ma, Lord dive's Speech ?/ of May, 1764, came to the following refolution. " RESOLVED, That it be recommended to the Court of " Directors, to re-confider the orders fent to BENGAL, rela- " tive to the Trade of the Company's fervants, in the articles " of Salt, Betle Nut and 'Tobacco -, and that they do give fuch " directions for regulating the fame, agreeably to the intereft " of the Company and Subah, as to them may appear moft " prudent : either by fettling here at home the reftriftions " under which this Trade ought to be carried on, or by re- " f erring it to the Governor and Council of FORT WILLIAM " to regulate this important point, in fuch a manner as may " prevent all future difputes betwixt the Subah and the " Company." " TRIS THIS Refolution was fupported by the Court of Directors, who in their general letter to the Governor and Council, dated ift of June, 1764, at the time I went out to INDIA, ifiued the following Orders. Par. 54. " FOR the reafons given in our letter of the 8th of " February laft, we were then induced to fend pofitive orders " to put a final and effectual end to the Inland Trade in " Salt, Betle Nut, and Tobacco, and all other articles what- " foever, produced and confumed in the country : to the re- " marks we made in that letter we muft add one obferva- " tion, which is, it appears very extraordinary, that in a " Trade fo extremely lucrative to individuals, the intereft " of the Company mould not have been at all attended to " or confidered." 55. " THOSE orders were fent, it is true, before we received " the new treaty you entered into with MEER JAFFIER ALY " CAWN, upon his re-eflablifliment in the Subahfhip ; in which " it is agreed, that the ENGLISH mail carry on their Trade, " by means of their own Duftick, free from all Duties, Taxes " and Impofitions, in all parts of the country, excepting the " article of Salt; on which a Duty of two and a half per " Cent, is to be levied on the Rowanno or Houghly Market " Price , wherein it is further agreed, that the late Perwan- " nahs ifiued by COSSIM ALY CAWN, granting to all mer- " chants the exemption of all Duties, for the fpace of two " years, mall be reverfed and called in, and the Duties col- " leered as before. 56. " THESE '5 ] 56. " THESE are terms which appear to be fo very injurious *' to the Nabob and to the Natives, that they cannot, in yf " the very nature of them, tend to any thing but the pro- " ducing general heart-burnings and diflatisfaction ; and con- " fequently there can be little reafon to expect, the tranqui- " lity of the country can be permanent : the orders therefore, " in our faid letter of the 8th of February, are to re- " main in force, until a more equitable and fatisfattory Plan " can be formed and adopted^ which, as it is impofllble for " us to frame here, deftitute as we are of the information " and lights necefiary to guide us in fettling fuch an im- " portant affair 57. " You are therefore hereby ordered and directed, as " foon after the receipt of this as may be convenient, to confult " the Nabob as to the manner of carrying on the Inland " Trade in Salt, Betle Nut and Tobacco, and the other " articles produced and confumed in the country, which may " be mod to his fatisf action and advantage, the inter eft of " the Company^ and likewife of the Company's fervants. 58. " You are thereupon to form a proper and equitable " Plan, v for carrying on the faid Trade, and tranfmit the fame " to us, accompanied by fuch explanations, obfervations, and " remarks, as may enable us to give our fentiments and " directions thereupon in a full and explicit manner. 59. " IN doing this, as before obferved, you are to have " particular regard to the intereft and entire fatisfaction of " the " the Nabob, both with refpect to his revenues, and the " proper fupport of his government : in fhort, this Plan muft " be fettled with his free will and confent, and in fuch a " manner as not. to afford any juft grounds for complaint. 60. " IN the next place, the utmoft care and attention muft " be beftowed in forming the faid Plan, that in fome proper " mode or fhape, a juft and equitable confederation, be fecured for " the Company. 6 1. u IF any inconveniencies mall be apprehended to arife " to the Company's inveftments, upon carrying on fuch an " Inland Trade ; you are to give us your full thoughts there- " upon, and in what manner they may be obviated. r 62. '* You are to give your impartial and unbiafied thoughts " alfo, whether the carrying on this Inland Trade may affect " the juft rights and privileges of. the FRENCH, DUTCH, or " any other EUROPEANS ; and thereby tend to draw on any '* national altercations and embroils, which are by all means " to be avoided : in forming the faid Plan, therefore, you " are to be particularly careful to prevent thefe or. any other " evils of the like kind." NOTWITHSTANDING thefe authorities, it has been aflerted, that the Select Committee in BENGAL, when they framed a Plan for carrying on the Trade in Salt, Betle Nut and Tobacco, acted in difobcdience to the orders of the Com- pany. And to fupport this aflertion, . partial extracts have been produced of fome of the Company's letters, which were in. C '7 3 in fa& written in anfwer to thofe proceedings of former ad- minidrations in BENGAL, of which I have already given fome defcription. WHEN the Select Committee aflembled in BENGAL, they were determined upon a thorough reformation. They were determined at all events to do their duty. IT is neceffary the Houfe fliould know, that there are but two ways by which Gentlemen can acquire fortunes in BEN- GAL' by the Inland Trade and by Prefents. The export and import Trade had been for fome years dwindling away, and was not worth the attention of the fervants. It was carried on chiefly by free merchants and free mariners : and they could fcarcely live by it. The Inland Trade was, as I have mewn, permitted to be carried on upon fome equitable Plan, for the benefit of the Company, who had hitherto received no advantage from it ; and likewife for the benefit of the Company's fervants, who hitherto had fwallowed up the whole. WITH regard to the receipt of Prefents ; that mode of rai- fing a fortune was intended to be prevented by the new Co- venants. But we muft confider a little the nature of the funds for Prefents. Every revolution in BENGAL, was at- tended with fome diminution of the Nabob's authority, and with fome advantages to the Company. COSSIM ALY CAWN, upon the depofition of MEER JAFFIER, was obliged to make over to the Company, territorial pofleiTions to