EAST-INDIA BUDGET. GENERAL COMPARISON OF DEBTS AND ASSETS. 757 Increase of debts in India Decrease of debts at home 2,291,207 48,797 969,530 Net increase of affets Deducted from the net increase of debts, fhews the 1,272,880 Having gone through all the statements with equal perfpicuity and patience, he obferved, that nothing could be more gratifying than the view thus exhibited, of the actual profperity and future profpects of our Eaft India fettlements, which were now infinitely fuperior to what they had ever been before, or to what belongs to any other country on the face of the globe. Whether we looked to its revenue, its commerce, the value of lands, its population, or its peaceful Government, it must prefent an object of envy to every other nation in the world. The noble Marquis, at the head of that Government, had an opportunity of carrying into effect the fyftem of judicature adopted by the Marquis Cornwallis, and from the reports of the different Governors, given in as a statistical view of the whole country, a plan was now effected which had been much improved by the exertions of Sir George Barlowe. The judi-' cature of the courts was now equal to thofe of the other fettlements, and the fame fyftem was extended to most of the Jaghires and Circars. Means were taken to ascertain the vaJue of the other more remote English poffeffions, and the fame fyftem pervaded them all, who had their courts and judges in the fame regularity as thofe of Bengal. The Polygars were a very warlike and interesting people. They lived under a kind of feudal fyftem, which rendered them at the fame time both martial and idle. This was increased by their treaty to keep 23,000 men for the fervice of the Company. But this of late had been very advantageously remitted for the fum of VOL. IV. 1802-3. 5 B 71,000l. 71,000l. per annum in money. The moft material point was the fituation of the Carnatic, which had undergone a confiderable change; but as this was not a time to enter into the merits of the treaty which annexed a part of the Nabob's poffeffions to ours, he would confine himself to that part of the fubject, which bore more immediately upon the question, in the financial operations of the measure. By the arrangement made, the net revenue derived by the Company this year, after the payment for the collection and other expences, was 1,094,000l. of which, however, one-fifth was paid to the Nabob; which, with the payments to his creditors, would amount to 628,000l. leaving to the Company a clear profit of 228,000l. By this the Nabob poffeffed much more than he could realize by his own imperfect fyftem of revenue; for of the immenfe fums wrenched from the inhabitants, by continued and fucceffive extortions defcending from the prince to the meanest foldier, only a very small portion cane into the public coffers. By the late treaty, the Nabob, instead of paying a fubfidy to the Company for undertaking his defence, and that of his territories, which relieved him from keeping a ftanding army that was a terror to his fubjects and himself, ceded a part of his territory as an indemnification to the Company. This ceffion confifted of about half his territory, the revenues of which, by the meritorious exertions of Mr. Wellefley, had been improved from 1,500,000, to 2,770,000l. The Nabob, at the fame time, was the richest fovereign in India, having a clear revenue of upwards of a million sterling folely applicable to his own ufe, and to the comforts of his family. Speaking of the Mahratta empire, he said it must be always of the greatest importance to us, as its fuperficial extent was equal to that of the poffeffions of the Company. It had lately undergone a very great revolution, as Halkar had defeated the army of the Pathwa, who was himfelf obliged to fly from his capital and take refuge under the protection of the Company near Bombay, where he fill remained. The current connection between him and the Company made it expedient to afford him the protection he fought for, and on that communication being made to Halkar, he appeared fatisfied to fubmit the difpute to the English Government. As this, however, could not be entirely relied upon, he had further to mention, that an army to fupport the interference of the Company was affembled and prepared upon the coast, but would not, in all probability, be driven to any military operations, and at all events would be attended with little ex pence, pence, and would not affect the general refults of the peace eftablishment. He then concluded with moving refolutions in conformity with his calculations. Mr. Francis begged the attention of the Committee to a few obfervations which might lead the House and the public to a jufter view of the real fituation of India. As it was impoffible for the memory of any man to follow fuch voluminous accounts as came forward in an Eaft India budget, he fhould argue merely from refults and not from any calculations. The noble Lord ftated the condition of the Company to be fo flourishing both at home and abroad, that the Court of Directors were about to tranfmit to India, property to the amount of 5 millions fterling, of which 1,700,000l. was to be in fpecie. That, however, did not appear to him fo much a symptom of profperity, as a proof that the Bengal government could not go on without it. The great use of Bengal to us was, that it could supply us with fpecie for the China markets, whereas we were now obliged to fupply cafh both for China and Bengal. It was formerly thought wife to reduce our Eaft India poffeffions, but in the last ten years they were doubled as well as the revenue, and what were we the better for it? Nothing at all-for the affairs of the Company appeared now to be as much embarraffed as ever they were. He deprecated the measures which had been purfued in India, and propofed, that a Committee fhould be appointed to investigate the concerns of the Eaft India Company, fimilar to that established in 1781. Lord Caftlereagh explained, and faid, that he approved very much of the hon Gentleman's propofition, to probe the fe matters to the very bottom; and for his own part, he was perfectly