284 BRITISH INDIAN GOVERNMENT. 



languished ; and when the vote was called, on the 17th of 

 April, 1795, the sentence of " not guilty" upon the first 

 charge was carried in a very thin house by a majority of 24 to 

 6, and upon all the others by majorities not materially differ- 

 ent. The company, after having projected something still 

 more liberal, granted him finally a pension of 4000/. a year 

 for twenty-eight years and a half, and a loan without interest 

 for eighteen years of 50,000/. to defray the expenses of the 



trial. 



Meantime the affairs of India had been the subject of 

 anxious deliberation in the legislature, and the measures 

 proposed on this subject were even made the chief ground 

 of debate between the two great political factions. Mr. 

 Fox, having by his coalition with Lord North obtained a 

 complete ascendency in parliament, brought in his memo- 

 rable bill, by which nearly the whole government and 

 patronage of India would have been taken from the com- 

 pany and vested in the commons. It was passed without 

 difficulty in that house ; yet it increased the odium under 

 which "the ministry laboured, being considered- as an ar- 

 rangement that would throw into their hand such a degree 

 of influence as to render them permanent and absolute, 

 without control either from prince or people. This was so 

 strongly represented to the king that he authorized Earl 

 Temple to acquaint as many members of the House of 

 Lords as he thought fit, that he would consider those who 

 should vote for the measure to be his personal enemies. 

 It was accordingly rejected, and the coalition were soon 

 afterward removed from power, when Mr. Pitt began his 

 long and brilliant career. It was not long till he introduced 

 a bill which made a very material change in the adminis- 

 tration of India ; and from the great popularity which he 

 then enjoyed, and the admission on all hands that some 

 change was necessary, he had little difficulty in carrying it 

 through the two houses. 



The leading feature in this measure was the establish- 

 ment of a new body, invested with high powers, called the 

 Board of Control. It consists of six members, among 

 whom must be the chancellor of the exchequer and a secre- 

 tary of state. One of these high officers, appointed to act 

 as president, has in fact exercised nearly the whole power 

 of the board. Its functions are described somewhat 



