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"voted to it, and consideration and inquiry were out "of the question."

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It is impossible that any other inference should be drawn by the public from the foregoing remarks, coming from such an authority, than that the renewal of the charter at each of the periods alluded to was a measure that could not bear either scrutiny or discussion, and was therefore smuggled through Parliament. But what are the facts? It may be asserted without fear of contradiction, that the records possessed by the public on the affairs of India are more voluminous than on any other subject on which Parliament has legislated.

To revert to the period immediately following the grant of the Dewanny in 1765, when Parliament took into consideration various questions regarding the affairs of India, they legislated amongst other matters on a point which cannot but be familiar to the right hon. member who is so powerful an advocate for the rights and liberties of the subject, viz. the act as to the declaration of dividends, on which the division in the House of Commons was 59 to 44, and against which nineteen Peers entered their dissent in the House of Lords as a measure 66 of the subject."

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highly dangerous to the property

In the earliest stages the Legislature thus appears to have been alive to the affairs of India. But to notice the first period alluded to, viz. 1773. So far from the matter being then passed over, it was pointedly adverted to in the King's speech on the opening of Parliament in January 1772.

The consequence was the appointment of two Committees by the House of Commons: one a Secret Committee, for the express purpose of inquiring into

* Vide Parliamentary Debates, 17th June 1828.

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the affairs of the East-India Company. No less than fourteen voluminous reports were laid before the House, in which every branch of the Company's concerns was discussed and fully investigated: their debts and credits; their revenue derived from commerce and territory; - and the system under which their affairs were conducted, both abroad and at home. The result was the act of 1773, commonly called "the Regulating Act," which may be considered in a great measure as the foundation of the existing system.

Immediately prior to the period when a further arrangement between the public and the Company was to take place, a Parliamentary Committee appointed in 1782 laid eleven reports before the House, in which a complete review was taken of the concerns of the East-India Company, and of the management of the whole of their affairs, foreign and domestic, political as well as commercial.

In 1783-4, at the opening of Parliament, the King's speech adverted to the affairs of India- The result of the measures adopted in that session, which led to the retirement of Mr. Fox from his Majesty's councils, are too well known to need recapitulation in this place.

The third period pointed out is that of 1793. The subject had been matter of discussion between the Government and the Company from 1791. Every opportunity was afforded to the merchants and manufacturers in different parts of the country to submit their opinions and views. A reference to the parliamentary proceedings will shew that the most ample accounts were laid before both Houses. A full statement of the Company's affairs, together with a series of resolutions, were submitted to Parliament in the month of Fe

bruary,

bruary, containing an outline of the bill then intended to be brought in. In April those resolutions underwent discussion in a Committee of the whole House, when they were agreed to. Amendments were moved on the bill, in its several stages through the House of Commons, by Mr. Fox. In corroboration of the foregoing statement, and likewise to shew the attention which was then paid to the subject, the following extract is given from a report of a Committee of the House of Commons in 1810, which report will be again alluded to.

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The Committee in fixing upon 1793 as the period from whence to commence their inquiry, state that on the occasion of renewing the charter in 1793, every exertion was employed for the discovery of the "extent of the Company's resources, both political "and commercial, and calculations were made with every practicable attention to accuracy, grounded upon the actual experience of preceding years, as "it regarded both receipt and expenditure.

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"The propriety of taking this as the period for the "commencement of an investigation, is still further "established by the consideration, that the arrange❝ment then made was upon the most extensive scale, "embracing the entire state of the concern, both "abroad and at home; and a line was drawn for the "distribution of the expenditure in India, whether "for the expences of government or the intere stupon "the debts. A principle was also established for the application of the surplus produce of the revenues, which, on the calculations above adverted to, was fairly expected to arise."

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From 1793 to 1813, not less than six reports of Committees of the House of Commons were laid before Parliament on the affairs of India.

The

The two first were presented and printed in June 1805 and May 1808.* They contained a review of the accounts between the public and the Company, and a statement of the disbursements on behalf of the public for the expeditions undertaken to the French Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, Manilla, to Egypt, and to the Dutch settlements in 1801.

The outlay on account of those operations, together with the state of hostilities on the continent of India, pressed most severely on the financial means of the Company, who consequently sought a settlement of their demands on the public. The Committees, after a minute investigation, reported that £2,500,000 was due to the Company. This is one of the occasions to which the epithet of "sturdy paupers" is applied to the Company for seeking payment of what was admitted to be due, for the purpose of enabling them to carry on the government intrusted to them!

The second report already alluded to was laid before the House in May 1810,* by a Committee appointed to inquire into the state of the Company's affairs, with their observations thereon:

"Your Committee propose in this report to submit "to the consideration of the House a detailed state"ment of the ordinary revenues and charges of the "East-India Company's territorial possessions, and a "comparison of the amount of those revenues and "charges at the last renewal of the Company's charter "in 1793, with their present amount, according to "the latest advices which have been received from "India."

The

That of 1805 presented by John Pattison, Esq.; those of 1808 and 1810 by the Right Honourable Sir John Anstruther, Bart.

The Committee then bear testimony to the correct observance by the Company of the enactments prescribing that they "should annually lay before Parliament dis"tinct accounts of the revenues and of the disburse

ments in India, with the amount of the sales of "goods and stores received from Europe, the state of "their debts and assets, together with an account of "the proceeds of the home treasury and of the debts "and assets in England."

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And the Committee remark, that "the directions of "the act before referred to have been obeyed on the part of the Court of Directors as far as practicable.” The revenues of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, are then detailed seriatim: each branch of mint duties,post-office collections,-Benares revenue,—land revenues,-judicial fees and fines,-customs,-salt sales,— opium sales, stamp duties,-farms and licenses,subsidies, and revenues of ceded and conquered provinces. The charges are then described, the military branch being first touched upon the cause of the increase is clearly set forth, as well as a variety of points which had come under review in the consideration of the whole of the extensive subject.

The third report was laid before the House and printed in June 1811,* in which “a general combined "view is taken of the whole of the concerns of the "East-India Company, both abroad and at home, as

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respects their existing property and the amount of "their debts, in order to lay before the House, as accurately as circumstances will admit, the final re❝sult of the various financial transactions, both poli"tical

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lace.

Presented by the Right Honourable Thomas (now Lord) Wal

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