Star. — London, England, 1812-04-17 00:00:00

EAST INDIA. MONOPOLT. It is of great importance that right views should be taken of the state of the East India trade, as it may and ought to influence any new arrangements that may be adopted between the Covet nment and the India Company. The total abolition of the Company's monopoly may not be desirable, yet the ch . ange that has taken • place in our circumstances within the last fifty years imperiously: demands a change of system to enable' the country to derive a due share of benefit from its Eastern possessions. • The Act of 1793 introduced the private trade, under the controul and direction of the Company. Since that time, not only have the relations of this country with Continental India been greatly extended, but we have acquired a large insu lar Empire, and are (for the present, at least) the un disputed sovereigns of maritime commerce in that part of the world. As a nation, we ought to raise our minds to our fortunes ; and in adopting new plans, both of trade , and policy, we should suit the boldness of our con ceptions, to the magnitude and variety of the objects. Nor is this in the least inconsistent with that steady and scrupulous investigation of facts, on which alone a reason.lLle judgment of the chances of success can be formed. Let us only examine them dispassio nately, disinterestedly, clearly, and fully. In the commercial branch of the enquiry we should inves. tigate the nature of the trade abstractedly ; and then weigh the peculiar objections to the different modes' of carrying. it on. Indian commerce, like most others, may be divided into the export, import, and carrying trades. The Directors, in an exceedingly well-written fetter (No. VIII.) to which we shall have frequent occasion to allude, say, that o no material enlargement, if any enlargemeot at all, is to be expected in the export of our manufactures to that quarter." As far as this opinion relates to an immediate change in the state of the trade, we are willing to accede to it ; but we can by no means think, that the independence of In dia or European supply is a principle so deeply rooted in the nature of things, as not to admit of -gradual alteration. Certainly the reasons alledged by the Directors are far from conclusive. When it is said, that the commerce with India, ever since the time of the Romans, hi's chiefly ccnsisted in exporting sil ver to purchase India goods, we apprehend, that there is some little perversion ef history in this statement. The earliest minute account of exports to India is contained in the work attributed to ARRIAN, which enumerates a great variety of articles, besides the precious metals. Nor are the Directors much more accurate in their description of the present American trade, We have before us a list of fifteen vessels en gaged in it, between 1806 and 1809, of which only three carried out any silver from America, and those bins in part of their adventures. The cargoes were, in tact, very various: one ship taking out British ma nufactures from London to the Isle of France • ano ther, French products f rom M arse ill es , w i t h the same destination; but most of them being engaged in specula tive projects of barter, at different ports, according to circumstances. The great demand for silver in China has ceased ; insomuch, that the East India Company has of late sent acne at all to Canton. To India they only remitted, in the course of the three years ending in 1809, A'250,000, nor would even that sum have been in the least necessary, but for military purposes. The internal commerce of India, from its peculiar nature, requires less circulating medium than that of al,y •ther country of equivalent production. The ac cumulation of the precious metals formerly was owing to those oppressions which were the genuine offspring of the native despotisms. This source of a demand for silver I,as at least been diminished; and the Com pany's Indian debt, if it has done no other good, has set free twenty millions of specie in that country.— ' Then, let it be considered cif what nature are our pre sent exports, and by whom they are consumed. The articles of European luxui y must of course be most congenial to the European inhabitants, who, it is said, constitute a small part of the population ; but , that body of men has been considerably enlarged by thecapture of the French and Dutch settlements ; and when we reflect that the individuals composing it are spread so widely over the hither peninsula, and among the islands, associating with, and controling the Princes and great men of those countries, we shall be led to believe, th at i n process o f time, the ' in fluence of their example will go far toward extending a taste for European luxuries among the wealthier part .f the natives. It is admitted, that the lower elasses.consume some of our woollens and metals.— Those articles have of late been sold near the sources of the Ganges, at regular fairs, to which the Hill people, four a vast distance, periodically resort ; and we may, therefore, fairly indulge a hope, that ifcare- 1 fully adapted to • the habits of the purchasers, they Fray torm a considerablebranch of commerce through. out the interior of India. The same consequence may time follow, from a more enlarged intercourse with Persia, Arabia, and even with China ; in which lat ter country there has for several years been a growing demand for British commodities, as well as for the products of thellotish settlements in India. If the argument from ancient history be inapplica ble to the trade of export to India, it is still less appli cable to the import trade. Anciently the only arti fles brought onm that country were drugs, spices, jewels, and a few manufactured sags and cottons.