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HYDERABAD, 5th November 1891.
The "Pioneer's" estimate of Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick's services here is amusing, though clever, reading. Indicating both
sides of the question he makes his meaning clear enough and
that is, that Sir Dennis has not been a "success." If he defined
correctly the duty of a Resident before the Imperial Diamond
Commission, I can almost fancy the Allahabad Oracle saying,
Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick must be considered one of the best Residents Hyderabad has had; but if public opinion is any criterion of his work he is a big failure. This is dealing out even-handed justice in sooth--and we are left to choose between
what Sir Dennis thinks of his official conduct here, and what
the public think of it. Hitherto there was an impression that
Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick's policy-and that is difficult to under-
stand-was shaped by orders from higher quarters-that is that
he was giving the "culprit" a long rope to hang himself by
acceding to the wishes of the Supreme Government. But that
impression has been removed by the "Pioneer's" article.
The statement that Sir Dennis read at the 'Imperial' Diamond inquiry is one of the most egotistical documents that have
ever been penned by British Indian officials. It makes one
smile to see how calmly and coolly he makes his definition of a
Resident's duties chime in with what he has himself done here
as Resident; and one cannot help starting when he blows his
own trumpet in the rather comic style in which he does it
in his paper. Good has invariably resulted from my advice
whenever I chose to give it, the Resident composedly tells us
and the Nizam's officials themselves will admit this. IIe, the
astate lawyer that he is does not mention who profited by the
good that invariably resulted from his advice, unless he meant
it to be understood that the witnesses he cites and those that
benefited by the results of his advice were the same-the officials. There is not the slightest doubt that the officials will
admit all that he has said in praise of himself or they will lay
themselves open to a charge of ingratitude of a very bad type-
