The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-20 00:00:00

FINANCES.

The CHANCELCOii of the EXCHEQ'IRR
said, that having looked over the Resolutions of the
. Hon. Gentleman opposite to him (&h. Jolnootte)
relative to the public Finances, there were some par-
ticular statements of his own which he wished to
hays printed, so that they might C Xi)* into the
Hon. Gentleman's hands, and into those of the
Home, in the same shape as his own. Ile pro.
posed, therefose, that the m titer should s•an f over
to Saturday, on whi.:ll d.ty they would be Lratted ;
and, that the House might h ore time to o is;d r
them, they aught go into Lonsmiei ation on Monday.
Mr. Joensrusa bowed his assent, and the oust-
ness WAS Acc..rditigly postponed to Saturday.

1.1.1 nitAA PAPLICS. -
Lord CASTLEREAGH said. phut bet;
laovird farts Pais.

LKKAGLi said. jhat bete I o
to be was desirous to bay. :oil bow
—1 -Jo

tare the House, be wished shortly to state the me-
t vex hick had induced him to bring forward the
Measure he intended to submit to their considera-
tion. He believed there was in fait very little dn.-
femme of opinion between the Gentlemen on the
opposition side, and those who brought forward tit
India Budget. Only the Gentlemen opposite had
always taken *cession to travel into other years of
arcoithts, than those which were immediately be-
fore them, by which means they wee enabled to
Sake particular statements, and to seize on some
particular items. which seemed to militate against
the statements brought forward in the Budget of
the present day. His, objed was to bring into one
account all die accounts which had been made out
since the renewal of the Charter, or for the last ten
pears; by which means it would be easy, at one
view. to see, the whole of the statements, and to
*beck sueltderrors as they might at any time attri-
tmle to hi The Gentlemen on the other side
the Hoitte had given him an additional desire to
have this account. from their having broadly insi-
nuated, that he and his predecessors (not with any
intention to mislead or deceive, it was allowed) had
stated matters in some instances more favourably
than they really were, and in other instances had
formed predictions, and given oledees of the flou-
• fishing state of the Company's affairs which had
never been realised. He was, therefore, desirous to
put into one clear concise account, the estimates and
results of the last ten years. Ile accusation they
bad held out was, that both he and the Noble Lord
who preceded him had held out great promises a,
to the revenues of the Company, and had formed
and raised in the mmds of others, the most flourish-
ing state of the Company's affairs; and had given
repeated pledges that the revenues of India would
sooner meet the public expenditure of the country,
than this country would be called on to pay any
part of the expences of India. This, he contended.
had been already verified. As to the assertion made
by his Noble predecessor; it was true the Gel-
tlernen opposite had eh. ays pertinaciously said,
that his predecessor bad given a pledge, it would be
so, in case of either war or peace ; but the contrary
was the fait. His Noble Predecessor had expressly
made the assertion, on the supposition of the con-
tinuance of peace; and had said. that in case of a
was intervening, it might cause a considerable alte-
ration in the finances of the Company. To the war,
therefore, it was fairly to be attributed. that this
medidion of his Noble Predecessor had not been ful-
filled. Not only the European war must necessarily
have had considerable effect on the Company's fi.
*maces, but the Mysore war was attended with such
considerable ex pence, and with such difficulties, as
could not fail to impede and interrupt events and
occurrences of the highest importance. which might
otherwise have been 'seeded. To this cause it was
owing. that the participation did not take place,
and rarely nothing could constitute a more ample
excess', than a war of so much magnitude and im-
portance, unexpectedly arising at the very time,
when the affairs of the Company wore so pleasing
end prortthing AO toped, as to draw from his Noble
Predecessor, a prediction founded on the fairest and
most promising prospcfts. His Lordship then ad-
verted to the charge, that the estimates and revs-
anes were by no mains commensurate. In this he
appealed to the candour of the House. The esti-
mates, in ten years, had amounted to 91,000,000 and
upwards; the actual revenues to upwards of
; inn 0,000; so that there was only a difference of
3,000,000, which he thought very small, in so very
Loge an accottat. During that time, which he had
mentioned, there had not been more than three
months peace, and yet the surplus amounted to no
less a sum than '2,110,0001. There were, he
two mistaken opinions, respenting India affai.s.--
One class of persons asserted, that the territory was
supported and can ied on by the commerce ; the
other, that this c iterative was carried on by the
territory. For his own r.ase, it had never been his
chief" to hold out a vine-.l;tir view of the Company's
affairs, which their *dual state would hot warrant.
The territorial revenues. of late years, amounted
to 10,000,0001. and if the war had not happened,
they would, in all probability, Lave been nearly
doubled. His Lordship conclude.! by moving,
That there be laid before the House, an ac..ount
• Amin; the estimate of *dual revenue aid charges
is India, with their results for tea years.
1793-4, to those of 1502-3, together w:th
dean
charges relative to Bencoolen, distinguishiug
each year."
Mr. JOHNSTONE said, that notwithstarding all
the statements made by the Noble Lord, he could
act but contend. that the whole Mewed every
thing he had advanced on the subject was 'trinity
true. After the Noble Lord had made his annual
statement in the form of an Indian Budget, he now
same forward with a new set of accounts unknown
Se my use but himself, with which he most ingenu-
ously preteeded to combat arguments urged against
the el,l oats. He thought such a mode of pro-
seeding was unparliamentary and uncandid. It was
else sisprecedimtesi, except in one instance, and that
Wes el his predecessor, who came to the House and
sagest, strenuously from a letter of the Duke of
York, which he had in his pocket, and which no-
body had seen hot himself. He insisted that, in-
stead of having docharged six millions, as had been
. pretended, the Company had incurred a debt of
twenty millions. The Noble Lord had promised
that, in case of a war, he would discharge one mil •
lion of the Company's debt, and in case of Peace
two millions ; instead of which, he has incurred a
debt of 1,600,0001. From the paper of the Noble
Lord, it would seem as if he had charged 1;631 and
his Noble predecessor, with having embezoled the
money, but he had never even dreamt of stizh a thing.
lie had only charged them with having cr.ord boils
estimates and results higher, and more favour...hit,
than they really were. He thonht that atter tin.
Noble Lord had brought forward his accounts. and
then found they did not answer the arguments of his
opponents, it was unran.lid to bring out a new set;
however, he insisted it was a in.. at and striking
roof of the truth of his Argun-, nt. The Noble
lord now talked of the fibtAining
blihert, the dit..:cu:.y of getting bi!.i, and many nit-
Eculties w hick he ceght to have • re,een.
that a twelve-munth coca he asnaeo t!.e looor .se
should he able to dimnish the debt •ne noha ;
instead of which there was upwards rniLani o:
debt. and a deficiency in use revenoto so two neil-
iioac three e.; -di.

