"حياة ومراسلات اللواء السير جون مالكوم، قائد فرسان وسام الطُهر، المبعوث السابق إلى بلاد فارس وحاكم بومباي؛ من رسائل ومذكرات غير منشورة. في مجلّدين. المجلد II." [‎٥‎٣‎٢] (٦٥٤/٥٤٩)

532
THE BOMBAY GOVERNMENT.
heads with outward gravity, and condemned the indiscre
tion of communicating such a letter to the Press. Some
talked of breaches of confidence, and censured Malcolm
himself for distributing copies of a private letter; and in
the midst of all this discussion, Lord Ellenborough, of
whom little before had been known in India, suddenly
became famous.
In due course, intelligence of this untoward publica
tion reached Malcolm, who was then residing at Da-
pooree. Wholly unexpected as it was, it sorely distressed
him. He had never dreamt of any one divulging to the
outside public, much less of printing in a newspaper,
what had been confidentially communicated only to one
or two private friends. It was altogether a grievous
abatement from the satisfaction, which he had derived
from the support of his proceedings by the authorities at
home. What he felt on the subject—how anxious he
was to explain his own conduct and motives—may be
gathered from a long private letter which he wrote to
Lord William Bentinck on the 2nd of July, from which
the folloAving passages are taken:
" To three causes—to the strong and united feelings and
opinions of the Court of Directors; to the knowledge of India
and the decision of the Duke of Wellington; and to the prompt,
high-spirited, and able proceedings of the President of the Board
of Control—is to be ascribed this important victory, which I have
told Lord Ellenborough (and your Lordship will be satisfied I
have told him truly) will, if followed up to completion, place his
name above all his predecessors at the India Board. Amid the
feelings of satisfaction with which I refer to this subject, I have
suffered much personal annoyance from the publicity which has
been given to Lord Ellenborough's private letter of the 21st of
February. Though fully aware of the confidential nature of all
correspondence between a Governor and the President of the
India Board, I thought it a duty to send a copy of it and other