the amount of between fix and feven hundred thoufand pounds per annum. C MEER C 1.8 ] MEER JAFFIER, when he was reinftated in the Subahfhip, added above fixty thoufand pounds a month more-, for the fupport of our army during the war : fo that the Company became poffefTed of one half of the Nabob's revenues. The Nabob was allowed to colled the other half for himfelf. But in fact, he was no more than a Banker for the Com- pany's fervants ; who could draw upon him as often, and to what amount they pleafed. THE new Covenants indeed, which prohibited the receipt of Prefents, were intended to prevent this mode of raifing Fortunes ; but the Select Committee went much deeper : they ./ flruck at the root of the evil, by procuring the whole for the Company; which totally deprived the fervants of this refource. IT was not expedient however, to draw the reins too tight. It was not expedient, that the Company's fervants mould pafs from affluence to beggary. It was necefiary, that fome emoluments mould accrue to the fervants in general, and more efpecially to thofe in fuperior ftation, who were to aflift in carrying on the meafures of Government. The falary of a Counfellor, is I think, fcarcely three hundred pounds per annum : and it is well known that he cannot live ,. in that Country for lefs than three thoufand pounds. The fame proportion holds among the other fervants. It was requifite therefore, that an Eftablimment mould take place : and the Select Committee after the moft mature deliberation, judged, that the Trade in Salt, Betle-nut and Tobacco, under proper regulations, might effectually anfwer the Purpofe. The great object C '9 ] objeft of our confideration was, whether this Trade could be regulated for the advantage of the Company, and alfo for the Company's fervants ; without opprefling the Natives. We thought it could. The Houfe will obferve, that I make no mention of the Nabob ; becaufe the Company to whom ,y the Revenues now belonged, flood in his Ihoes ; a circum- ftance which feems never to have been thoroughly adverted to by the Directors, even to this day. HAD we only formed our Plan and deferred the execution of it, till the pleafure of the Court of Directors fhould be known, all the Gentlemen in their fervice, muft in the mean time have been totally unprovided for. But the declared intention of the Company was, that the Trade in Salt, Betle- nut and Tobacco, mould be regulated j not only for their own advantage, but for the advantage of their fervants. A Plan was accordingly framed. I was up the Country at the time, employed in fettling the treaty of Peace with SUJA UL DOWLA, and obtaining from the MOGUL, the grant of the DUANNEE. The Plan was framed principally by Mr. SUMMER : vv who took the medium price of Salt, throughout the Country, for above twenty years pad; and fixed the price at, from twelve to fifteen per Cenf, below that medium. Hence it was not probable, that any grievance mould fall upon the Poor : and the Plan was fettled for one year only, that we might have an early opportunity of completing afterwards, what was originally intended as an experiment. A duty how- ever, of thirty five per Cenf, upon Salt was eftabliflied for the Company, which amounted to about one hundred and twenty thoiifand pounds per Annum : and all the Company's fervants C 2 except C except writers, and alfo all the field officers of the army, had fhares, according to their refpective ranks. But I foon found there were fome defects in this plan. It was really a Monopoly. The Trade was taken out of the hands of fome of the merchants. The proportion to the Company's fervants was too large-, the Duty to the Company was too fmall ; the Agents appointed to fell the Salt had made an improper ufe of their power ; they had not ftrictly kept up to their contract, which was, that they mould receive five per Cent, upon the fale of Salt, as a recompence for their trou- ble, and that they Ihould not enter into any trade for them- felves under a very fevere penalty. I therefore propofed a Plan for the next year, which I think deftroyed every idea of Monopoly. The Society, inftead of employing agents up the country to difpofe of the Salt, were to fell it at CALCUTTA, and at the places where it was made ; to the Black Merchants only : who were each limited to a certain quantity of purchafe, and tied down to a price for fale at every Market Town. The Duty to the .Company was now eftablilhed at fifty per Cent, which would produce one hundred and fixty thoufand pounds per Annum ; the Black Merchants were to have the liberty of tranfporting the Salt all over the country, free from every taxation or obftruction \ and the ftricteft orders were iffued, that no En- glifhmen or their agents, fhould directly or indirectly have any further concern in it. WITH regard to the price, I muft inform the Houfe, that in BENGAL Salt ftands the maker in about two Ihillings and fix-pence t 3 fix-pence per Maund, by the time it reaches CALCUTTA. A Maund is eighty pounds. The Duty to the Company, and the advantages to the fervants, were ftated at about two fhillings and fix-pence more, which makes upon the whole one hundred per Cent. Salt in ENGLAND, I am told, ftands the maker in about eight-pence per Bufhel, or fifty-fix pounds : and the Duty is three fhillings and four-pence per Bufhel, which is five hundred per Cent. 1 have inquired into the Salt Trade in ENGLAND. I think we fettled it Upon rather a better footing in INDIA : for the quantity to be bought by any one dealer was fixed ; and the price at which it was to be fold in every town throughout the kingdom, according to the diftance from the Salt Pans, was alfo fixed. IN LONDON Salt is fold at five fhillings a Bulhel: which is fomewhat lefs than a penny a pound. In INDIA Salt is fold by the Maund, which is, as I have faid, eighty pounds : and it comes to a Rupee, or two fhillings and fix-pence a Maund, all expences paid exclufive of the Duty. The Duty as I informed the Houfe, is two millings and fix-pence more. Now I will fuppofe that Salt, in BENGAL, fold under the fecond year's plan, at the very price fixt by the firfb year's Plan : then it would ftand the confumer in about three farthings a pound at CALCUTTA ; a penny a pound at diftant places j and five farthings a pound at PATNA, which is one of the moft diftant parts, being about twelve hundred miles by water from CALCUTTA. THJJ 3 THE whole quantity of Salt contracted for by the So- ciety, was twenty-four lacks of Maunds : which multiplied by eighty for the number of pounds in a Maund, make one hundred and