Lord CASTI.F.ItrAGH dorm d, that in ivltat
hitbad said he wax tither unpArliamentary or un-
candid. Ite would have thought he was uncandid,
if hi, had moved fur the accounts without explain-.
had dime so. The gentlemen oppeite
had all complained of the inaccuracy of the ac-
counts, and he wished to have one where the whole

Flight be seen together, and errors. if ai:y rbere
e. mnre easily deteded. His Lottishi:, in explana-
tion then recapitulated several of his former state-
ments.

Mr. JOHNSTONE, in explanation, did the same.
Mr. WALLACE begged leave to say a very few
words, relative to ona asszrti:m which had been
made of the Nasle Lord'. predecess4: ( Lord Melvillcis
having said, that at a particular time, the public
had a right to a participation of the Company's re-
venues, under all cir:unistances, whether there was
war, or whether there was peace, he had taken
the trouble to investigate this point, and he found,
on relerrimi: to a speech of the Noble Lord's pre-
decessor, w:::ch he delivered in t 79ti, in which he
then refert,:d to another speech made by him in
1794. He says, "It may be asked, if there be snch
improvement in the Company's revenues, why does
not the public participate ?" He answered, because no
such promise was made but under certain condition!.
and in his speech of 1794, which he referred to, he
had expressly excepted the interference of war. lie
had, in short, uniformly contended, that the partici-
pation in a considerable degree depended on the
continuance of peace. He was indeed surprised, he
said, the Hon. Gentleman should maintain the con-
trary ; it w.O impossible the Noble Lord should
have used such an argumept• as, th it war or peace
would make no difference in ahe affairs of the Com-
pany. Ile was a man of tot mods good sense to
entertain such an idea fir a marnem, and hi hoped
that assertion respeding him would no snore be
resorted to.