— Tea, which forms three-fifths of our imports, was then unknown to the western world: saltpetre was useless; and raw silk and cotton had very little value. The present commercial concerns of the East India Com pany may be arranged under the tie o heads of China trade, and India trade. 'lie former is incomparably the girates, though including of late (on tl2 Corn. pant's account) only two articles, viz, tea, and t at o . inik, and on account of private individuals, some nail kins, drugs, and other tofling articles. Tea constitutes about one-half of our astern im ports, producing at the Company's sales, nearly 414,000,000 sterling per annum. It is one of those luxur ics, for which the people of this country volun tarily tax themselves very heavily, both to i foreign nation and to their own Government. How far it implied wisdom, in our statesmen, to encourage such a traffic, especially when the mode of payment was far less favourable to our own industry than at present, we shall not now enquire. • Our object is to deter. mine, *w h at further extension can be given to tem. Diene s consistently with the public welfare ; andi we own, that we do not think.this article one that is capable of any beneficial augmentation. We con• sume nearly all that we at present import, and fully as much as we can reasonably desire to consume.— Very little tea, comparatively, was ever used on the • Continent ; and unless the present restrictions on the sale of coffee there, should proiuce a very great change in national tastes, it is not likely that we shall ever be able to re:export much of what we purchase. The importation of Naniin: has greatly decreased ; principally, we apprehend, from the difficulty of re exportation. They are an article of which the con sumption in England is never likely to become very great ; although in warmer climates th e y fi nd consi. derabl vent, being carried in small adventures, by many American ships, to the West Indian, Mediter ranean, and other markets. Raw Siti and Drug: belong to the Indian as well as to the Chinese branch of trade. The former is an article of considerable importance to the manufac tures of this country ; and, therefore, a constant sup ply (to the amount, at least,of halt amillion annually ) ought to be secured by proper regulations. Whether this supply should be increased, must depend on the demand for our reanufactured silks ; for it would not be very desirable, even it it were possible, that we should supply our competitors in that manufacture on the Continent, with the raw article. It is scarcely necessary to dwell much on the import trade in drugs, which, whether for consumption or for re-exporta tion, can never be very considerable. Cotton Manufacturer are the great staple of India.— The import of these has so greatly decreased, that it is not-now a sixth of what it was twelve years ago ; but this circumstance is so far from being unfavour able to British trade in general, that it has been pro duced solely by the superiority of the British cotton manufactures, both in the home and foreign markets. It is therefore obvious, that an increased import wculd promise no great advantage either to the C om p an y or to the private trader, unless at the expence of a branch of the national commerce, far more important and interesting. The Raw Cotton of Bengal is not a promising ar ticle of import. Its inferiority for the purposes of our manufactures had occasioned a gradual decrease in the Company's investments of it to Europe, until 1801, when they were entirely discontinued until after the period of the American Embargo. Indigo, which has been for some years imported to the extent of a million annually, fully answers the de mand. Of Spices and Pepper the demand for home con sumption is comparatively small. Under the pre sent circumstances of the world, a certain quantity may be required for- re•ex,portation ; but that quail ' city must be much diminished by the, existing ob stacles to all trade on the Continent ; and, indeed, in the most favourable state of things, it can hardly b e expected, that articles of this nature will ever form a very important branch of our imports. Coffee and Sugar enter too largely into competition with the Western products, which have already over stocked every market, to afford any prospect of speedy advantage by importing them from the East. Saltpetre, the only remaining article of East Indian produce, must necessarily be placed under a political restriction, for the double purpose of securing a sup ply of gunpowder to our own Government, and of excluding the enemy, as far as possitle, from obtain. ing the same advantage. Thus have we gone through all the material items in the catalogue of Eastern products ; and shewn, that, whether for our own use, or for the supply of other nations, they afford but little profit in the im- ' portation to this country. Of that profit, whatever it be, the private trader already participates largely. He can etpcct little, if any, benefit from an extension of his concern in this branch of the trade. Another branch, on which we have not yet touched, namely, the .carrying-tride, remains to be considered—but of that hereafter. himself. The first of these wrote that-0 1 He was very sensible, that the relative situations of Landlord and Tenant in Ireland, exposed the latter to be sued for more rent by far than he had contracted to pay; at the same time that the Landlord might be depriv ed of his farm-rent ; — a subject of great injustice to that country."