ninety-two millions of pounds. The number of inhabitants I mall take upon the honourable Member's * computation, that is to fay, fifteen millions. I ilrike off five millions for infants and accidents. Then divide the one hun- dred and ninety-two millions of pounds by the other ten millions of inhabitants, and we mail find the quantity of Salt confumed in one year, by the rich and by the poor, will be under twenty pounds each. To give the argument its utmoft fcope, I allow twenty pounds to the poor as well as to the rich man; although it is certain he does not con- fume half the quantity. This twenty pounds will coft the individual at CALCUTTA rather lefs than fifteen-pence; in the center of the Provinces twenty-pence; and at PATNA, the greateft diftance, rather lefs than two millings and fix-pence. This is the utmoft of every man's expence in a year for Salt. . THE loweft wages in BENGAL are two Rupees a month, which is twenty-four Rupees, or three pounds per Annum. The poor can fcarcely be faid to be at any other expence than for eating. They drink nothing but water ; they wear no cloaths ; their houfes are built with mud or clay, thatched with ftraw. Now I leave the Houfe to judge, whether the expence of from fifteen-pence to two fbillings and fix-pence a year for twenty pounds of Salt, even to thefe the very pooreft ^ * Mr. SULIVAN. C pooreft of the inhabitants can be a grievance. The eyes of the world have been blinded by publications. The matter of fact is this : the grievance fell upon a number of Black Merchants, who ufed to live by that Trade : for the Com- ^ pany's fervants not only monopolized the Salt ; but by vir- tue of their influence and power bought it at what price they pleafed, and fold it at what price they pleafed. / To indulge my enemies to the utmoft; I will allow for a moment, although it is not fo, that in the intermediate time, between the farming of the Salt Trade by a Muflulman (for it was always a Monopoly in the hands of COJA WAZEED or fome perfon or perfons who paid large fums of money to the Nabob or his minifters for the exclufive privilege) and the regulations eftablifhed by the Select Committee, Salt was fold fomewhat cheaper. What does that infer ? It infers only this, that the Company's fervants, by virtue of their power and authority, exonerated the Salt of all thefe Duties and Exactions, which it was formerly fubject to, amounting per- haps to two hundred per Cent, and then made a merit of felling it cheaper to the inhabitants : as if a fet of men in this country, by their power and influence were to decline paying the duty of five hundred per Cent, to Government, and then v boaft of felling it at a lower price than had been ufual. In fact, when the Salt was what has been called an open Trade, it was then the moft monopolized : becaufe the Company's fervants traded in it to what extent and ad- vantage they thought proper ; as indeed they did in every other article of Inland Trade, \ In [ -4 3 IN fliort, the Select Committee eftablifhed their Plan upon experience and a thorough knowledge of the Company-s in- tereft : and the conduct of the Court of Directors in abolifh- ing it was founded upon obftinacy and ignorance, A fliort hiftory of the conduct of thefe Gentlemen, will fet the matter in its proper light. I have faid before, that the Directors difapproved of the Trade in Salt, Betle-nut, and Tobacco, carried on by the fervants, from the firft moment that they became acquainted^ with it. They pofitively and repeatedly ordered, that they fliould have no concern in it, directly or indirectly ; they declared that it was an infringment of the rights of the natives; that they had confulted the Sages in the law, and that the fervants were liable to profecution for perfevering in that illicit Trade. After this, they agreed that the Select Committee mould regulate this Trade, in fuch a manner as might be advantageous to the Company and their fervants,, without injury to the Nabob. The Committee did regulate it : a very large profit was eflablimed for the Company : the fervants alfo, were amply provided for : and no oppref- fion (under the Committee's regulation) could pofiibly fall upon the people of the country. The Court of Directors V difapproved of our Plan, and did not fubftitute any other in the room of it : neither did they eftablifh any Duties. They ifiued orders, that their fervants who acted as Sovereigns, ihould totally relinquifli this Trade themfelves, and endeavour to prevent its being monopolized by any rich overgrown merchant merchant of the country, they meant that it mould be laid / open to the natives and them only, not feeing that their orders could not extend to the fervants of foreign Compa- nies, who would of courfe gain confiderably by that Trade, of which the ENGLISH were "to be deprived. * Iff November 1767, and not before, the Court of Direc- / tors came to a Determination of allowing their fervants in lieu of this Trade, two and a half per Cent, upon the Re- venues ; they then alfo, for the firft Time, thought of efta- bliming a Duty upon Salt j they propofed - fixing it fo, as that it mould produce to the Company thirty-one thoufand pounds per Annum. At this time I was in ENGLAND. I heard /\ accidentally what was in agitation. I expoftulated with the Court of Directors by letter ; I reprefented to them that they were doing the moil manifeft injury to the Company ; that if thofe advantages which the Select Committee had propofed for the fervants were difapproved of, they ought to be en- joyed by the Company ; that thofe advantages and the Duties together would amount to three hundred thoufand pounds per Annum^ which I thought no inconfiderable object. I far- ther reprefented to them, that although they mould give the fervants two and a half per Cent, on the Revenues, in lieu of the Salt Trade, the Gentlemen might ftill trade in that article, under the names of their Banyans or Black Agents, to what extent they pleafed. To thefe reprefentations they paid no other attention than that of altering the propofed Duty from thirty-one thoufand pounds to one hundred and twenty thoufand pounds per Annum. What was the confe- quence ? The fervants received the two and a half per Cent. D on J on the Revenues ; they traded in Salt as much as ever, but without paying the Duty ; and I am well informed that the Company from the time of the abolition of the Committee's Plan to this hour, have not received a milling Duty. Fi- nally, the Court of Directors fulfered this Branch of Trade to revert to the very channel from whence had