The Sun.
London, England, 1833-06-14 00:00:00

Gbvernrnent for which they were fit; but he could not,
at the same time, help regretting that a proposition of such
importance as this was, should have been delayed to so
advanced a period of the session. Looking at the multi-
'Achy and importance of the other business before Parlia-
ment, he feared it would be utterly impossible for
.this
subject to receive that consideration to which it was so
well entitled, before the close of the session ; but still he
was willing to admit that the time had arrived when the
trade with India should be opened to general enterprise.
In 1813, Le was one of those who objected to tying up
the consideration of this question for so long a period as

twenty years, feeling then, as he did now, that events
would render changes necessary within a much shorter
space of time. The trade with China ought, in his opi-
nion, to have been thrown open king ago ; but in any
new arrangement that might be made, he would reserve
to the Legislature the power of revising the Company's
Charter, and making from time to time such alterations
in it as circumstances would show to be expedient and
necessary. The experience of the past, he must say,
proved that it would be inadvisable to renew the Charter
for so long a period as twenty years ; but before he pro-
ceeded further, be should like to know from the Right
Hon. Gentleman, whether the Government intended to
make any change in the number and qualifications of the
Directors?

Mr. C. GRANT replied that this part of the subject
was still under consideration by the Government, and
that at present all he could state was, that the Govern-
ment certainly did purpose reducing the number of the
Directors.

Mr. WYNN considered an alteration not only in the
number but in the period of service and qualification of
the Directors highly advisable. He thought that no one
should be eligible to fill office who had not the experience
of twelve years' residence in India. A Board, consisting
of six members, would, in his opinion, be amply sufficient
for all the purposes that would now be required ; and, in-
stead of the election to the office being for life, as it was
at present, he would limit it to four years, or any other
definite period, two going out by rotation every year.
The ages of the eleven members of the Board of Commu-
nication averaged from 69 to 69 years, but, although
there had been rare instances of persons of advanced age
preserving the vigour of their faculties to the last, yet that
was a period of life when the mind was ill adapted to the
discharge of grave and import•int duties. The suggestion
which he had thrown out would remedy this evil, but, in-
stead of leaving the Directors to be elected by the Pro.
prietors, lie should propose that their nomination should
be placed in the hands of the Government. As the Board
of Direction would henceforward possess only a political
character, having no longer any thing to do with trade,
he should call it a Council ; and he should also like to
see the plan which Lord Grenville had proposed adopted,
of alloting a certain number of civil appointments for open
competition. He would also empower the Universities
at home, and the places of public education in India, to
appoint to certain offices. The rest of the patronage he
would distribute among the Government, the local autho-
rities, and the Council; and limiting the period of office
of each member of the latter to four years would, he
thought, not only enable efficient services to be obtained,
but prevent the possibility of unfair influence being exer-
cised. He fully agreed with his Right Hon. Friend
in thinking that he was not too sanguine as to the power
and extent of the resources of India. That empire was
fully competent to meet all the claims that existed upon
it ; but still it should not be forgotten that internal or ex-
ternal wars might break out, and that provis;ons for such
contingencies should not be omitted to be made. The
Hon. Gentleman proceeded at some length, but it was
impossible to catch the purport of his observations, from
the low tone in which he spoke, and from the confusion
in the body of the House as well as in the gallery.
Mr. MARJORIBANKS had arrived a few months ago
from China, and had had the experience of a residence of
twenty years in that country. He well knew the Chinese
character, and be was desirous of doing his endeavour to
render the peculiar situation of that country and people
understood in England, with respect at least to their inter-
course and commercial dealings with Europeans. He did
not wish to enter into any general question, further than
to state to the Right Hon. Gentleman, that in his new
scheme for a Court of Directors, he entirely agreed with
him. He had visited every Presidency of India, and was
well acquainted with every class of servant in that country,
and he must in justice say, that there was not a better set
of functionaries in the world than those appointed to India
by the Court of Directors under the present system. It
was his intention, however, to confine himself to the
question solely as it related to China. During his
last residence at Canton, a petition had been put into
Ilia hands, setting forth the hardships sustained by the
British residents in that country, and the petitioners
set forth that their condition in China had never re-
ceived that attention from the British Government to
which it was entitled. Provided 30,000,0001b5. of tea
were exported to England, and the duty secured, the
condition of the residents was never considered. He now
saw that a period had arrived when a wide empire was
about to be opened to British commerce. He was no
friend to monopoly, and his honest opinion was, that a
wider field remained for British merchants in China than
could be found in any part of the world. The accusations,
however, brought forward against the servants of the
Company in India were totally unfounded. The period
had arrived when the system in India must be entirely
changed, although he would maintain that Englishmen
ought not to trade to that country, as the Americans did ;
and he saw no reason why English merchants should go
across the Atlantic for instructions. He could assure the
Committee that the Hong merchants were men of inferior
character and low station, and were held in such disre-
pute that men of reputation would not belong to them.
A very large number of Europeans, however, lived in
China, and they lived in perfect harmony with the natives.
The increase of communication and of trade with China
aro•e principally from the traffic in opium, the supply of
which had risen from 4,000 to 20,000 chests in one year.
Smoking was now carried to a dreadful excess in that
country, and the Emperor's eldest son had lately died
of it, though otherwise he had been a respectable
young man.—(A laugh.) The conduct of Europeans
had given the Emperor of China a bad impression of the
European character, and all endeavours to improve the
intercourse with the Government had failed. It was
the nature of the Chinese despotism to trample on all in a
state of submission. Their maxim was to treat all bar-
barians without law, for if they gave them the benefits of
law they would become rebellious. The people of China
endeavoured to be favourable to British intercourse, but
they were prevented by their Government. He had been
able to send an active and intelligent officer, a Mr. Lind-
say, who well knew the language, into the different ports
of China. He had entered them all, and had proceeded
to Corea, Formosa, and the Loo Choo Islands, and every-
where he had been treated with the greatest kindness, and
had found in the people a disposition to commercial inter-
course. The Government of England ought to be aware
that the island of Formosa had rebelled from the Chinese
Emperor, and had established its independence. A good un-
derstanding might be opened with the people of the island,
and much to the advantage of commerce, as it lay opposite
to the rich tea provinces.
Mr. C. FERGUSSON thought that, as the resolutions
did not bind any person with respect to his opinions in
detail, it would be greatly to the convenience of the House
if the discussion were brought forward at some future
stage. The first resolution related to the opening of the
trade to China. He did not object to this.

