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LONDON: PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, OPPOSITE BURLINGTON-HOUSE, PICCADILLY. 1790. Price is. 6d. CONTENTS. Page STATE of Affairs previous to the Meeting of the Parliament of 1784 - i India Finance Commerce and Navigation Foreign Politics / - Conclufion » 10 44 57 62 / CONDUCT O 1- 'i HE P A R L I A M K N T of 17S4, C O N S ID E 11 E D. THE floiirifliing ftate of Great Britain at the prefent moment, and the general content and happinefs which reigns in every quarter of the kingdonn, forms fo marked a contrail to that fcene of diftrefs and defpon- dency, which prevailed previous to the diflb- lution of Parliament in 1784, that it cannot fail to make the ftrongefl: impreflion on any man, who is either converfant in the public affairs of his country, or even judges of them by their efFcft on the fituation, wealth, and happinefs of individuals. ^ ... ' ' ■ . In 1784 our credit was at the lowefl: ebb : our expenditure, though in peace, exceeded our annual revenue: our finances were weigh- ed down by an oppreflive and increafing load of debt J the country was without a fingle fo- reign ally i our commerce, which had funk .",7* '. ■ " ■ W\" under i i ■'1 ■'1 w a PREVIOUS STATE under the long interruption it had fiifrcrec?, was dill kept down by the low flate of public credit, and by the difpiriring profpcfl before us: the affairs of the Eafl India Company were in a ftate of cmbarralTmcnt, whicli ren- ' dered their fituation in the utmoft degree cri- tical : and, to complete the whole, the country was fo diflracted by fadions, that it fcarcely lecmed poffible to form any fettled govern- ment, to whom the people could look up with confidence for any relief from fuch a compli- cation of difficulties. The reverfe in 1790 is fo extraordinary, con- fidering the fliort fpace of time which has in- tervened, thai we fhould almofl: doubt the reality of our former diftrefles, if the hiftory of what has palTed fince the meeting of the Parliament of 1784, did not furniHi us with , caufes fully adequate to the happy effeifts, which we have experienced, in fo fpeedy a tranfition from the brink of ruin to ar^ enviable j-itch of national profperity, ' . B ( f in order fully to recollet^ our fituaiFon st the melancholy period here alluded to, it is necelTary to take a view of the circumdances which preceded the didolution of ^ the former Parliament. The repugnance which the coun- try iliewed in the fpring of 17^2 to the conti- nuance : O F A F F A I R S. 3 nuance of the American war, and the general opinion of mifconduft in its profecution, liav- ing driven Lord North from the hchn, he was ^uc^x'cdcd by an adminidration compolcd of a variety of jarring interefls, which liad been kept togeclier more by the circumflance of having one common enemy, than by mutual confidence, or uniformity of principle. Their dilfcrences were, however, confined to the cabinet ; nor did any open rupture appear, till, upon the death of the Marquis of Rockingham then firll Lord, of the Treafury, a flruggle took place for the nomination of his fuccelFor. The events, which followed, are too frefli in the minds of every one to need any thing more than a bare recapit^ulation. Lord Shelburne being appointed to the head of the Treafury, Mr. Fox and his im- mediate connexions rcfigned their oillces: and after having but a few months before dwelt with peculiar energy on thedirtrefTcd fituation of the country, which Mr. Fox even flated in the Houfe of Commons, when a cabinet mi- nifter, as worfe than he had ever reprefented it in oppofition, erefled a ftandard for the declared purpofe of embarrafTing and thwarting thofc, in whofe hands the King had committed * * B 2 the 4 PREVIOUS STATE the adminiftration of his diftrafled kinf*- donis. t Lord Shelburne had fcarcc been in ofHce fix months, before he accompliflied that objevfl for which, in the opinion of Mr. Fox, even the unconditional facrifice of acknowledging Ame- rican independence, prior to any negociation* was to be made without any hefitation. He effected a treaty of peace with the four feveral powersj witli whom we were then at war : and, though in the judgment of all parties ic was not a time for us to diftate our terms, we obtained fuch, as, conCdering our diftrefles, it was higlily our interefl; to accept. By this time however, Mr. Fox had formed a coalition with Lord North, the adverfary to whom he had fo lately been op- pofed, and whofe removal from office he had confidered as an objc(5l worthy to be attained even at the hazard of all the mifchicf re- fulting from an unremitting oppofition to the meafures of government during the progrefs of an extenfive and complicated war. The reful^ was the condemnation of the peace, which, as it was faid at the time. Lord North had rendered neceflary, and Mr. Fox had declared tp be fo. This was followed by the refigna^ - tion »4 . / Rfe».:^v2 O F A 1 F A I R S. 5 tlon of Lord Slielbnrnc ; and ifLcr much and evident reluflancc on the part of the crown, ic became neceflfary to admit them to the objedls of tlieir aimbition on the fecond of Aj)ril, 1783. The period of their i^ovcrnment was fliorr, but it was fufficient to give the public fome infight into their fyflem. Their extravagant loan, their attempt todoublethcincomeof thcP. of W. and finally, their project of veiling in certain indi- viJuals of their own body, by Mr. Fox's Bill* a degree of power and patronage, which would exceed, and might bid defiance to, that of the crown, were the expedients to which they rc- forted, under a confcioufnefs that they did not poflcfs the contidence of their country. This lad meafure, while it alarmed the Sove- reign for tlie fafcty of his righcs in the keeping of fuch fervants, rouzcd the indignation of the people again 1l the 1 loufe of Commons, who had afTifted them with their Aipport. The bill failed in the Houle of Lords, -—and in its failure involved the difgrace of its au- thors, who inrtead of obtaining the pern-.a- nency of power the) fought for, were dihiufled from ofBce ; and, notwithflanding their re- peated attempts to force themfeives back into ofRce, they ltru<:gled in vain. The Parlia- ment, which had fupported them as well i n this as in the other violent meafures of their t * ' admini- 4 PREVIOUS STATE adminiftration, to the negltrd of other public concer'15, which required their attention, were diflblved on the twenty-fifth of March, 1784 ; an event which gave general fatisfailion to the whole kingdom, who eagerly took tliis oppor- tunity of Ihewing their fentiments on the late tranfadtions, by their marked rejection of thofe who had fuppported the meallires of the late minilbv. ' , The new Parliament met on the eighteenth of May following, and the p-^ople waited with a moft anxious fufpenfc the refuit ot their deliberations. Let us here take a view of the fituation in which they found the country. The picture is gloomy -, but in judice to thofe who have delivered us out of that fituation we' ought not to forget it. The party fpirit which had been fomented during the oppofition to Lord North's govern- ment, the frequent changes which had hap- pened fince that period, and the ftruggles with which they had been attended, had io un fettled the minds of men, that the country had been in one continual ferment, whichhad not yet even begun to fubfidej and, as people fiill looked forward to freih changes, no termination could yet be expedled to fuch an evil. The remedy would t ^ I OFAFFAIRS. y would depend on the eflablifhment of a wife and temperate adminiftration, rooted in the good opinion of the king and people, and pofTcfll th( ifid< icinng tne conhdence and fupport of both, fo as to put an end to thofe proje6ls of annbi- tion, which had bred continual difburbances, and kept the kingdom in a ftate of fludluation and fulpenfe, lb detrimental to its interefts, and dangerous to i:s fafety. The Eaft India territories were reprefented to be in fuch a ftate of diforder, and the finan- ces of the Company in a fitiiation fo defperate, that it was at that time declared fcarcely prac- ticable to fave the one from anarchy, and the other from bankruptcy. The fubjefl had fcveral times been recommended to the confi- deration of Parliament, in fpeeches from the throne : but this recommendation had only- led to the produdlion of a projedl of ambition, which, if it had palTcd, would itfelf have been a greater evil than any of thofe which it af- feded to remedy. Subfequent to the defeat of that violent meafure, the fubje(5t had indeed undergone fome difcuffion ; but the temper of the Houfe was fuch, tliat it could not be brought to any fatisfaflory ilTue. The main bufinefs therefore, of applyir«g an adequate^ and at the fame time a conftitutional remedy to !|i i 8 PREVIOUS STATE to the affairs of the Eaft Indies, remained for the new Parliament > i The war, which we had undertaken in pur- fuit of a revenue from America, had led us into a fyftcm of borrowing, which mortgaged every advantage that could be propofed to us from fuccefs. In addition therefore to our lofs of refources by the fcparation of the em- pire, we found ourfelves loaded with an in- creafe of debt fo enormous, that notwich- ftanding the heavy burthens which had been yearly impofed, we had not yet been able to provide even for the payment of its annual in- tereft; moftofthe new taxes impofed by Lord North proving very deficient, and a confider- able unfunded debt dill remaining without any provifion. • ' , - > Our commerce had fuffered fo much by the lohg continuance of the war, and the preffure of incrcafmg taxes, that its animation remain, ed, as it were, fufpendedj and it required a foftering hand, in any degree to reftore it to health and vigour. While therefore the fitua- tionofthe finances required further taxes, care was neceffary that they (hould not bear upon commerce in its then feeble flate j and regula- tions were necelTary for the encouragement OF AFFAIRS. 