flowed all thofe abufes and all thofe misfortunes which they had fo loudly complained of. This Trade, contrary to their own ideas of equity to the natives, and contrary to the advice of the Sages of the law, is now laid open to the ENGLISH, and to every EUROPEAN, as well as native inhabitant of BEN- GAL, BAHAR and ORISSA. The confequences of this we are flill to learn. As the cafe ftands at prefent, the Court of Directors have, in all this time (five years) given up no lefs than one million five hundred thoufand pounds, which the Company ought to have received, if the emoluments taken from the fervants had been added to the Duty propofed by the Select Committee. And in this fum is not included the two and a half per Cent, commiflion granted out of the reve- nues. Having thus ftated every thing material, relative to this matter, I fubmit to the confideration of the Houfe, whether the Plan adopted by the - Committee, was for the benefit of the Company or not. The Houfe will obferve, that I have fpoken of the Salt Trade only, I omit mentioning the Betle Nut and Tobacco Trade ; becaufe the former is not an advantageous article, in comparifon with the Salt Trade: and the latter, although a part of the Plan of the Committee, was totally relincjuifhed. THE [ 7 3 THE Governor and Council are accufed of having entered into a Combination, by Bond, to fupport the Society in fpite of any orders from home. Mr. BOLTS in his book, has gi- ven a copy of the Bond. The fubftance of the Bond was ftated in the public proceedings of the Board fent to ENGLAND for the information of the Directors, and we applied to them for permifiion to renew the Bond annually, if the Plan of the Salt Trade met with their approbation. Tn that Bond the Committee of Trade made themfelves refponfible for the Duties. The Contracts for the making of Salt ran for a year. The Society therefore could not be aboliihed before the end of the year, which was the n*rft of September , and nothing more feems neceflary to prove we had no idea of contefting any orders from home, but that on the contrary we refolved to obey, than to read to the Houfe the follow- ing refolution of the Select Committee. " RESOLVED, That the Society of Trade mall be abo- " limed, and the Inland Trade totally relinquifhed on the firft " Day of September next, but that we fully exprefs our " fentiments in our next advices to the Company, refpeting ** the advantages which would refult to the fervice and to " the country, from the continuance of this Trade under " the prefent reflections." THIS Refolution alfo confutes a particular accufation againft myfelf ; for the Gentleman who laid the Charges before the Court of Directors has roundly aflerted, that although the D 2 Company Company difapproved of the Plan of the Society, no order was iflued during my Government, for abolifhing it. I MUST in this place beg leave to inform the Houfe, that I, as Governor, had a proportion of advantage in this Trade. What that proportion was, and in what manner I difpofed of it, fhall be clearly and accurately dated before I fit down. I SHALL now proceed to the next Charge againft me, which is Peculation of Revenues. And here I muft have recourfe to a Minute of mine, which ftands recorded in the INDIA HOUSE, becaufe I think it will explain this matter much more fully than I can do by word of mouth, and the Houfe will fee in that Minute, the ground work of part of the Bill propofed to be brought in for the Regulation of the Company's Affairs abroad. Lord dive's Minute. " OUR atttention as a Select Committee, inverted with ex- " traordinary powers by the Court of Directors, has been " conftantly engaged in reforming the abufes which had crept " into the feveral departments of this Government. The " important work has been fteadily profecuted, with zeal, " diligence, and dfmtereftednefs on our parts -, and the fuc- c cefs of our labor gives us reafon to hope, that our Em- 6 ployers will be of opinion we have eftablifhed many ufeful 1' and neceffary regulations. Many others however are flill wanting " wanting, to complete our Plan : but I doubt not that the " fame principles which have hitherto guided our conduct, " will continue to direct and juftify the meafures we have " yet to purfue. " To place the Prefident in fuch a fkuation, as will ren- " der his Government honorable to himfelf and advantageous " to the Company, appears to me an object, of as much " confequence as any that has been taken into our confider- " ation. Where fuch immenfe Revenues are concerned, where " power and authority are fo enlarged, and where the eye " of juftice and equity mould be ever watchful, a Governor " ought not to be embarrafied with private bufmefs ; he " ought to be free from every occupation, in which his judg- " ment can poflibly be biafled by his intereft. The extenfive that I carried them out with me in order to evade my own Covenants, and to receive Prefents for me, as well as for themfelves. I might have granted them the privilege of Trade , the advantages of which under my favor and credit, might have been to any amount. The obje&ion to this alfo was obvious : it would have been fakl that my own intereft was at the bottom j that they traded under my influence ; and that the extent of their concerns interfered with perfons who had a better right. It was therefore determined that- they mould not benefit themfelves a farthing, but' by what they fhould receive from my hands. MY ftiare, as Governor, in the Salt Society* and alfo the manner in which it was difpofed of, were publickly known both here" and abroad before my return to ENGLAND i and yet this matter has of late been confideted as fomething clan- deftine. ; . c 35 3 deftine. But I think I can prove to the fatisfa&ion of this Houfe that it was known to every body. IN the beginning of the year 1767, a General Court was called, for the purpofe of rewarding my fervices. . A conti-* nuation of ten years of the Jaghire was propoied. In oppo- fition to this fome people urged, that I was benefiting my- felf largely abroad. A friend of mine, an honorable member of this Houfe, hereupon read to the Court an extract of a letter he had received from me upon that fubject. Before the queftion was ballotted for, he printed this letter in hand- bills, and alfo publifhed it repeatedly in all the News Papers. I have one of them> which was printed at that time, now in my hand, and with permiffion will read it. " THAT his Lordlhip has been adding to his fortune a- " broad is moft untrue : his friends defy the bittereft of his " enemies to iupport