't.^t 



4* 



..e 



HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



251 



WAS made with order and spirit, and 

 the loss not ccnsideriible. 



JMr.Grt-y's motion was negatived 

 by iO'S to '>5. 



Tilt- afiairs of India, after the dis- 

 patch of other business of less 'iin- 

 uor'.anre, were brought before the 

 House by Mr. Diindas on the 4tli 

 'of April. Fiom the averages of 

 three years preceding the war in 

 India, and of the three years suc- 

 { ceeding, he formed an estimate, by 

 'Which it appeared, that, the net 

 .. improvement in the Company's af- 

 fairs by reduction of debts and by 

 increase of assets, amounted to 

 ,1,609;7OO'. The resources of the 

 • Company hereby weie equal to. the 

 demands tiiey had to ansv^er. The 

 Brilisli possessions in that part of 

 kjUie world he stated as in the most 

 .flourishing situation. The only 

 European power that we appre- 

 licnded, was no longer in existence; 

 and the most dangerous of the na- 

 ' tive powers was completely disa- 

 , bled. Notwithstanding some of 

 l^he domestic sales had been detici- 

 ij". pnt, from the cjuantity of goods for 

 sale being less than expected, the 

 home debt had been decreased by 

 paymeniofo( 0,0001. and there was 

 no doubt that, thec(]mmercial diffi- 

 culties of last )Tar being removed, 

 the demands for India goods would 

 bring ihcni to a good market, and 

 compensate for all jiast deficiencies. 

 It wc.uld however be expedient to 

 permit ilie Company to increase 

 the!)' capital, by enabling them to 

 • "Htinue their bonded debt at 

 ' lK),(X)(), and to issu<' new bonds 

 lor I,UJ().(KXJ more. This, on Mr. 

 piiiidas's motion, was agreed to ac- 

 cordingly. 



-. On llie 2()th of April a message 

 Vas delivered from the King, in- 

 fwinilng the House of Commons 



of the treaty concluded with the 

 King of Prussia ; by which (ireat 

 Britain and the States General had 

 jointly stipulated to grant that mo- 

 narch a larger subsidy for the prose- 

 cution of th.e war. When the 

 terms were laid before the House, 

 il appeared that l,8G0,00'Jl. were to 

 be paid him for the services of a 

 twelvemonth j of which Holland 

 was t o f u rn i ■) Il 400,0001 . T h e i m- 

 mensity of such a sum, advanced to 

 a prince in whom little or rather 

 no confidence was reposed, awaken- 

 ed the fears of those who dreaded 

 his duplicity ; and that being once 

 in possession of this treasure, he 

 would feel httle concern for those 

 fiom whom lie had received it. 

 This apprehensiofi was the more 

 justly founded, as he was privately 

 negociating with the French go- 

 vernment at this ver}' time, and 

 preparing for that secessioii from 

 the. confederacy which he had al- 

 ready resolved on. 



On a comparison of these enor- 

 mous terms with tlie uncertainty of 

 the services ihey were given to pur- 

 chase, it was not surprizing that 

 the most forward ill the opposition 

 siiould imagine th:it many would 

 hesitate' whether they ought in 

 prudence to be granted. 



On the very nrxt day, Mr. Cur- 

 wen ujoved the House to put off 

 tlie conclusion of a busiiiess of 

 such magnitude, for at least a fort- 

 night, that the members might have 

 full leisure for consideration. This 

 motion gave birth to a warm dis- 

 cu.ssion on its propriety, at a junc- 

 ture when ministry insisted that 

 the m.ost expeditious decision was 

 necessary : and its opposers con- 

 tended, with no I ss obstinacy, that 

 due time should be taken to weigh 

 the reasons that might be adduced 



on 



