In 1752 Robert Palk was appointed to the lucrative position of "Paymaster and Commissary in the Field" to Lawrence's army. In January 1754 Palk and Henry Vansittart were appointed to discuss the terms of a peace settlement with the French who controlled a large part of India. A year later a settlement was reached. A colleague of Palk's in Madras, Robert Orme, noted at that time that "Palk had long ince given up studies of history and theology and had thrown himself into active engagement with the contemporary affairs of the British at Madras".