the charge. A folemn affeveration in " that refpedt from Lord CLIVE himfelf, was read in Court, '* by the friend to whom Lord CLIVE had addrefied his let- " ter j and it is now fubmitted to print, in order to.difcredit " affertions which are falfe; or elfe to remain in public tef- " tiinony againft his Lordmip." TZxtraft^ of a Letter from Lord CLIVR, dated Cakutta^ ytfk September, 1765. ** T-HAT )"eu may aifert with confidence the jufflce of my "' cawfe^ I do declare; b^ the "God* who made me, it is my "' abfolxtte dtterrriirration to refuffe every prefent of confequence, F; 2 CT " and [ 36 ] " and that I will not return to ENGLAND with one Rupee " more than what arifes from my Jaghire. My profits ari- " fmg from Salt mall be divided among thofe friends who " have endangered their lives and confti tut ions in attending " me. The congratulatory Nuzirs, &c. fhall be fet oppofite " to my extraordinary expences , and if aught remains, it " fhall go to POPLAR or fome other Hofpital." IN Mr. BOLTS'S book is a copy of a Bond, by which it appears that I fold my concern in Salt, for thirty-two thou- fand pounds. I do acknowledge there is fuch a Bond, but the fum actually received by me, on that account, amounted only to about ten thoufand eight hundred pounds. The fact was this : I could not think of fuffering the three before- mentioned Gentlemen, who accompanied me to INDIA, to return to ENGLAND without realizing fomething on their ac- count ; I faid fo to my friends in BENGAL. The Salt Con- cern was of a very extenfive tedious nature, and the accouuts might not be made up in fome years. Could I, in honor, leave thofe Gentlemen in a fituation which made it doubtful when they mould receive any thing, and to what amount ? I told them I would not : I told them I would get rid of this Salt Concern at once, that they might be fecure of the money amongft them. I therefore difpofed of my whole Concern in Salt, even my mare for the fecond year, which was juft commenced, for the, fum mentioned in the Bond. But when the mode of a Commiflion of one and one eighth per Cent, on the Revenues, was fettled for the Governor, in lieu of every other emolument j I then relinquifhed my mare in Salt for that year (the fecond year) in which I was to receive receive the Commifilon, and paid back about twenty thou- fand pounds of the thirty-two thoufand. IT now remains, Sir, for me to fhew, that my own intereft was not the motive of my going to India. I have here an account of every fix-pence I received or difburfed, from the day of my leaving ENGLAND to the day of my return. It is taken from my books, which were kept all the time I was in INDIA by Mr. VERELST, who will readily atteft their accuracy. I omit the firft part of this account, becaufe it was tranfmitted to the Court of Direc- tors, and Hands upon record in the INDIA HOUSE. The other part I will read. The Houfe will obferve, that in this account there are the names of others whom I rewarded, befides the . Gentlemen I have mentioned. One was an old fervant who went out with me ; and the others were young Gentlemen in my Secretary's Office. Amount :$5471 *> Amount received fubfcquent to the making up of the Account before mentioned, tranf- mitted to the Court of Directors, viz. /. /. d. Cpmpany's Allowances for January 4$ 2 3 Ic Governor's Duties - - 359 lb 9 recejy^d for Profits on Salt, viz. Sold to the following Gentlemen, /. s. d. M*- . i^o^iz 10 o ing all Concern in the Salt V Trade for the fecopd V/ear J Jtitereft paid thereon 974 7 9 "". 19986 17 9. 4 i: Amount received for Commiffion on the \ Duannee Revenues 30866 jo 5 Balance 4 8 395 C 39 ] Amount paid fubfequent to the making up of the Account before mentioned, transmitted to the Court of Directors, viz. Account Salaries Charges General Table Expencea - Wearing Apparel Afnourif of Expense's paid' m England HENRY STRACHEY, Efq; Transferred to him thd of Mr. Sykes's Bond Intereft thereon /. 4. $ 8 471 86 A Proportion of Mr. Kelfall's Bond with \ lettered: - - The Amount of a Bill on Attornies in , A Proportion of the Cbriiniiflion on the! \ Revenues < EDMUND MASKELYNE, Efq; Transferred to him the Amount ) of Mr Verelft's Bond' $ 7714 Inter-eft thereof 471 86 a The Amount of Mr. Ruf- fel's Bond Intereft thereon Mr. Rut I Q J18S7 2 10 *35 H 3 A Proportion of Mr. Kelfail's Bond with ' Intereft - - . SAMUEL INGHAM, Efq; Transferred to him the Amount 1 Q of Mr. Campbell's Bond J77H 5 Intereft thereon ' ' 471 8 6 A Proportion of Comm'iffioa on the Re- ! Mr. PHILPOT. Transferred to him the Remain- derofMr.Kelfall'sBofid Ihtereft thtreon 9 6 118 5 7 Prefented to him an additional Sum MeflT. WYNNE, ARCHDEKIN, COXE, and DUCAREL. Transferred to them a Proportion of Commif- fion on the Revenues 208 19 ^395 9 1087 6 103 19 8185 14 2 1274 13 5 4892 17 t 3589 12 i 8185 14 2 4092 17 I 771 8 6 8185 14 2 976 s 8- 2046 i$ t 150 o o 15942 I 6 ii 13049 19 9 9161 19 10 2196 3402 o o THE balance againft me, upon the whole, is five thoufand eight hundred and fixteen pounds. Now Sir, I have no objection to having this account lodged among the Records of this Houfe, that it may ftand in judgment for or againft me, if future Commiffions, either on the part of the CROWN or the EAST INDIA COMPANY mould ever think a retrofpec- tion into my conduct neceflary. THERE is only one circumftance more with which I mall trouble the Houfe ; and I do affure them, I mould be alhamed to touch upon it, as it may carry with it an appearance of vanity, were not my honor and reputation fo much at ftake. It was in my power to have taken from my enemies every fhadow of pretence for arraigning my conduct, on account of thefe profits, as they have been called, of my government. I could have rewarded thofe Gentlemen much more liberally, without the poflibility of an accufation. But I mould not have acted fo much to my own fatisfaction, nor I believe fo much to that of the Houfe ; if I had neglected the oppor- tunity that offered, of doing fomething eflentially beneficial to the EAST INDIA COMPANY'S fervice. THE old Nabob MEER JAFFIER, if ever MuiTulman had a friendlhip for a Chriftian, had a friendfhip for me. When the news of my appointment to the Government reach- ed BENGAL-, he immediately quitted MUXADAVAD, came down to CALCUTTA; impatiently waited my arrival for fix weeks; fell ill ; returned to his capital and died. Two or three days before his death, in the prefence of his wife, and in the prefence C prefence of his minlfter, he faid to his fon and fucceffor, whatever you may think proper to give to Lord CLIVE on your own account