—Th consequence of the system of these middlemen was, to drive honest families out of their farms, without themselves satisfying the land lord for his rent ; and he would ask their Lordships to figure to themselves a family of this description, driven out to starvation, in a country where there were no poor-rates to relieve them. Even in Eng land, where there are poor-rates,such a system would be reprobated, because they would say—" This fa mily has been brought a burthen upon us by your meanness."—Let the House Consider a family like this in distress, passing from..cottage to cottage s en joying all the hospitality of that excellent and warm hearted people. What a tale of distress they must disclose ; and how must it be treasured up, both by the tellers and hearers, for an opportunity of ven geance. On this ground the present subject became an object of policy of the most important point. He wished to state a real case to their Lordships under the shape and appearance of an assumed one. Sup pose the landlord to be A, the first middleman 13, the second C, the third D, and that there were '2O occupying tenants, all of whom were E; A lets the ground to B for /00 ; B lets it to C for no less an advance than £720; C lets it to D for £750; and I) lets it to the 20 occupying tenants E for £970. Now it was true, though no one unacquainted with the subject would believe it, that all of them sub- lessees might be sued to the amount of 02538. In the wish he bad to correct, such enormities, he de served no merit ; the whole was due to Mr. Conn isellor O'Deady, who had brought it to his notice.— ; His Bill proposed, in the first place, that no . one I should be enabled to sue another for rent, unless the limmediate lessor or middleman. These middlemen (who were mere conduit pipes) took leases with one hand, and suo-Jetted them with the other, so that they could have no real interest in the land ; by I which means they were enabled to ride over an estate and oppress both the interests of the true landlord and the true tenants. The next clause of his Bill went to secure to the landlord and tenant that the immediate lessor of the occupying tenant should not be enabled to distrain for his rent until he had first satisfied the landlord. These were the simple and' unexceptionable principles of this Bill ; and as the advocate of the Irish peasantry, he would take leave to say, that their good was his only motive for being there. He then moved that the bill should be read a first time. Lord REDESDALE said, there was at least one. third of the property of Ireland which was held in such giants as those which this Bill intended to re medy. It therefore became a very serious subject tb legislate upon. He admitted that the process by dis tress was infinitely more common in Ireland than in England, there being in the latter country a feeling which checked the proceeding by distress more than in the former. He wished their Lordships to cast their minds to this most important subject. At the same time, there appeared to him so many ob stacles and difficulties against it. that he almost des paired of this becoming a remedy for the evil. He I rat* thought that the best way of correcting it, would be, by checking, if possible, the sub-demise of lands in that country. He was disposed to eve every credit to the excellent motives of the Noble Mover ; but he did not think the remedy would prove effectual. If he could think so, he would support die Bill throughow ; at the same time. he would not oppose the first reading. The Earl of CLANCARTY thought, that this could not be so great a grievance as the Noble Earl had stated it to be, since all the sub-tenants must be aware of the existence of such practices, before they entered on their leases. He should not oppose the measure, but he thought it altogether unnecessary. 'no Earl of SUFFOLK did not think that any remedy for such an evil should be adopted, without serious discussion. At the same time he had oo doubt of this proving ,effectual. He instanced the case of one of his Stewards, whom he had sent over to Ireland to take a survey of one of his estates, and who was ob liged to do it with a sufficient guard. At last, when he put out some of the middlemen, he became the fa vourite of the people. Lord HOLLAND defended the Bill, and urged the House to proceed to the first reading of it ; as it had been admitted on all sides, that great distress in this way prevailed in Ireland. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that the peo. ple of Ireland, on making their leases, might, if they chose, so manage their sub-demises, as to render such a Bill unnecessary between sub lessors and sub-lessees. He could not, or course, oppose the first reading of the Bill ; and he hoped every Noble Lord would give it serious attention.. After a short reply from Earl STANHOPE, the Bill was read a firs. time, and ordered to be printed. The Insolvent Debtors' Relief Bill was read a se covild time.