COMPANY. 
confequence of the regulations adopted under this ftatute, 
it has been afierted, we believe with truth, that the admi- 
niftration of our Indian pofl'eflions and trade has become 
regular and efficient; the credit of the company has in- 
creafed ; the price of India ftock has advanced ; the trade 
of the company has been aknoft doubled ; the duties paid 
to the public augmented; tranquillity for many years 
maintained, and a neceflary and politic war fupported 
with dignity, and terminated in 1799, with fucceis, ho¬ 
nour, and conqueft. 
The flat. 33 Geo. III. c. 52. the commencement of 
which in India was appointed to take place on the ilt of 
February, 179+, commonly called Mr. Pitt’s India bill, 
being of the greatelt importance on this fubjeCt, is here 
prefented in the form which feemed beft adapted to elu¬ 
cidate the purpofes for which it was patted. As it con¬ 
cerns, x. The controul in Great Britain. 2. The go¬ 
vernments abroad. 3. Patronage and rule of promotion, 
a- The general trade. 5. Limitations on the exclufive 
trade to and from India. 6. What fhall be deemed illicit 
or clandeftine trade. 7. Appropriations of the company’s 
revenue. 8. The method of fuing for forfeitures and pe¬ 
nalties, and proceeding as to feizures. 9. Regulations 
of general juftice in India. 
x. The a£t provides for the continuation of the board 
of controul in all its parts, except that the perfon firft 
named in the king’s commiffion is to be prefident; and, 
mftead of the commiflioners being limited to fix privy 
counfellors, the number is indefinite, retting in the king’s 
pleafure; of which, however, the two principal fecretaries 
or date, and the chancellor of the exchequer, are to be 
three ; and his msjelty may, if he pleafes, add to the lilt 
two commiflioners not of the privy council. The king 
may give live thoufand pounds a-year among fuch of the 
commiflioners as he pleafes; which, together with the 
falary of the fecretary and officers, and other expences of 
the board, are to be paid by the India company, and not, 
as formerly, by the civil lift; the whole not to exceed 
fixteen thoufand pounds per annum. Oaths are prefcribed 
for the commiflioners and their officers. The office of a 
commiffioner, or chief fecretary, is not to be deemed a 
new office to difable them from fitting in parliament; 
nor is the appointment of a commiffioner not having a 
falary, or of a chief fecretary to vacate a feat. Three 
commiflioners mult be prefent to form a board. The 
powers of the board are in fubftance the fame as under 
former aCts of parliament. They are to fuperintend, di¬ 
rect, and controul,all aCts, operations, and concerns, which 
relate to the civil or military government and revenues of 
the Britifh territorial poffeffions in India, fubjeCt to the 
reftriCtions after mentioned. They and their officers are 
to have accefs to the papers and records of the company, 
and to be furnifhed with copies orextraCts of fuch of them 
as fhall he required. They are alio to be furnifhed with 
copies of all proceedings of general courts, and courts of 
directors, within eight days; and with copies of all dis¬ 
patches from abroad, relating to matters, of government 
or revenue, immediately after their arrival. No orders 
on thof'e fubjeCts are to be fent by the company to India, 
until approved by,the board, and, when the commiflioners 
vary or expunge any part of the difpatches propofed by 
the directors, they are to give their reafons : and all dif¬ 
patches are to be returned to the court of directors in 
fourteen days. The directors may ftate their objections 
to any alterations, and the commiflioners are to reconfider 
them ; and, if they interferepvith what the directors deem 
matters of commerce, the directors may apply to the 
king in council to determine betwixt them. But the 
board are reftriCted from the appointment of any of the 
company’s fervants. If the directors, on being called 
ttpon to propofe difpatches, on any fubjeCt relating to go¬ 
vernment or revenue, fhall fail to do fo within fourteen 
days, the board may originate their own difpatches on 
that fubjeCt. The board are not to authorife any increafe 
of falaries, or any allowance or gratuity to be granted to 
879 
perfons employed m the company’s fervice, except the 
fame fhall be firft propofed by the company ; and their 
intention and reafon for fuch grants are to be certified to 
both houfes of parliament, thirty days before the falary 
can commence. The directors are to appoint three of 
their members to be a committee of fecrefy, through whom 
difpatches relating to government, war, peace, or treaties, 
may be fent to and received from India. This committee 
and their clerks be fworn to fecrecy. Orders of directors 
concerning the government or revenues of India, once 
approved by the board, are not fubjeCt to revocation by 
the general court of proprietors. 