the means are in your power. But, as a teftimony of my affection for him, I defire you will pay to him as a legacy from me five lacks of Rupees. I muft obferve that the Nabob's death happened whilft I was -on my voyage, and fome months before my arrival in BEN- GAL. The principal and intereft amounted to near feventy thoufand pounds. A very refpe&able Gentleman and great Lawyer, who is now the Speaker of this honourable Houfe, gave his opinion in favor of my right to this legacy, in the ftrongeft terms : another great Lawyer, a Member of this Houfe, has often declared to me in private, his opinion of my right ; and the Court of Directors have themfelves con- firmed that right. Authentic atteftations of this legacy are upon record in the INDIA HOUSE. The whole of the money- added to about forty thoufand pounds more, which I pre- vailed on the Nabob to beftow, is eftablifhed for a Military Fund, in fupport of Officers and Soldiers who may be in- valided in any part of INDIA, and alfo in fupport of their Widows. Nothing was wanting but fuch an Eftablifhment as this, to make the EAST INDIA COMPANY'S Military Service V the beft Service in the world. Before that period, an indi- gent, invalided Officer and Soldier might live in INDIA : but if he returned to his native Country, he returned to beg- gary. By this fund the Officers are intitled to Half-pay. The Soldiers are upon the fame footing as thole in CHEL- SEA HOSPITAL ; and the Widows of both Officers and Sol- diers have Penfions. F HAVING HAVING encroached fo long upon the patience of the- Houfe, I doubt whether I may now expect their farther in- dulgence, or whether 1 muft defer what I have to fay upon the important bufmefs 'till a future occafion., ( HOUSE, Ga on y go on. ) BUT before I proceed, I muft beg leave to deviate a little into a digreflion, on behalf of the Company's fervants in ge- neral. It is dictated by humanity, by juftice, and by truth. INDOSTAN was always an abfolute defpotic Government. The inhabitants, efpecially of BENGAL, in inferior ftations, are fervile, mean, fubmifiive and humble. In fuperior ftations, . they are luxurious, effeminate, tyrannical, treacherous, venal, cruel. The Country of BENGAL is called, by way of dif- tindtion, the Paradife of the Earth. It not only abounds with the neceflaries of life to fuch a degree, as to furnifh a great part of INDIA with its fuperfluity, but if abounds in very curious and valuable manufactures, fufficient not only for its own ufe, but for the ufe of the whole Globe. The Silver of the Weft and the Gold of the Eaft have for many, years been pouring into that Country, and Goods only have been fent out in return. This has added to the luxury and extravagance of BENGAL. FROM time immemorial it has been the cuftom of that Country, for an inferior never to come into the prefence of a fuperior without a Prefent. It begins at- the Nabob, and ends t 4.3 ] ends at the loweft man that has an inferior. The Nabob has told me, that the fmall Prefents he L received amounted to three hundred thoufand pounds a year; and I can believe him : becaufe' I know that I might have received as much during my laft Government. The Company's fervants have ever been accuftomed to receive Prefents. Even before we took part in the^Country troubles, when our pofiefiions were very confined and limited, the Governor and others ufed to receive Prefents ; and I will take upon me to affert, that there has not been an Officer commanding his Majefty's Fleet, nor an Officer commanding his Majefty's Army-, not a Go- vernor, not a Member of Council, not any other Perfon, civil or military, in fuch a ftation as to have connection with the Country Government, who has not received Prefents. With regard to BENGAL, there they flow in abundance indeed. Let the Houfe figure to itfelf a Country confifting of fifteen millions of inhabitants, a Revenue of four millions Sterling, and a Trade in proportion. By progreffive fteps the Com- / pany have become Sovereigns of that Empire. Can it be fuppofed that their fervants will refrain from advantages fo obvioufly refulting from their fituation ? The Company's w fervants, however, have not been the authors of thofe acts of violence and oppreffion, of which it is the fafhion to accufe them. Such crimes are committed by the natives of the Country, acting as their Agents, and for the moft part without their knowledge. Thofe Agents and the Banyans never / defift, till, according to the minifterial phrafe, they have dragged their Mafters into the kennel; and then the acts of violence begin. The paflion for Gain is as ftrong as the paf- fion of Love. I will fuppofe, that two intimate friends have F 2 lived t 44 ] lived long together ; that one of them has married a beautiful woman ; that the friend ftill continues to live in the Houfe j and that this beautiful woman, forgetting her duty to her hufband, attempts to feduce the friend ; who, though in the vigor of his youth, may, from a high principle of honor, at firft, refift the temptation, and even rebuke the lady. But if he ftill continues to live under the fame roof, and fhe ftill continues to throw out her alluremeftts, he muft be ieduced at laft, or fly. Now the Banyan is the fair lady to the Company's fervant.. He lays his bags of filver before him to-day j Gold to-morrow ; Jewels the next day , and, if thefe fail, he then tempts him in the way of his profef- fion, which is Trade. He aflures him that Goods may be had cheap, and fold to great advantage up the Country. In this manner is the attack carried on , and the Company's fer- vant has no refource, for he cannot fly. In fhort, flefh and blood cannot bear it. Let us for a moment confider the na- ture of the education of a young man who goes to INDIA. The advantages arifing from the Company's fervice are now very generally known ; and the great object of every man is to get his fon appointed a writer to BENGAL-, which is ufually at the age of fixteen. His parents and relations re- prefent to him how certain he is of making a fortune; that iriy Lord fuch a one, and my Lord fuch a one, acquired fo much money in fuch a time , and Mr. fuch a one, and Mr. fuch a one, fo much in fuch a time. Thus are their prin- ciples corrupted at their very fetting out, and as they ge- nerally go a good many together, they inflame one another's expectations to fuch a degree, in the courfe of the voyage, that C 45 ] that they fix upon a period for their return before their arrival. LET us now take a view of one of thefe writers arrived in BENGAL, and not worth a groat. As foon as