“Sir,—­The repeated cries of the women in the Khord Mohul Zenanah for subsistence have been truly melancholy.  They beg most piteously for liberty, that they may earn their daily bread by laborious servitude, or be relieved from their misery by immediate death.  In consequence of their unhappy situation, I have this day taken the liberty of drawing on you in favor of Ramnarain at ten days’ sight, for twenty son Kerah rupees, ten thousand of which I have paid to Cojah Letafit Ali Khan, under whose charge that zenanah is.”

These, my Lords, are the state of the distresses in the year 1782, and your Lordships will see that they continued almost, with only occasional reliefs, during the period of that whole year.  Now we enter into the year 1783, to show you that it continued during the whole time; and then I shall make a very few remarks upon it.

I will now read to your Lordships a part of Mr. Holt’s evidence, by which it is proved that Mr. Hastings was duly advertised of all these miserable and calamitous circumstances.

“Q. Whether you saw a letter of intelligence from Fyzabad containing a relation of the treatment of the women in the Khord Mohul?—­A. Yes, I did, and translated it.—­Q. From whom did it come?—­A. Hoolas Roy.—­Q. Who was he?—­A. An agent of the Resident at Fyzabad, employed for the purpose of transmitting information to the Resident.—­Q. Was that paper transmitted to Mr. Hastings?—­A. To the best of my recollection, it was transmitted to the Board, after I had attested it.—­Q. Do you remember at what distance of time after the receipt of the intelligence respecting the distresses of the Khord Mohul that paper was transmitted to Calcutta?—­A. I cannot say.—­Q. Do you believe it was transmitted within ten months after the time it was received?—­A. I understood it to be a letter received just before it was transmitted.—­Q. Then you understand it was transmitted as soon as received?—­A. Yes, in the course of three days.—­Q. Can you bring to your mind the time at which the translation was made?—­A. To the best of my recollection, it was in January, 1784.—­Q. Whether the distresses that had been complained of had ceased for above a twelvemonth before the distresses of the Khord Mohul?—­A. I understood they were new distresses.—­Q. Then you state that that account transmitted in 1784 was, as you understand, an account of new distresses?—­A. Yes.”

I shall now refer your Lordships to page 899 of your printed Minutes.

[The Managers for the Commons acquainted the House, that they would next read the paper of intelligence which had been authenticated by Mr. Holt, in his evidence at the bar, relative to the miserable situation of these women, which they meant to bring home to Mr. Hastings.]

     An Extract of a Consultation of the 17th February, 1784.