'concerned in a most amazing degree. India ftock fell above 60 per cent. in a few days. It was in vain that the directors produced their difpatches from India, and fhewed that the war could not be attended with any real danger, and that the company had never been in a more flourishing ftate; the epidemical diforder had taken its effect, and must now fpend its force before it could be removed.

In the mean time, the directors thought it neceffary to take fome effectual measures to put a flop to the abuses and mifmanagements which had fo much difgraced the company's government in India, and which had been fo pernicious to its interefts, both there and at home. To this purpose it was thought neceffary, that three gentlemen of character, as well as of great ability and experience in the company's affairs in that part of the world, fhould be invefted with extraordinary powers, and fent thither under the character of fupervifors, with full authority to examine into, and rectify the concerns of every department, and a full of control over all their

power

other fervants in India.

June 14. Mr. Vanfittart, Mr. Scrafton, and Col. Ford, all of whom had before ferved with reputation, the two firft in a civil, the latter in a military capacity, in that part of the world, were accordingly appointed to this fervice.

Though the bad conduct of the company's fervants in India was not controverted, and the neceflity of fome fuch measure was generally allowed, yet the mode of it, and the degrees of power with which the fupervisors were to be

entrusted, occafioned great debates, and a continued fucceffion of general courts to be held. The friends and relations of the gentlemen, who already had great appointments in India, and who formed a very confiderable party, were of courfe averfe to the fending out of fupervifors. Many others were influenced by different motives to oppofe it: fome had particular objections to the gentlemen appointed, others from principle did not think it fafe to trust any man, or body of men, with too much power. By this means every inch of the ground was difputed, new objections were continually ftarted, and no refolution relative to this meafure could pass, without its being first put to the ballot.

When the powers to be granted to the fupervifors were at length concluded upon, and the commiffion for that purpofe accordingly paffed, fome unexpected objections made by the miniftry, together with an extraordinary propofal, that the company fhould give to a fervant of the crown a principal fhare in the direction of their affairs in India, occafioned a 'new delay, and prevented for fome time the expediting of this measure.

The directors having confidered the great weight that a naval force would give to their negociations with the Indian princes, and being fenfible of the good effects that it might have produced in the prefent war, had, during the course of thefe debates, applied to government for two fhips of the line, and fome frigates, to be fent upon that fervice. No direct anfwer was made to this application; but as it was known that Sir John Lindsey [E 3]

was

was appointed to the command of the fhips intended for this expedition, it was looked upon as tacitly complied with. The company would at any time have been entitled to the protection of government, and the large annual revenue which it now paid, feemed more particularly to give it a right to expect not only protection but favour. As the application had however been only made by the directors, it was thought proper, to give it the more weight, that it fhould have the fanction of a general court, and thereby become the act of the whole company. A July 27. motion to that purpofe was accordingly made, and unanimously agreed to, and another court appointed to be held, to receive the answer of government, and to put the finishing hand to all measures relative to the departure of the fupervisors.

At this court a letter Aug. 11. was read, which had been received the night before from Lord Weymouth, one of the fecretaries of fate, in which it was faid, "That the commiffion appointing the prefent fupervifors to India, had been taken into confideration by his majesty's fervants, and that it was their opinion, that in fome refpects it was illegal. That he was forry to find, in an anfwer which he had received from the directors refpecting the ap. pointment of a naval officer, with full powers to adjust all maritime affairs in India, that they had not totally acceeded to it. He now therefore begged of the directors, that they would reconfider the commiffion in general; and that the particular article, of granting unlimited powers to a naval officer,

might be laid before the proprie tary at large."

In confequence of this letter, a long train of correfpondence, between the miniftry and the direc tors, upon a fubject with which they were before wholly unacquainted, was now laid before the proprietors. It appeared by the powers, which the former required to be granted to the commanding naval officer, that he was in fact to fuperintend the fupervisors, as well as all the company's political affairs in India. The directors acknowledged, that they were willing to allow the king's naval commander a certain degree of power, in conjunction with the governor and council of Bengal; but that there were many fufficient reasons which prevented their acquiefcence with the requeft at large; as well from the danger of entrusting any one person with such extraordinary powers, as the perpetual opportunity of interference, which would thereby be given to government in all their affairs. At the same time they informed the proprietors, that the commiffion had already undergone the revifion of council, and had received the fanction of fome of the most eminent law opinions in the kingdom as to the legality of every part of it. A fhort day was then appointed for the holding of another general court, to confider farther of this fubject.

At this court ano- Aug. 15. ther letter was read from the fame minifter, which had been received that morning. In this he acquainted the court, that by the answer which he had received to his laff, he imagined that they had in fome degree mifunder, ftood him; that it never had been

his idea to invest a naval officer with plenipotentiary powers at large; that he only wanted to eftablish fuch a thare in the bufinefs of adminiftration, as would be both for the good of the company, and the honour of adminiftration. That as his firft letter, with the directors' answer, were now to be laid before the proprietors at large, to prevent any future misunderstanding, he recommended only the difcuffion of the two following points: First, the reconfideration of the commiffion, and next, the degree of authority proper to be invested in a naval officer. To the first of thefe he faid, that as it was a point, on the legality of which there were different opinions among the fervants of the crown, and the council of the company, he would not pretend to speak on it; but in regard to the fecond, as government, at the request of the company, in the 11th article of the laft definitive treaty of peace with France, made conditions with feveral princes in India, it highly refpected their honour, and that an officer of theirs fhould be the principal agent in all matters of fenfive and defenfive.

