The Newport Gazette

LONDON.

Copy of a letter from General Clavering, to Col. Stuart, dated Calcutta, September 15, 1776. Received October 16, 1776.

Dear Sir,

I have received your two favours of the 18th and 21st of August, and rejoice with you, that you have succeeded so happily in placing the majority of the Council in the Government. The honour of conducting so difficult and dangerous a business, was not the province of every one; and it is most probable, that without your assistance, few of those who have partaken of the danger would have spirit and magnanimity enough to have enterprised it in its execution, although having proceeded so far, their own safety at last depended in completing the work.

When the consequences are well weighed that would have resulted from Lord Pigot's usurpation of the government, that the Nabob would have been one of the objects of his resentment, whereby the peace of the Carnatic would not have failed being disturbed: For, whether the Nabob had been seized, or had escaped from the danger, in either case, I cannot doubt but a war in Carnatic must have been inevitable. Whatever advantage, therefore, arise from the preservation of so faithful an Ally, or to the company's Commerce, by the peace of the Carnatic being preserved, the Company are indebted chiefly to you for them.

As I am prevented both by illness and the hurry of business, on the dispatch of this packet, writing to Sir Robert Fletcher, I beg you will not excuse, and communicate this letter to him. He will see in our public letter, that we did write to the Court of Directors, letter of the 20th inst, to desire on the subject of the minority's first letter, together with that of Lord Pigot's of the 29th, and unanimous to determine on the support of the actual Government.

The Council's letter of the 20th did not arrive till several days afterwards, and has not yet been considered.

As I cannot help feeling great anxiety, lest some part of the army, or some of the subordinates may yet declare for Lord Pigot, and a civil war be produced in the country. I propose to recommend it to our Board, to depute a Civil servant to Madras, to represent in our names, and with our authority, to any person who may have influenced themselves to have been deluded in either not acknowledging your government, or in openly opposing the part we have taken. I shall further recommend, that we do write to the Subordinates in this Circle, to acquaint them with the resolution we have taken to support it, and to communicate to them the opinions of the Court of Directors received this year, on the powers with which a majority of a Board is vested.

Extract of a letter from the Hon. Warren Hastings, Esq; dated the 18th of September, 1776, to Mr. Stratton, received at Fort St. George, October 8.

Sir,

Much as I regret the necessity which has compelled you to wrest the powers of government from the hands of Lord Pigot, I both approve and applaud the measure, and most sincerely congratulate you upon the facility and success with which it was accomplished.

The moderation of your former conduct, which might and would have subjected you to censure, had the same despotic system continued, does honour to the spirit, no less than to the prudence, with which you seized the crisis in which it became your indispensable duty to act with vigour and decision.

Such sudden recovery of the constitution from an usurpation so confirmed, and from a Spirit so determined, as his Lordship's was, effected without bloodshed, without tumult, and without the violation of one legal form, is almost without example, and you may assure yourself that it will, and must be ratified at home. Though this is an event of too important a nature to admit of any private consideration, in the opinion which I have formed of it, yet that being formed upon the most solid and impartial grounds, I may be allowed to indulge the feelings which arise from the reflections, that a contest of so difficult and delicate a nature so determined so happily for your credit and advantage, and that any other friends, whose associate I had once the happiness to be, during a period in which the Company's affairs at Madras were conducted with as much harmony and regularity as ever influenced the conduct of that Board, have borne so considerable and decisive a part in it.

You will have known from our public letter, which was dispatched to you by the last post, that my sentiments upon this event could not have differed much from my present expressions of them; that letter was written as expeditiously as it could have been upon a Subject of such consequence, and by men not accustomed to unanimity.

I wait impatiently to hear of your subsequent transactions, but without any apprehension of ill news; yet I own I shall be easier in mind when I hear that your late President returned to England, as his presence must be productive of some distress, and check the operations of your government.

Yesterday orders were given for one of the East-India Company's packets to be got ready next week, in order to carry over some dispatches, and the late resolutions concerning the Restoration of Lord Pigot.