Catalogue description Packet No 14: Papers relating to British India. Letters to Earl Cornwallis from Colonel...

Packet No 14: Papers relating to British India. Letters to Earl Cornwallis from Colonel Wm. Blair (Colonel of the First Brigade at Cawnpore), Sir Archibald Campbell, Lady Campbell, Monsr. Dayot, George Forster, G. Gardner, James Grant (Resident at Benares), Henry Haldane, Captain John Hamilton, Colonel Gabriel Harper (Resident at Lucknow), John Hely, Capt. Thos. Higgins, Richard Johnston, Captain William Kirkpatrick (Resident at Scindia's camp), Colonel Knudson, Alexander Macleod (Resident at Tanjore), Sir John Macpherson, Charles Warre Malet (Resident at Poona), John Moffat, John Peach, Robert Percival Pott (Resident at Moorshedabad), Captain Roddam, Capt. Granby Sloper, John Sloper, Robt. Orme Smith, John Stables, J. Willes (Resident at Furruckabad), A. Williams, Sir George Yonge, Secretary at War.--By far the most noteworthy document of this packet is a long and carefully elaborated letter (of forty closely written folio pages) from Captain William Kirkpatrick, Resident at Scindia's camp, wherein the writer sets forth (to Lord Cornwallis) his several grounds for thinking Scindia animated by hostility to English interests, and a settled purpose of 'lowering our Government in the estimation of his neighbours.' In conclusion, Captain Kirkpatrick recommends the discontinuance of the Resident with Scindia, his presence there under existing circumstances being hurtful to the prestige of the East India Company and its government, whilst his permanent withdrawal would be prejudicial to Scindia.