he .lands, a X/ Banyan, worth perhaps one hundred thoufand pounds, defires he may have the honor of ferving this young Gentleman, at four Ihillings and fix-pence per month. The Company has s\ provided chambers for him, but they are not good enough; the Banyan finds better. The young man takes a walk about the town, he obferves that other writers, arrived only a year before him,, live in fplendid apartments or have houfes of their own, ride upon fine prancing Arabian Hories, and in Palanqueens and Chaifes ; that they keep Seraglios, make Entertainments, and treat with Champaigne and Claret. When ke returns, he tells the Banyan what he has obferved. The Banyan allures him he may foon arrive at the fame good fortune ; he furnifhes him with money , he is then at his mercy. The advantages of the Banyan, advance with the rank of Jiis matter, who in acquiring one fortune generally fpends three. But . this is not the worft of it : he is in a Hate of dependence under the Banyan, who commits fuch acts of violence and oppreflion, as his intereft prompts him to, under the pretended fanction and authority of the Com- pany's fervant. Hence, Sir, arifes the clamor againft the EN- GLISH Gentlemen in INDIA. But look at them in a retired fituation, when returned to ENGLAND, when they are no longer Nabobs and Sovereigns of the Eaft : fee if there be any thing tyrannical in their difpofition towards their infe- riors : fee if they are not good and humane mailers : are they [ 46 ] they not charitable ? Are they not benevolent ? Are they not generous ? Are they not hofpitable ? If they are thus far not contemptible members of Society, and if in all their dealings between man and man, their conduct is ftrictly ho- norable : if, in fhort, there has not yet been one Character found amongft them fufficiently flagitious for Mr. FOOTE to exhibit on the Theatre in the Haymarket, may we not con- clude, that if they have erred, it has been becaufe they .were men, placed in fituations, fubjedt to little or no con- troul ? BUT if the fervants of the Company are to be loaded with the demerit of every misfortune in INDIA, let them alfo have the merit they -are intitled to. The Court of Directors furely will not claim to themfelves, the merit of thofe advantages which the Nation and the Company are at prefent in pof- feffion of. The Officers of the Navy and Army have had great mare in the execution j but the Company's fervants were the Cabinet Council, who planned every thing ; and to them alfo may be afcribed, fome part of the merit of our great acquifitions. I will now pafs to other matter : matter as important as ever came before this Houfe. INDIA yields at prefent a clear produce to the public and to individuals, of between two and three millions, Sterling, per Annum. If this object mould be loft, what can Adminiftration fubftitute in the room of k ? I tremble when I think of the rifque we lately run, from the ambitious defigns of the FRENCH. They may have ibfpended for a time, their views upon INDIA, but I am fure they ' E they have not given them up. It is ftrongly reported they have at this moment, ten thoufand men at the Iflands, and a great number of Tranfports : thefe men are not to return to FRANCE, and yet the Iflands cannot maintain them : but at MADAGASCAR they may pofiefs themfelves of a Country capable of fupporting any number. This they certainly will do, and their forces inftead of decrealing will increafe by additional battalions, poured out from FRANCE, until they are ready ro carry into execution their favourite defign. The noble Lord at the Head of the Treafury, will do me the juftice to fay that I laid before him a paper, drawn up fifteen months ago, in which I ftated almoft every thing that has fince happened, relating to the views of FRANCE upon- the EAST INDIES. It was indeed impofTible for me to be deceived, knowing the preparations that had been made. IF ever FRANCE mould lay hold of our pofiefilons, fhe will foon add to them all the reft of the EAST INDIES. The other EUROPEAN Nations there, will immediately fall before her ; not even the DUTCH can ftand : the Empire of the Sea will follow : thus will her acquifitions in the Eaft, if any can, give her univerfal Monarchy. I repeat, and I would- have what I fay remembered, that the FRENCH have not given up their defigns upon INDIA. BUT danger abroad being for the prefent fufpended, let us think of the danger at home. IT is. certain that our affairs in BENGAL are. in a very deplorable condition,' and' that the Nation cannot receive their four [ 48 ] four hundred thoufand pounds, and the Proprietors their two vy hundred thoufand pounds increafe of dividend much longer, if fomething be not done. IT is neceflary, fince thefe affairs are brought before Par- liament, that we Ihould endeavour to underftand them. There are a few material points, which I will ftate as clearly as J can. The Revenues ; the Inland Trade ; the Charges, Civil and Military ; and the Public Trade, by which I mean the Trade of the Company. UPON the receipt of the Revenues depend the four hun- dred thoufand pounds a year to Government, and the two hundred thoufand pounds a year additional dividend to the Proprietors : and upon the Company's or Public Trade de- pends the coining home of the Revenues. There are no mines of Gold or Silver in BENGAL, therefore the Revenues can be brought hither only through the medium of the Com- pany's Trade. UPON the Civil and Military Expences depends, whether we fhall have any furplus Revenue at all ; for if they are fwel- led up too high you can receive no Revenues. Upon the Inland Trade depends in fome degree, the receipt of the Re- venues. Upon the Inland Trade depend almoft totally the happinefs and profperity of the People. Indeed the true caufe of the diftrefs in BENGAL, as far as it relates to the Inland Trade, is this. The Company's fervants and their agents, liave taken into their own hands the whole of that Trade, which they have carried on in a capacity before unknown -, for i . [ 49 ] for they have traded not only as Merchants, but as Sove- reigns, and by grafping at the whole of the Inland Trade, have taken the bread out of the mouths of thoufands and thoufands of Merchants, who ufed formerly to carry on that Trade, and who are now reduced to beggary. WITH regard to the Public Trade, it is material to obferve what that has been, and what it now is. Here is an account of the prime cofts of the Company's Inveftments from BEN- GAL, for feven years preceding the acquifition of the DUAN- NEE, and for feven years fubfequent, together with the number of Ships employed. G Comparative rt fan c 1 o o vo t^ oo ON O Vo **^ ^^ VO ^O f^ **** j^x ^^ ^^ ^^ t*x r^ t^x. M M M M M M H VO vo B r-4 ^* U t qj bD G O Vfi t^. oo j-> O vo v^ o vo vo ON vo to co I M I I I I oo o\ O ** c< co >t" VT> VO VO VO VO VO VO O vo oo oo Tj- t^v d oo w CJ vo vo 00 CO vo '" c sx 3 _,;.