XX. forming their exifting engagements, declared very CHA P. high dividends; while the factions which rent the India house rather portended a perpetuation of distress, through anarchy, than an extrication from difficulty, by vigilance, prudence, and perseverance. 1772. 1772. 30th Mar. Select committee apthe houfe of commons. pointed in IN the late feffion, a bill was propofed, for re. gulating the fervants and court of judicature of the Eaft India company. This measure originated in the India house; the motion was made by Mr. Sullivan, deputy-chairman of the court of directors, who ftated, that the bad prospect of affairs in India was occafioned by the want of power in the directors to punish their fervants for disobedience or mal-practices. The enor mities complained of, he faid, arofe from the folecifm in politics, that the governors of a country were allowed to act as merchants, which gave birth to an odious and deftructive monopoly. The bill, after some oppofition, was brought in, but did not pafs; one of the great objections against it being the want of due information, a felect committee of thirty-one members was appointed', on the motion of colonel 13th Apr. Burgoyne, to inquire into the nature, ftate, and condition of the Eaft India company, and of the British affairs in the East Indies. the com DURING the recefs of parliament, the diftrefs of Increafing the company was confiderably augmented: the in- diftrefs of conveniences refulting from mifconduct became pref- pany. fing, and increased, in an alarming degree. The treasury was empty, and bills accepted, to an amount exceeding a million fterling, were nearly payable; the company was indebted to the bank for cafh advanced, to the revenue for custom-house duties, and iThe committee confifted of the following perfons: Colonel Burgoyne, Sir William Meredith, Sir George Savile, lord George Germainc, Rofe Fuller, F. Vane, Col. Barré, the attorney and folicitor general, lord Howe, Robert Sutton, Thomas Pitt, Welbore Ellis, Sir Gilbert Elliot, George Rice, Pultney, C. J. Fox, Cornwall, lord Folkettone, general Conway, Hotham, H. Ongley, G. Johnstone, alderman Trecothick, Edward Baron, A. Curzon, Sir John Turner, captain Phipps, Mr. Gregory, lord Clive, and Mr. Strachey: any feven to be a committee. XX. 1772. CHAP. to the treafury for the annual ftipulated payment, as well as on an agreement respecting an indemnification for teas, which was attended with great lofs. They were befet with these and many other demands, while the intelligence from India prefented no confolatory profpects'. They nego tiate a loan. 23d O&. Appoint fupervisors. 26th Nov. Notice of their affairs DISTRACTED with internal diffenfions, and alarmed at the difpofition manifefted by government to interfere decifively in the arrangement of their affairs, fear and jealoufy were confpicuous in all their proceedings. They were, however, obliged to negotiate with the miniftry for a loan, to answer their immediate exigences; yet, as if anxious to fhow an independence in authority which they no longer poffeffed the means of retaining, they rafhly proceeded to nominate a fresh committee of fupervisors for India TM. THE firft lord of the treasury received their application for a loan with haughty referve, and referred them to parliament, the meeting of which being intended for an early day, no meafures were pursued for giving effect to the vote for new supervisors. IN this fpeech from the throne on opening the feffion, the king faid, "It is impoffible that I can in the King's look with indifference upon whatever concerns either freech. the commerce and revenue of the kingdom at large, or the private rights and interefts of confiderable numbers among my people: neither can I be infenfible how materially every one of these great ob. jects must be interested in the maintenance of the credit and profperity of the Eaft India company. When, therefore, I received information of the difficulties in * Annual Regifter 1773, p. 67. Hiftory of lord North's Adminiftra tion, p. 85. They fuffered a fevere lofs by the blowing up of a powder-magazine at Trichinopoly, which occafioned a grievous and extenfive destruction of lives and property. The perfons nominated were lieutenant-general Monckton, George Cuming, William Devaynes, Peter Lafcelles, Daniel Wier, and-Edward Wheeler, efqrs. XX. 1772. committee which that company appear to be involved, I deter. CHA P. mined to give you an early opportunity of informing yourselves fully of the true ftate of their affairs; and of making fuch provifions for the common benefit and fecurity of all the various interests concerned, as you fhall find beft adapted to the exigencies of the case." In the debate on the address, the fubject came im- Secret mediately under difcuffion, and as foon as that was voted, lord North moved for a fecret committee of thirteen members, chofen by ballot, to take into confideration the affairs of the company, which was agreed to without a divifion". This committee was furnished with full powers, and particularly instructed to take into confideration the measure of fending out fupervisors. The select committee of the preceding year, 30th Nor. fome members of which thought their labours too Select flightly regarded by the new nomination, was alfo committee