article of indemnification for teas, an experiment made in concurrence with government; but by which they were prodigious lofers. Though this ftate of their affairs might have been easily foreseen by those who were at their head, nothing was done to prevent it; the dividend was raised to twelve and a half per cent. the annual tribute to government, accordingly continued, and the India bills, to the amount of 1,200,000l. wantonly, or carelessly accepted, without a due attention to the funds by which they were to be paid.

These diftreffes took away all the means of defence, and threw the Company naked into the hands of administration. The directors were under a neceffity of entering into a negociation with government for a loan to extricate their affairs, at a time, when the most hoftile meafures were, probably, in contemplation. The first lord of the treafury received these proposals with drynefs and referve. He referred them to parliament for fatif faction. Thus the crimes and mifdemeanours of their fervants, together with the envy and obloquy which attended their immenfe fortunes and conduct at home, became at length blended into one common and undiftinguished mafs, with the general state of the Company's affairs, their territorial and corporate rights, the causes of their prefent diftreffes, and the recent application for borrowing money from the public.

The enquiries made by the felect committee were principally directed to the measures purfued, and the conduct of the Company's fervants in Bengal. The publication of the reports of this committee excited a general indigna

tion, and furthered the confufion of ideas, and inflamed the heat of thefe paffions.

Such was in general the state of public affairs at the meeting of parliament. In the Nov. 26th. speech from the

It

throne, it was observed, that their private convenience would have been confulted by allowing a longer recefs from bufinefs, if fome very important parts of the public fervice had not required the immediate attention of parliament. then flowed, how much the commerce and revenues of the nation, as well as the private rights and interefts of a confiderable number of particular people, were interested in the maintenance of the credit and profperity of the Eaft-India Company. That upon information of the difficulties in which that Company appeared to be involved, it was determined to give them an early opportunity of informing themfelves fully of the true ftate of their affairs, and of making fuch provifions for the common benefit and fecurity of the various interests concerned, as should be found beft adapted to the exigencies of the cafe.

Hopes were conceived, that the war which had fo long unhappily prevailed in a part of Europe was drawing to a conclufion; and it was observed, that though there was no probability of our being involved in it, the difcontinuance of thofe troubles would afford a fairer profpect of the duration of peace: which, it was hoped, the alterations that had taken place in Europe, would not in their confequences affe&t. That as foreign powers had given the strongest affurances of their pacific difpofitions

towards

towards this country, every attention fhould be paid to the prefervation of the public tranquillity, fo far as it was confiftent with the honour of the crown, and the interefts of the people. Great fatisfaction was expreffed, that the continuance of peace had afforded an opportunity of reducing the naval establishment; but it was concluded, that it would be agreed, that a confiderable ftrength at fea muft be ever neceffary for preferving the reputation and power of these kingdoms. Strict economy was promifed with respect to the fupplies; and it was lamented, that the harveft had not afforded the relief that was hoped with respect to the dearnefs of corn; but it was fully understood, and ftrongly recommended, that every thing which human wifdom was capable of devifing, would be done to remedy that evil.

The gentleman who moved for the address in the Houfe of Commons, as well as the other who feconded the motion, expatiated largely on the enormous tranfgreffions of the Eaft-India Company, and defcribed their affairs, as being in the most ruinous, and almoft irretrievable fituation. The minifter, however, faid, that the complicated union of the Company's fovereign and political powers, with their commercial affairs, had been attended with unforeseen confequences, which had involved them in fome confiderable difficulties, and had put the Court of Directors under a neceffity of applying to government for relief and affiftance; but he at the fame time declared, that from the cleareft eftimate he was capable of making of the ftate of the Company, it ap

peared to him, that however closely preffed they might be by prefent exigencies, and embarrassed in money matters, they were, nevertheless, in point of internal ftrength and vigour, in full health.