9 of trade, without leflening our revenues, which would not admit of diminution. i The high rank and ftation which this coun- try had always preferved among the powers of Europe, had been utterly lofl: amid the diftref- fcs we had fuffered, and the degradation we had undergone. Even thole who had formerly courted us, not merely as faithful allies, but as powerful protedtors, appeared now forward to join the general combination againft us, and infult over our imbecility. It was therefore become important, not only to our national honour, but even to our national fecurity, to raife the country from that ftate of utter aban- donment and negled, into v>^hich it had fallen, and to recover its confequence among foreign nations : a work of particular difficulty, as, exclufive of the natural impediments arifing from our diftreffed and helplefs fituation, we had to encounter the prejudices of foreign powers againlt us, from the humiliation which we had fuffered in the eyes of Europe. .'■■"■ ■ *■ -*•,■.■■''', V Such wac the fituation in which the country was delivered over by the former parliament to the new body of reprefentatives. The prof- pe6t before them was fuch as mud have alarm- ed the moftfanguine, and damped thefpiritof the mofl: enterprifing. By what means it has C fincc r 10 INDIA. fince happened that we have not only furmount- ed every danger, but have become fo profperoua at home, and refpcftuble abroad, as ahnofl: to have loll, within fo Ihort a period, even the memory of our recent diftrefles, will appear on a review of the meafures, which have been carried into efied fince the meeting of the Par- liament of 1784. • ^ . ,' . The affairs of INDIA, which had been the fubjedl of fo much contention in the late Houfe of Commons, and which had occafioned the fubfcquent appeal made to the people, natu- rally becan.e the fird objedl of concern to the new Parliament. Here two principal evils prefented themfelves, for which it was their duty to provide. .• Firft, the mifgovernmentofour territories in India, which had fo recently engaged us in deftruftivc and ruinous wars, and which, by the fyftem of opprefTion which was alleged to prevail, refleAed diflionour on tiic BritiQi name, j '* 'I , »; i . Secondly, the apprehended bankruptcy of the Company, in which the finances and credit of this kingdom would have been deeply involved. \ , • ^ ■:'":' .'■■'■ I. The 1 t ■ ' J \ .';;«,,'; ■- ■* ,-''■■ -■ ■■■■'•■ '... ■ ■' " ■ ' ' / ■ ■ -1 INDIA. it I.. I. The adminiftration ofthe Company's go- vernment in India laboured under the imputa- tion of v/afte and oppredion, and was liable to all the objeflions, whicli naturally occur againll intruding political affairs of fuch an extent to the excUifive management of a mercantile company : obje<flions which were thought of fufficienr magnitude to juftify, in the eyes of fome men, the dangerous remedy of Mr. Fox's Bill — a remedy pretended to be for the refto- ration of the Company's affairs, and ilie better adminiftration of their government ; but felt to be a political exp«.dient to maintain a par- ty in government, againft the wilhcs of the Crown, by fecuring to them a degrt e of power and patronage, greater than that ofthe Crown itfelf. This meafure having been liappily re- jected, it remained for the legiflature to pro- vide fome other plan, founded on lefs ob- noxious principles, and calculated to meet the urgency of the cafe. Accordingly, one of the firff meafures of the Parliament of 1784, was to pafs a Bill for the better government of India. Whether this meafure was objedlionab^e on any other grounds, fliall be enquired in a fubfcquent part of this difcuffion. But it mufl: in the firft place he obferved, that it was at leaft unqueftionably C 2 free 12 INDIA. free from thofe important objeiflions which had been fo fuccefsfully urged agiinit Mr. Fox's Bill, as being dangerous to our conllitution at home, 1 hat the new bill diiFered from Mr, Fox's in that refpeft, was indeed admitted at the time, even by thofe who argued moil againll its alledged weaknefs and incfficacy. A con- trary aflertion has lately been advanced, and an attempt has been made to fupporc it by what was called a Comparative Statement of the two Bills. That pamphlet cannot however be confidered as a ferious argument in defence of a propofition fo palpably abfurd, but muft in ' fairnefs rather be regarded as one of thofe pa- ' radoxical difputations, which are fometimcs maintained for the purpofe of difplaying inge- nuity, by men who are difpofed to tliink very highly of their own talents, and very meanly of the underltanding of the reft of mankind. Mr. Fox's Bill was objected againfl: as a violent and unjuftifiable breach of the Charter of the Eaft India Company, becaufe it depriv- ed them, without their confent, of the rights of which they were legally poficlTcd, and this without even a pretence of neceffity ; as it took from them* not only every fpecies of inter- ference in the political or territorial govern- ment of India, but alfo all fhare in the direc- tiqa /. I , I N D I A. 15 tion of their trade, the very objetfl for which their charter was originally granted. The prefcnt Bill was grounded on principles cxprelly iiflcnted to by the Connpany. It efta- bliihed that fuperintcndence over their poli- tical governnnent abroad, which for the fake o^ this country and of India, was agreed on aJJ hands to be neceflary -, but it left to the Com- pany the exclufive and uncontroulcd nianage- ment of their commerce. Mr. Fox's Bill was alledged to ered a new branch of executive government, dillincfl from the Crown, and paramount to it; becaufc the commiflioncrs, in whom the whole manage- ment of the Eaft India Company's affairs was exclufively veiled by the Bill, v/ere named in Pa^liamen^•, were appointed for a fixed term of years, and were not like other minifters, re-> fponfible to the King for thtir condudl, or removcable by his authority. The prefent Bill gives to the Crown the power of appointing commiffioners to fuper-' intend the political government of India j and thofe commiflioners are like every other pare of the executive government, removcable at the pleafure of the Crown. Mr. 14 X N ^ I ^- calcoUtea for the P-P^^^^^^ to his P""f ,^"" J,^,„,,„., both at home and patronage of the Compan) ^^^.^^.^^^ abroad, to the amount of fterling per annt-.n. _ r , KM cWes to the King's com- miffioners no patroua^e home or abroad. ietvants, both In l^n ^ ^^^,^^^ without <!'«'":''" ^^ ,, opening an ample rrfirXt^^'-^"^^^ ';'fpofesoffaaiona„da,nbit.on. , ., h.nds of the D-«" ° ;'^; leagued toge- pany. a floauattng lx> <-=„,, ,ob- :,A. of private am -.tu.n. _^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^(_ (5\ ceconoi f fyaem o ficesintbat country but Vuch as were found tp be INDIA. >5 be of abfulute ncceflTity for carrying on the government there. And ic impofed many im- portant reftraints on the cxercile of the remain- ing patronage, by whicli the means of abufc in the hands of the Diredors are greatly dinii- nifli'.'d. •< r .,'^tlf' ' - : . ^ Till therefore Mr. Sheridan can perfuade the people of England that the confent of a char- tered body is of no moment, when a fubfifting charter is to be altered ; that it is the fame thing to take from a commercial company the ma nagement of their commerce, or to leave it ex- clufively tothemj that the appointmentof apcr- mancnt executive government, independent of the Crown, confers no greater or more lalling powers on the perfons fo appointed, than when they are named by the Crown, and arc remove, able at the King's pleafurelike his other minif. ters i that no more influence in Parliament can be acquired by an unlimited patronage of above a million fterling per annum, than by no patronage at all : or laltly, that patronage given without rellraint to a political party is not more likely to be ufed for party purpofes, than patronage left under great reftraints in the hands of men not forming any political party: till, I fay, Mr. Sheridan can eft-ablifh tjiefe propofitions, the people of England will - ,a . probably H\ i6 I N D A. probably continue to believe, that their rc- prefentativcs, whom they chofe in 17H4 for their avowed deteftation ofMr. Fox's Bill, did not, within three months after their eledion, ** pafs another bill refembling it in all thofe points on which their objedlions were princi- pally grounded." And it may fafely be af- fumcd, that the new Parliament have fo far at lead performed their duty, as confided in avoiding the faults fo juftly imputable to their predeceflbrs. i ^ M I 1 < i i « 1 But this is not enough j if they have not pro- vided efFeftually for the remedy of the thtn exifting evils, or if the reproach which was made againll tlie new Bill, at the time of its pafiing, by thepartizans of the old Bill be true, that this Bill is wholly inefficient and inade- quate to the objedls which Parliament had in view. The obje(5ls which Parliament had in view in pafTing this Bill appear to have been the three following: refponfibility in the govern- ment at home i reformation of the fyftem of government abroad; and a mode of trial for offences committed in