The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-03-26 00:00:00

y, 'whit% they night • prattler' ender the name of
auglisitioen) and which might eventually draw down
on the Company, or.theie really ailing under the
sane/ion of the English tharatter, the ind4nitiion °P.
theChioese nat?on, who might that he induced to
'forbid us from at all `approaching 't heir territories:.
From such an extension of the trade
.too, new feet
ings with regard to the mother country must be pre;
surried.to spring up in the minds of the settlers • from
England; and the consequences thence to arise could
not OM be conteired.

The other prorosition.was, thaT'of' the transfer dt,
'the Company's- forces antler the contrail of the:
Commander of his Majesty's army in ladle.- This'.
oar a tocasureabove ell others to be dePiecated, cal-
culated as it was to weaken the attachment of the na.
tivesoldiers, who were averse from changes, to their
officers, to whom, from being accustoined to them,
they were attached. The coustkation of the tiro sr:.
reties was radically difterbot, and' it was impessible
that they ever could be cordiallynnitel• Stipposing
thAtan evil, however, did now exist, this seemed to
be applying to it a remedy which 'indite connection
with it. 'The appointment of Commander-in-Chief of
thi Company's forces was, at present, the Com-
pany, subject to the approbation of the Government.
This was not to halve the responsibility but tOdonble
it. But, by adopting the course now propoted,- the
civil, financial, comniercial,and political conseqaerice.
of the Company would not only be endangered,
but would absolutely be destroyed. If those who had'
been appointed by the Company, and who hid'
been accustomed to(look up to them were to do so
no longer, the Company must lose its consequence,
and 'could not be held in the
.same degree of re-
spect us before. If this were to be done The
CoMpany would not continue to possess that de- •
give of authority whisk was necessary for its very
extslence. This would also throw the controul over
this great body of Military Officers under the con-
troul of the CroWn, which would be highly danger-
ous 4x7liie liberties of the country ; and the proposi-
tion wasnitogether of such a nature that they should'
esteem it a dereliction of duty were they to recom-
mend it to the adoption of.their constituents.
Theu follow several applications ebthe part of the
Directors to Mr. Dundas, recommending that the
question, as to the renewal of the Charter, should
bekgitated in the Sessions 1809 and 1810.
There was then read a letter from Mr.' Dundas to
theCitairman, dated 18th December, 1811, in which
lie alludes to the letter of the Chairman and Deputy-
Chairman
of January 1809, in which he admits that!
there are many of the statements in that letter in 1
which be wholly concurred, bat into, which he did
notilitin enter, because, unless the Company agreed
to'throir often the trade to India generally, he cottld!
not:held oat tnthern that. Government could
Conctit siipptirtlngi or•recernmetiding to 'Par.!
fianitint, the Yetseltal'of their Charter. If they were
ready to concede to Sins•that the shk3s of every inha-
Whint of thlidoeintry gtijplht, ttasje to rudia',, under
certaiii'lignitadge, he was ready to enter With thim
info alikussionof ail the .othev pod. The that*:
felt of the Company's tercet under the centred of 1
nuna -the Couder in Chief of the, }Clog's. forces in
India, had been recommended by many otfiscers of
gnat eminence; bathe wait 'ready to admit; thilt in
the "Wctions urged
.agiiiiist this measure in the let-
ter re.• red to, there were some pOints highly deserv-
'lug of cOnsideration.
'f he next important document was a Letter, dated '
the' 4th' of Starch, 181'Z, from the Chairman and
DiOtiry Chairman', to Lord Melville, in which they
64* their inability to add. any thing to the former
sae-meat of their claims, and of the • impolicy of
makitig any change in the system, repeating that an
exclusive trade is the only one applicable to India.
They .express their satisfaction, however, in observ.
ing, that the system as to the military, was to be suf-
fered to remain unchanged; and expressed' a hope, ;
that such regulations would be adopted as would pre- !
vent the, opening of an indiscriminate trade to the
East. The letter then proceeds to answer a variety 1
of charges against the Company, with which, and!
with the answers to them, the public are already
well acquainted ; and in particular noticed the wars
in which the Company had been engaged, and the
captures made for the benefit of this country, as the'
causes of the debt now chargeable against the Com-
pany. These conquests had been made by private
exertions, and haviug,been acquired, were now laid"
at the feet of the country. The Page of history,
there was reason to hope, would record them, ail
the acquisitions made with an addition, not with a de;
reliction of national character :—The Wisdom of'',
Parliament, it was to be hoped, would preserve the
acquisitions so gained, and would not barter real ad-1
vantages for speculative plans. It was true, the
Cuniptiny avid, during the calms-ace of their Charters.
had:an exclusive trade to India; but if they had •uolt'
possessed this exclusive trade, would India hive, at
this moment, belonged to Great Britain ?
The only other remarkable Papers ~were titled flury, b* the
Chairman Had Oepit v Chairman, to Lord Melt ille, and ohoer-
vations by his Lordship thereon
'these Mints and A inovery amonnte4 to the following—That
the renewa► of the Charter should praised on the bolos of the
year 1793, and that there should he no greater extension of the
privilege, subject to reconsideration, and that ao British ship or
subject -alteuld hare power to sail to Chin, directty or circuit-
ously, without licence from the Company;
ns.,—To leave this on the present footing, guarding it against
louse.

iltsr—Thai the whole of the goods shouts be Inoue,* to Ina.
don, and sold under the authority of the Cponpany..,4sis. Tbio
would probably coodnee to the increase of thd revenue; but at t
the same time, it is not acceded to.
111,1 T—No private s' ip should safl•but from Loodon.—_. Ans.
That is not a sufficient reason for theadoption of such a rule.
lltvT—No ship to sail without a licence from the Company.
A%s. It will be weskit, tultatird against shirts sailing unihtly.
than—lire arms to be probihited.—Ass. This will be nem.
lam to be regalated.
fiivr—As it is of enasequenee that the quality of raw silk
should not be deteriorated—:.his article. ought to he confined to
the Company. Arts. nit .does not appear conclusive. I can.
not agree to this. •
There were alto certain (Along flints ati to the'rett;lation of the
trade, which; as far asstlwy seemed reasonable, were acceded to.
A hint, however, tvhirlt went to continue tbe,Compaoy's me_
itopoly Ist tie pieellslands, was dhregarded. And the renewal
of the CbiliiNerltas limited to 20 years, from the periled of the
expiry of the former Charlet.
• The Papi!rs being gone throegla. .
The itenftyumAg addressed, the` Court. Hi pro-
fessed bir th
inadocjuacy to e last which had now de-
volved sos.bini. Sensible as imper-
fections;
fections, !he had never felt lei., difltdent as at the
present monieut.:. on'the purity
of his own Inteittinis, and onr.thenaulge lice of the
.
Collet whick he h. t all times experienced, when
applied even to auks and his weaknesses. The'
East India Company afforded a pheninnenon unix,

t -