He then made a motion, that for the better taking into confideration the affairs of the Company, a committee of fecrecy, confifting of thirteen perfons, to be chofen by ballot, fhould be appointed for that purpose. In fupport of this meafure, he obferved, that the prefent critically diftreffed state of the Company's affairs demanded the moft immediate and effectual relief, which could not be fo fpeedily procured in any other manner; and that it was to be hoped by this method, a great deal might be done towards the answering that defirable purpose, even before the Christmas recefs. That this method would prevent the unneceffary expofure of the Company's affairs, and moft fecret and confidential tranfactions, to the public view; that it would be highly improper, as well as unfair and ungenerous, that they fhould fuffer any injury, in confequence of a fimple money tranfaction with the public; but that their affairs being thus laid open only to a few, it would neceffarily follow, that no undue advantage could be taken of fuch knowledge.

This mode of a private enquiry, and the powers to be lodged in the hands of fo fmall a number, was much objected to. It was faid, that the idea of a fecret committee was unconftitutional; and that it was a mode only allowable when criminal charges were made. That the parliamentary precedents went no further. That members balloted

[E] 3

into

into the committee would be virtually appointed by the minifter, and that it would confift only of thofe identical perfons whom he had already defigned for the purpose. That it was too general a practice with minifters, to endeavour to keep matters of national concern concealed from the public eye, thereby giving an opportunity to the few, who were in their favour, to profit from their exclufive knowledge, at the expence of the many, about whom they were indifferent. That the very name of a fecret committee was ominous, and carried with it fufpicion, apprehenfion, and all the ideas of an inquifition, inftead of that confidence, and opinion of clearnefs, which fhould refult from the fair and open investigations of a popular affembly.

That this measure, from its nature, was likely to operate diametrically contrary to its avowed purposes, and to promote that deftructive gaming in the funds, which it is pretended to remove or prevent; that it unneceffarily entrufted a few men with a power of working upon the paffions of the proprietors of India ftock, in any manner that they pleafed; and thereby affording a needlefs opportunity for taking the moft undue advantages of their fears, precipitation, or ignorance. That by an enquiry carried on in a committee of the whole houfe, a clear view of the Company's affairs would be obtained, and right meafores accordingly purfued for their regulation, and for affording fuch relief and affiftance as was neceffary; but that by this narrow, partial enquiry of a cabal, they could obtain no information but

what the minifter thought fit to communicate; fo that they might in effect be degraded into the dupes of a minifterial junto, and become fubfervient to the most contemptible or iniquitous purposes. As to the pretence of fecrecy, they argued, that it was altogether ridiculous. If a fair report were made of the Company's affairs by the committee, the public muft become mafters of it. If an unfair report was made, the house would be deceived; and the pretended purpose of the committee be thereby fruftrated. That the whole affairs of the Company had been frequently in that houfe, and were already thoroughly known by those who chofe to be at the trouble of the enquiry. If an evil, the evil had happened.

It was faid on the other fide, that great complaints were made of the mode of enquiry that had been adopted in the last feflion, and that the Company's prefent embarrassments might, in a very confiderable degree, be attributed to the confequential publication of their moft private affairs; that the prefent motion was intended to prevent a repetition of that evil, and was the beft that could be devifed for the purpofe; and that thofe evils which, it was faid, were apprehended from it, were purely imaginary, and could have no real existence. To blame a committee named by the whole house, was in reality to accufe the house itself, and was an objection equally strong against all their proceedings.

The imputations that had been

now

thrown out, together with fome preceding infinuations, with refpect to the late felect committee, called up the gentleman who had

beer

been its mover and chairman, who vindicated its conduct with his ufual energy. He fhewed the fairnefs, openness, and clearness of the proceedings in that committee, the nature of their enquiries, and the importance of their object, which was no less than the prefervation of Bengal and its territories, and the reftoration of order and good government to an infinite number of people. After having paffed fome ftrictures on the propofed measure, with respect to which he would not however give any vote, he gave notice that he would move the next day for the revival of the select committee; and made a declaration, that if fuch crimes appeared in the courfe of their enquiries as should merit impeachment, he would not fhrink from his duty, by declining that tak, however disagreeable.

The motion for the fecret committee paffed without a divifion; and the ballot having taken place in two days after, it happened, as had been forefeen, to be principally compofed, either of gentlemen who were immediately in office, or who were well known to be entirely devoted to adminiftration.