India. -a/ To ^ I ' INDIA. »7 i To accomplifli the firft of thefc objedts, it was nccefTary that fuch government fhould form a part of the general executive government of the country, fliould be fubjeft to the appoint* mcnt and removal of the CrcsVii, Ihould be liable to the conftant fuperintendcnce of Par- liament j and in thofe matters which are not ftriftly of a political nature, (hould alfo be unable to conceal their proceedings from the Directors, who are in fo many rcfpedts intereft- ed in a knowledge of them. To thefe ends the Bill eftabliflied a board, with powers of fuperintendcnce and controul over the affairs of India, confiding of fix per- fons, connefted with the executive government for the time being, appointed under his Ma- jefty*s commiffion, and daily refponfiblc to Parliament for every circumllance in the exe- cution of their office. No power is given to them to interfere with the commercial con- cerns of the Company ; but the board has aO- thority over their political affairs, fo as lO be enabled to fecure their attention to thofe fet- tled maximsof government, on which all men are agreed the profperity of that country de- pends. D The i3 INDIA. The next objcd, that of leforming the fyRem in Intlin, was acconiplifhecl by new modelling the conftitution of the govcfnments, and cftablifliing rules for the condudl of the Company's Icrvants in India; rules, which fhould tend to introduce a plan of ccconomy, to preferve the faith of trea ics, to check all impolitic views of aggrandizement, to aFord lecuricy to the landholders, and protetflion to the manufaclurcrs ; by lodging in the Go- vernor and Council of Bengal an autho- rity over the other governments; by making provifions as well in favour of feveral of the princes of India, as of the Zemindars and ether native landholders of that country \ by directing a revifal of the eltablifhments, a fup- prefTion of ufelels places, and a fucccfilon by Seniority, together with a return to Parliament of the progrefs made in thefe reforms : and laflly, by providing againfl fuch evafior.s of the laws, and fuch extortions and mal-prac- tices as were moft prcvale.t in that country. With regard to the third objcdl, that of a judicature at home, for offences committed in India, experience had repeatedly pointed out the neceffity of erecting a fpecial tribunal for the purpole. Our ordinary courts of law had proved wholly inadequate to the cafesof Strat- - ; ton i INDIA. 19 ton and of Rumbold. Nor does that mode of trial, whicli has fincc been rcfortcd to in the inftance of a parliamentary impeachment, appear entitled to any preference over tlie other courts, in cafes of Indian delinquency. It would not perhaps be reafonable to im- pute to the mode of proceeding all the de- lay which has arifen j but, with every al- lowance on this fcore, it may be doubted, whether this mode could have been made ef- fedual, even in the moft important cafesj and it is evidently inapplicable to thole which are lefs (q» The Bill has therefore provided for this dcfciR: by eflablifhing a tribunal for of • fences committed in India, afTunilatcd as nearly as poffible to that palladium of Englifli liberty — the trial by jury, and differing from it in minute forms only. To compofe this tribunal, members are chofcn from each Houfe of Parliament, by a fpecies of ballot which gives a due fhare of weight to all parties and defcriptions of men. And out of this number are felefted, partly by challenges and partly by lot, four Peers and fix Commoners, to which are added three of the twelve Judges, one from each of the courts. Thofe who arc conversant in the principles of the Englifli law, will at once fee how every efTential in- gredient of a trial by jury is preferved in this •' . D 2 cllablilhmenti I I I 9p I N D I A. fftabllfliment j and, though it differs from it in fome particulars of the mode of proceed- ing, fuch as in their power of adjournment, and the unanimity of their verdidl, it muft be confidered that thefe points have never been . confidered effential to the fpirit of juries j and the variations are adapted to the nature of the caufes which are to come before the court. il ^ ii i ! 1 i . ! ^ ■ ■ i t ■ •1 ! 1 ■ II. But whatever improvements may have been effeded by this Bill in the adminiftration of the Company's political affairs, yet the Parliament of 1784 will have but imper.cftly performed their duty if they have not ?,lfo attended to the Company's finances^ {o a^i to refcue them from that danger of bankruptcy, which was reprefcnted hourly to threaten them. > "fi:*. A long and unfuccefsful war in India, the diftrelfes of which were partly occafioned by the ill policy of our government there, in pro- vokin3 the native powers j and partly by the operation of European politics in our poffef- fions in the Eaft^, in expofingthem to the united attacks of France and Holland, had exhaufled the finances of the Company abroad. The pffeQ:s of the embarraffment, thus originatiiig ^.. ,. . •■_.: ,v. ■ ■ - . in s/ # • / INDIA 21 in India, were foon fcverely felt by them at home ; their treafury here, being drained, and their future income anticipated by the payment and acceptance of bills drawn upon them for the expences incurred by their governments abroad j and their refources being almoft an- nihilated by the diminution of their invefl:- ments, and the repeated capture of their (hips. ■ .> .'i. ' •;>!) The attainment of the peace relieved them from the latter of thefe difficulties ; but left them burthened with a load of debt at home, which the profits of their trade afforded them no profpedt of difchargingj and the revenues of India, abforbed by the expences of the eftablilhments, which were ftill kept up, appeared fcarcely fufficicnt to fupport the credit of luc government there, by the regular payment of the intercft on its debts, and the gradual difcharge of arrears to an indefinite amount, at the different fettle- mcnts. « -, In December 1783, the Directors of the pafl: India Company laid before the Houfe of Comnrsons a flatement of their affairs at home and abroad, according to the lateft advices then received, " * ./ But I i ' ( 91 INDIA. But againft this ftatement it was urged by thofe, who at that time endeavoured to depre* ciate the (late of the Company's affairs, that debts to a confiderablc amount exifted, which were not brought forward, and that many * of the articles included in the affets were net applicable to the difcharge of the Com- pany's debts; that others were greatly over- . rated j and that others, fuch as the debts ow- ing to the Company in India, amounting to between three and four niillions, were of very doubtful realization, and ought not to be rec- koned upon — And that taking thefe articles into confidcration, and allowing for them, there would exift an adual deficiency of feveral millions in the Company's affairs, which war- ranted the aflertion of their being at that period in a ftate of actual bankruptcy, '^ t ^ ;*r :^^; This was denied; but not by a denial of the exifting deficiency; but on an afTertion that the general fituation of the Company, ' their trade, and their territorial revenues, would, by management and oeconomy, en- able them io meet and overcome all their dif- ficulties, allowing even for confiderable further demands in India beyond what then ap- peared. ^ '" " '' "^^ / ; In INDIA 23 In fad there were debts to a great extent, which came forward when the accounts of the army, &c. came to be adjufted, and the large amount of arrears incurred put in a train for liquidation. But thofe accounts were not fuf- ficiently diftindi: to afcertain the precife amount due at the dates to which the ftatement of 1783 was computed. : ,. ] ",> , ... .;•;"!■.'/. Indeed at this period the orders from home were frequently difrcgarded j contentions fub- fifted between the different fettlements s the controuling power of the Bengal Government was difputed by tliat of the other fettlements^ and criminations refpefting the wars they were engaged in were alternately made againft each other: hence the expences of particular de- tachments were thrown from one fettlement to another, and not brought forward by either; it will therefore be in vain to look for accuracy in any of the ftatements made up at that time : nor was it till the interference of^'Ke Parlia- ment of 1784 had remedied thefe uiforder?, and eftablirtied regularity in the proceedings of the Indian Governments, that the adtual ftate of the Company's affairs there could be afcer- tained with precifion. 