. The old nabob was thus gradually led to confess that old age and grief for the death of Meerun had incapacitated him for struggling with difficulties, and that none of his rela- tions seemed so capable as Meer Cossim of giving him aid. The point which had all along been cunningly aimed at, was now gained ; and it was proposed that Meer Cossim should be sent for. This proposal, and the ha.ste with which it was urged, aroused the nabob's suspicions, and he withdrew, complaining of fatigue. It was expected that the business would be resumed next day; but as the nabob made no communication, the deputies threw off the mask, and .sent a letter acquainting him that all their measures were taken, and that Colonel Calliaud was ready to execute them if necessary by force. The information threw him into a transport of rage, and he complained bitterly of the treachery of which he had been the dupe. Ultimately disdaining to accept of a nominal sovereignty, or to trust his life in the hands of a son-in-law, of whose blood- thirsty character he was too well aware, he accepted of the pension offered to him, and took up his residence in Calcutta.

Impolicy It was impossiblc that a transaction marked by so much duplicity and injus-

and bitter

fruitsoftiiis tice could prosper. The inhabitants, indeed, looked on with comparative iiidif- ' ference to a change of masters which, if it promised little amelioration of their condition, could scarcely make it worse than it was. The ffi'st bitter fruits were reaped in Calcutta itself, where the council became divided into two parties — the one cordially approving, and the other decidedly condemning the revolution which had been effected. To the former, of course, belonged those whose pecu- niary circumstances had been greatly improved by it ; while the other consisted, not indeed exclusively, but mainly of those who, not having been members of the select committee, did not share in the extorted money, and could conse- quently boast of being actuated by pure and disinterested motives. Even had Mr. Vansittart not furnished too good a handle for the vituperation of this party, there were circumstances in his nomination which made it anything but

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