| Description | William describes his life as one of continuous struggle. 'This is a critical time for India just now there is a perfect storm of facts gathering against poor John Company'. The Honorable East India Company will succumb to popular clamour and William thinks that the change will do good. He discusses how a move to the Crown might have been received ten years ago, and what it might mean now. He finds his own list of criminal cases swelling, putting it down to lax administration, heavy floods and high prices, but his own presence has brought many crimes to light. He lists murders, which appear almost daily, and if the victim is not a man, or is not rich, the matter is hushed up: 'natives have such a reckless disregard for the life of a woman & such peculiar ideas on Woman's honour that it is only in a very few cases that the charge can be proved'. William discusses other crimes, including thefts, and the slight impact of his work; together with Thuggees and the conviction of the innocent. William considers deceit to be a drain on stamina and character. He describes an unpleasant scene with Stewart, who delights in bringing cases to court. He has a case in William's court which he tries to go over in private, taking offense when William refused to do so. He outlines Stewart's last case, involving a substitute for his valet allegedly embezzling 100 rupees. The original valet was negotiating his return, and Stewart had him arrested and charged with breach of contract. William dismissed the case against Gouree and thought that Stewart would get over the matter, but was met with a torrent of abuse next time they met. His son Nicholas Stewart tried to pacify him, to no effect. The Stewart children have often consulted on the best way of managing their father and William has some worries that third parties will give credence to the man, who is convincing in setting out his grievances. [William] Waterfield is miserable about a mistake of William's in writing to Mary Waterfield, in breach of decorum. He explains the misunderstanding and asks his mother to let Waterfield see that he is acquitted and that William's letter was a hasty one. |