1 The «4 I N D I Aj The information of the peace in Europe did not arrive in India till the month of June, 1783, and it was not earlier than March 1784, that peace was concluded with Tippoo Saib ; and, as the new adminiftration of the Company's affairs at home, under the fuperintendence of the Board of Controul, was not eftabliflied till Auguft 1 7 84, it was a confiderable time after peace was eftablifhed, before the arrangements ordered, and the ceconomical fyftem adopted at home, could operate with effect. It appears from the accounts before Parlia- ment, that in the year 1786 the ftate of the Company's affairs was as follows : , Debts at home Effeds ditto, ditto — £11,882,625. Balance againft the Company at home — — — ;C'*546,849. Exclufive of the capital ftock to the proprietors cf •— — jC3a^o<^><^oo* Abroad. Debts in India — - China -^ — — £91618,231. -- £510*841. £10,129,072. EfTefts m \ I N D I A. 2f Effefts in India - :j#i| • • £^,101,661, China — '• *-* — £203,640. Balance againft the Connpany abroad — — £^^^^3>77^' So that, on the whole, thp^e appeared a balance againft the Company, in 1:86, of no lefs than jf 6,370,620. exclufive of the capital ftock to the proprietors. ; The efFeil of the meafures, however, which had been already adopted, and now began to be felt, was fuch as to enable the Company to meet thefe difficulties, and in the courfe of four years to pay off debts at home, to the amount of — ;C4-j572,386. And abroad, to the amount of £n»37>65i. And this in addition to the payment of the current demands of their trade, and the increafe of their trading capital, which is greatly aug- mented by the Commutation Aft, and alfo in addition to many extraordinary expences abroad, beyond their ordinary eftablifhments, "It is true, that for this purpofe they have been authorifed by Parliament (not " to re- . E ceive id INDIA. ceivc aid from the public finances," as wai ' aflerted, in 1783, to be neceflary, and was , urged as one of the grounds which gave Par- liament a right to feize their whole affairs into its hands), but to ufe their own credit by ifTii- ing new bonds to the amount of ;{^i,034,ooo. By money borrowed of the Bank ;(^ioo,coo. And by new ftock fold — ;C2i98o,ooo. Above half of which is abforbcd in the addi- tional fums inverted in trading property. While they have been doing this, the confi- dence of the public in their affairs has gradu- ally increafcd j their (lock, which in December 1783 was worth only 120 per cent, in M^rch 1790, was worth 174 per cent. Their bonds, which in December 1783 bore an intereft of 5 /"^r f^«/. and were fold at £4. difcountj in March i79oboreonly4/)fr r^w/. intereft,and fold at j[^. 17s. premium j and their paper in Bengal, which in 1785 bore a difcount of Q.O per cent, and upwards, is now negociated at a premium. And on the whole, confidering the increafe of their property, and the dimi- nution of their debts, it appears by the ftate- ments which have at different times been laid before Parliament, that the affairs of the Com- ■-'-...:..,-. I- ■,-/■:,■■■■, , ■ _v^:- • pany ^ 'i(- ■ ■U.'"<V.«Hi INDIA. 27 pany were above jf 4,000,000 fterling better in March 1790, than in 1786. And at this time when the Parliament is, as it were, to render a fort of account of the affairs of this bankrupt Company, they deliver over to their fuccef- fors a body enjoying a clear furplus revenue in India of £1,14.0,000 per annum, after paying their whole civil, military, and commercial cftablifhments, the intereft of all their debts there^ and of thofe which have been tranf- ferred home, together with the expences in- curred for recruits, fees to officers, &c. ia England, and pofTefling a trade, which, after paying upwards of ;^95o,ooo per an7iu?n: to Government for cuftoms and duties, yields them a profit of ;C54^iOoo P^^ annu?n» Thus it has happened, that a vaft con- tinent has been fubjefted to the controul of this kingdrm, without the fmalleft injury to tlie Britilh conftitution; and the finances of a great Company, clofely inter- woven with thofe of the nation, inftead of holding out to the public the dangers of bank- ruptcy, have been fo regulated as to be a means of addition to the general refources of the :mp ire. Ea F I N A N C E. ,,; ■ THE fecond point, that of the general flate of the NATIONAL FINANCES, is of ilill more importance than even what relates to India J and is one w hich was e qually an o b* jedt of peculiar attention and anxiety, at the opening of the prcfcnt Parliament, and which has in an equal degree, almoft ever fince, di- vided the opinions of the leading political par- ties in the country. The infufficiency of the exifting revenue ta meet the burdens which the war had en- tailed upon the country, the failure of the taxes which had been impofed to defray the- intereft of fucceffive loans J the alarming and increafing progrefs of fmuggling j the decay of trade and manufadtures i the fcarcity of mo- ney, and the confequent check to entcrprife and induftry j the immenfe accumulation of dcb^, and the low (late of public credit, had produced a degree of apprehenfion and defpon_ dency, greater than perhaps ever before exifted in this country. . , ' The new Parliament, however, from its commencement, held out to the people, a determined intention to meet fully the public ' : ,/ .. 4 ■ ■ cmbar- V '■I if 5 ^ $ F I N A N C E. 29 cmbarrafiTments, and endeavoured to raife an opinion, that the rclbiirces of the nation, pro- , perly applied, would ftill be equal to every exigency, and would gradually afford the means of ertablifliing a fyftern for the redudlion of the national debt, which was confidered as indif- penfably ncceflTary for the credit and fecurity of the country. In thefe general principles even theOppofition profefled to concur-, and they not only took every opportunity of reprefenting the necelTity of taking effedual meafures, without lofs of time, for realizing this profpedlj but, during all the itruggle preceding the diffolution of the former Parliament, they had dwelt upon it as the rnofl: . urgent motive for the fpeedy eftablilhment of a ftrong and adive adminiftration. Very early, however, in the new Parlia- ment, they began to Ihew that difference of opinion, which tliey have uniformly main- tained, and that fpirit of oppofition which they have conftantly fhcwn to almoft all the parti- cular meafures, which have been propofed by Government, for the improvement of the finances. And though they have continued to maintain the necefiity of a finking fund, yet in every fcffion, from that of 1786 to the prefent, they have conftantly denied the fuf- ficiency of the refources provided for that pur- pofe, and have uniformly controverted the ilatcment 3® FINANCE. h ftatemcnt made of the exifting or cxpc(5lcd im- provement in the revenue, and of the progrcfs made towards the reduction of the public debt. In order to afcertain in the cleared manner a point of fiich peculiar importance, and that the Public miiy be the better enabled to decide upon a cjucdion, in itfrlf lb intcrcftintj, and which has been prodiidive of fo much djflcr- ence of opinion and dijpute between the two contending parties, I will proceed to flate what the fituation of this country was with . . refpedl to her Finances at the clofc of the year 1783, and what it is at the prefcnt moment. The total annual produce of all the taxes (except the Land and Malt), including thofe taxes which were raifed to defray the expencc of the Loan of 1783, together with certain duties due from the Eaft India Company in the courfe of that year, amounted at tl;e beginning of the year 17H4, to X'» 0,359,000. '■ .') The annual interefl: and charges of the Funded Debt amounted at that tii^ie to ;f 8,053,072. and a large unfunded debt, con- fiftino; of Navv Bills and Ordnance Deben- ', tures remained to be provided for, which, when it was afterwards funded, create'd an ad- dition FINANCE. 31 dition to the annual intcrcfl of ^(^ 1,213,000. The cxpence of the pcice cftablilhmcnt, in- cluding jTgoo.ooo for the Kind's Civil Lid, could not be eftimated at Icfs than about /^5, 200,000, making the total annual cxpence X'i4>466,072} to meet which, we had, as above Itatcd, a revenue only of about ^10,359,000. which, by the addition of Land and Malt, might amount to about /,* 12,950,000 per ann. Befides this deficiency, the war, though clofed, had left behind it a long train of cx- pence, with the profpcifl of a variety of extra- ordinary demands for many years to come, and for which provifion mull be made: and the ob- taining if pofllble a furplus fund for the reduc- tion of the national debt, was a point the ne- ceflity of which was felt by every one, how- ever little the (late of the fifiances appeared to juftify a hope of its being accomplilhed. Such was the firuation of affairs when the Parliament of 1784 were called upon to retrieve the Finances of their country i and at a time when the means of carrying on the war were no longer to be found, and peace had on that account been declared to be indifpenfibly necef- fary j when the refourccs of the country ap- peared to be almofl: exhaufted j when the in- genuity of former minifters had been ftretched to its utmoft extent, and every objedl of taxa- tion Jt FINANCE. 'ill tion fccmed preoccupied, they fuccecded in the courfc of the years i784aiid 178;, in fup- plying the large deficiencies of the former taxes, in providing funds for the payment of inrerefl: on frefli loans of fix millions, which it was found ncccirary to borrow in the year 1784, and of one million which was required for the year 1785, and for liquidating the greatefl: part of the unfunded debt, to the amount of near £18,000,000. Havingfur- mounted thefc difficulties, and having furnifh- ed the means for the regular payment of the intereft on the public debt, their next object was to devifc fuch a plan as fiiould feem moft practicable and moft efi'edluul for the gradual . redudion of the debt itfclf j and for this purpofe a Committee of the Houfe of Commons was appointed, in the year 1786, to examine and ilate the feveral accounts which had been laid before Parliament, relating to the public in- come and expenditure, and to report their opinion to the Hou(e. ;. 0. vt V> : m ; ';" 1 - The difficult/ of afcertaining with' precifion what the probable amount of the future income of the country was likely to be, was pointed out by the Committee in their report to the . Houfe. The fame difficulty occurred in cal- culating the future annual expenditure. Judg- ing, however, of the future produce of the ,, c . . old I FINANCE.' 