Acquittal of Warren Hastings

Background. Warren Hastings, born in 1732, had gone to India as an East India Company clerk in 1750 and rose through Company ranks to be appointed governor-general in 1773, a new office created by the North government. Philip Francis made eleven specific charges against him, with others later following, and in 1787 he was accused of corruption and impeached.

The Trial Before the Lords. After indictment by the House of Commons, Hastings was tried by his peers in the House of Lords, with proceedings beginning on 13 February 1788 and continuing for 148 days of hearings over seven years. The defence gained a major lift from the testimony on 9 April 1794 of Lord Cornwallis, who had succeeded Hastings as Governor-General in India. Burke's reply to the defence lasted nine days from late May to mid-June 1794.

Aftermath. Edmund Burke had warned the Lords that acquittal would be to their "perpetual infamy" and remained convinced of Hastings' guilt until his death in 1797. Hastings appealed to the British government for financial assistance and was eventually compensated by the East India Company with a loan of £50,000 and a pension of £4,000 a year.