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he left that likewife to his friends; yet he could hardly admit, after fuch recent inftances of his abilities, that he was fo entirely ignorant of the mixture of metals, as his modefty would incline the houfe to believe. Do not all men know, continued he, that the purity of coin is a principal confideration in government, and that it is of the moft dangerous confequence to tamper with it by any fraudulent mixtures? He asked, if his lordship could deny, that the money was coined with thirty per cent. alloy? He objected to the bill before the house, and faid, the British legislature should not move in the affairs of Afia, unless it acted with dignity and effect.

The bill was read a second time, and then laid by. The season was too far advanced for a business of that magnitude, and so complicated in its nature, to be properly dif cuffed. A fenfible and well-informed writer, fays, it seems pretty evident, that administration had no ferious intention of entering deeply into that matter for the prefent; and that the fubfequent movements during the remainder of the feffion, were only intended to keep it alive, and to make, or find, fome openings for that great revolution which it has fince established in the affairs of the company. It was perhaps farther neceffary, that this business should be fo far entered into, as that the company fhould continue entangled in the hands of the parliament during the recefs *. However this may be, it is more than probable, that no part of this plan was understood by the gentlemen who were the immediate actors in bringing the affairs of the company under confideration, and that they were actuated by very different motives.

* Annual Register for 17724

So much light had been thrown on the tranfactions in India, and the conduct of the East India Company's fervants there, that the expediency of fetting on foot a strict enquiry into the abuses of power which had been long practifed with impunity, was very evident, as well as, that fome falutary and effectual regulations should be adopted for the future prevention of thofe evils. Many were led to infer, from the facts which had come out, how unequal a company of merchants were to the fuperintendence of fuch vaft concerns of a civil nature, in which the lives and fortunes of millions of people were involved; and that the government of fuch opulent and extenfive dominions, fhould be fubordinate to the fuperintendence and control of the ftaté.

At length*, a felect committee, confifting of thirty-one members +, was chofen by ballot, to enquire into the nature and state of the East India Company, and the affairs in the East Indies. The objects of their enquiries were fo various and extenfive, that before the rifing of parliament, they applied for leave to fit during the recefs.

Whilft Mr. Sullivan's bill was before the house,a motion was made by Sir Harry Haughton §, for leave to bring in a bill for

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The following gentlemen compofed this committee: Col. Burgoyne, Chairman; Sir William Meredith, Sir George Savile, Lord George Germain, Mr. Rofe Fuller, Mr. F. Vane, Col. Barré, Mr. Solicitor General, Lord Howe, Mr. R. Sutton, Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Thomas Pitt, Mr. Welbore Ellis, Sir Gilbert Elliot, Mr. George Rice, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. C. J. Fox, Mr. Cornewall, Lord Folkstone, Gen. Conway, Mr. Hotham, Mr. H. Ongley, Mr. G. Johnstone, Mr. Alderman Trecothick, Mr. Edward Bacon, Mr. A. Curzon, Sir John Turner, Capt. Phipps, Mr. Gregory, Lord Clive, Mr. Strachey,

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the relief of proteftant diffenters, with respect to subscription to articles of faith. This attempt to gain an exemption from human impofitions in matters of belief, was fuggefted by the favourable difpofition which many members of the house of Commons fhewed, in the course of the debates on the clerical petition, to diffenting minifters, who were compellable by law, under heavy penalties, to fubfcribe to the doctrinal articles of a church to which they did not belong, and from which they could derive no advantages either in promotion or emolument.