33 old taxes by that of the preceding year, and eftimating, as far as they were able, the proba« ble amount of thofe taxes which liad been newly iinpofed, the Committee Hated their opinion to bc» that ihc future annual income of the country might r-ifonably be expeftcd to amount to about ^15,400,000, to which fum it had been raifcd in the fhort fpace of little more than two years, from bejng, as is flated above, Icfs than £ 1 3,000,000. With refped to the expenditure, they forcfaw that many extraordinary demands (the confequences of the war) were likely toarife in thecourleof each year for lome time to come, beyond the computed annual expence of a per- manent peace eftablifhment : But they dated their cxpe(5lation, that when thofe extraordinary expences were defrayed, the current annual expenditure, viz. the intcreft and charges of the National Debt, the King's Civil Lift, the Eftablilhments of 'he Nnvy, Army, arid Ord- nance, and other mifcellaneous fervices, would not exceed a fum of about jT 1 4,500,000. The balance between the income and expenditure, according to this ftatement, left a furplus of jf 9 0,000 per annum, in favour of the former; and in the fame feffion, the Chancellor of the Exchequer propofed to Parliament to raife new taxes to the amount of £100,000 per annum. The furplus being thus increafed to One Million annually, this fum was appropriated to the W purchafe ■| *■ ■: ■' J4 FINANCE. purchafe of ftock on account of the public, by Commiflioners appointed for that purpofe. A regular and permanent fyftem was thereby eftabliihed for the gradual reduction of the national debt. ,,:,;; ► i ,,.,;,. (ii * The ground? on which the late Parliament afted in this inllance, were the fubjedl of much difcuflion and difpute between the different par- ties in the Houfe. TheOppofition afferced in the year 1786, and have perfifted in maintaining their proportion in each feflion, that the ftate- mentof the Committee, both with refpecl to the income and expenditure, was fallacious j that there was no reafonable ground to hope that the income would amount to the fum it was eftimated atj and that the expenditure would not admit of the propofed redud:ion. .They agreed, however, in the propriety of making provifion for the payment of the national debt, but urged the necefllty of impofing confiderabie additional taxes on the people; a meafure, which though certainly it muf: have been re- forted to, if it had become neceflary, the pa- triotifrn of that Parliament did not allow them to adopt on light or unfubflantiated grounds. .7 . . . 'Ts; -a^i^j** ! The accounts prefented to Parliament in the laft fcffion, have now brought the difputed . r i queftion. FINANCE. 35 queftion, To far as relates to the income of the country, fairly to iffuc, and have juftified the wife forbearance of Parliament, and their re- lufbance to load their country with unneceflary burthens. By thefe accounts it appears, that the total produce of the taxes (including the land and malt) between the 5th of April, 1789, and the 5th of April, 1790, amounted to no lefs than £ 16,345:000 j and that the average produc, of the laft three years, from the 5th of April, 1787, to the 5th of April, 1790, amounted to £ 15,846,000, which exceeds the Turn dated in the report of the Committee (after allowing for the amount of nhe new taxes raifed in 1786) in no kfs than £ 349*000 pCf annum. , • , The amount of the future peace expenditure mufl Hill remain uncertain, till the period ar- rives at which it was expeftcd to take place, and till Parliament fhall then,on a deliberate review of our fituation, decide on the amount of the feveral eftablifliments to be nnaintained to meet the different exigencies of the public fervice. The augmentation which has been made fince 1786, in the numoer of feamen kept in peace, and of the troops maintained for the fecurity of our Eaft and Weft Indian poiTeflions, if it Ihould be continued, muft evidently increafe F 2 our ml FINANCE. our expence beyond what was calculated for a fmalier tllabliflimcnt. The wifdom of that augmentation is certainly fufficiently apparent in the prefcnt moment ; but whether it fhould be nermanent, is a queftion which our future Reprefentatives mult decide. It may podibly be found difficult to reduce fome other expcnces to the precife level of the eflimate formed in 17S6 ; but it is no inconfiderable matter of fa- tisfadion to the country, to fee, from the pre- ceding ftatements, that fuch is the flourilhing fituation of our finances, that even if fome in- creafc fhould unavoidably arife in the future annual expences of the country, an exccfs ')^ income actually exifts more than fufficient 10 counterbalance it. In addition to what has been faid on the Tubjefi: of our annual income and expenditure, it is material to remark, that fince the com- mencement of the year i/Sf^, various extraor- dinary demands have been fupplled on account of different publicfervicesj and particularly from the unexampled liberality by which the laft Par- liament has fo much diftinguilhed itfelf towards the American fuiTerers. Thefe have amount- ed in the whole to more than £6,000,000. befides the amount of capital of funded debt which has already been annihilated by the : # u : operation -^^^' ••FINANCE. :!^7 /•iS operation of the finking fund, and which is no lefs than jC 5,184,000. The whole of this has been done with the afliflance only of about £ 400,000 increafe of navy debt, and of a loan of on": million, the ^rreater part of which was rendered necelTary by the expcnces of the armament in 1787, by which Holland was detached from France, and by the payment of the debts of the P. of W. ■ ■:. =;.,r:.-:. - • .'■ The meafures by which this great alteriJ- tion in the fituation of our finances has been produced, have been fo much the objed: of public attention, that it can hardly be necef- lary to enter into any detailed explanation of them. The mod material of them, are thofe which were adapted to the fuppreiTion of an illicrt commerce, which had rifen to fuch a hcighth as to endanger almoft the exiftence of all re- venue, and even in many parts of the kingdom to bear the appearance rather of open refiftance to the laws, than of a fraudulent evafion of them. This was ftatcd in the report of a Committee of the Houfe of Commons, pre- vious to the diffolution in 1784; but till after the meeting of t'.ic Parliament then cholen, no v; ■' 38 FINANCE. no meafures were taken for remedying fo alarming aa evil. The fuccefs of the fteps fince adopted for that purpofe, is notorious to all the kingdom, nor is there any individual in it whofc perfonal obfervation will not enable him to bear tcf- timony to the merit of the Parliament of 1784, on this fubjeft. By lowering the duties on tea, and on fpirits, the principal temptation of '■** fmuggler has been removed, while by the !<. " liary regulations and additional duties which accompanied thofe meafuref, and by . the increafe of the legal confumption, the re- venue was fecured from lois, and the public burthens became more equally diftributed among thofe who were bed able to bear them, inftead of falling with difproportioned hard- fiiip on tliofe whofe obedience to the laws of their country, prevented them from making • themfelves parties to fraudulent praflices. The fame object has further been fecured, by extending the provifions of the excife laws to the articles of wine and tobacco. By the former, fo great an efFe<5t has betn produced, that the legal confumption has been more than doubled, and the duties now colle«fled on wines amount to a larger fum than they did previous to the French treaty, notwith- (landin g . 1 f ♦ f > ' - .i ■■ ■ i * « ■, ^a-' . ' V. 1 f ^1 FINANCE. ^ {landing that in confequence of that treaty the rate of duty was reduced in feme inftances one-third, and in fome one- half of its former amount, as the compenfation for the admiflion of all our manufaftures under moderate duties into the ports of France. So that this great advantage to our manufaflurers and merchants, has been fecured without its occafioning a di- minution of revenue. , • . '■■ .*' .4. • There has not as yet been fufficient time to afcertain v ith accuracy the efFeds of the ex- tenfion of excife to tobacco. But as far as can be colleded from the experience of a few months, as laid before Parliament in the Irft feflion, and from the acknowledged prevalence of the frauds againft the revenue, in that ar- ticle, there is every reafon to hope that the greatcft advantages will be derived from that meafure. In thefe inftances, where the excife was evi- dently more applicable to the due colledlion of the revenue, than any other fyftem, this '' mode has been reforted to, and has been fuccefsful. In other cafes, a difpofition has been (hewn to remove thofe articles which would admit it, from the management of that branch of revenue. On this principle the taxes on fervants, and fome other duties of a fimilar i 40 FINANCE. \\ fimllar nature, (for the colle(flion of which many thoufand perfons were before fubjedled to the controul of the excifc) were transferred to the head of airefled duties j and here, too, the experiment has been fuccefsful, as the du- ties have under the new mode been more ac- curately coUefted. The condud of the Par- liament was guided in both cafes, not by an unmeaning clamour againft the name of ex- cife, which, if any weight at all were given t> it, would apply with equal force to the annihi- lation of fix millions of revenue j but by a confiderate and attentive examination of thofc articles which could with fafety be placed under a different management, and of thofe where the fame object which juflified the impofition of taxes, equally ' lifies and requires that the duties, when i ;pofed, fliould be placed under the excife, as the only effedlual mode of enfuring their due colledion. .,,,.; ^ 1 i It would be too long to Inveftigate a variety of other particulars j it is fufHcient to refer to the beneficial efFeds of the French Treaty, as confidered with a view to revenue only; to the Confolidation of the Cuftoms, a mealure approTfed by all parties and defcriptions of men j to the new regulations for the collc(5lion of various taxes and to that unremitting attention given by the late Parliament to tliofe minute details .» n, <i'. i' '.i FINANCE. 