friend, but unless he had been sent out by the Court of Directors it was not in his power to promote him.
In the same letter he says he should be glad to appoint a Mr. Beachcroft to a Commercial Residency if he were likely to succeed in it: 'But here, my lord, we are in the habit of looking for the man for the place, and not for the place for the man.' Another peer recommends a young gentleman named Ramus, a late page of honour to the King. He went out as a free merchant. The name of Ramus occurs about this time in the list of Company's servants. But the most flagrant attempt in this direction was made by the Prince of Wales. He had a protégé named Treves, whose ambition it was to be appointed to the Adálat, or Civil Court of Benares. The post at that time was filled by 'a black named Ali Cann.' This gentleman's right name was Alí Ibráhím Khán, a man of real talent and universally respected. Cornwallis answers His Royal Highness to the effect that though he was anxious to put the Company's servants at the head of both the Civil and Criminal Courts, it would be a difficult and unpopular measure to remove the incumbent, and that if Alí Khán were to die tomorrow, it would be impossible to give this appointment to Mr. Treves, looking to his standing in the service, as well as the impropriety of appointing so young a man to a situation of so much gravity and importance.
Again, a year afterwards, the Prince of Wales