By the act of toleration, which was paffed immediately after the revolution, the free exercise of religious worship, was allowed to fuch proteftants as diffented from the eftablishment of the church of England; and their principles were allowed to be taught in private schools, on condition that fuch minifters and fchoolmafters fubfcribed before a justice of peace to the doctrinal parts of the thirty-nine articles; a non-compliance with which expofed them to heavy pains and penalties, if they officiated either as paftors or tutors. So that in fact, the liberty hereby granted, reached only to such as adhered to the doctrines taught by Calvin, and who were, on that account, called Calvinifts, which was almost the universal perfuafion at that time; but in the course of alinoft a century, great changes have taken place in the fentiments of proteftants of all denominations; and as the principles of diffenters allow a greater latitude of opinion, and lead them more directly to free enquiries into the doc trines derived from scripture, fuch changes of fentiment were more likely to spread among them, than in the eftablished church, whose tenets carry with them a prescriptive right to our affent. It is true, the penalties enacted against fuch diffenters as did not fubfcribe in the manner enjoined, were not inflicted; but the fame candor and moderation

which fuffered them to become obfolete, dictated their total repeal. The bill was carried through the house of Commons by a great majority, but upon a fecond reading in the houfe of Lords, it was thrown out by 102 lords, including proxies, to 29.

On the first of May Lord North entered on the bufinefs of ways and means, for raising the supplies for the services, which had been voted early in the feffion, by opening his budget. The grants which had been made were calculated to amount to 5,886,2531. and a million and a half 3 per cent. confolidated Bank annuities and South Sea annuities, were paid off at 901. with a douceur of four lottery-tickets, at 121. 10s. each for every hundred pound stock fubfcribed. The land-tax was brought back to 3s. in the pound; Exchequer bills were continued to the usual amount; the East India Company's annual payment was brought in aid, and the produce of the finking-fund was anticipated from the 5th of April, 1772, in the sum of 1,856,7231*.

His

* The curious reader may perhaps wish to fee a more particular account of the business of finance for the year 1772, it therefore follows.

25,000 Seamen

Building and rebuilding fhips, and ordinary of the Navy

Total charge of the Navy

17,547 effective men, including 1522 invalids, for guards, and other his Majesty's

1,300,000

770,664

£

2,076,664

land-forces in Great Britain, Jerfey and 1,525,378
Guernsey, and for the forces in all parts

of his Majesty's dominions

The extraordinaries of the Army,

Exchequer Bills paid off

274,432

1,799,810 1,800,000

To the British Museum, and for the purchase of Etrufcan, Greek and Roman antiquities, brought from Italy by Sir William Hamilton, K. B. and to enable the Trustees of the British Museum to provide a proper repofitory for their reception

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His lordship on this occafion fpoke with great exultation of the state of the kingdom, and the happy prospect which prefented itself of a long continuance of peace; the proba

For the more effectually profecuting discoveries towards the South Pole

To make good the deficiency of the fund for paying annuities, in respect of five millions borrowed in 1758 To the Turkey Company

To reimburse his Majefty certain fums iffued in purfuance of addreffes from the house of Commons

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To make good the deficiency of grants for the fervice of 39,456 the year 1771

To

[An excess of 481,003 1. appeared on laft

pay

year's eftimate.]

off one

million and a half 3 per cent. annuities, 1,350,000 at gol. per 1001. ftock

of }

5,000

For the discovery of an eafy and practicable method of making fea-water fresh and wholesome

The remainder of the supplies was allotted to the
maintenance of the civil government in the Colo-
nies and Plantations; furveys in North America;
the expences of forts and fettlements on the coast
of Africa; new roads and bridges in Scotland;
indemnities to particular persons, and other mat-

ters.

The ways and means to answer these grants, were, Land Tax

Malt Tax

Balance from the finking fund to January 5, 1772, after defraying last year's debt

New Exchequer bills issued

Annual payment from the East India Company

1,500,000

750,000

191,608

1,800,000

400,000

Produce of the finking fund for the quarter, ending? 805,398

April 5, 1772

Profit on a Lottery

Charged on the finking fund

A variety of refidues and favings from different
funds were appropriated to the current fervice

of the year.

150,000

1,856,723

[The excefs of the provifions was estimated at 536,339 1.]

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