A History of the Mahrattas v2.c53.29

v2.c53.29

A.D. 1806.—Sir George Barlow, in whom the power of confirming treaties on the part of the British Government now rested, made an alteration in this treaty, as well as in that concluded with Sindia. Sir George Barlow conceived that the reasons adduced by Lord Lake for continuing the connexions with the petty states north of the Chumbul were outweighed by the political advantage of their dissolution. Lord Lake maintained that the alliance of these petty states interposed a strong barrier against the future encroachments of the Mahrattas; and that, at all events, the honour of the British Government was pledged to respect its engagements, until the treaties were infringed or renounced by the states in question. Sir George Barlow contended that the security of the British Government depended either on its controlling all the states of India, or on leaving them to the wars and disputes which were sure to arise if left to themselves; and that