Mr. C. GRANT said that the resolution did not com-
mit any person to details, it was so general. He hoped
the House would pass the resolution that night, so that
he might bring in a Bill to-morrow.

After a few words from Mr. CLAY across the table of
,be House,

Mr. BUCKINGHAM could not let the resolutions pass
without some observations, as they had been accompanied
by so many remarks by the Right Hon. Gentleman. The
resolutions comprised two subjects, the one that of the
internal Government of India, and the other that of the
commercial intercourse with that country. He objected
to that part of the Right Hon. Gentleman's plan which
would retain India under its present rulers, for he would
maintain that the natives of that country would he by fir
happier under the Government of the Crown. When he
considered that the population of India amounted to
100,000,000 of souls, he thought this a point which
ought at least to excite as much attention in that House
as the emancipation of only 800,000 slaves in the West
Indies. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded at great length
into the general question of the policy of the East India
Company, to the Canton Establishment, and the abuses
erowing out of the system pursued there. The Hon.
Member, in alluding to the monopoly of the Company in
opium, stated that the person who had the superintend.
ence of that trade received a greater salary than the Chief
Justice at Calcutta. He suggested that, among other
arrangements, there should be the same code of laws ap-
plied to the three Presidencies. In reference to the state
of the press in India the Hon. Gentleman gave a very
detailed account of his owu Journal. He had no doubt
that under proper management the population of India,
which was estimated at 100,000,000, would produce
100,000,0001. revenue.
Mr. C. FERGUSSON said that as a Director of the
Company, he would only refer to those topics which re-
lated to them. He was glad he had given way to the
Hon. Unities:tan, sbecause he believed he had put forth