41 details on which a fyftcm of revenue muft always (o much depend. The mode in which loans and other money tranfadlions have been €ondu6led,on the principle ofopen competition, deferves, however, to be particularly mention- ed, becaufe its advantages are not confined to the benefit arifing from it to our finances, but are productive of more important confequenccs to the honor and independence of Parliament, as mull be felt by every man who recollefts what pafTcd on the fubjedl of loans engaged for in fecret, during the courfe of the laft war. It is alfo material to advert to the very great amount of extraordinary refources which have been brought forward by the vigilance of Parliament, in aid of the public exigencies j becaufe it is of importance to obferve, that a great part of thiji aid arifes from the falutary provifions which they have made for the examination of the public accounts, in a more expeditious, and at the fame time a more accurate manner than before prevailed ; and, for the (leps taken, in conformity to the fame principle, for bringing up arrears, and enforcing the punflual payment of taxes. It will hardly be conceived by any man who is not acquainted with the fad, that; the office of auditing the public accounts was become an avowed finecure in the hands of thofe who were nominally refponfible for itj and that while the (helves of the public offices G were 42 FINANCE. were loaded, year after year, with frefh volumes of unexamined accc .us, the balances of unac- counted millions were accumulating, with 'ntereft upon intereft in the coffers of perfons indebted to the public. ••' i=^ : * ■ ,,v;vj-j.m j- This evil is now remedied ; and the beneficial efFetfls of what has been done in this refps<5b, are not confined to the temporary aid which has been derived from it to our finances fince 1784, but will be ftill more ftrongly felt, whenever the circumftances of the country (hall again place us in the fituation of incurring the expences of war, Thefe can only be kept within bounds by an ac- curate andfpeedyinveftigation of accounts, and by that check which refults from bringing the national expenditure forward into public view, infteadof fuffering it, as in the lad war, to accu- mulate in balances, or to be concealed in an unfunded debt, of which no man could con- je»5lure the extent. ^i . -. -.-.ii-j -/j On this fubje£t of the national finances, it remains only to fpeak of the plan eftablilhed for the gradual reduction of the national debt : and on this point, however important in itfelf, it is unnecelTary to dwell long, becaufe no difference of opinion has ever exifted upon it. Some doubts were ftated as to the polTibility of carrying this plan into effect, without impofing frefh burthens on the people j and even thofe 4 doubts ms .f: 1. 1 ,^i FINANCE. 43 '% doubts have been difproved by the event. But no man has ever queftioned the advantage which this country derives from the ellablilli- mcnt of the fyllem itfclf j and the merit of the particular regulations adopted for carrying it into execution, is fufficiently obvious to any one who has at all confidered them. What the tffc6t has been of this wife and falutary meafure, for the fake of which the Parliament were con- tent to rifk their popularity with their conftitu- entsj — how rapidly the pui^ic credit has fince been re-eftablifhed, and the value of the funded property of the kingdom increafed by nearly one half of the rate at which it itood in the beginning of 1784 J — how ftriking a con- traft the fituation of this country forms in that refpe6l, even with the leaft embarrafled of thofe nations with whom (he has had to con- tend : — Thefe are points which are already deeply engraven on the mind of every man who is acq laintcd with the interefts of his country, who knows the means by which we are become a profperous nation, and the foundation on which our profperity muft reft. G2 COMMERCE COMMliRCE AND NAVIGATION. .J- HAVING thus gone through the detail of the two former heads, we come to the third of the general divifions ftated in the com* mencement of this work. The univcrfal dcfpondency on the fubjecft of India, and the defpair with which people looked at the embarraflcd ftate of our fi- nances, were hardly greater, or more diftref- fing, than the difcouragement which prevailed on the fubjedt of our trade. It had long been felt, that the confequence pf this country as a naval power, and our internal wcUth and profpcrity, depend on the flourilhing (late of our Commerce, Naviga- tion, and Manufa6bures. The American war had indeed, for the lad four years of its duration, been carried on chiefly on account of the fears entertained of the mortal blow which the feparation of the Colonies from Great Britain wpuld give to our trade; and we had on this account per- fiftcd, long after our hopes of revenue from thence were abandoned, , When C O M M E R C E, &c. 45 When therefore this reparation at lafl took place, and when, to the lofs of intcrcourfe and conneflion with that country, was added the neccfTity of impofing additional burthens in this, which fall in fome degree on the neceflarics of life, and thereby augment the price of labour, it is not to be wondered at that men Ihould have apprehended a very great deficiency in our trade, and fhould have looked with defpair to the fuuation of our commercial concerns. This fubjeft has therefore neceflarily engag- ed a large (hare of the attention of the Par- liament of 1 784, and of the Government whom they have fupported. The abolition of the Board of Trade and Plantations having been feverely felt by the trading intcrefts, a feparate commercial de- partment was now rellored, and rendered an efficient branch of the public government, with. out trenching upon thofc principles of occo- nomy which had occafioned the abolition of the former Board j as none of the Members of the Committee of Privy Council, appointed for this fcrvice, received any other falaries from the Crown than what they previoufly enjoyed in other departments of government. The ^6 COMMERCE AND i ii i| i i The firft general proof of the ef}c(5l£ of the meafures brought forward by this department, is the amount as Itated in the Cuftom-Houfe accounts, of our Imports and Exports for the year 17H9, and of our Navigation at the commencement of that period, being the latv-ift account which has appeared. The whole of our Imports was, in 1789, X^ 17,828,887. which in 1783, at the clofc of the war, was only /^ 1 3, 1 22,235. The whole of our Ex- ports " ".s in 1789 /* 18,5 13,030, and in 1783 only /,'i4, 756,81 y. And vhat makes this ftatement the more ftriking is, that of the increafie of Exports, amounting in the whole to near four millions, above three mil- lions arife from the great augmentation o^ Britifh manufadures exported to all parts the world. The number of veflcis belon^- \n^ to the different pons of Great Britain, has incrcafed from 8,342 in 1783, to 11,0^5 in 1788. The tonnage, from 669,221 tons in 1783, to 1,054,456 tons in 1788 -, and the number of failors from 59,004, to 83,286, during the fame period. Flattering however as this account is, it is, in many refpedts, lefs favourable to the im- provement of the country than what would appear on a detailed examination of the par- ticular branches of which it is compofed. The NAVIGATION. ^ The firft great commercial qucftion which came under the confidcration of the Parliament of 1784, was, the Colony Trade with America. Under the old fyftem the States of America, being then our Colonies, had received great and peculiar benefit of trade from US', particularly the advantage of fupply- ing our Weft India Illands with materials for building, and with provifions. They had alfo the advaRtage of fending thefe bulky articles in American veflels j a mode of carry' ^ which was before ihe war annually increafing, to the great detriment of Britifti navigation, as neither the profit centered here, nor were the failors at our command, in cafe of emergency; nor was any encouragcm it given by it to /hip-build'ng in England, which is fo ellential a point to our maritime ftrength. The moft ftrenuous exertions were however ufed in 1784, for the continuance of this in- dulgence. And this po' it was much preiTed, both by the friends of the United States of America, and alfo by the Weft India intereft. 'tf-t *•* i » -/" At (. :< ^V. This was however refiftedj and meafurcs were taken, which, at the fame time that they have fecured to the Weft India Ifla.ids a con- ftant fupply of neceflaries from America at a reafonable price, have greatly increafcd the navigation / •♦ 48 COMMERCE AND navigation of this country. And this fyftem has ftojd the teft of experience, and is now approved by every man in the kingdom who has any knowledge of our commercial intcrefts. Other fubfidiary meafures have been adopted for the fame purpofci particularly the Regiftcr Ai5l : and the following ilatcmen'; of the dc- creafe of foreign lliipping, at a time when our own fliipping has been rapidly increafing, muft afford the higheft fatisfadiion to every true friend to this country. Cleared } Britifh Veffcls outwards 3 Foreign Do. Entered7Britilli Veffels inwards 3 Foreign Do. ^783- J788. 