revived. continued. committee. THE fecret committee proceeded in their bufiness First report with extraordinary dispatch, and in feven days after of the fecret their appointment, prefented a report on the proposed measure of fending out fupervisors, recommending a bill to prevent its being carried into effect. the motion MR. HARLEY having delivered this report, as 7th Dec. chairman of the committee, immediately propofed Debate on to bring in the bill; the rapidity with which the report for a bill to was prepared, and the unexpected manner in which it prevent the was introduced, did not escape animadverfion. Seve- fending out ral directors, who were members, contended that the report was unconstitutional and unnecessary; as the expence attending the commiffion was not yet afcertained, and the directors had refolved to fufpend their proposed measure until the determination of parliament fhould be known. Lord North, reasoning The members were Alderman Harley, chairman, (whofe great uncle, the first earl of Oxford, was an arbitrator chofen to adjust the interefts of the two Eaft India companies, when they were united in 1701) lord Frederick Campbell, lord Palmertone, Meff. Rigby, Stanley, Jenkinson, Jackson, Fitzpatrick, Burrel, Ryder, Walpole, Eames, and Gilbert. from supervisors. 1772. CHAP. from analogy, and a comparison of the charges of the XX. late commiffion of fupervisorship with the present, inferred, that the expence could not be lefs than 120,000l. a year, and Mr. Wedderburne fhewed the futility of the fuppofed promife of the court of directors. It was not in their power, he faid, to keep their engagement; they were inferior to a general court, and if, on the recefs of parliament, a general court were called, a fhip might be ordered, and the fupervisors many leagues at fea before the houfes were again. affembled in fuch a cafe, not the promise of the directors, not even the opinion of the two houses, nothing but an act of parliament could be a fufficient . guaranty. Mr. Burke treated the propofed measure as an invafion of the company's charter, and a direct infringement of the law of the land. In ridicule of the fecret committee, he faid, "Here is a committee appointed last year; a fair and open committee, which has produced nothing. This was a lawful wife publicly avowed; but finding her barren, they have taken a neat little fnug one, which they call a fecret committee: and this is her firft-born. Indeed, from the fingular expedition of this extraordinary delivery, I am apt to think fhe was pregnant before wedlock." Continuing in the fame vein of pleafantry, intermixed with more folid argument, he obferved, "If we fuffer this bill to pafs, we fhall, in fact, become the Eaft India company; and you, Sir, will be feated in that chair, with a little hammer, by an inch of candle. The treafury bench will be the buyers, and on this fide we fhall be the fellers. The fenate will become an auctionroom, and the speaker an auctioneer!" The motion was however adopted °, and in three days afterward, the bill was introduced. 30th Dec. Proceedings of the directors. THE directors were not fo depressed by untoward circumstances, as to furvey thefe proceedings with. indifference. On the appointment of the fecret com XX. 1772. ft Dec. 14th and 18th Dec. tion againft the bill. Their peti mittee, a general court refolved to petition against the CHA P. right, which was claimed by parliament of infpecting their books; but the rapid proceeding of the committee having fruftrated that intention, they were now heard by counsel against the bill. Their petition, however, did not appear entitled to much attention, it was feebly compofed, and figned by no more than fourteen proprietors of ftock. They urged, as their grand point, that the malverfation in India being enormous in its amount and extent, the faving which might accrue to the company by a commiffion of honeft and able men, would be fo great as to render the expence of trivial importance; but they failed in proving that the company poffeffed fufficient authority over their. fervants in India to restrain those abuses which by long forbearance were grown inveterate. The increase of thefe mal-practices was clearly demonftrated; and the odious means used to opprefs the natives, without benefit to the company, fully difplayed: but it was not advanced, that any powers, delegated by the company alone, could be lufficient to remedy the evil, which was more likely to infect the fupervisors themselves, than to be removed by their exertions. Mr. Burke spoke with his accustomed wit and eloquence; and fpeech difplayed (to use the words of an anonymous author) all thofe rare qualities of the head and heart, with which he was fo eminently gifted P. He inveighed, with severity, against the conduct of ministers, who, fince the year 1767, had been receiving from the East India company four hundred thousand pounds per annum, and yet conniving at their notorious mal-adminiftration, for the purpose of fubjecting them fo entirely to their own mercy, that they might plunder their property, and invade chartered rights without fear or fcruple. Alluding to the dilatcrinefs of the felect, and the extraor dinary difpatch of the fecret committee, he faid, ℗ Hiftory of lord North's administration, p. 92. 5 their ❝ One Burke's |