The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-15 00:00:00

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die ternaielder weuld belong to the public.
This statement he may be thonght too saneuiree. A •
.I%inble Friend of his (Mr. Dunias, now 'Lord Mel-
ville) had said, that the India possessions, instead of
hanging. on this country for aid, would scum be ena-
bled to 'render it very meterial assistance. That
prediction had not yet been accoMplished ; but it
must be recoliefted, that in the war made in the
rear 179 h, and that since that time, the cnuntre was
in a continual suite of warfare. The pronihe, how-
ever, of his Noble Friend, to whom the nation and
the East India Company in particular were so much
inclehted, would shortly be realieel ; •for in the
next year the Company would pay .500,0001. to the e,
public, which he had every reason to think would be
every year increasing.
The Noble Lord serial, he honked with perfiel confi-
dence m a saving of one miliiiri a year, even in the
event of a war; and he had the. satisfellion of as-
suring the Committee,' that the surplus capital and
bonds would enable the Company to extend their
trade to the amount of six million's. After carry-
ing into execution the means detailed to the Com-
mittee, the Company would be able to extend their
trade to the full extent they could possibly envie),
'it. He was happy to state that none of the-arrange-
ments in pursuance of this plan could possibly
cripple the exertions of the Company in the event of
a war. He had thus gone through the Company's
situation, both with reference to the alternative of
peace and war; and althoutth peace must be to-
India, and the whole world, the greatest blessing,
yet if that country should be involved, for its
honour an:l existence, in theealamities of war, there
was no portion of the British Empire better able to
maintain a glorious struggle, than that adder the do-
minion of tie East India Company. It had el:Urged
with splendru7 from a ten years war ; it had not on' y
in common with every other escrtion of the British
Empire, borne its part in the, general inconvenien-
ties of the war in which this country had been in-
volved ; but it had been engaged in very active
military operations in the Mystic o, from the first ex-
peditions under Lord Corewaliis to the death of
ippoe Sultaun. Cahed upon to exert its energies,
it had :::splayed unexampled resources and'meens,
and the Company were WWI ii pcssessien,of an In-
crease of I.::eitory, yielding nearly an additional
revenue of two millions annually, having during the
tea:' added orlj ten millions to her debt. He only
desired the Committee to consider what would have
been the situation of lnoia had the country enjoyed
the blessings of peace! It had tierirg the war not
on supported the expellees of it, but at its coricla-
sion remained with a reventte eons; deeebly latger than
the most oinguincexpealatien could have ameetpated.
He thought the view lie had taken of the Empire of
India would fully satisfy the Committee and the
public at large, thatthere ss es a mighty support to
tbe derived from its resoerces. so tar from its be-
ing a drain to this country, it had been the means
orafrarding a facility to our financial operations ;
it had supported them by an addition of half a mil-
lion,and to the Sinking Fund of a miiiion and an half.
Bat whatever were the expeatatimis this country
might entertain, with regard to support from the re-
sources of India, it must necessarily forego them in
fhe event of a war. He had theught it his duty to
state the subject to the Committee ;—it was one,
the complete understanding of which interested
every man in the country. As.far as he had inves-
tigated the subject,. he was satisfied it stood on a
solid foundation. The Committee would find the
same caution on the part of the public officers, with
respeEt to the Estimates, which had uniformly dis-
tinguished them: they were clear and accurate, and
could not mislead. As far as he w.ss able, he had
explatied the subject to the Committee. He had
stated the surplus at five millions, and that in the
event of peace the public would have an addition of
two millions, with one millioe aed an laa to the
Sinking Fund ; .but in the event of a war the public
must, as he had already observed, be content to
foeago those advantages, with the exception only of
one million to the Sinking Fund. The Noble Lord
concluded b 3 moving his (list Resolution: he said
he should only more it pre forma, and should be
happy to afford any faller information that might
be required of him on any future day. lie moved
that the gesohition should be laid on the Table.
Mr. JOHNSTON said, though he differed from
the 'Noble Lord as to the statement he had laid
hefore the Committee; he 'agreed with him as to
the precision and accuracy of the accounts. He
cot cnrred with the Nord Lord, in expressing his
sense of the accounts—Then certainly did presences
complete ,a system of the financial state of the vaet
Ernpite of Wit as was possible—lle, however, con-
sidered the increase of the Debt, as the only cri-
terion Orthe situation, of India being improved.
There were certain of the accounts which contained
fair estimates, but it appeared to himthat atten-
tion had only been paid to the Ordinary, and not to •
the Extraordinary Disburscfnents. He uniformly
found that there was a material difference between
the Estimates and. the Expenditure. With regard to
the alleged increase of the Revenue, it arose solely
from the seizing the territories of those who were
our allies. Upon this point the Hon. Member
thought it his duty to say, that the extension of the
British Empire in India was in contradiaion to the
express eats of the Legislature, and the opinions of
some of the greatest men who had written or deli-
vered their sentiments noon the subject. He was
persaaded he should find no diiiculty in proving to
the Committee, that, in proportion as the Empite
wee extended, the Revenue was diminished. In no
one instance whatever was the reproach thrown out
against the French Goverument, more applicable to
our own. Ho maintained, ;hat in no one instance
had the violetion of the rights of territory, on the
part of France, been more repugnant To every prin-
ciple of national honour and justice, than the course
this country had pursued, with regard to the acquisi-
tion of territory in India.
Lord CASITER EA GH said, he certainly should
not enter upon the stibjeats referred to by the Hon.
Centleman in detail, and he really wislied he had
oracle his ol:eraations with more reserve, as he did
nut think it was proper at the. present moment to
discuss there ; particularly as he wAs not going to
tall upon 'the Committee for a vote ; h e merely
meant to lay the accounts on the table, satisfied that
on the face of there there would appear an improve-
ment id the finances of India of 5,40r1,0001.
The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
" Sir, t *mu hot be doing my duty if I suffered
the Coromitectoto separate, without adverting to
what fell from an Hon. Gentleman, towards the
close of his speech. He has thought proper to say
that our recent acquisitions in India have been made

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