officially informed by their chairman, and deputy-chairman, (the only medium through which they could have any communication with government) that the meafures relative to the fupervifion were approved of by adminiftration; but that as foon as it was found, that the Company did not chufe to intruft their affairs in the hands of thofe who were nominated for that purpofe by the minifiers, they immediately fet their face against the whole measure, and now had the fortune, to find the House fo compliant as to adopt their re fentments. not be much left for redrefs, by forced this matter into parliament, the time that it could take place. only to gratify a private refentBut the great force of the argument; that the Company had been ments on this fide, was principally directed, to the prefent unufual and extraordinary fretch of parliamentary authority; it was acknowledged that a fupreme undefined power was ultimately lodged in the legiflature; but it was infifled, that fuch an exertion of it, could only be justified by the moft urgent neceffity; and that as no fuch neceffity now exifted, it was a wanton violation of public faith, law, and the constitution, without an equitable motive. That it was the invafion of a right, which parliament had not granted but fold; a right for which the faith of the nation was pledged, and which could not be taken away without an act of forfeiture in the company; nor even in that cafe without due compenfation. That this violent and dangerous exertion of power, muft not only destroy the credit of the India Company; but also affect the Bank, the South-Sea, and all other public companies, none of which could have any other fecurities than thofe which were now violated; that whenever a war took place, the effects of this unjuft and pernicious measure, upon the national credit in general, would be too late and too fatally experienced; and that it was not lefs dangerous in its principle, nor mischievous in its precedent, to the city of London, and all the other corporate bodies in the British empire. A particular charge was alfo made upon adminiftration, with regard to their motives for this fufpenfion. It was faid that they had arbitrarily and capriciously fufpended the legal courfe of bufinefs in the court of proprietors, and It was obfervable, that many of thofe, who either in themselves or their families, were under great obligations to the Company, and particularly fuch as had obtained vaft fortunes in her fervice, now joined administration in this bill. The effects of the party difputes with refpect to the appointment of fupervifors, were alfo very visible upon this occafion. Though the queftion was debated warmly and ably by the oppofition, fuch was the force of the general odium in which the Company flood, and fuch the weakness arifing from its internal diffentions, that the numbers against the bill were very trifling. Befides, many of the oppofition had not then come to town. Upon a divifion late at night, and not a very thin houfe, the bill was carried by a majority of more than five to one, the numbers being 15 3,. to 28, only. The retraining bill was prefented the next day to the Houfe of Lords, and it being fo near the holidays, was carried through with the the greatest dispatch. It did not, however, pafs without oppofition; though, as in the other Houfe, the opponents were few. A noble duke, who had long been diftinguished in oppofition, and who of late had applied himself with uncommon induftry to obtain a perfect knowledge of India affairs, traverfed this bill with great vigour and almost alone, for the fhort time in which it was paffing through its feveral ftages. As the bill was brought in on a Saturday, and a eport was fpread in the evening, and inserted in the news-papers, that it had been carried that day through its laft reading, (a matter however uncommon, which was readily believed) the India Company had not time to go through the neceffary forms, for affembling in its corporate capacity, and framing and prefenting a petition, before the following Wednesday, on which it was finally paffed. A petition figned by 14 proprietors was, however, received, and witneffes were examined, and counfel heard at the bar against the bill. We fhall take notice of fome of the arguments that were used upon this occafion, fo far as they were peculiar to the place, or may feem to throw new light upon the fubject. As the Houfe of Lords is clofe fhut, we are obliged for the arguments of the minority in that houfe to their protefts; thofe of the miniftry, we muft fuppofe nearly the fame with thofe ufed in the House of Commons. It was urged against the bill, that the arbitrary taking away of legal franchifes and capacities, without any legal caufe of forfeiture, establishes a precedent, which leaves no fort of fecurity to the subject for his liberties; VOL. XVI. fince his exercifing them, in the ftrictest conformity to all the rules of law, general equity, and moral conduct, is not fufficient to prevent parliament from interefting its fovereign powers to