The Most Celebrated Trial

The most celebrated trial in the annals of English jurisprudence is undoubtedly that of Warren Hastings. This case lasted, including preliminary proceedings, nearly ten years-from 1786 to 1795. Hastings (born in 1733) was an Englishman of the middle rank in life, who, at the age of seventeen, went to India as a writer in the employ of the East India Company. After a residence there of fourteen years, he returned to England, having gained such a reputation for clever executive management, that in 1769 he received the appointment as second in the Council at Madras. Three years later he was promoted to the highest office in the gift of the Company, that of President of the Supreme Council of Bengal. The powers of this office were afterward enlarged by an act of Parliament, so that he became Governor-General and supreme head of all the British dependencies in India. By his able management he greatly increased the revenue of the realm, established British authority over the conquered provinces on a firmer basis than it had ever enjoyed before, and made the path of his successors in office comparatively easy. But he called down upon himself the bitter enmity of the native chiefs, and also of many Englishmen of note, who, envious of the increasing power and wealth of Hastings, determined to destroy him. Reports of cruelty and oppression, unjust aggressiveness, lavish and corrupt expenditure, were busily circulated in England. How true or how false the charges were it is impossible now to judge; but a split occurred in the management of the East India Company, one party endeavoring to procure his dismissal, and the other and more powerful one standing by him. Thus encouraged, he asked and received constantly more authority, until he became at last practically an irresponsible despot. In February, 1785, either weary of the contention in which he had lived so long, or else feeling that he had exhausted all that was worth having in the office of Governor-General, he resigned and set sail for home. As soon as he reached England, Edmund Burke began preparations to have him impeached by Parliament. The formal proceedings began in 1786, and it was not until the 2d of June, 1791, that Hastings began his defence. It lasted until the 17th of April, 1795, on which date he was acquitted by a large majority on every article of the indictment. A great nation had been sitting in public judgment upon a great criminal for nearly ten years, and it is said that when his verdict of acquittal was read, the members of Parliament rose as a body and removed their hats--an honor not paid even to royalty. Edmund Burke's opening speech in the trial of Hastings is considered one of the sublimest philippics that ancient or modern oratory has ever produced. The Company in whose service Lord Hastings had won so much glory and suffered such tortures of disgrace granted him a liberal annuity--and justly so, as the protracted trial had completely impoverished his resources. He retired to private life, but shortly before his death (which occurred in August, 1818) he received an appointment to a very important public office, that of Privy Counselor. The bitterness of Burke, the Irishman, during this trial, inspired the following epigram:--

Macaulay's description of the opening of the trial forms one of his most gorgeous paragraphs.