—Adjourned. `~_ PARLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. • HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 16. EAST INDIA TRADE. The Earl of DERBY presented a Pe:itlon from the Cotton hfanufacturers and others, of Blackburn, for opening the East India Trade. Lord BRADFORD presented a Petition from the Proprietors of Iron Works in Shropshire, agaiabt the renewal of the bast India Charter. The Petitions being read, were ordered to lie on the table. MISCELLANIES. The Irish Spirits WarehoUsit4Bill,ind the Pilots' Regulation Bill, were read a third time and passed. - The Coffee Auction Duty Bill, the high Grain Export Bill, some Local and Private Bills were brought up from the Com mons by Mr. Lushington, Sir James Graham, and other Mem bers, and read a first time. The Thames Navigation Bill, and the Port of Dublin Bill, were also returned with the amend ments agreaii to. The liinkeepere Allowances Bill, and the Penitentiary House Bill, passed through Committees, and were reported. On the second reading of Moore 's Divorce Bill, Mr. Garrow and another Gentleman attended as Counsel for the Petitioner. Several witnesses were examined to prove their marriage, the recovery of damages in an action of trim. con. and the adultery , alledged to have been committed by the Lady with Mr. Miller. On the resumed consideration of BLlchford's Divorce Bill, evidence was adduced to prove the validity of the marriage at Vienna, and also the adultery 'Hedged to have been committed by the Lady wick Mr. Digges Latouclie.—Further consideration I to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. I Mr. SHAW presented a Petition from the Corporation of Dub- LANDLORDS AND TENANTS. ' l in against the dams of the Roman Catholics of Ireland. Earl STANHOPE said, i n b r i ng i ng b e f ore their . sir J. NEWPORT asked what claim the Petitioners could be Lordships a subject of very great importance, he abppoied to have on the attention of the House, after having re should not trouble them with a very long harangue; cently refused the freedom of their city to Major O'Donoghue, because the shortest would answer the purpose best. who had gallantly disdngui:hed himself at Tarifa, mer e ly b e ca us e The evil which he had t o c o mpl a i n o f, h e b e li eve d to he was a Roman Catholic . lics M o f r . Queen'sPA ItIE,L p ty res i rted a Peti reland, pre'doniegfrotme be ee relievedit t r a r cLho n ; be unequalled in horror—it was not less touching to hunu-nity than the Stave Trade ; and in point of g _no.. certain disabilities, &c. which was ordered y to lie on the table. lacy, as relating to Ireland particularly, it was equal . Mr. HORNER presented a Petition tram a perste) named in importance to any thing which had been brought Mark Antony Mill, in the Isle of Man, praying the Haase to I. case before Parliament. He would explain to them how,, tak e frequently lie ue o e n tl tll ye t l ie. - Sirr h ~—Ord e red t this policy was detestable • ; at least he would explain tees of the highest importance were u nd e r e' d r i e sc q uissioni, there was it to those ignorant of the laws of Ireland. All who a very thin attendance of Members. He should think it his duty were not conversant with that subject would hardly when public busineu of great magnitude was =niacin', to call believe, that all middlemen (and there were a great the attention of the Speaker, or Chairman, to the actual state a nd many in Ireland) were able to dist r ain f or th e same numbe r of th e lie - G. HILL moved f or an ascotint of allthe'plain linen yarn, rent, under the same ground-landlo r d, e ven to more &r. exported from Irelan d , and imported into Gr e at 13ritiun 41. than the land would produce ; and much more than ring the last three years.—Ordered. the tenant had contracted for to pay. The very state- • NAVY-OE/ICI CLERICS, meat of such injustice must harrow up the soul.— Sir FRANCIS BURDETT rose to Intrfe respect- Before he read to their Lordships the Bill which he ing the Clerks.in the NavisOffice, who wished only hard proposed, and which only contained a few words, to be put on the same footing as other clerks, and he thought it necessary to inform them of the opinion particularly with those in a similar department—the of a great lawyer, in his correspondence with ano- Navy Pay Office. Some of these men had been 25 other, whose names he was not at liberty to mention, or SO years in office, without any increase of 'min - t° stew that others were of the same opinion witll mew, and of late years, under pretence of economy, I —an economy of which; in the present it Lance, h i could not approve—their salaries were considerably diminished. Some of these clerks laboured under i.e. culiar hardships, as they had purchased thee places, Lord Barham, the late Comptroller, had received their money, of which, as the emolumentsikad so considerably decreased, they were in fact, Cleared and swindled. He should move, therefore, for an account of the clerks in the Navy Office, specifying their salaries, periods of service, and their respe ctive emoluments—also for a copy of the letters of the Navy Board and of The Clerks' memorial respecting an an. crease of wages, the subsequent letters relating to this subject, and the Prince Regent's-order thereon. Mr. BENNETT seconded the motion. Mr. YORKE said, th .t it was not usual to accede to such motions as the present, unless some strong. ground Was 'hewn to the House to induce them e ) take the matter into farther consideration. kt e thought that the Honourable Baronet bad not made out a case sufficiently strong. As to the buying of . places, and Ltd Barhann's implication in such traf. ' fic, lie did not know how it might have been; but nothing of that sort,be apprehended, could new hap. pen, as the sale of a cletikship would subject the sen a to a high responsibility. He could not allow tn e p e , culiar hardship insisted on by the Honourable na. mnet, as the clerks had all consented to the present