Mr. JOHNSTONE. in explanatior, , insisted on
his former sta.ements being curreitt, respefling the
Noble Lord's predecessor.
Mr. PITT said, he should only trouble th-
House with a very few words. His Noble Friend,
Lord Melville, had stated, that his expeaations re-
speCting the participation were not likely to be dis-
appointed, unless there should be a war on the Con-
tinent; but he had said, at the same time, that to a
certain extent they would. It was for the House
therefore to consider how far circumstances had hap-
pened which had a tendency to affect materially the
Company's revenues. All the &el nations and pro-
mises if Lord Melville were madeexpressly exclusive
c.f a war in India. It was now ten years since
they were made, and there had been a rebellious
fully as expensive as a war; besides the different
expeditions fitted out by the Company in aid of the
public service—there were die expedition to :sula-
alibis, and the expeditious to F.gypt, the last of which
cost upwards of two millions, and for both of
which the Company have an unsettled account, and
claim against the public. • The present *eft of his
Noble Friend was not to bring forward new ac-
counts. It arose fiom the gentlemen opposite
having taken occasion to compare the different ac-
counts of ten years, and to urge them in argu-
ments, as best suited their purpose. His noble
friend wished for such an aceouta. as would give
a recapituhtion in a clear point of view of the
different accounts it refer red to. He had no doubt
it would do this. and he was equally sure, that if it
did, the Hon. Gentlemen opposite bad too much
candour not to acknowledge it. If it was not satin.
Gamy to them it would be in their power to take
such steps as they should think proper in the present
Sc .sions, if they did not think it too late ; but at
all events, it a ould enable cheat to form a decided
opinion against the next Session.
Mr. PRINCIIP entered into calculations upon
many of the accounts, respec"ng which he said he
differed materially from the Noble Lord. The re-

suit of the Hon. Member's arguments appeared to
be that the affairs of the Company ware now in a
worse situation than they ever were in F cfore. In the
course of ten years a debt had been created, which
made the whole debt now zaiount to 2': millions.
Yet, with ail this acctimulae3n of debt, it had been
repeatedly assertesi, that the affairs of the East In-
dia Company were in a most prosperous situation.
He contended, that so far from that being the case,
the trauc was at this momenta losing trade. •
Mr. C. GRAN Tcontended, that the a.f.i; s of the
Company were not in that state the Hon.
Member would represent. Th., commerce of the
Company had detived very bale advantage from
the revenues. And the revenue in a long ccurse of
years owed very little to the commerce. In the
course of IS years, there was not ab-ve 2 or
Suo,oool. difference between England and India.
Dr. LAURENCE said, the affairs of
con-
sisted of political and commercial considerations;
and they could not be discussed without reining
such discussion both these topics. They were 24)
*connected together, that one part could not be con-
sidered without the other. Hon. Gentlemen, on
both sides of the House, it appeared, were not decid-
ed in their figures; and whichever was right or
wrong, this was evident, that something precise was
w tnung upon the subject of Indian a:Tairs. Some-
thing must be done to remove that ecnfusion and
embarassment in w.dch they appeared to have been
continually invoiv,J. Ile was convinced, that the
whole of the bad s} stem now prevailing in the af-
fairs of India, arose nut of the monopoly by which
the trade was limited t, a Company in this country.
Whenever that monopoly was done away, end the
trade Lid open, the b..d system would fall. 'f 'us
was a que,tion of great imitortance, and one whi sh
would, sooner or later, force itself on the considera-
uon or Psliarnent, ant to tho III) ice of the public.
'Fre c•ttili n 4.1 last ; it would go on eoct.:::tc.
in}, a. it h 1 I hizherto done, until it could keep it-
selt o nt, lit:Ter. Th.: Noble Lord, who sonar
years Ago over the Affairs of India, 1.4.1
said in that llonea that tile Comparr,'s debt Was toe
g;-eatest e. e ily they had, w:nch ftc wool( resist at
all tunes; and that he nevr- world sole,- it to ex-
cec.l Ani3unt or fytrteen m;11i(.11s. N:v.v, so fir
from p:o.nt,e naiwing b-en teAlisecl, ever/ body
saw ; .41 tt.e debt had been since to-
c:e (se.i A-Tortoni: to t: manner in which esti-
mates were made it a: ii..)tatKt, from year to year,
1.) 'IC at the affairs of
Ind:. , .ts 1.•• • .! ::..4 p•;C' .rettolll,lliLltic)ll. 110‘t C4,111d4
they be r ._s ta.-11 a Join as th:lt the
...s with ! The w!tt_le

