The Sun.
London, England, 1812-04-01 00:00:00

or any other estim ites, which the Court. may ex-
hibit, must be strialy scrutinized and compared
with the. aEtual results of former years, and with .t he
detailed account of any redu6tions which may have
been ordered or carried into effed.,
sth. I can haye no hesitation in acceding,
with some limitations, to the principle for which
you contend in your fifth article. It is absurd and
unreasonable to suppose that. the EaSt India Com-
pany, out of their own revenues, can long maintain
a contest against the power el France, aided by the*
greater part of Europe and a large portion of Asia.
If the principal theatre of the war between Euro-
pean nations is to be transferred to Hindostan, it
must be.supported, to a consderable extent, by Eu-
ropean resource* ; , and if our empire in India is an
object worth preserving, this country must -contri-
bute to its defence against any attaek of the de-
scription which we have been taught to expect.
The extraordinary expellees incurred' in the neces-
sary preparations fur such a warfare, or in the actual
contest, ought not in justice, to be imposed as a
burthen on the Company alone, even if they were
able to sustain it.
6th, I am not aware of any reason for extending-
the duration of the Charter beyond such a limit, as,.
with the unexpired term, will be equal to the period
gaanted in 1793 ; but I state this merely on the
first consideration,ot the subject : and if the general
question is to be discussed, I shall pay due atten-
tion to any suggestions which the Court may.think
it right to otTer on that particular point.
Having thus adverted, at greater length perhaps
than was necessary, to the various topi,s introduced
into your letter, I shall proceed io state such obser-
vations :is appear to me necessary to be submitted to
the consideration of the Court Of Dire:•-ters fi r the
purpose of enabling them finally to d..cide, wiieteer,
under the circumstances of the present s tuation of
the Company's affairs, and of the expecta.iiins
which will probatilY b.:! entertained by the ete,lic,
and sanctioned by Govertinyht, they will adhere to.
their intention of applying now to Parliament for a
renewal of the Comeany's Charter.
It will readit) occur to the Court, that whenever
art opportunity is atfoidea of deciding in Parliament
on the propriety at continuing in the Company any
privileges of a commercial nature, will 'ae impor-
tant to consider, whetter the system cstabt4lied by
the Act iii 1793, for the arade ,of private individuals
between Britain and India, has answ'ered the ex-
peetations, or fulfilled the intentions, of the Legis-
lature. It is wholly unnecessary for me, at present,
to enter into any detail of the various discussions
which have taken place on that s'ubjed.
The arguments on both sides of the question must
be familiar to the Court, and the opinions of those
persons «ho hate turned their attention, to it have,
in all probability,- been long since fixed and settled :
it is fit, therefore, that the Court should now un-
derstand distinctly, that I cannot hold out to them
the expectation, that his Majesty's Minister's will
concur in an application to-Parhament for a renewal
of any privileges to the East India Company, which
will prevent .British merchants and manufacturers
from trading' to and from India, and the other
countries within the present limits of the Company's
exclusive ti ide (the dominions of the Empire of
China excepted); in ships or vessels hired or
freighted by themselves, instead of being, confined,
as at present, to ships in the service of the Company,
or licensed by the Court of Directors. In the derail
of any legislative provisions which it might be ex•
pedient to enact on this subject, it would be-abso-
lutely necessary to guard against the abu4es which
would arise, from facilities thus affbrded to persons
attempting to settle and: reside in the British terri•
tories, without a license frem the Company, or
without the sanction or knowledge of the local Go-
Vernments.

There are various other pOints to which it would
also be necessary tO pay due attention, not only as
being important to the Company and to the general'
trade of the country, 'but essential to the security
and easy colle&ion of the public revenue. It would
obviously, however, be premature, on this occa-
sion, to enter into any farther detail, and I have
confined myself to a mere statement of the general
proposition.
Another point, which would probably be deemed
indispensable, is an alteration in the military system
in -India, for the removal of those jealousies and di-
visions which hive unfortunately been too prevalent
between the different branches of the Military ser-
vice in that quarter,. and which must, at all times,
be highly prejudicial to the public interest ; and for
the cut rcction of the . anomalous system of divided
responsibility, which prevail at presents in this coun-
try, n every thing that relates to the military de-
fence of India. The only effeCtual remedy for these
evils will, probably, be found in arrangements" for.
consolidating your Indian army with 'the King'S.
troops; founded upon the plan so strongly recom-
mended. by Lord Cornwallis, with such modifica-
tions as the constitution of your service may
render expedient or necessary. These arrangements
need not be attended with any alteration in thesys-
tem of irthnotion now in operation among the offi7
cers of the native branch of the service, or with any
diminution hey might more probably produce au
increase) of any other professional advantages'which
those officers now enjoy ; ',either would they, in
any degree,, interfere with the general authority now
possessed by the Court of Direetors and the'Govern-
ments in India_ over his Arjesty's forces 'serving in
those parts, or with their controul over all-dkburse-
ments of 'a -military nature. I am, moreover, not
aware of any reason against continuing in ,t her Court
of Direaors the nomination of all cadets destined to
hold commissions in the Indian army.
Haviog thus stated to you, tor the considet'ation
of the Court of Direttnrs, the principal points to
which I was desirous of dr-awing their attention upon
this occasion, I have only to assure you, that it will
be the earnest desire of his Majesty's Government,
to suggest to Parliament such a system only, as shall
be conformable to the principles on which the re-
gulations of 1784 and 1793 were founded, as will
secure to this kingdom all the benefit that can prac-
tically be derived from its trade with our possessions
in India, and to the natives of those countries a Go-
vernment, and an administration of laws, suited to
their customs, habits, and prejudices, and consistent
with the British charaCter, and which shah also be
strong and efficient, without adding unnecessarily to
the authority of the Executive Government at home,