Balance at clofe of year 1797, 98, expected to be against the Company Actual balance in confequence of iffue of bonds, of aid by loans, and of Imaller payments for freight, &c. than expected, was in favour 1,836,320 540,646 Making the balance of cash better than estimated 2,376,966 Receipts for fales of Company's goods 5,905,927 Refult. After calculating on a payment to the Bank, amounting to 800,000l. and a large fum for freight, without reckoning an increase of capital, iffue of bond, or loans, the balance against the Company on ift March 1799, expected to be Debts at home. In March 1797 1,318,937 7,916,459 In March 1798 7,284,694 Decrease 631,765 Affets at home and afloat on ift March 1797 12,476,813 13,211,370 Increase 734,557 Adding increase of affets to the above decrease of debts, the ftate of affairs at home appears better CHINA AND ST. HELENA. 1,366,322 The increase of Debt, or the general ftate of the The total then is 1,304,623 212,067 201,153 L.413,220 Having gone through the above statement, Mr. Dundas faid, that from the arrangements that had been made, and the mode that had been adopted, the affairs of the East India Company were better by eleven millions fterling during the laft eleven years. The Committee would naturaily with to hear fome explanation upon the increafe of the Company's debt in India. It was certainly beyond what he could have wifhed it to have been. But as it had been contracted for the purpose of purchafing investments, it was of course to be found in the increafe of the Company's affets at home. They might naturally be induced to with to fwell their efti mates and fales at home, by bringing home as large cargoes as poffible. But if it fhould be thought that they ought to continue to do this, it would be right to remind them, while they were increafing their debt in India, in order to increase their fales in Leadenhall-ftreet, that Leadenhallftreet ought, by increase of exportations, or in fome other way, to make fome compenfation to India for that debt.When they did act in this manner, it was neceflary at the fame time to remind them, that they were not only a trading Company, but that, in their hands, were entrusted the imperial refources of India; they ought to remember that they were adminiftrators of the revenues of India; the public and the country have a right to expect that they will ufe their power with prudence and circumfpection. There could be no difference of opinion entertained with respect to the extending of the commerce in India; it was plain that that commerce was increafing; but he was ready to state it as his fentiment, that, however rich the Company were, however great they were, and no man rejoiced more at their riches and at their greatnefs than he did, it was clear that the "the trade of India was far beyond what the powers of the Company were equal to. This was a circumftance which muft produce the moft ferious confideration in the minds of thofe whofe duty it was to exercife any controul. Alluding to the fubject of clandeftine trade, "I am afraid," faid the Right Honourable Gentleman, "that that term is used in a vague and indefinite fenfe. If the Eaft India Company confine it to that trade which is clandeftinely brought to this country by their own fervants, to the injury of their mafters, the application is certainly juft and proper. But if, under that name, they clafs what is brought by fhips of neutral nations-if, I fay, they clafs this under the appellation of clandeftine trade, I much fear that they and I shall very materially differ in opinion. What I refer to is this: In the first place, I beg to ftate that I fhall fift the fubject, and enquire into it to the bottom. But if it is true which has been stated to me, that the export of the wealth of India to Europe amounts to no lefs a fum than five millions fterling; and if it be true that the capital of the Company, whether confifting in exports, or in the furplus of the revenues of India, can bring home only two millions, or under, fure I am, that the general intereft will require that, in fome fhape or other, as we are now in poffeffion of almost all the wealth of the world; fure I am, I fay, that we can never agree, that under any monopoly there fhall go ftraggling, if I may ufe the expreflion, to the other ports of Europe, three millions of the trade from India, and that that amount fhould find its way to the other ports in other veffels than in thofe which form part of the wealth of this country. I will fay no more at prefent.-Whether by enlarging their capital, or extending the number of their fhips, the Company can bring home the wealth of India, will require the most serious confideration; for it is a fubject in which the commerce and navigation of the country are deeply involved. I throw out these as obfervations-I pledge myfelf to make the most minute enquiry into the fubject-I have no doubt that in the courfe of the prefent Seffion of Parliament, with the affiftance of my Right Honourable Friend, with the aid of all the perfon's joined in the administration of the affairs of the country, the fubject, in fome fhape or other, will come under the confideration of the House; and it will be the object of the different departments of Government to unite what talents God has bleffed them with, in order to fecure to the ports of this country the fame pre-eminence with refpect to the trade from India, which they are now No. 28. 