Star.
London, England, 1802-03-05 00:00:00

EAST INDIA ESTABLISHMENTS.

Mr. Wm. Donnas role to move the order of the
day for the fecond reading of the Bill to empower
the Eaft India Company to transfer their fervants
from one ellablifilment to another. The order be-
ing read, the Right Honourable Gentleman Paid,
that as he underflood there were fome objeftions
to the Bill, he timid again briefly (late the grounds
upon which he was induced to bring it in, and
which, in his opinion, were amply fufficient to re-
man every material objeftion to its provifions.—
howivcr, felt no paternal anxiety about its
fate. The Bill came to him from the Direftors of
the Company, who were unanimous in approving
to propriety ; and he, from his official fituation,
felt it his duty to introduce it to the Houfe. So
long back as the year 1736 it was the intention of
the Company to reduce the eftablifhment at Ben-
coolen to a faftory. They were indttced to adopt
this plan from the increafed expense which attend.
ed that eflabliftiment, which amounted lately to
more than t,otpoool. a fum which was very dill
proportionate to the advantages derived from that
ellablifhment. But. when they deemed it expe-
dient to carry their plats into. execution. they felt
that, in jullice to the fervants who had been:em-
ployed in it, who bad (pent in that fervice tbe bet-
ter part of their days, and who had expofed their
lives to the infalubrity of the climate, fome ade-
quate remuneration or appointment &mild be pro.
vided. In this fentiment he cordially concurred
with the Company; and when it was.recolleded
how large an acceflion of territory had lately been
made to the Britifh Empire in India, ample room
mull be found for opening new fituations to fuch
of the Company's fervants as it might be thought
expedient to transfer from one fettlement to ano-
ther. Nor could fuch a meafure trench upon any
individual right, or any pre-exifling Aft of Parlia-
ment. The Madras Ellablifhment was likely to
gain an acceffion of revenue of no lefs than
z,zs toool. from the territorial aeceffion of Tippoo
Sultaun's dominions. To transfer a few of the
fervants from Beneoolen. not perhaps more than
twelve, to the Madras Eftablithment, could there-
fore be of very little or no confequence. The only
grievance that could be complained of was, that it
would augment the number of candidates ; but
*hat material difference could the addition of is
perfons make where fo many fituations were to be
filled ? The ftrongell recommendation in favour of
the Bill, in his opinion, was the material favitig it
would fecure to the Company ; that laving, as be
had obferved upon a former occalion,wouldamount
to no left than Bo,OOOL while only twelve fervants

were to be transferred to the Madras Eftablifhmedt.
This laving, he might further add, was only. the
commencement of a plan of general ceconotny,
which he milled he Ihnuld have the honour of
bringing before the Honfe at a future priiod. He
fhould now content liimfelf with moving, 'that the
Bill be read a fecund time.