subjen must came to some kind of enquiry, and
that in a short time. There was another point to
which he must' call the attention of the House ;
and that was the Government in In.lia having vio-
lated a positive Al of Parliament, which had been
iltroduced by the predecessor of the Noble Lord.
Ily that Al the Government there was tied down
from making any conquests for the extension of ter-
ritory. The Ad was violated in the late war car
on in India. Was it not, therefore, necessary to
enquire why laws had been thus broken ? ft was
an coquiry that must be taken up at some future
tulle. _

Lord DUNI.° said, it was very true the Go-
vernment in India was prohibited from making con-
quests for the purpose of extending the territories of
the company. But it was not prohibited from mak-
ing conquests after being obliged ti enter into a
war ; which was the case in the instance alluded to
by the Learned Gentleman.
Lord CASTLEItEAGH, in explanation, said,
the question was nearly balanced between India
and Great Britain ; for the acquisition of territory
in India had realised a revenue of near four millions
annually.
The motion was then put and carried.
Lord CASTLEREAGH then moved, that there
be laid before the House all estimate of the profits
and loss arising out of the Company's sales in Eng-
land for ten years, ending the Ist of March, 1:404,
distinguishing the amount in each year, with the
other payments made in England therefrom, distill-
giiishing those of a political from those of a com-
mercial nature; and also distinguishing the Indian
from the C..ina account. He also moved for the
Accniints of the Company's Debts abroad and at
h-"tne, including those relating to China, from
April, 17:n3, to Anril, 1813 ; and from March,
1791., to M.. 1: h. 1304, both inclusive, and distia-
guislMig .0 • .3:c.nints of each year.
Th^ , after some observations from Mr.
Pr Mr. JOHNSTON r, were agreed to.
ir:: s • I.i I'LERE AGII next moved, that the
n. ;-- of the Committee on the India Budget he
en into f irther consideration and as the resolu-
tions wr about to he read,
Mr. I'ItiNSEP rose to make some observations
on tbem.

Lotd CASTLEREAGH said, if there was :Inv
debate likely to arise upon the resolutions, he should
move to put off the report till Nionday.
Mr. PIUNSEP said, the discussion would not
take up the time oldie (louse a quarter of an hour.
Upon which
Lord CASTI.V.REAGLI moved to poetroue the
report till Monday.
Mr. JOHNS FON E opposed this motion. as one
wholly inconsistent with the sand or observed by the
Noble Lord on every other occasion. He surely conlki
not think of doing a thiag that tied so much tls ap-
pearance of a trick ; in 0r..12r t ) preclude hi, H m.
Friend from the opoortuni y of submiaing some ob-
servations to the House.

