XX. 1770. tioned a difregard of their cominands. It too CHAP. often happened that a feat in the court of directors was folicited merely as a fource of patronage, as the means of providing for relations and dependents; and while fuch motives were eafily difcernible, the behefts of fuch mafters, delivered in pompous diction, and with the infolence of defpotic power, met with little regard from thofe to whom they were addreffed, and who, in fact, only obeyed them when they accorded with their own views. Those who returned inriched from India, and obtained feats at the board, made ufe of their authority in procuring their own immunity, and in protecting and fupporting the friends whom they had left employed in the attainment of a furreptitious and exhorbitant fortune. in regulat tions. THE prefent ftate of the company was a dif- Difficulties ficult problem in government: their charters ing their guaranteed both their authorities and poffef- tranficfions; but it was obvious that neither fuch poffellions, nor fuch authorities, were in view when the charters were granted, nor were they com patible with the nature of government, or fupported by any precedent in ancient or modern hiftory. On general principle, their poffeffions, in the exclufive fenfe, were not tenable; yet as they were gradually acquired, and the claims of the company fanétioned by official acts of government, any attempt to disturb History and management of the Eaft India company, chap. vi. Particularly during the late treaty of peace at Paris. thei CHAP. them could not fail of being regarded with XX. jealoufy and apprehenfion. 1770. Improvi dence of the company. 30th Mar. 1772. Select BUT the time was now arrived when the active exertion of government became neceffary. The malverfation of affairs had grown to a moft awful extent: the company, with thoughtless prodigality, plunged into unlimited expences; they difburfed for fortifications alone 3,728,5521. and although incapable of performing their exifting engagements, declared very high dividends; while the factions which rent the India houfe rather portended a perpetuation of diftrefs through anarchy, than an extrication. from difficulty by vigilance, prudence, and perfeverance. DURING the late feffion, a bill was propofed, for regulating the fervants and court of judicommittee cature of the Eaft India company. This meaappointed fure originated in the India houfe; the motion houfe of was made by Mr. Sullivan, deputy-chairman of commons. the court of directors, who ftated, that the bad in the profpect of affairs in India was occafioned by the want of power in the directors, to punish their fervants for difobedience or malpractices. The enormities complained of in India, he faid, arofe from the folecifin 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 fome oppofition, was brought in, but did not pafs. As one of the great objections against it was the want of due information, a felect com13th Apr. mittee of thirty-one members was appointed,' First report of felect committee. Reports, vol. iv. p. 30. on i The committee confifted of the following perfons; colonel Burgoyne, Sir William Meredith, Sir George Savile, lord George Germaine. XX. on the motion of colonel Burgoyne, to inquire CHAP into the nature, ftate, and condition of the Eaft India company, and of the British affairs in the Eaft Indies. 1772. ditrefs of DURING the recefs of parliament, the diftrefs Increafing of the company was confiderably augmented: the comthe inconveniences refulting from mifconduct pany. became preffing, and increafed in an alarming degree. The treafury 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 cuftom-houfe duties, and to the treafury for the annual ftipulated payment, as well as on an agreement refpecting an indemnification for teas, which was attended with great lofs. They were befieged with multifarious demands, while the intelligence from India prefented no confolatory profpects.' DISTRACTED with internal diffenfions, and They ne alarmed at the difpofition manifefted by go- gociare a vernment 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 anfwer their immediate exigences; yet, as if anxious to fhew an independence in authority which they no longer Germaine, Rofe Fuller, F. Vane, colonel Barre, the attorney and fo. licitor general, lord Howe, Robert Sutton, Thomas Pitt, Welhore Ellis, Sir Gilbert Elliott, George Rice, Pultney, C. J. Fox, Cornwall, lord Folkestone, general Conway, Hothain, H. Ongley, G. Johnstone, alderman Trecothick, Edward Bacon, A. Curzon, Sir John Turner, captain Phipps, Mr. Gregory, lord Clive, and Mr. Strachey any feven to be a committee. * Annual Register 1773, p. 67. Hiftory of lord North's adminiAtration, p. 85. They fuffered a fevere lofs by the blowing-up of a powder-magazine at Trichinopoly, which occafioned a grievous and extenfive deftruction of lives and property. poffeffed XX. CHAP. poffeffed the means of retaining, they rafhly proceeded to nominate a freth committee of fupervifors for India." 1772. 23d Oct. Appoint fuper visors. 26th Nov. their af fairs in the King's Speech. THE firft lord of the treafury 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 purfued for giving effect to the vote for new fupervifors. IN the fpeech from the throne on the first Notice of day of the feffion, the king faid, "It is impof"fible that I can look with indifference upon "whatever concerns either the commerce and "revenue of the kingdom at large, or the pri"vate rights and interefts of confiderable num"bers among my people: neither can I be in"fenfible how materially every one of thefe Secret appointed. great objects must be interefted in the main"tenance of the credit and profperity of the "Eaft India company. When, therefore, I re"ceived information of the difficulties in which "that company appear to be involved, I de"termined to give you an early opportunity of informing yourfelves fully of the true ftate "of their affairs; and of making fuch provi"fions for the common benefit and fecurity of "all the various interefts concerned, as you "fhall find beft adapted to the exigences of "the cafe." IN the debate on the addrefs, the fubject Committee came immediately 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 The perfons nominated were lieutenant-general Monckton, George Cuming, William Devaynes, Peter Lafc.lles, Daniel Wier, and Edward Wheeler, efqrs. XX. 1772. 30th Nov. of the company, which was agreed to without CHAP. a divifion." This committee was furnished with full powers, and particularly inftructed to take into confideration the meafure of fending out fupervisors. The felect committee of the preced- Select ing year, fome members of which thought their commitece labours too flightly regarded by the new nomination, was alfo revived. continued cret com THE fecret committee proceeded in their Firft report bufinefs with extraordinary difpatch, and in of the lefeven days after their appointment, prefented mittee. a report on the propofed meafure of fending out 7th Dec. fupervifors, recommending a bill to prevent its being carried into effect. Mr. HARLEY having delivered this report, as chairman of the committee, immediately propofed to bring in the bill: the rapidity with which the report was prepared, and the unexpected manner in which it was introduced, did notefcape animadverfion. Several directors, who were members, contended that the report was unconftitutional and unneceffary, as the expence attending the commiffion was not yet afcertained, and the directors had refolved to fufpend their propofed measure until the determination of parliament fhould be known. Lord North, reafoning from analogy, and a comparison of the charges of the late commiffion of fupervi forfhip with the prefent, inferred, that the expence could not be lefs than 120,000l. a year, and Wedderburne fhewed the futility of the fuppofed promife of the court of directors. It The members were Alderman Harley, chairman, (whofe great uncle, the firit earl of Oxford, was an arbitrator chofen to adjust the interefts of the two Eat India companies, when they were united in 1701) lord Frederick Campbell, lord Palmerstone, Meff. Rigby, Stanley, Jenkinfon, Jackson, Fitzpatrick, Burrel, Ryder, Walpole, Eames, and Gilbert, was Debate on the motion for a bill the leading to prevent out super vifors. |