Chap. VI.] PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS. 423
return, a vote of thanks promoted if moved for, and nobody to be displaced.' .d. ittg. This is Mr. Maclean's accomit ; but as the negotiation was never recognized by the ministry, and the stipulations proved a dead letter, it is impossible to say how far he has confined himself to fiicts, or mingled his o-vvn fancies along with them.
On the 18tli of October the court of directors took the letter into conside- Proceedings
of directors
ration, and having called in Colonel Maclean, asked him to produce his autho- inconse rity for writing it. His answer was that the papers conferring it contained coionei matters " of a nature extremely confidential," which precluded him from laying j'^g^t'^Jr^'"' them bodily before the court ; but that he was ready to give every satisfaction, by submitting them to the inspection of any three directors who might be appointed for that pui'pose. This answer might have justified a suspicion that there was some mistake. Was it conceivable that Mr. Hastings, if he had really resigned, would have left it to be inferred from papers which could not be submitted to full inspection without betraying confidence? In fact, Mr. Maclean, in his own letter, had not ventured to do more than speak of " a desire to resign," and of a "vacancy which will thereby be occasioned." It was obvious, therefore, that at the utmost nothing more could be made out than a constructive resignation ; in other words, a resignation which, not being made in direct terms, but only inferred from facts and circumstances, could never amount to the resignation which the Regulating Act required before action could be taken on it. This consideration should have restrained the directors from taking the undignified and unbusiness-like step of deputing a committee to sit in judgment on Colonel Maclean's papers. Their conduct can only be accounted for by their wishes. They longed for the resignation, and were determined, if possible, to prove that they had obtained it.
The chairman, deputy-chairman, and Mr. Richard Becher, the committee Report of
. . the com
appointed, reported, on the 23d of October, that "having conferred with Mr. mittee Maclean, they find that from the purport of Mr. Hastings' instructions, contained hy^th'em. in a paper in his own handwriting, he declares he will not continue in the government of Bengal unless certain conditions therein specified can be obtained." Of this, they add, "there is no probability." Assuming that they were correct in tliis opinion, what follows? "That Mr. Hastings has resigned," say the chairman and deputy-chairman only, for Mr. Becher refused to concur with them; but in order to show that nothino- can be more illogfical than this con- elusion, it is necessary only to put the argument into the form of a syllogism — Mr. Hastings will resi2:n unless certain conditions can be obtained: of this there is no probability: ergo, Mr. Ha.stings has resigned! Instead of this syllogism, in which the conclusion has no visible connection with the premises, it is clear that the true syllogism should stand thus — Mr. Hastings will resign unless certain conditions can be obtained: of this there is no probability:
ergo, there is every probability that Mr. Hastings will resign. By no possible