willing and prepared to meet him upon the subject whenever it was found proper to do fo. As to fpecie being fent out of this country, that was not a circumstance which could be reckoned difadvantageous, if the value of money was properly adverted to. One fymptom of the profperity of the Company was, that, their affets had kept pace with their debts, and that they had been able to weather a war of ten years, without any increase of debt whatever. With refpect to new loans appearing on the face of the accounts if the hon. Gentleman would take the trouble to enquirs, he would find, that the Company were conftantly making loans. The statement which he had taken the liberty of fubmitting to the Houle, was entirely fuch a one as had been laid before the House on fimilar occafions, during the space of eight or ten years back. If the hon. Gentleman had really thought foch ftatements mere formalities, he (Mr. Francis was reprchen5 B2 fible fible in not having stated his opinion on former occafions, in order that fome new mode might be adopted to render Indian affairs more clear and intelligible. Mr. Johnfone thought, that the Company's affairs ought to be judged by other criterions than the accounts which were now laid before the Houfe. In the course of his speech, he took occasion to obferve, that there prevailed in India an inordinate fpirit of extending the territorial poffeffions of, the Company, and took notice of fome acts in which the prefent Government of Bengal and Mr. Wellesley took a part. Mr. W. Pole thought it neither manly nor decorous in the hon. Gentleman to throw fuch an imputation by a fide wind against perfons, who, if they had acted improperly, ought to have their conduct inquired into by that Houfe. Lord Caftlereagh, fpoke in explanation. Mr. Burrowes delivered his fentiments not only upon the fubject regularly under the confideration of the Committee, but upon fome of the rather irrelevant points which were introduced into the difcuffion, and fpoke with confiderable animation and ability. He could not poffibly, he faid, fupprefs the feelings of indignation at the unfounded charges thrown out by two Gentlemen on the other fide of the House, at so grofs and indecent an attack made upon two noble perfonages then abfent on the fervice of their country in fituations of the highest truft, importance, and refponfibility, and who, for their conduct in fuch fituations, had received the unanimous thanks of that Houfe, which, was defervedly ranked among the brightest rewards their country had to beflow. He was refident in India the greater part of the time in which the tranfactions alluded to took place, and therefore was enabled to speak not only from documents, but from perfonal and local knowledge upon the subject. With refpect to what had been thrown out relative to the conduct of Lord Teignworth, he could affure the Committee, that noble Lord never did fanction the fucceflion of the prince in queftion, previous to his being placed on the MufBud of Oude. He had opportunities of being well informed upon that fubject, and had perufed all the letters and documents appertaining to it. After ftating the outlines of the tranfaction, Mr. Burrowes argued fuccefsfully upon them, in vindication of the then Government of Bengal. He contended that the flight and trivial circumflance of a falute being fired from the ramparts of Fort William on the occafion of that prince's acceffion, was not fufficient to impeach the honour of the Government of Bengal; on the contrary, that Government Government could not confiftently with its honour and character have remained unconcerned fpectators of a contest for the Mufnud of Oude. He muft, however, ftrongly deprecate the practice of thus bringing subjects into debate which had been repeatedly difcuffed, and decided upon by the Houfe. Such a proceeding was neither juft nor honourable. He again adverted to the charges which were made against the two noble Lords now at the head of affairs in India; and again, he must exprefs his indignation at hearing those meri torious and honourable perfonages branded with the name of robbers. Their conduct, fo very far from juftifying any epithets of that nature, would, he was confident, whenever it thould come to be fairly and fully difcuffed, redound highly to their honour. The tranfactions, when difcuffed and fifted to the bottom, would add in the estimation of an impartial pofterity to that ftock of fame and honour which they already poffeffed. He defied any man to point out any political characters, who, fince the arduous times of the French revolution, have acquired more folid glory than the two noble Lords at the head of the adminiftration of India. With respect to what had been thrown out relative to the affairs of the Carnatic, he had as little apprehenfion on that head. That province was protected by the British forces from all its enemies; the reigning family was maintained upon its Mufnud fince the year 1744, and in poffeflion of their territories. What was their return for fuch friendship and fupport? This clearly appeared by fome documents found at Seringapatam-it appeared they had entered into a traiterous correfpondence with that inveterate enemy of the Englith, Tippoo, and at a moment when we were at actual war with him. This conduct, independent of what even elle may be alledged against it, was entirely incompatible with common good faith. Such a line of conduct would have been fufficient ground for war with Portugal, Holland, or any other power with whom we might be in alliance; upon that ground alone, upon the very juftice of the cafe, our Government would have a right to make war upon the Nabob, even were he an independent prince. We were juftified, by the circumstances of the cafe, to depofe him by force of arms. It should be recollected, that at the very time Tippoo was ready to fall upon us, upon principles of felf-defence, the depofition of the Nabob was obviously justifiable: but the meafures which the noble Lords in queftion concurred in adopting, were thofe of uncommon moderation; a moderation, he would contend, unexampled in the hiftory of mankind. They |