The defigns of the miniftry were now too obvious to be miaken, and too alarming not to be oppofed with vigour. The directors obferved to the court, that this requifition was a matter, which affected the confequence and fafety of the company in the highest degree; that it was not therefore to be haftily decided, but required the most ferious deliberation, and the coolest difcuffion; that the court fhould be accordingly adjourned, and sufficient time given to every proprietor, before the next

meeting, to revolve the matter fully in his mind; to confult the charters, and enquire into the privileges of the company; to confi. der well, whether any, or what part of their rights might be given up, and that in their conceflions to government they did not endanger their own fafety; that it was hoped they would pay the greatest attention to these points; for that their affairs were never in a more critical fituation, nor the honour of the company more deeply concerned.

A confiderable time was accordingly taken for the confideration of this fubject; and, at Aug. 30. the enfuing general court, great debates arofe upon it, It was faid, that if authority was given to the king's officers to interfere in the governmental affairs of India, the power of the company, in that part of the world, would from that moment be at an end. That applying to government for affiftance, and at the fame time invefting the officers of the crown with independent powers, was in effect furrendering the company's territorial acquifitions in India, to the direction of the king's miniters, the confequences of which might easily be foreseen. That whenever any conteft fhould arife between the king's fervants and the company's, the event must be fatal to the company that as it would often be necessary to em ploy the one and the other in the fame fervice, fuch contests may very naturally be expected to arife, which had already been the cafe upon many former occafions. That if the company is of itself unable to maintain its territorial acquifitions, it were better to furrender [E 4]

the

the fovereignty to the powers of the country, upon terms advantageous to its commerce, than to be at the mercy of a minister.

It was fhewn, that commerce was of fo tender and delicate a nature, that it could only thrive where it had the most unrestrained liberty, as well as the most perfect fecurity and that the refraints or exertions of power, though feemingly founded upon falutary principles, had generally proved deftructive to it. The fatal effects of ministerial interference in commercial matters, was exemplified in the prefent ruinous condition of the French Eaft-India Company; as the great and flourishing ftate of that in Holland, was brought to fhew the happy confequences that refulted from a different conduct. That the States General were fo well convinced of the importance of the Eaft-India trade, and faw fo clearly into the great national benefits arifing from it, that every territorial, or other acquifition of the company in India, was confidered by that wife body as a national one. That they fupported it at all events, and rifqued the most dangerous wars upon its account; that in the greatcft exigencies of the fate, the company's property, at home or abroad, was held as facred as any man's private property; and that the full yearly profits arifing from their trade or revenue in India, were fairly divided among the proprietors, even when they amounted fo high as 75 per cent. That, in the profat cafe, the demands of govement role in proportion to the facity with which ill-judged conceffiors had already been obtained; that the granting of an annual

fum which exceeded their whole dividend, without a renewal of their charter, or any adequate confideration being given, might have been deemed a fufficient gratification for the present, and did not deferve to be immediately fucceeded by an attempt that ftruck at their very exiftence.

On the other hand, it was faid, that officers bearing the king's commiffion, would add dignity to the negociations that might be fet on foot for eftablishing peace in India; that the powers of the country being fovereigns themselves, would more readily liften to propofitions, fan&tified by the name of a great king, than coming only from a delegated company of merchants, to whom the neceffity of fubmiffion must ever be hateful; that fuch fubmiffion could, from the nature of things, be only temporary; for it was folly to fuppofe, that millions of reasonable beings would endure the yoke of a handful of rapacious individuals, longer than they could unite to deftroy them. That if government did not difcover, by a ípirited interpofition, a timely difpofition to grant the territorial acquifitions in India, the most powerful affistance and protection, thefe im; ortant acquifitions would be loft to the nation, and all the immenfe advantages to be expected from them, facrificed to the humour of a few intereled and turbulent persons, who, by the most unjust proceedings, had raifed themselves into confequence; and who, to maintain it, would traffic away the greatest national advantages. That the mifconduct of the company's fervants in India was univer ally allowed; and that if it had admitted

before

before of any doubt, the meafure of fending out fupervisors would fufficiently prove it; that nothing could prevent thefe enormities for the future fo effectually, as the king's maintaining a perfon of rank, honour, and integrity, in fuch a station in that part of the world, as would enable him to be a fufficient check upon the rapacious and exorbitant conduct of their servants; at the fame time, that he would not only be anfwerable for his own conduct to his majefty, but also to the nation in general.

After many debates, and feveral propofed modifications, the matter was at length refted upon the following queftion, which was put to be decided by ballot: "That this court will give the officer of the crown,commanding fhips of the line, a fhare in the deliberations and refolutions of the company, merely with regard to the two objects of making peace and declaring war when his majefty's forces are employed;" when it was rejected by a great majority.

In the mean time the commiffion for the naval commander in chief was made out; but as the propofed requifition for extraordinary pow ers had not been complied with, his operations were limited to the gulph of Perfia only. The company's affairs had for fome time been embroiled upon that coaft, through the lawless conduct of the neighbouring chiefs, who, taking advantage of the troubles that prevailed in Perfia, to become independent, had thrown off at the fame time all regard to order and juftice. Thus a fort of compromife was made; the power of making peace and war was granted by the directors to the naval commander in the gulph of Perfia, beyond which his authority did not extend; and the demand for fhips of the line to the bay of Bengal was fufpended. Two frigates of war were however ordered upon that fervice, and to convey the fupervisors, whofe powers were at length finally adjusted, and an end put to this tedious course of debate and altercation.

N event which took place at as the late general election, as it has been productive of feveral extraordinary confequences, fome of which are fuppofed by many to affect even the first principles of the constitution, all the circumtances relative to it, deserve, upon

that account, our more particular attention. We have before feen, that Mr. Wilkes (of whofe mixed character, conduct, and adventures, fome account has been given in a former volume) having retired to France, was not only expelled the houfe of commons, but in con

fequence