51f THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR EMPIRE. chap, contravention whatever.'** It will thus be seen that XII Lally in a way superseded de Leyrit, the latter, how- 1758. ever J stl U retaining the rank and position of governor. This position, combined with his local influence, and added to the restriction relative to the votes, gave the latter, as Lally was destined soon to discover, very con- siderable power. Lally had sailed prepared to find fault. Before he left France, the Directors had themselves placed in his hands a memorandum, in Avhich their principal officers on the Koromandel coast, Bussy alone excepted, were painted in the most unfavourable colours. But this was not all. It had been likewise intimated to him, as well by the Directors as by the Ministers of the Crown, that corruption was rampant at Pondichery, and that they looked to him to check it. He had been informed that the farming out of lands, the supply of artillery cattle, the provisioning of the sipahis, the purchase and re-sale of goods drawn from the magazines of the Company, and — the most important of all — the conducting of treaties with native princes, were matters which required thorough and searching investigation, inasmuch as it was believed that they were made the means of enrich- ing private individuals to the great injury of the share- holders of the Company. To such an extent had these points been pressed upon his attention whilst in Paris ; so incontestable apparently were the proofs that had been placed before him — that Lally had left France with the conscientious conviction on his mind that he was coming out to uproot a nest of robbers and extortioners. He had, he believed, a double mission — to root out those robbers, and to throw the English into the sea. He landed, as we have stated, with a few of his offi- cers, on April 28. He at once set himself to work to inquire as to the condition of Madras and of Fort St.
- This order is dated December countersigned by the Minister Mac-
31, 1756; signed by Louis XV., and hault.