divet him of thofe rights; by means of which infecurity, the honourable diftinction between the British, and other forms of government, is in a great meafure loft; that this misfortune is greatly growing upon us, through temporary, occafional, and partial acts of parliament, which, without confideration of their conformity to the general principles of our law and conftitution, are adopted rafhly and haftily upon every petty occafion; that though it may be difficult to fix any legal limit to the extent of legislative power; it is to be fuppofed, that parliament is as much bound as any individual to the obfervance of its own compacts; or otherwife, it is impoffible to understand what public faith means, or how public credit can fubfift. That the India Company might have been legally called in queftion, and even its charter endangered, for a neglect of exercising thofe neceffary powers with which it is entrufted, and the use of which it is now proposed to suspend; and that it must be a government compofed of deceit and violence, where men are liable to be punished if they decline, or to be reftrained if they endeavour, to exercife their lawful powers. That it appears by evidence, upon oath at the bar, that the Company had been authoritatively informed, that the commiffion for regulating their affairs, would have been approved of by adminiftration; and that their fituation was peculiarly unfortu [*F] nate, : nate, when driven from all confidence in public faith, and the laws of their country, they fhould find no fecurity for their charter privileges even in thofe very minifters, under whose fanction they had every poffible reafon to believe they were acting. It was much objected to, that the bill was brought in at a feafon, when the Houfe is always ill attended, and hurried through with a violent, and it was faid, indecent precipitation. That a reafon of fact was alledged in the preamble, ftating the expence of the commiffion to be very confiderable: and they had not before them any account or estimate of the expences actual or probable, nor were fupplied with any accounts tending to fhew the prefent ability or inability of the Company to bear it; fo that the Lords were to affert facts, and on thofe facts to ground a law, altering the condition, and fufpending the charter rights of the Company, without a poffibility of knowing whether the facts were true or false; and that with a determination to continue uninformed, it had been refused to call for the evidence of the directors concerning the expence; or in a matter of fuch importance, both in itfelf and its example, to follow the ancient fettled parliamentary courfe of defiring a conference with the Commons, in order to be acquainted with the evidence which they received as the grounds of their proceeding. It was faid, that it must be a matter of aftonishment to the public, who had for a long time earneftly and anxiously looked to the Company, or to parliament, for redress of the grievances in India, to find at length, that the latter is only employed in preventing the former from doing its duty; that inflead of correcting the abuse, they oppofe themselves to the reformation; that when it was expected, that thofe who had wronged the Company should have been brought to exemplary punishment, the fuffering Company itself is deprived of its rights; and inftead of calling delinquents to account, the perfons legally empowered to correct or reftrain them, are by parliament fufpended from their office. that On the other fide, befides many of thofe arguments which we have before feen stated in fupport of the bill, it is faid, that the charge upon administration, of having at one time given a fanction to the commiffion for fuperintending the Company's affairs, was pofitively denied, with respect to fuch of its members as belonged to Houfe; and reafons were brought to fhew, why it could not be well founded with respect to others. As to the dangers that were apprehended from this measure with refpect to the national credit, they were represented as merely imaginary; and it was faid, that it would have a totally contrary effect, as the Dutch, who had much more money in our public funds, than any other foreigners, would think themselves much fafer, when they found that the India Company was under the care and protection of parliament, than if they had been abandoned to their own wild fchemes of regulation and management. That they had no evidence that this bill was contrary to the Company's inclinations, any more than to their interefts; that the petition they i they had heard at the bar, was no corporate act, and was figned only by fourteen proprietors, out of about seventeen hundred, of which the Company confifted; that the vaft majority by which it was carried through the other Houfe, where the most ample information was obtained of the Company's affairs, and the very fmall number that had diffented to it, fufficiently fhewed the juftice, propriety, and expediency of the measure. Other charges or cénfures were answered, by the fhortnefs