Lord CAS I'LEREAGH said, he was ready to
suffer the business to proceed as the Honourable
Gentleman wished; hut if the discussion went to
any length, he should move to put off the consi-
deration of it to a future day.
The first and second resolutions were then agreed
to. On the reading of the third resolution
Mr. PRIMEI made some observatioas, which
were answered by Lord CAITIARCAGII.
At nine o'clock the House adjourned.

THE BILITII-1 11.21.1E5.

LONDON,
FRIDAY, Jour 9.1.

Letters were yesterday received by a respettable
house in the City by an American ship, from India,
bringing the important intelligence that two Fnglish
line of battle ships were spoke with in the Straits of
All .s, ' and to Canton, as convoy fur the home-
y:aid bound China ships.

A private letter from Berlin, dated July 3, says,
" It is reported here. that the Representative of Bo-
is ay Arra delivered, last Friday, a note to our Court,
demanding a passage for an army through our ter.
r.•rries, to invade the Russian empire, in case of a
rupture between France and Russia. It is univer-
sally considered certain here, that at no former pe-
riod was the exchange of couriers Letweess Paris and
St. Petershur;h more frequent, nor our cabinet
more busy to nettle all differences, and to prevent
the war from extending it.clf to the continent.

Th.-) of the foar 1-14n:burgh Mails that were due,
arrived yc.terd.in with lette:-.4 and paper. to the
Bth instant.

The Corn Bill .c.t, last night in ete
House of Cornmit, .t latolsiznit Bill, we
fear, will suffer a sta:tiat late on Isload.ay in the
Loads.

A Common Hall was het l at Guildhall yesterday,
for the eleCtion of a fit and *tie person to be Sheriff
of this City, and di.: County of V.iddlesex, in the
room of THOM Aa PA •s v, Esq. who has paid his
fine—when Cita stirs Cm its, citizen and staticnier,
was, by a great slew of hands, elaled thereto.
Mr. Cot.i.s, hes; iag of his Lein!! elated to the
above office, immt:diately paid the tine of tiool. and
10 marks, into the Chamber of London, to Is., dis-
charged' from such elation; and the Lolto NI A r 4) it
nrekTed a precept to be issued for a Corn-rma 1 Lai
to be held this day, for the elation of another per-
son in ►he room of the said CHARLES COLE.., Esq.
A sprited remonstrance has been presented by the
Envoy of the Elatorate of Hi L NSW:C:: itg%:'i..t tht:
claims of roan! BLNTHEIM S r Lu. t It I H to a ! tti-
tory which His HIM ANNIC MAJE;I Y iS Said to hold
as 4 %Mark: . BM it cannot at the present be attend-
ed with an% effea, fir the French G..rcrnrnent abet
the claims .1 the C. r, who is mint servilely de-
voted to the will 1,,,.1 interests of the l•rench Govern-
ment. The (het • ems still to continue averse from
Liking into consisier.itiun the Note set the Ele,:tur of
Thor.\•

'.]~

LOAD viscotrar buNCAK
Ire are much concerned testate, that t ie isall.ht
Admiral Lord Viscomit DUNCAN yesterday etpe-
tit need an Alarming indisposition, Whlat Occasioned
a report of his death. Such an event is, however,'
we live, far distant; and his Lot &chip still 'lives,
to the great satisfaeliots of his ft lends and country,
The circumstances of the case are as follow.
Lordship, while at breakfast, felt himself not so well
as usual, and, after reading some time, dres:cd f,it a
walk. About eleven o'clock, he went from his liceicc,
No. 17, Buckingham-street, York-buildings, Adel-
phi, attended by one servant, and had not proceeded
many paces from his door, when the heat of the wea-
ther overcame him, and he dropped down sense-
less. In this situation his Lordship remained far some
time lying in the street. The passengers, however,
immediately crowded round him; he was taken up,
anal conveyed to his house. Several Gentlemen of
the faculty soon arrived, and, with their assistance,
his Lordship recovered the use of his faculties. The
report of his Lordship's indisposition circitlaud ta•
pidly through the town, and the inquiries at hi,
Lordship's house were incessant during the er-r.
ing. At nine o'clock last night, he was pronounced
out of danger.