“Sir,—­About the month of November last, I communicated to Mr. Markham the substance of a conversation said to have passed between Rajah Cheyt Sing and Saadut Ali, and which was reported to me by a person in whom I had some confidence.  The mode of communicating this intelligence to you I left entirely to Mr. Markham.  In this conversation, which was private, the Rajah and Saadut Ali were said to have talked of Hyder Ali’s victory over Colonel Baillie’s detachment, to have agreed that they ought to seize this opportunity of consulting their own interest, and to have determined to watch the success of Hyder’s arms.  Some days after this conversation was said to have happened, I was informed by the same person that the Rajah had received a message from one of the Begums at Fyzabad, (I think it was from Sujah ul Dowlah’s widow,) advising him not to comply with the demands of government, and encouraging him to expect support in case of his resisting.  This also, I believe, I communicated to Mr. Markham; but not being perfectly certain, I now think it my duty to remove the possibility of your remaining unacquainted with a circumstance which may not be unconnected with the present conduct of the Rajah.”

Here, then, is evidence of evidence given to Mr. Markham by Mr. Balfour, from Lucknow, in the month of November, 1781, long after the transaction at Benares.  But what was this evidence?  “I communicated,” he says, “the substance of a conversation said to have passed.”  Observe, said:  not a conversation that had passed to his knowledge or recollection, but what his informant said had passed.  He adds, this conversation was reported to him by a person whom he won’t name, but in whom, he says, he had some confidence.  This anonymous person, in whom he had put some confidence, was not himself present at the conversation; he only reports to him that it was said by somebody else that such a conversation had taken place.  This conversation, which somebody told Colonel Balfour he had heard was said by somebody to have taken place, if true, related to matters of great importance; still the mode of its communication was left to Mr. Markham, and that gentleman did not bring it forward till some months after.  Colonel Balfour proceeds to say,—­“Some days after this conversation was said to have happened,” (your Lordships will observe it is always, “was said to have happened,”) “I was informed by the same person that the Rajah had received a message from one of the Begums at Fyzabad, (I think it was from Sujah ul Dowlah’s widow,) advising him not to comply with the demands of government, and encouraging him to expect support in case of his resisting.”  He next adds,—­“This also, I believe,” (observe, he says he is not quite sure of it,) “I communicated to Mr. Markham; but not being perfectly certain,” (of a matter the immediate knowledge of which, if true, was of the highest importance to his country,) “I now think it my duty to remove the possibility of your remaining unacquainted with, a circumstance which may not be unconnected with the present conduct of the Rajah.”