A History of the Mahrattas v2.c44.3

v2.c44.3

But although nothing decidedly inimical appears on the part of Sindia towards the British Government, his power and ambition, his march to Poona, and, above all, the general opinion of the country, led the English to suspect him; and we accordingly find in their records various proofs of watchful jealousy. The Bombay Government, in consequence of a slight alteration in the style of address from that which was used in the time of Governor Hornby, attributed the change to studied disrespect, and an attempt to mediate between that Government and his relation, the Dessaye of Sawuntwaree, was deemed a very improper interference; but in the one case the style of address was discovered to be the same as permitted by the Governor-General, and in the other the proposed mediation was perfectly justified. There appeared, however, soon after Sindia’s arrival in the Deccan, in an ukhbar or native newspaper from Delhi, a paragraph which stated that the Emperor had written to the Peishwa and Mahadajee Sindia, expressing a hope that by the exertions of the Wukeel-i-Mootluq and his deputy he should obtain some tribute from Bengal. As such paragraphs are frequently written for the purpose of ascertaining the effects of the reports which they promulgate, it was properly noticed by Lord Cornwallis, whose spirited remonstrance prevented its repetition.