7.3?-9 3.544 X2j9o^ 969 8.873 ~^3>9^5 7»^90 ^74' 1, 8 JO -0,431 t2*95» And on the whole it may fafely be ftated» that the navigation of this country has at no period been in fo flourifhing and incrcafing a fta'.e as at prefent. \ Thefe meafures have been equally beneficial to our remaining Colonies, which have rapidly increafed in population, wealth and com- merce. NAVIGATION. 49 merce. The population of Quebec has in- crcifcd nearly half of its former number; and the provinces of Nova S' otia and New Brunf- wick, in a confiderably greater proportion ; Their exports to this country in i/Sj were 91,000, and are now above 135,000. And as thefe Colonics arc fupplied from G'-eat Britain, the amount which they confume of Britifh Manufaflures mult obvioufly be ii- creafed in ihe fame or a greater proportion. An equal degree of attention has been given to our European commerce. Befides the con- llant negotiations which are known to have been carried on with other foreign nations, (and from whicii in feveral i'iftances confiden'ble benefit has been derived, though in fome not *o much as this country may have a right to claim and may ftill hope for), the French treaty affords a flriking inftance of beneficial arrangement. I cannot ag;ee with thofe who conGder this treatj' as exclufively advanta- geous to England, and it muft be the effect of a narrow policy to wilh it to be fo; but when we recolleci; the violent oppofition given to this treaty, as deftrudive to our manufac- tures, it is impoffible not to contrafl: it with the adlual effed produced by ir, which has been fuch that our export tc France has in- cre afed from little more than ^CsoOjC^o, which • . ' H it 50 COMMERCE and it was in 1786, immediately before the con- clufion of the treaty, to jC^S^i^^^ '" '7^9 » and it is to be obferved, that this extenfion of our commerce confifts principally in thofe very articles of manufa(5lure which we were fo confidently told that the treaty was to an- nihilate; I ;i t : Ill 1 1 ii' The whole export of Britirti merchandife to different parts of Europe in 1783, was 5,592,934; and in 1789 6,823,852. Theincreafe of our cotton manufadture is known to every man who is the leaft converfant with fubjeds of this fort. It appears by the Cullom-Houfe accounts, that the whole amount of the cot- ton and mixed goods exported in 1783 was ^^787,462, and in 1789 £i,iy5,2^o. But it is to be obferved, that thefe fums are ftated at the Cuftom-Houfe valuation, which is far below the real value. It is fuppofed that the a6tual amount of thefe articles exported in 1789, is above two millions, and confequently that the increafe is in the fame proportion greater than it appears from the fums above ttated. If thefe accounts fliould appear ia any degree imperfedt, they are ftrongly con- firmed by the following ftatement of the quantity of the raw material imported into this kingdom for the purpofc of the manu- fadlure. A ' COTTON f NAVIGATION. 51 \ COTTONWOOL. t Pounds. In 1783 the quantity imported was 9,723,805 In 1784 In 1785 .In 1786 In 1787 In 1788 In 1789 11,482,083 18,400,384 i9»475»02O 23,250,268 20,467,436' 32,576,023 The woollen manufadlure cannot be dated from fimilar documents, becaufe the raw ma- terial is the produce of our own country, but from an account of the number of cloths milled at the feveral fulling mills in the Weft Riding of the county of York, it appears that in 1783 the quantity of broad cloth milled was 131,092 pieces, 4,563,37 6 yards. And in 1788, 139,406 pieces, 4,244, 22 yards. And of narrow cloths, in ' 83, 108,641 pieces, 3,292,002 yardsj and in 88, 132,143 pieces, 4,208,303 yards. And by the Ci ilom- Houfe accounts it appears that the value of woollen goods exported in 1783 was ;jf3,494,Ao6, and in 1789 ^^4,161, 810. And this valuation is liable to the fame remark as that of the cotton goods, being far below the real value. H 2 The k,. Ml 52 C O M M E R C E AND The ftate of the linen manufadure in Great Britain may partly be collr-dled from the fol- lowing account, which relates to Scotland, as it is well known that the Englifh linen manu- faflure has increafed in at leafl: as great a proportion. From the id of November 1782, to the ift of November 1783, the quantity of linen cloth ftamped in Scotland amounted to i7>074.777i y^rds. In 17S8, to 20,506,310-^ yards. In 17H9, to 19,9^6,075 yards. It would be tedious to go through a fimilar detail of all the articles. But the greatcft increafe of all is in the article of iron, where our manufafture has had fuch an extenfion, that notwithftanding the immenfe quantity of the raw material now produced in this coun- try, the importi^^ion of iron from foreign coun- tries has increafed from 47,911 tons in 178J1 to 51,043 tonsi ni789. This is the moft valuable and the moft rapidly incrcafing of all our inanufa(5tures. It is an article ablolutely neceflary for all the common ufes of life, and in which we poffefs great and peculiar advantages. Its fale has been greatly facilitated by the French treaty; not NAVIGATION. S3 reat fol- , as anu- ac a not only by our fupplying the confumption of twenty-four millions of inhabitants in France, but alfo by the additional means of acccfs to other markets, which we derive from the right of importation into this kingdom. "What has hitherto been flated relates chiefly ro the export of our manufadurcs. Their total increafc, including thofe for home con- fumption, is ftill more difficult to be afcer- tained. It may however be ftrikingly inferred from the following ftatement: viz. That on an abfliradt made from the Cuftom-Houfe accounts, it appears that the whole amount of raw mate- rials of manufadlure imported into Great Britain in 1784, was about ;f 3,800,000; and in 1789, 4,900,000} and that the whole amount of Britifn merchandife exported in 1784, was ;^8, 800,000 i and in J789, ^^13,400,000. In addition to thefe acco"nts of the increafe of our Navigation, our Commerce, and our Manufaftures, there is another material article to be attended toj and this the rather, be- caufe it is one to which the attention of the Parliament of 1789 has been turned with a peculiar degree of anxiety, as appears from the ''ii fi-^ 54 COMMERCE and the various laws that have paflfcd for the en- couragement of our fifiieries. It was dared in the debates upon the Jaft peace, by thofe who oppofed that wife and necelTary pneafure, that the ftipulation refpe(n:- ing Newfoundland had annihilated our fifhery there, and in efFed furrendered it to the French •, and this, like other affertions of the fame nature, was re-echoed in the publica- tions of that party, and particularly in fome of Lord "hefEeld's pamphlets. Immediaiely before the breaking out of the lad war, when our Newfoundland fifhery was at the highf^ft, the whole number of Ihips and men employed, and the quantity of fifh they brought to market, were as follows ; Ships. 1774 - 533 Men. Quintals of fi(h. 3,376 489,665 4,281 516,338 In the year 1789, the number of (hips em- ployed is indeed lefs than in the two years above ftatedj but the tonnage of the (hips in the former period is not dated fo as to enable us to form a comparifon of the quantity of diip- ping employed. The number of men is much tht fame as in the largeft of the two years, and the NAVIGATION. 55 tTic quantity of fifli confidcrably more, as ap- pears by the following account : Ships. Men. 1789 - 472 4288 Quintals of fifli, 782,791 It is alfo well known, that during this period the French fifhery at Newfoundland, inftead of fwallowing up the Britidi, as was foretold, has been gradually dccreafing; while our*s has, as appears above, equalled its amount in the moft flourilhing period, as to the nunnber of pcrfons employed in it, and far exceeded it in the produce of their induftry. The tonnage of fhips employed in the Greenland fifhery, has increafed from 14,000 tons, which was the amount in 1783, to 73,000 in*i788. The proportionate increafe of the Southern Whale Fifhery has been confideritbly greater. In 1783, no more than 1,040 tons of fhipping were employed in this adventurous and ufeful enterprize. In 1789 the tonnage was 9,880, and the value of their produce fold for above X^ 1 00,000. To all thefe particulars attention has been paid by Parliament, and the fuccefi has more than 5^ C O M M E R C E, 5ic. than equalled the moft fanguine expedlatlon that could be formed. . On'thc whole therefore it appears, that in the fpace of a ftw years, our Navigation, our Commerce^ourManufaif^airesandourFifheries, have been extended far beyond what they had ever been before. And that this has been done at a period and under circumftances which had given rife to the moft alarming apprehcnfions, even for the exiflence of a great part of thefc aftonilhing fourccs of wealth and power. FOREIGN FOREIGN POLITICS. HAVING thus examined the prcfcnt con., dition of this Country with rcfpcdl to thofe points which are of mod importan-* to its in- ternal profperity, it remains only to examine its relative fituation, with refpedt to the other powers of Europe, The importance of this part of our fituation to the general interefts of the empire, and even to our domcftic fecurity, is fuch as no man can be ignorant of. It is in vain