The select committee, having been much more indifferently and impartially appointed. This committee was armed with full powers; and it was laid down to them as an inftruction, to take into particular confideration the meafure of fending out a commiflion of fupervifion to any part of our territories in the Eaft Indies. The felect committee was revived the fucceeding day; a measure, which feemed to militate with the benefits that were to be derived from the fecrecy of the other; but the mi

nifter faid, he had previously promifed not to oppofe its revival.

The naval establishment was the fource of a very confiderable debate, in this fellion, as well as in the preceding. A motion being made, that 20,000 feamen fhould be employed for the fervice of the enfuing year, it was ftrongly oppofed, not only on the old ground, of the number being greater than neceffary in time of peace, but a new objection was ftarted to the mode of voting the fupply in the grofs, at the rate of four pounds per man per month, without fpecifying, the particular fervices to which it was applied.

On the first of thefe heads, most of the arguments which had formerly been used upon the fame occafion were repeated; it was faid, that the fpeeches from the throne were continually announcing peace to the public, and the minifters acting in direct contradiction to them; that in this ridiculous middle ftate between war and peace, a ftate for which no name had yet been difcovered, we had the expence of the former, without its name, and the name of the latter, without its benefits or fecurity; that a reduction of the public expences was every year promised, while every year's experience fhewed, that there was not the smallest intention of its being effected; that two millions were now annually appropriated to the navy in time of peace, though less than half that fum, was a few years back found fufficient; fo that the enormous fum of two millions was to be confidered for the future, as our certain peace establishment for the navy only.

With refpect to the o.her, it was [E] 4 faid,

faid, that the method by which the money was voted for the navy, was unconftitutional; that the admiralty had an unlimited credit, without rendering the fmallest account to the public, of the difpofal of fuch immenfe fums. That it was ridiculous to fee 41. per man per month voted in the Houfe, and ftated as the expence of the establishment, whilft a navy debt without any limit might be, and was, annually incurred. So that the fole ufe of an eftimate in the limitation and certainty of expence was wholly loft. That in the peace that preceded the war before the laft, 800,000l. only was demanded for maintaining 10,000 feamen; but that of late confiderably more than double that fum has been allowed for the fupport of 16,500, though a very great proportion of that number confifted of marines, who are provided for at much lefs expence than failors. That when a war with Spain was expected, 40,000 failors were voted, and a fum confiderably exceeding two millions, granted for that purpofe; but though it is well known that this number was not nearly compleated, and those who were raised were foon after reduced; yet no account has ever been given of the favings, nor is any thing known of the difpofal of the money. That if grants were thus made in the grofs, and no account given of their difpofal, it would be as well to lay by all ceremony at once, and for the minister to demand any fum of money he pleased, without the trouble of entering into particulars, or giving any account of its deftination.

On the other fide it was faid, that the gentlemen in adminiftra

tion wifhed as much to reduce the public expence as any others could; that it could never be inconfiftent with right ceconomy in this country to fupport at all times a refpectable naval force; and that as the fleet in the Eaft-Indies was now ordered home, a reduction equal to its complement of men, which amounted to 3,500, fhould take place at its arrival; which would place us at a real peace eftablishment, and as low a one as was confiftent with our intereft and fecurity.

That the mode of voting the fupplies has been fanctioned by the conftant practice of more than a century; that by the vote being general, a neceffary difcretionary power is lodged in the admiralty; that from the notorious uncertainty of the fea-fervice, it was evident that it could not be conducted to advantage, without fuch difcretionary power; that were specific allowances to be voted, and fixed fums allotted for wages, repairs, wear and tear, and the other heads of the fervice, it would be cramped in fuch a degree as must prove its ruin; that from unavoidable confequences it muft frequently happen, that the fums allotted for one head must be applied to the fupport of another, or great damage enfue; a latitude which no officer on board would venture to take, if each was prescribed to its particular fervice by parliament. It was faid, that the rates of all the articles neceffary for the navy were like other things, variable; which occafioned the difference in the expenditure at different times; and that it would be impoffible to carry on, even the ordinary bnfinefs of the navy, without a liberty of appro

priating