arrangement. Sir FRANCIS 111.1. R DETT said, that these desks ' did not ask for privileges above others in similar situa tions ; they wished only to be put on precisely the same footing. He could not conceive that thus Ap. plication would induce other clerks to lay their case before Parliament, as the present was one of a pecto liar nature. It was, in his mind, an additional mo tive for acceding to his proposition, that the conduct of Lord Barham might be enquired into ; evecially ' as, from what had fallen from the Right Ho:mutable Gentleman, it appeared that such conduct was properly stigmatised by the Government. Lord . ham's conduct ought certainly to be investigated, as through his means the desks had been completely swindled out ofthei r money. It was illiberal aunt unjust to talk of the consent of these clerks to the new rangements. What could they do ? Could they resign? Were they, these clerks, in a condition to contender make bargains with Government ? Mr. Yoaxe and Sir F. Buanarr exchanged a few words respecting Lord Barham, when the question being called for, Sir C. POLE thought it inexpedient, in the pre. sent hardships of the times,to encourage any hopes of increase of salary which could not he realised. Other clerks might also be induced to come forward with similar applications. The House their divided—Air the Motion 15-n Against it 62—Majority 47. FRAUDS AND PRILFURIES IN THZ LICEWCZ TRADL Mr. HERBERT was desirous, before he should open the letters which he felt it his duty to lay before the House, to wait until he should see his Right Ho. nourable Friend (Sir Williain Scott) in his place. He thought that Right Honourable Gentleman would have felt it his duty to attend, when he considered ' what his conduct had been respecting the present motion. He (Mr. Herbert) had shewn to the Chino !cellor of the Exchequer the list of papers in his pos. session connected wish the present motion. The an swer he received from the Chancellor of she Exche quer was, that he wished for an opportunity of can. suiting others upon the subject, and that after such consultation he tell it his duty to resist the unaided motion. When this subject was, upon a former oc. cait)n, before the House, he (Mr. Herbert) was de. sirous of expressing his s:ntiments upon it, and had risen five different times se about being fortunate enough to catch the Speakei's eye. He thonght it was not fair to tetuse the papers, because more mien be wanted to elucidate the neutralizing system. The Honourable Member then read a variety of papers to elucidate his positiod, that frauds .and perjuries were committed to a very great estent, and recognit. ednby the Court of Admiralty as well as by the Go vettiment. Amonlst other cases, he instanced anti where a vessel had come from Amsterdam to Eng. land, and on obtaining a licence had proceeded to St. Petersburgh to take in a cargo and re turn to di is coon try. On arrivuig at St. Petersburgh, the Master was cam. pelled to Quake out a fabricated account of his voyage from Amsterdam, instead of England, to St. Petra. burgfi ;• and to account for his being so long a tine on his voyage, he invented an account of wink. storms, interruptions from ice, arc . arc.—Thisfabri cation was signed and :worn t by the Captain and crew, otherwise the vessel would have been con*. cateci, had it been known that it had touched at Ea r land. This vessel did not return to England With's the specified time of the licence, three months. oat ( consequence was condemned.—Now, to Pert the condemnation, they adduced the foiticalni story / 11 the Court of Admiralty with success; and. if tit House would grant him the Papers helwquiredi i t would be seen by the answer to the 39d io." tory, that the Captain was actually in the time that he had sworn, in Russia, his voyage—.(Hoer Asor/)---yee this papef was received as evidence—the cognized by the Court ' • indeed, assent, that it was as good evidence fore been acted upon, and it was receive it. There were many He condemned this practice, as root of all property and morality, of perjury. He should next advert which this system was liable. By two licences for brandy had those facts were not so important , would mention ; namely., an instance licence, for the purpose e o n t e rotecting sel. Here then was op a scene of corruption ; for might not a clerk such practices, Without the knowledge On the 20th of January application to the Council for a licence to from Am sterdam, but refused the same month, application WAS the request granted, but with the the month. This application was . and Son." Now he was confident lion. Gentleman of the Board knew fact. It so happened, that he was some correspondence from Bot rdeau r , se:a the sentiments of persons on t the water. But he could not avoid ;tinting cowl= of the Board of at i three months, Rua cc —Now, to Pen the ie /*Mead nosy is success ; and it the 'apers he requiiod, it 3 the 39d tatterer wally in Inlaid at I Russia, he was on —yet this fabrics* , nce—the perjury rt• d, it had nodded its fence as had heteta. ras now' necessary to other similneasto. I striking at the fay /laity, by a toleration yen to the abuse to r an 64 inadverteoeYr" been granted ; but lt as the one which he ,tAnce of awake* a :cling a captured so scene fur the dOef clerk lend hi le wedge of the Boole ation had been Poi import the", he. yet on the 90d1 of as again made, les le date of the 24th as made by " Btu ident that the bit knew nothing of was in possessioo rdeaui, by which woe on the other aide 411 raid ni, king *l 6l ° o Comm s 4 s