of the time, and the advantage the Company might take of parliament during the recefs. Upon a divifion, the bill was carried by nearly a proportional majority, to that which had attended it in the Houfe of Commons, 26 lords having voted for it, to 6 only who oppofed its paffing; it was, however, followed, by a remarkably pointed and severe protest. CHA P. VII. Expedition against the Caribbs in the island of St. Vincent. Some account of thefe people; black and yellow Caribbs; ceffion of the island by the late treaty of peace. The Caribbs refufe to have their lands furveyed, and to Submit to the propofed transplantation. New propofals made and rejected. Troops ordered from North-America; proposal for transporting the Caribbs to the coaft of Africa. Enquiry fet on foot in the House of Commons, as to the nature and caufes of the expedition; witnesses examined; debates; refolutions moved, and rejected upon a divifion. Treaty concluded with the Caribbs. Petition from the captains of the navy for an addition to their half-pay; oppofition to the Petition; received, upon a divifion, and the request complied with. Fate of the Diffenters Bil. Motion relative to tefts required in the Universities; rejected by a great majority. A N expedition which had been undertaken against the Caribbs in the island of St. Vincent, in the Weft-Indies, had occafioned confiderable debates in the courfe of this feffion. It appears that these people confifted of two different races, which, from their colour, were distinguished by the appellations of Black and Yellow Caribbs; the latter, being defcended from the original natives, were the natural proprietors of the ifland; the former were the offspring of a cargo of African negroes, who being on board an English flaving veffel bound to Barbadoes, had been caft away upon the coafts of St.Vin, cent, about a century ago. The foon foon became far fuperior in power and number to the natives, who melted away infenfibly as the ftrangers increased. In this ftate the Caribbs continued for fome time, until the French from the neighbouring iflands infinuated themfelves amongst them, being tempted by the excellence of the foil, and the cheap purchases which they made of it, for brandy, and the trifling neceffaries that are wanted by the favages; and by degrees got fuch footing, as to become poffeffed of all the fertile vallies that interfect the mountains on the leeward fide of the island, and to bring them into a state of cultivation. Though the French and the Caribbs of both colours, lived in general together upon very good terms, and the latter, in procefs of time, adopted the religion, and acquired the language of the former; yet the neighbourhood of cultivation and villages, was as little fuited to the convenience and neceffities of a people, who fubfifted principally by hunting and fifhing, as it was to their genius. Mankind, in any state near that of nature, fhun crowds, and love retirement; ftill wishing to live free and unreftrained in their actions, without obfervation or interference. The Caribbs accordingly, totally abandoned their ancient poffeffions, and retired to the windward, and level fide of the island. It however appears, though we are uninformed as to the time and particulars, that an attempt was once made by the French to enflave thefe people; and that the Caribbs defended their liberty fo ftoutly, that the French were not only glad to renounce the defign, but were obliged to ac knowledge them as a free and independent people. Notwithstanding this migration and attempt, a friendly intercourse and correspondence was in general continued, and the French not only feem to have paid a proper attention to their difpofitions and manners, but to have applied themfelves affiduously to the gaining of their friendship and affection; while the Caribbs retained a power of fummary juftice in their own hands, by burning the houfes and plantations of those from whom they had received any injury. It is probable that thefe exceffes were not often committed: and it does not appear, that the French ever confidered them as fufficient grounds for a general quarrel, or revenged them as public injuries. During this ftate of affairs, and until the late treaty of peace, the French King, upon every occafion, treated the Caribbs with fome diftinction, and feemed to confider them as proprietors of the island. By that treaty, the island of St. Vincent was ceded to Great-Britain, without any notice being taken of the Caribbs. It was then fuppofed to contain between four and five thousand French inhabitants, and the Caribbs to amount to upwards of a thousand fighting men. As this island was one of thofe which had been declared neutral, and the French fettlements on it were infractions of former treaties between the two nations, they were paffed over in the prefent, without the smallest mention, as if none fuch were in existence. Commiffioners were appointed for the fale of the profitable lands in thofe iflands; but the French fettlers were permitted to hold their former > |