GENERAL HISTORY. 



[50 



transactions attended with clear 

 Joss. He gave soipe examples of 

 these facts, and inferred that it 

 was highly expedient that the na- 

 tional capital should be let in to 

 the relief of the Company, upon 

 the principle of the regulations of 

 1793, or the improved system 

 adopted in 1802. The other al- 

 ternative, of abolishing the present 

 system, he was certainly not dis- 

 posed to admit, unless all arrange- 

 ments between the Company and 

 the public should appear impracti- 

 cable. Dismissing therefore the 

 two extremes of the question, he 

 would proceed to state those mo- 

 difications of the existing system 

 which were the subject of certain 

 resolutions to be laid before the 

 committee. After opening the na- 

 ture and purpose of these resolu- 

 tions, they were handed to the 

 chairman of the committee, and 

 read. They commenced with a 

 declaration, That it is expedient 

 that all the privileges, authorities, 

 and immunities, granted to the 

 East India Company, shall conti- 

 nue and be in force for the further 

 term of twenty years, except as 

 far as the same may hereinafter be 

 modified and repealed. The 2nd re- 

 solution was to continue the present 

 restraints to the commercial inter- 

 course with China, and the Com- 

 pany's exclusive trade in tea. The 

 ^rd contained a permission to any 

 pf his Majesty's subjects to export 

 to, and import from, all ports 

 within the limits of the Company's 

 obarter, such goods, wares, &c. as 

 are allowed by law, under certain 

 enumerated provisions. The ^th 

 regulated the application of the 

 rents, revenues, and profits accru- 

 ing to the Company from their 

 territorial possessions in India; and 



the 5th regulated in like manner 

 the application of the proceeds 

 from their sales of goods, and the 

 profits of private trade. The 6th 

 directed the application of the sur- 

 plus revenues of the Company af- 

 ter the reduction of their debt in 

 India to ten millions sterling, and 

 that in England to three millions. 

 The subsequent resolutions de- 

 clared the expediency of allowing 

 British ships built in the East In- 

 dies to import goods, &c. from 

 that country during the present 

 war, and to an assigned period af- 

 ter it— of making provision for 

 further limiting the granting of 

 gratuities and pensions to officers 

 of the Company — of continuing 

 the power in the court of directors 

 to supply vacancies occurring in 

 the chief offices in India — of limit- 

 ing the number of king's troops in 

 future to be maintained by the 

 Company in India — and of placing 

 the church establishment in the 

 British territories in India under 

 the superintendance of a bishop 

 and three archdeacons. 



It is unnecessary to give the 

 particulars of the conversation 

 which ensued in this earlj' stage 

 of the business. Several of the 

 speakers urged the propriety of 

 hearing evidence at the bar re- 

 specting certain points, which was 

 agreed to by lord Castlereagh. 



On March 30th the examination 

 of evidence commenced in the 

 House of Commons before a com- 

 mittee of the whole House, with 

 that of Warren Hastings, esq. 

 and was continued through a 

 number of meetings, in which a 

 great many individuals who had 

 served in high stations in India 

 were examined. On April 13th, 

 so m«ch of the time of the House 