6 X enjoying enjoying with respect to the trade from all other parts of the world." Mr. Dundas concluded by moving his firft refolution, founded upon the statement which he had fubmitted to the Committee. Colonel Wood wifhed that the Right Honourable Gentleman would state in the next account which he meant to lay before the Houfe, what were the Revenues arifing from, and the charges attending the fettlement of the land of Ceylon; and alfo the charges attending the expedition that had been fitted out against the Manillas, but which was afterwards put a stop to. Mr. Dundas anfwered, that this, which he confidered his first statement, was made on an average of the last three years, in which Ceylon confequently could not be included, it having been only part of that time in our poffeffion. Colonel Wood expreffed himself happy to hear the East India trade was in fo flourishing a state as to amount to five millions a year; but there was a part of what the Right Honourable Gentleman faid, on which he wished him to be more explicit, for if it fhould go abroad as he had stated there would be a great alarm among the proprietors of India Stock. They had hitherto looked to the Right Honourable Gentleman as the protector of their Chartered Rights. He had given a fort of notice of bringing forward fome measure that might affect them in the poffeffion of thefe Rights. He agreed with the Right Honourable Gentleman that if, by the prefent arrangement of affairs of the East India Company, they cannot bring home all that wealth, fome other arrangements must be made; but he begged the Right Hon. Gentleman would be more explicit on that head. Did he intend that if poffible the Eaft India Company fhould have entire the monopoly, that they should continue to be the carriers from India-or did he intend that the trade from India fhould in any manner be thrown open to the country in general? If the Right Honourable Gentleman had no fuch intention as that of throwing the Eaft India Trade open, he hoped he would explain himfelf, and prevent the alarm which muft otherwife arife among Eaft India Proprietors upon the going abroad of part of what he had faid to-night, Mr. Dundas replied, that it was not many years fince he had exerted himself for the renewal of the East India Company's charter, and, therefore, thought he could not have been fufpected of entertaining a defign to impair an esta blishment which he had fhewn fuch an anxiety to uphold. На He had no objection to his fentiments as expreffed, going abroad into the world, and was not apprehenfive of their exciting any alarm. That the Honourable Gentleman fhould have fo much misunderstood them, he owned gave him fome furprise, as he thought he could not have used plainer language. However to exclude all poffible doubt refpecting his fentiments on the fubject, he declared it to be his opinion, that the Eaft India Company's monopoly should be fupported to the utmoft length, to enable them to bring home every single rupee; but while he thus admitted the Company's right, and his determination to fupport it, he alfo thought it his duty to attend to this point, that the furplus trade, which they did not, or could not bring home, fhould be imported fome other way. Colonel Wood faid, he was glad to hear the Right Honourable Gentleman's explanation, without which his former ftatements would be liable to great mifapprehenfions throughout the country. The feveral refolutions were then read and agreed to, and the report ordered to be received to-morrow. Mr. Dundas brought up the report of the Committee appointed to examine into the ftate of the prison in Cold Bath Fields.-Ordered to be printed. The other Orders of the day were deferred. HOUSE OF LORDS. Wednesday, March 13. RICKETTS'S DIVORCE BILL. THEIR Lordships proceeded to hear counfel on the queftion for the fecond reading of the above Bill. Mr. Dallas, as leading counfel for Captain Ricketts, ftated the circumstances of the cafe for which his client petitioned their Lordfhips for a Bill to diffolve the marriage between him and his prefent wife, and to enable him to marry again, he admitted that fince the criminal act complained of, Lady Elizabeth (formerly Lady Elizabeth Lambert) his wife had conducted herself in the most exemplary manner, and now evinced the moft fincere penitence and contrition for her mifconduct. After all the neceffary proofs were gone through, touching the marriage of the parties in 1793, and fubfequent adultery of the Lady with Captain Hargreaves, of the Lancashire Fencibles, in December, 1797, which latter circumftance was proved by a chambermaid belonging to an inn were they slept together, 6 X 2 but |