2. The forms of government over the prefidencies of 
Bengal, Fort St. George, and Madras, are continued in 
all their eflential parts. For Bengal by a governor ge¬ 
neral and three members of council. For each of the 
others, a governor and three members. Tliefe latter, 
with refpeCt to treaties with the native powers of India, 
levying war, making peace, collecting and applying re¬ 
venues, levying and employing forces, or other matters 
of civil or military government, are to be under the con¬ 
troul of the government-general of Bengal; and are in 
all cafes whatever to obey their orders, unlefs the di¬ 
rectors fhall have fent to thofe fettlements any orders re¬ 
pugnant thereto not known to the government-general; 
of which in that cafe they are to give the government-ge¬ 
neral immediate advices The court of directors are to 
appoint to thefe feveral governments; namely, the gover¬ 
nor-general, the two other governors, and the members 
of all the councils ; and likewife the commander in chief 
of all the forces, and the three provincial commanders in 
chief. None of the commanders in chief are, ex officio, to 
be of the council, but they are not difqualified from being 
fo, if the directors fhall think fit to appoint them ; and, 
when they are members of the council, they are to have 
precedence of the other counfellors. The civil members 
of council are to be appointed from the lift of civil fer¬ 
vants who have refided twelve years in the fervice in 
India. The directors may appoint to any of thefe offices 
provifionally, but without falary, till the perfons appoint¬ 
ed fhall actually fucceed in pofiefiion. Any vacancy 
of governor-general, or governor, when no provifional 
fucceflor is on the fpot, is to be filled by r the fenior of the 
civil counfellors till a fucceffor fhall arrive; and the va¬ 
cant feat in council thereby occafioned, fhall be tempora¬ 
rily fupplied from among the fenior merchants, at the 
nomination of the aCting governor-general, or governor, 
if only one counfellor fhall then remain; and, on other 
occafions, the governor-general and governors may fup- 
ply vacancies in council from the lilt of fenior merchants, 
until fucceffors duly appointed fhall arrive to take their 
feats. In all thefe cafes the falaries and allowances are 
to follow the aCting members while in office. If the di¬ 
rectors fail to appoint to vacancies in two calendar 
months after notification thereof, the king may lupply 
them, and the directors fhall not remove any perfon fo ap¬ 
pointed. In all other cafes the directors have the power 
of recalling or difmiffing any fervants; and the like gene¬ 
ral power is veiled in the crown. Appointments made 
before the aCt not to be difturbed. The commander in. 
chief of all the forces, when at either of the fubordinate 
fettlements, is to have a feat at the council board, but is 
to have no falary in refpeCt thereof; and, if the provincial 
commander is a memberof that council, he may continue 
to deliberate, but his voice fhall be fufpended as Jong as 
the other fhall remain. Provifion is made for fupplying 
the place of any member of council difabled from attend¬ 
ing by illnefs. The departure of any governor, or mem¬ 
ber of government, or commander in chief, from India, 
with intent to come to Europe, or any written refignarion 
delivered in by them, fhall be deemed an avoidance of 
office, and the coming into any part of Europe, fliall be a 
fufficient indication of that intent. No falary (hall be 
payable to any officer or his agent during abfence, unlefs 
employed on aCtual feryice j and if any officer, unjeis ab- 
fent 
