[129b-448]

16 March 1817

Plan Cat

2 o

Intro

§18. Defence

Inserendum

One supposition indeed there is on which it might be not altogether so easy for the Right Honourable arbiter to afford a compleat acquittal to /acquit/ the Noble Lord. This is that in and by the article what in the case in question is supposed to have been employed in the capacity of an instrument of corruption an addition was made to the quantity of that matter antecedently existing at the disposal of the Servants of the Crown and destined to be applied to the purpose of sinister influence /the sort of influence here in question/. Antecedently to the establishment of the Board of Controul, that any part of the patronage of British India was in the hands of the Crown. At the time in question by the example in question it appears that a part of that patronage viz. one writership was at the command of the Servant of the Crown viz. by means[?] of the Presidency of the Board of Controul. For, one of these Writerships was it seems at the command of those faithful servants ready to be employed in the purchase in question in the purchase of the next presentation to a seat. At that time what may have been, since that time what may be, the number of those articles transferred from the East India Directors and lodged in the hands of the Board of Controul and incidentally or customarily and regularly applied to this convenient and accommodating purpose? This is the article of information, the attainment of which if practicable might, if it were only in the way of gratification to the appetite of curiosity, have its use.