under the exifting circumftances of Europe, to fuppofe that this country can remain an unconcerned fpcftator of events which materially alter the fituation of its neighbours, and which might in that cafe by our negligence afford to our rivals the means of oeftroying all the fources of that profperity which has fo long been an objeft of jealoufy to them. It is equally true on the other hand, that our fituation affords us the advantage o^^ not being involved in every trifling and uniknportant difference which may arife upon the Continent. The wifdom of the government of this country confifls in obfcrving a proper medium between thefe two extremes s and in proportion as this point has ^^ , I been ;:i' 58 FOREIGN PO^.ITICS. been fyftcmatically purfucd, or as it has fallen into neglcdl, the confequence and fccurity of the Britifli nation bzs always increafcd or diminifhcd. It would perhaps be fuperfluous now to enquire, by what fatality it was that at the commencement of the Amtriciin war we were found without a fingle ally; and that while every year brought fome frelh acccflion to the league, which during the progrefs of that war was combined againfl us, we were left to the lafl: to maintain the ftruggle, with- out any other afllftance than the national vigour and refourccs of the country, dif« coursged and crippled by fo many concurring circumftances. But without referring to the caufes of this misfortune, the cffedls of it wc have all felt, and muft long remember. The united hoftility of fo many of the powers of Europe, and the more than fufpicious neutra- lity of the reft, reduced us to the neceflity of concluding a peace on terms of conceflion and humiliation. And by a natural cffeft, thcfe evils operated reciprocally the one upon the other i fo that as our being deftitute of allies was one principal caufe of our loffes during the war; fo the condition to which we were reduced at the peace, was a difcouragement to arty power, even if any fuch had cxifted, who was difpofed to connedt its interefts with thole of Great Britain* : ; • " ** ' ' " • Nor FOREIGN POLITICS. $9 Nor was our fituation in this rerpc(5l more ftriking in any poinc of view, than when com- ^ ed with that of France. The Court of Verfaiilcs having repaired the difgraccs of a preceding warj having detached from this country our American Colonics j having fe- cured to Spain an ample recompence for her interierence-, having brought Holland under a degree of influence, little (hortof abfolutc fub- je-dion; enjoyed the reputation of having given peace to Europe, and the advantage of being the arbiter of every difference which arofe. What our fituation now is, in all thefe ref- pe6ls, it is hardly necelTary to ftatc. The manner in which an opportunity was feized to regain our natural connetftion with Holland, ind to form on that bafis an alliance of greater ftrength than any fyftem which can be oppofed to it, is frefli in the recolledion of every one. The efFe6l has been, that we are now united in the cloff ft manner with the Dutch Republic, the only power who from ir* local advantages in India, might afFedt the fecurity of our valu- able interefts in that quarter of the globe. In order to Itrengthen this fyftem, to enable us as well to proted this valuable ally from the attacks of others, as to ad with vigour and efFedl in all the different events v/hich can prefcnt themfelves, by which our I 2 interefts do FOREIGN POLITICS. \k intcrefts in Kurope can be affc6led, an alliance lias alfo been made with the moft cc nfiderablc military power on the Continent. And fucK has been the ffcurity and happinefs derived from this fyllem, to all the parties who compofc it, that while every other power of Kurope, has either been diftrafted with internal commotions, or hasfeen its finances wafted, and its rcfources deftroyed by the effeds of Foreign wars, Great Britain and its allies alone have hitherto enjoyed the blefTings of domeftic and external tranquillity. And at the prefent moment, when the Ipirit of this country has been roufcd by an unprovoked attack on the dcarcft of her rights, the freedom of her commerce, and the fccurity of her navigation, we have abundant proof of the advantage of our actual fituation, as com- pared with that defencelefs and infulated ftatc in which we found ourfelves during the whole of the laft war. Againft the aggreffor in this inftance, the refources of this country, alone and unaffifted, might confidently be looked to as affording no unfavourable earneft of fuc- ccfs, cither by the way of negotiation, or by a vigorous exertion of our itrength in a jufl: caufe. But we have the fatisfaftion of feeing that we are not left to truft to our own re- fources alone : And that the efforts aftually making in Holland, with a view to affift our efforts, are, in proportion to their ftrcngth, r'Y-' :'- " • ^ . :; V ' ': ' ^ ' little FORFIGN POLITICS. 6% little Id's a<5livc and cfFcaual than thecxcrtiont which have already brought the Britilh naval force to fo confiderable a (late of preparation. When, in addition to this, we rcfled:, that in the profecution of fuch a contcft, we may alfo look to the alTiftancc of PrufTia, fecured to us by the ftipulations of our alliance, and by the common interclh vvhich unite us j it is impoflible not to feel how much reafon we have to value that fyftem which is of fucU cflcntial fervice to us in the prcfcnt inftancc. ">'■,■' -: ' \ i , ;. ,^3 .■' ■%,>,- -•«■-; r-'H i,: CONCLUSION, CONCLUSION, I SUCH is the happy change produced In the fcate of this country, in the (bort fpace of fiK years, and during the continuance of one Parli::mcnt. — Abroad, we fee India retrieved from ruinj our comnnerce extended even to a greater degrts than before the American war j the country ftrengthened and fupported by powerful alliances, and reftored in the eyes of foreign nations to its former importance. At home, the fyftem of government has been materially changed. The improper influence which had exifted in the hands of Government havingbeendeflroyedin 1782, thefupportwhich the Minifter has obtained in Parliament fince that period has been that of unbiaflfed opinion ; and confidence founded on experience, inftead ofafervile and interefted dependence. Under fuch aufpices the national finances, from the cxhaufted ftate into which they were funk at the clofe of the late war, have been re- ftored to To flourifliing a condition, as to pro- duce at prefent a coafiderable annual furplus. To give clear and faiisfadlory evidence of this profperous change in the affairs of the country, and at the fame time to point out in fome meafure the immediate means by which it was efFeded, has been the objcft of the 4 . preceding ■iff CONCLUSION. 63 preceding pages. To what caufe this prof- perity is ultimately owing, it is unnecefTary to ► mention. Every one who is acquainted with the faft, will confidcr it as the happy confc- quence of a virtuous and able legiflature, adting in fupport of a wife and fleady fyftem of government. And indeed, if fronn con- tennplating the general advantages which we have derived from the wifdom of the late Parliament, we turn our eyes towards their condud upon a particular critical occafion, we fliali find dill greater fubjed for our gra- titude and admiratioi>. When the Sovereign was rendered incapable of exercifing the powers of his ftaticiij and when there was, in the minds of mod men, littl*'- probability of his being ever able to refume them, the Minifter found himfelf ftill fupported by the Reprefentatives of the People. They flood forward to defend the prerogatives of the Crown, and to difplay their affeftion towards their Sovereign, and at atimewhenthcpatronagc and power ufually attendant upon Royalty, and which might otherwife have been fuppofcd to influence their conduct, were transferred into other hands; they faithfully difcharged their duty, looking to no other reward than the confcioufnefs of having performed it. Eledled by the people for the purpofe of giving fupport to the Crown, in the juft exercife of its lawful prerogative, they fhewed by their fubfequent condud, the fame fteadinefs in , > • fupport I %. w m f ■':■.. i^ CONCLUSION. fupport of the claims of the two Houfcs of Parliament, to a£l on behalf of the nation, and in defence of the Crown, when no longer able to exert its own prerogatives. Under the direflipn of a. Parliament thus difintereftcd in principles and condyd, the credit of the nation has been raifed to its prefent flourifhing condition j and it muft be the wifli of every true friend to his country, that fucceeding Parliaments may clofeiy imitate its example. In particular we muft feel anxious, whilft under the apprehen-» lion of approaching war, left our enemies ' fhould be fuftered to grow confident by any fuch change in the legiflature, as might pre- vent the continuance of that fyftcm of govern- ment which has been of late adopted, and by which tiiis country has been already placed on : fo formidable a footing. There can however be little doubt, but that thofe jnen who arc now returned to, their cOnttituei^ts, willTeceive the reward of their patriotifm, by being again I 'honoured with the confidence of the peopTfe j iihce to thofe only can we look with well- • grounded hope for the continuance of the prof- pericy we enjoy, who have plaitd ui in a fitua- tion in which' we are enabled, in the language of His Majefty's Speech, either to meet the exigencies of war, or to cultivate, with increa- .fing benefit, the bleflings of peace. THE END, J^ ',—■ p > H of id It »^ LIS le ts )e /, 7 e s y m- f'