- BY this Paper, it appears that the Public Trade has J increafed more than double, fmcc the Acquifition of the Y DUANNEE. -_ I iv ~ ** I now come to a very material point indeed* A State of the Revenues, and alfo of the Civil and Military, and all other Expences from the year 1765 to 1771. The firft year's Account is imperfect, becaufe the Revenues are ftated from. the month of April, and the DUANNEE was not obtained till Auguft. Amount OS w- CO W o ffi CO W O B vo r- M I s w I I T3 1 5M H M t-> NO ^- O ^ NO t-^ ON r- O t^ VO i^\ NO o N ir\ NO u-> >- t^ u-> u-, vo O^ OO j^ ~ N N ^ C< N O * O " - t^ ON - >. - ON u-. <"> . M "N CN OO *> 00 O 1-, N CS M NO NO N -* NO 00 O t> 00 M- - O NO O\ OO ^> uo O f> NO 00 NO * * N t^ r^ o o o\ Ln OO ^ ON P* rr> VO t^ t^ ^- N ON N fj W M O *f\ *> ON vo NO ON ON i/i t> K^ NO NO ^ co I/N *O ON ON VO C* (T M 04 (4 NO ^ M ir O O vn ^. t^ ON - NQ ^- * tn so" O NO NO - OO "" * NO tv. * N tA CO to t^ Q VO t^ OO C?> O VO NO NO NO '- t^ & a. a, a, a. a, g o o o o o o ^ ITN VO t^ 00 ON O ., NO NO NO VO VO t^x I C 53 ] THIS Account muft be exact, becaufe I had the whole of it from the INDIA HOUSE, except the particulars of the lad year, which the Court of Directors are not yet in pofleflion of. But I cannot doubt their authenticity, as I received them from a Gentleman in Council at BENGAL. THE Houfe will obferve, that the Grofs Collections have not decreafed confiderably till the year 1770, which was the year of the Famine ; but that the Civil and Military Expences have been gradually increafing ever fmce I left BENGAL, which was in the beginning of the year 1767. And here lies the danger. The evil is not fo much in the Revenues falling fhort, as in the Expences increafing. The beft means of raifing the Revenues is to reduce the Civil and Military Charges. Why mould we ftrive at an actual increafe of \j the Revenues ? They avail nothing unlefs we can inveft them ; and to raife them beyond a certain point is to diftrefs + the country, and to reduce to indigence, numbers who from time immemorial have derived their fubfiftence from them. WITH regard to the increafe of the expences, I take the cafe to ftand thus. Before the Company became pofleiled of the DUANNEE, their Agents had other ways of making for- tunes. v Prefents were open to them. They are now at an end. It was expedient for them to find fome other channel : the channel of the Civil and Military Charges. Every man V now who is permitted to make a bill, makes a fortune. IT C 54 ] IT is not the fimpk pay of Officers and Men upon the Military and Civil Eftablifbment which occafions our enor- mous Expence, but the contingent Bills of Contractors, CommifiarieSj Engineers, Sec. out of which, I am fure, great favings might be made. Thefe intolerable expences have alarmed the Directors, and perfuaded them to come to Parliament for afliftance. And, if I miftake not, they will foon go to Adminiftration, and tell them they cannot pay the four hundred thoufand pounds ; and that they muft lower the Dividend to the Proprietors. I attribute the prefent fituation of our Affairs to four Caufes : a Relaxation of Government in my Succeffors ; great Neglect on the part of Adminiftration j notorious Mifcon- duct on the part of the Directors -, and the violent and outrageous Proceedings of General Courts, in which I in- clude contefted Elections. Mr. VERELST, who fucceeded me in the Government, I do believe to be a man of as much real worth and honor as ever exifted : and fo far from being wanting in humanity, as Mr. BOLTS aflerts , I know that he had too much huma- nity. Humanity,, if I may be allowed the expreflion, has been his ruin. If he had lefs, it would have been better for the Nation, better for the Company, better for the Natives, and better for himfelf. No Man came to the Government with a fairer Character, and notwithftanding what I have faid, I am confcious no man ever left it with a fairer. He acted upon principles of difmtereflednefs from beginning to end : and let the v [ 55 ] the Dire&ors if they can, tell me where I could have laid my finger upon a fitter Man. But the truth is, he governed with too lenient a hand. The too great tendernefs of his difpolition I faw and dreaded. Nothing was wanting on my part to prompt him to purfue vigorous meafures. Nor did I confine myfelf to verbal advice only. I gave it in writing before I refigned the Government. The Houfe will permit me to read to them my fentiments upon that occafion. They are contained in my Farewell Letter to the Select Committee, wherein I forewarned them of almoft every misfortune that has fince happened. The whole is too long to trouble the Houfe with. I mail therefor* read only that part of it which relates to the prefent fubje<5t. Extraft from my Farewell Letter to the Selett Committee, dated i6th January, 1767. " The reformation propofed by the Committee of Infpec- " tion, will I hope be duly attended to. It has been too " much the cuftom in this Government to make orders and " regulations, and thence to fuppofe the bufinefs done. To " what end and purpofe are they made, if they be not pro- " mulgated and enforced ? No regulation can be carried " into execution, no order obeyed, if you do not make ri- " gorous examples of the difobedient. Upon this point I " reft the welfare of the Company in BENGAL. The fer- " vants are now brought to a proper fenfe of their duty ; " if you flacken the reins of Government, affairs will foon " revert to their former channel ; anarchy and corruption will again [ 56 ] " again prevail ; and, elate with a new victory, be too head- " ftrong for any future efforts of Government. Recall to your memories the many attempts that have been made " in the Civil and Military Departments, to overcome our au- " thority, and to fet up a kind of independency againft the u Court of Directors. Reflect alfo on the refolute meafures " we have purfued, and their wholefome effects. Difobe- 41 dience to legal power is the firft ftep of fedition ; and pal- " liative remedies effect no cure. Every tender compliance, " every condefcenfion on your parts, will only encourage more " flagrant attacks -, which will daily increafe in ftrength, and " be at laft in vain refilled. Much of our time has been