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Metcalfe to agree with Colonel Collins, the resident. On 4 Oct. 1802 Metcalfe became an assistant in the chief secretary's office at Calcutta, and was transferred on 4 April 1803 to a similar position in the governor-general's office. In the summer of 1804 Metcalfe was attached to the headquarters of Lake's army in the capacity of political assistant, and as a volunteer took part in the storming of the fortress of Deeg (24 Dec. 1804). He acted successively as political agent to General Smith and General Dowdeswell, and on 10 Jan. 1806 was received in full durbar by Holkar, with whom a treaty had been concluded a few days previously. Metcalfe was appointed first assistant to the resident at Delhi on 15 Aug. 1806, and in August 1808 was despatched on a special mission to Lahore. After a series of tedious negotiations Metcalfe obtained all that he had demanded of Runjeet Singh, who withdrew his troops to his own side of the Sutlej and concluded a treaty of general amity with the British government at Vmritsur on 25 April 1809. By the adroitness with which he overcame the many difficulties of this mission Metcalfe won for himself a considerable reputation as a diplomatist at the age of twenty-four.

From August 1809 to May 1810 Metcalfe acted as Lord Minto's deputy secretary during the governor-general's visit to Madras, and on 15 May 1810 was appointed acting resident to the court of Dowlut Rao Scindiah. On 25 Feb. 1811 he was promoted to the post of resident at Delhi. By his careful administration the industrial resources of the territory were largely developed, while his scheme for; the settlement of Central India largely influenced the policy of the governor-general, Lord Moira (afterwards Marquis of Hastings), In 1816 he refused the post of financial secretary, and on 29 Jan. 1819 became secretary in the secret and political department, and private secretary to the governor-general. Accustomed to an independent command, Metcalfe quickly found his new situation irksome, and on 26 Dec. 1820 was appointed resident at Hyderabad. An attempt made by him to remove the baneful influence of the money-lending firm of William Palmer & Co., which was overshadowing the Nizam's government, brought upon Metcalfe the displeasure of the governor-general, who rejected his scheme for opening a six per cent, loan, guaranteed by the British government, by which the Nizam's huge obligations to Palmer's house and other creditors might be paid off. Soon after Hastings's return to England, where these pecuniary transactions were warmly discussed in the court of proprietors during a six days' debate, the debt due to William Palmer & Co. was discharged, and in less than a year the house became bankrupt.

On the death of his elder brother, Theophilus John, in August 1822 Metcalfe succeeded to the baronetcy. In the following year he was invalided and went to Calcutta, but returned to Hyderabad in 1824. On 26 Aug. 1825 he was appointed resident and civil commissioner in Delhi Territories, and agent to the governor-general for the affairs of Rajpootana. Under his advice the government supported the claims of Bulwunt Singh against the usurpation of his uncle Doorjun Saul, and in January 1826 Bhurtpore was successfully stormed by Lord Combermere, and Doorjun Saul taken prisoner. On 24 Aug. 1827 Metcalfe became a member of the supreme council, which at that time consisted of the governor-general, the commander-in-chief, and two members of the civil service. By a resolution of the court of directors on 14 Dec. 1831, Metcalfe's period of service on the council was extended from five to seven years. He was appointed on the newly created government of Agra on 20 Nov. 1833, but owing to the absence from Bengal of the governor-general (Lord William Bentinck) he was compelled to stay at Calcutta for some time as vice-president of the council and deputy-governor of Bengal. In December 1834 Metcalfe set out for the seat of his government at Allahabad, but no sooner had he got there than he had to return to Calcutta in consequence of Lord William Bentinck's resignation. By virtue of a resolution of the court of directors in December 1833 Metcalfe acted as provisional governor-general during the interval between the departure of Lord William Bentinck and the arrival of Lord Auckland (20 March 1835 to 4 March 1836). The directors wished that Metcalfe should remain in office, but the whig ministry refused to sanction the appointment on the ground that it was not advisable to appoint any servant of the company to the highest office of the Indian government. Before Lord Melbourne had appointed a successor to Lord William Bentinck, there was a ministerial crisis, and [q. v.] was nominated by Sir Robert Peel. But before Lord Heytesbury set out another ministerial crisis occurred, the tory appointment was cancelled, and Lord Auckland was appointed. Metcalfe's short administration is chiefly distinguished by the act of 15 Sept. 1835, which removed the vexatious restrictions on the liberty of the Indian press.

Shortly after the arrival of the new governor-general, Metcalfe was invested with