Mr. Jortitrros E could not permit the Bill to be
read a fecond time without offering a few obferva-
tions upon it. The Houfe would recoiled that
when on former occalions the Right Honourable
Gentleman, and thofe conneeted with hint in the
Board of Controul, were 1u loud in their panegy-
rics on the flour-idling lbte of India, he, on the
contrary, h ad contended that our affairs in that
quarter wore the moll nnpromifing and difaltrons
Aped. He did not rife to oppofe the Bill if it fe-
cured any material raving, becaufe he was a friend
to economy in every branch of the Government of
India; for itwas uftlefs to go on with fine flourilhes
about our India profperity. Things were now in
a fituation which called imperioully for a ferious
and folid fyftem of economy. But was the mea-
fore now propofed any effedual (rep towards cart-
blifhing fuch a fyflem ?—it furely was not. The
whole expenee attending the Bencoolen Eltablifh-
ment amounted to 120,0001. including the Military
E ftablilhments.—The Civil Officers received of that;
firm but rs,oool. Now the Officers who were to
remain at Bencoolen would have among them only i
good. viz. 30001. for the Prefident and 20001. furl
the four fubordinate officers. The raving therefore,
by transferring the fervants from the one eflablilh-
ment to the other, would, inftead of 80,0001.1
amount to no more than io,oool. ; and for filch al
paltry raving was it worth while to violate the faith
pledged by Parliament to the Company, and the
fpirit, if not the letter, of Ads of Parliament fo-
lemnly made in proterftion of the Company's rights?
By virtue of there Ads the Company's fervants
were to fucceed to office by feniority, and not
through any undue influence of individuals or of
Government. He confeffed that a great aceeffion
lof territory had been added to the Madras Ella-
blithment ; but it had been in contemplation to
unite the Pretidencies of Madras and Bombay, and
by means of that onion a fufficient number of fer-
vants would he found to perform the bofinefs of
both ellablilhments. • The addition now proposed
to the eltablilhment of Madras would only carry
with it an increafe of expence, while it operated to
the injury of the fervants already on that ellablifh-
ment. Why not transfer them to Ceylon ? Nn;
the appointments there had already been all filled
for the purpofes of miniderial and eledioneering
influence, while its revenue was yearly decreifing.
The &ft year that revenue amounted to 227,cr001. ;
the next year to 90,0001. ; and the third year it fell
as low as 24,0001. Yet the colledion of that re-
venue colt the Company no lefs than 88,0001. De-
rides, infkad of holding offices at the plealure of
the Crown, the fervants employed by the Com-
pany Ihould rife in proportion to the length of their
fervices, and according as their fervices were ap-
proved of by the Company. It was not his intention
now to oppofe the fecond reading of the Bill, but
he certainly, on the grounds he badadduced, should
oppofe it in the Committee, and that more efpe-
cially as he was confcious he could prove that the
propofed Man would make but a raving of io,ooo
intlead of 80,0001.
Mr. We, LA.:e defended the Bill, as calculated
t- produce a great raving to the Company in India.
Mr. M k.TCAL FE was ready and willing to give
full credit to the purity of the Right Honourable
Gentleman's intentions in bringing in the Bill, and
altir for his tendernefs in fecuring the rights of the
Company's fervants. But while he bad thus done
jullice to the motives which aftuated the Right
Hon. Gentleman, he trolled the Houfe would be-
lieve that the Executive Government of the Corn.
pany felt equal anxiety for all the objeds which
the Bill embraced. The fecond Eaft India Bill,
to which an Honourable Gentleman (Mr. John-
done) had alluded, was very wifely framed : but
it never had in contemplation that fupernomerary
fervants might be found in one Government,
while there might be a deficiency of them in an-
other. But the Honourable Gentleman would
have the fupernumerary fervants fent to Ceylon.
If the Honourable Gentleman was anxious to
realife that with, he lhould exert hit influence to
prevail on Minitters to place that Wand under the
dominion of the Company. Ceylon he looked
'upon as an appendage of the Crown, and it would
be improper in the Diredors to attempt to inter.
'
fere with it. Indeed, if the Houfe would fee the
bufinefs in its true light, it would be manifeft toi
them that there was nothing like a job in it, and
that on the part of the Diredion it evinced nothing
but proofs of felf-denial. As to the fervants at
Bencoolen, they never could afpire to any very
lucrative offices, efpecially where they mutt meet
with competitors poffeffmg fuperior claims ; it was
therefore his opinion that they would prefer return=",
ing home, rather than expofe themfelves to an un-
equal contention in a new fettlement. As to the
injudice of their treatment, it lhould be recollefted
that if it was unjutt to difplace them for the raving
of Bo,nool. it was likesvile unjult to difplace them
for the raving of to,oool.
Mr. D. Scorr contended, that even were it per-
mitted to the Eatt India Company's fervants to
go to Ceylon, they would never think of it ; the
prefent allowance there was too (mall to hold out
any fuch temptation.
Mr. Tr SRN EY could not but be a friend to the
Bill, as far as it promifed economy, and fo far he
fhould venture to offer his fupport to the Right
Hon. Gentleman. He mutt, however, express is
wonder, that the Board of Controul had never
before entered on this ceeonomical plan, and that
it had In long efcaped the vigilance of the Right
Honourable Gentleman. The attempt would af-
ford ample field for the exertions of his abilities,
and he hoped they might be crowned with fuccefs.
When he looked ' " far back k
1- as the year 1785, to
the records of the Company, he there raw how
much the revenue of Bencoolen had been re-
duced ; yet, alive as was the mind of the Right
Honourable Gentleman, feventeen years were per-
mitted to elaple without his endeavouring at any
remedy. From year to yeas the expenees 'attend-
ing drat eltablifltment continued to increafe, yet

4.A
nothing was attempted till the Court of
two up the Lurneci. He was anxious to know
boyy, the expellees Bencoolen came to he doubled.
N.Cting futely could be more fcandalous than the
expenduure for that eftablifhment. He was alto
at a lofs to fee why the fervants at Bencoolen were
not hardly L:alt by ; when they went, they had
in view the advantages refulting from that fitua
tion and no other. Why not leave it at their
option, either to retire or to go to a new fettle-
ment ? In this plan there was no true economy,
for trae cecoaomy Laves no room for jealoufies, or
for apprehenlions from a fyllem that mull create
alai ms throughout all the other fettlements.
Mr. W. Du S DM laid he had no objeaion to give
that option to the fervants intended to be frat.b.
(erred.' As to his active exertions for feventeen
years in the department of India affairs, he begp,:-a
leave to remind the Hon. Gentleman, tl.nt it
but four years since firft he held a plaze at tl
Board (Teo:an-ad.

Mr. NIETCAL: E fail a few words M explanatior.
and to ready a tnillake into which an Hon. Gov
tieman (Mr. 1). Scott) had fallen. .
The Bill was then read a fecond time, and cam
mittcd tbr Monday.