The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-15 00:00:00

EAST INDIA CtlAttltli,

The initmrtaiite attached to tiie question of .11
renewal of the CoMpany's 'Charter. renders it t 4
duty of a public journalist to place that questioi%
lit the clearest point of view, 'wild to
self of whatever luny tend to throw a lightupon
the subject. We have expressed our opinions) so
far as we have had an opportunity of treating the
subject ; hut are not so Self-sufficient as to place
gonfidencd in those opinions,. and shall ,
therefore,, as often as occasion serves, present
such extracts from works written by men of judg-
ment., experience, and observation, as may illtm7
trate the question, and shew hoW• far an extension
of our Asiatic commerce to British merchants in
• general may contribute to the enlargement of that
commerce, and the essential interests of the cut-
Ore. Upon this principle we submit to our read-
ers the following passage from a work entitled,
"The Right of every British Merchant to trade
within the Geographical Limits defined by the
Charter of the East India Company vindicated."
Ste: The author, Mr. LEE, writes with teal, vi-
gour, and apparently with an extensive knowledge
of the subject, and an enlarged view of the inter,
ests connected with it.

" If the general question of a. monopoly of a
foreign trade, as applitable, to British subjects,
were now to he agitated for the first time, it would
not be easy to find principles upon which, in the
present state of commercial ability, a -trading in»
tercourse with any part of the habitable world
should be limited exclusively to any one body of •
men. The integrity, the intelligence, capital,
spirit, and energy, which individuals may possess,
seem to he the only natural or just bounds of
such an; intercourse ; and oothing short of expedi.
ency the most justifiable, Or of necessity the most
urgent, may well be allowed to' charter the ex,
istence of a system different front that 1141i5,11, it
the course of things, thus appears to be both Da-
oral and just. •
" When British commerce was in its infancy,
disposable capital wanting, and intellectual energy
dormant, or otherwise directed, it is obvious that
the efforts of individuals. could rarely be success.
Cully applied to the attainment of any very ex-
tensive commercial object ; and therefore those
who were desirous a embarking in remote, and
consequently very hazardous. speculations, would
naturally combine their means, in order the more
securely to accomplish their ends'. This may be
imagined to have been the short and conclusive
argument upon which -whature called chartered
rights were originally solicited at the hand of Go«
veanment. There is indeed a physical strength in
concentrated power, whether it he intellectual or
mechanical; and so long as energy, combined or
individual, to svhatsoever object* may be di.
rected, • continues 'to be exerted for the general '
welNre, so long may it be worthy of public sane-.
tion and support ; and probably this is, or ought
to be, the true touchstone of cVery institution
around Which society may have thrown 'an exclu-
sive guard. • • •
" It is not to be supposed but that the Govern.
meat, in granting a charter which in its operation,
was .to restrain the participation of alleged coin,-
Mercial advantages.:tu a certain unniber of qualified
individuals only, Whist have been convinced that,
although these advantages were to be thus limit-
ed, great benefits were eventually +to accrue by,
such limitation to:10e *hole community. It,woul4
also' be apparent, that, unless the operation of
many but defioed restraints Were unceasing, the
prOjected advantages would be wholly lost to the
public. To suppose that meo,inpower are only.
influenced by considerations bearing an, imtnedt
ate reference to the. public good, is in comnion
charity ; but without casting upon present cbar..
tered Or incorporated bodies the obloquy that.
Would arise, by a broad statement of the venal and
disgraceful Means by which the rays of Governr
went were 51) collected as to shine for them only,
the questiOtt may be asked, Whether the Bast Inv
ilia Company became entitled to demand of till(
present British Government a renewal-0i a mouor
poly, by the existence of Which the energies and'
capabilities of the most stupendous counnerciak.
public, recorded in the world's annals, is, atAct
India and China, to be limited, repressed, or ex.'
tingeished ? It is too late, it is said, to discuss
this great qUestion upon Erst.principles ; and it
may be true, that the good anti the evil of them°.
nopoly, as it exists, are almost morally, it may
seem that they are almost physically united with,
each 'other since it may also be true, that all the
evil cap of be extirpated without loosening and
endangering the existence of very extensive good.
The gross materials were cast up fortuitously, anti
have been sorted and put together with so little
judgment, and cemented with o little skill, that.
the standing of the fabric Wel doubtful advan.
tole, and its destruction certain injury..
(To be cootinyzed.)

SMITLIFIELD mAnKirr, JANUARY 15.

This day's Market had not a good sepply of the
different kinds of cattle : Mutton is dearer ; Beef;
lieul, and Pork, wapport last prices, and the track
hi general Will not over brisk .—The .ales hi tile.
May Market were inconsiderable : ChWer has
dropped in price, I-lay and Straw fetched last
priers.--The undermentioned prices and numberi
are an accov,lte statement :
To sink the 01141, per Stone of tilh.
Beef, od. to Cs. od. Mutton, ss. -Id. to es. 84. "Veolo
od. to Ss. Od. Lomb, Os. to 04, od, Poi% 4i. od. to 78. 04.
Beasto, OD. Sheup, 4100. Citlve4,

fiIIiTtIFIELD HAY-HARI:BT.
Fifty, 41. os. to 51. as. Straw, iI. 15,1.. to tl. 51. CluvCri
'lg. 10s. to 10s,

CORN-EXCHANOU, JAN', 15.—T0-day's Market
was in general very dull, and' hardly guy sales
made a V we had but few samples, :old nu
variation in -price ; Oats were' plentiful, and but
little (lone, buyers waiting the result of Monday's
Market ; Barley mine ill considerable quantities,
fine samples are 2s, per quarter lower, 'and
or li-
n:try as.; ut other kinds, of Grain Ilk) alteration.

AOs. sts.
New Ditto 75i.
Malt.
Vine ditto -112 i.
White PeMe (boil.) 975, lu7s,
NOV 185.
GreLditt6 . SO!. 114 ft.
1504.44itt. SG*.

Feed 'Oat '4 - 30$. 44 $4
Fine ditto - 445. 535.
Poland ditto. 455. 645,
Firm ditto !As.
Potalnv ditto 494.
11 I~c Svoil (per last) 601. 704
ue Floor - - )(Ms. 110 s.
- lOUs.

,

LAW REPORT.

COURT OF GIL JAN, 14.

`to c skuttnoTY .—r rsc- A COLLINS'.
hfr. C011114i3 WAS' described as a public' officer,
Viz. ii-scavenger by contract for theyarishes bt St.
St.Tancras, an a Marylehons. creditor
ot being unable to inoetire iiayment of
sued not a Connnissiov of Bankruptcy
t him. ?1,! ca/c cattle on this day, upon a
rtitioit of Mr. Collins to supersede the Commis-
sion, on the grounds that he was trot A trader;

and that at any rate he had committed no act of
-bankruptcy to support. the Commission. It was
t ontended, on the part oldie petitioning creditors,
Ilia besides being a scavenger, Collins was a
dealer in bricks and pigs ; while it mi.; maintain-
ed, on, the other hand, in favotir of Mr. Collins,
that he only carried bricks in his cart for his
friends, without !naking any profit thereby; and
that as to the business of pig-dealing, he only
dirricel on the Sault: as incidental to hiS other bu-
siness. The LORD CHANCELLOR directed au issue
to try the trading.