2d.  In what manner was the application made to you, and by whom?

3d.  On what account was the sum of one and half lacs given to the Governor-General, which you have laid to his account?  Was it in consequence of any requisition from him, or of any previous agreement, or of any established usage?

The Governor-General objected strongly to Mr. Goring’s being present when the questions were put to the Begum; but it was insisted on by the majority, and it was resolved accordingly, that he ought to be present.  The reasons on both sides will best appear by the copy of the debate, inserted in the Appendix.

The Begum’s answer to the preceding questions, addressed to the Governor-General and Council, where it touched the substance, was as follows.

“The case is this.  Mr. Goring, on his arrival here, seized all the papers, and secured them under his seal; and all the mutsuddies [clerks or accountants] attended him, and explained to him all the particulars of them.  Mr. Goring inquired of me concerning the arrears due to the sepoys, &c., observing, that the nizamut and bhela money [Nabob’s allowance] was received from the Company; from whence, then, could the balance arise?  I made answer, that the sum was not adequate to the expenses.  Mr. Goring then asked, What are those expenses which exceed the sum received from the Company?  I replied, All the particulars will be found in the papers.  The affair of the three lacs of rupees, on account of entertainment for the Governor and Mr. Middleton, has been, I am told, related to you by Rajah Gourdas; besides which there are many other expenses, which will appear from the papers.  As the custom of entertainment is of long standing, and accordingly every Governor of Calcutta who came to Moorshedabad received a daily sum of two thousand rupees for entertainment, which, was in fact instead of provisions; and the lac and an half of rupees laid to Mr. Middleton’s charge was a present on account of an agreement entered into by the Bhow Begum.  I therefore affixed my seal to the account, and forwarded it to Mr. Goring by means of the Nabob.”

In this answer, the accounts given to Mr. Goring she asserts to be genuine.  They are explained, in all the particulars, by all the secretaries and clerks in office.  They are secured under Mr. Goring’s seal.  To them she refers for everything; to them she refers for the three lacs of rupees given to Mr. Hastings and Mr. Middleton.  It is impossible to combine together a clearer body of proof, composed of record of office and verbal testimony mutually supporting and illustrating each other.

The House will observe that the receipt of the money is indirectly admitted by one of the Governor’s own questions to Munny Begum.

If the money was not received, it would have been absurd to ask on what account it was given.  Both the question and the answer relate to some established usage, the appeal to which might possibly be used to justify the acceptance of the money, if it was accepted, but would be superfluous, and no way applicable to the charge, if the money was never given.