The Statesman.
London, England, 1813-01-27 00:00:00

111

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" lineepty Dummy mood on the wall,
Haawry Damply tot a great fail t
But All tNe Kint Watt, and of the King's men,
Could never set Hamm ep again."
Mr. GRANT (one of the Directere) said, there
were two kinds of danger involved in the projected
innovation on the Company's rights, one political,
the.otlier commercial. The Hon. Gent. (Mr. Hume)
like a great many others, considered the political
dangers as wholly chimerical, and looks upon tine
commercial as all in all. He, however (Mr. Grant),
.was of opinion, that the political queition in this
discussion was pre-eminent; but would not enlarge
upon it, as thri lion. Proprietor's remarks on the
subject bad been already sufficiently ansivered. With
respect, however, to the commercial question, he
-wooktimake some remarks on the Gentleman's state-
meets, as many of them, he wads sorry to see, were
calculated to. fall in with and to foster the prejudices
of the present day. Two points had beep urged
by the Court of. Directors in their Correspondence
with Ministers; the first, that there can be no
great increase in the exports from this Country
Jor the consumption of India ; and secondly, that
there can he no great increase in the sale of In-
dian commodities in this country. On these points,
be Was at issue with. Mr. Herne. The Directors,
in forming this opinion, were guided by thek know-
ledge of the customs, climate, character, religion,
and prejudices of the natives of India, which they
knew were against increasing the quantity of our
commodities exported for India. Wm had been suf-
ficiently proved by experience. Mr. G. then read
extracts from the different Petitions that had been
laid before the Ileum: of Commons, from which it
appeared, that the Petitioners thoUght our exports
for India might be considerably increased. One from
the merchants of Sheffield was extravagantly san-
guine on this point ; and indeed all the extracts he
had alluded to, had a strong tendency to fortify the
delusion, as well as Mr. liume's remarks. That
Goutleman treated the subject as if there had been a
progressive annual increase (which is contrary to fact)
in our exports to India. Several of his facts were
very questionable. The export trade was of two
kinds:—that of the Company'i Commanders and
Officers, which existed before 1793, and that of the
Company itself. The trade to India was much al-
tered by the Warehousing Act, in 1798: as the
trade had been much swelled by that Act, as well as
by the share possessed in it by the Comptv's Corn-
menders and Officers ; yet, notwithstanding this in-
crease, the Officers often have but little advantage by
it, and he knew them often to lose by these ven-
tures. IVhatever increase has taken place in our
exports since 1793, was mostly, or entirely, owing
to the increased number of Europeans in India. But
this, even in any shape, is not an increase; for had
they staid at home, they would have consumed the
same articles ; and, instead of the increase being so
high' as Mr. Hume stated it, he affirmed that it
amounted only to 31 yearly during the period in
question. He would ask, had any new articles been
sent out to India during the time of this alleged in- !
crease ? There were cone except cochineal, which is i
not a commodity of this country. There was then .
no increase in the consumption of British goods. It
a larger sapply than is sent by the Company be ne-
cessary, why do riot the native traders in European i
or British goods call for it 1 They are on the spot,
and apght to know the wants of the meaty ; and
would not private interest lead them to provide for
them? liiet it seems the Gentlemen of Sheffield know I
all these things better. From part of a Report by
One of the Company's Officers, which the Hon. Di-
rector read, it appeared that no new articles had been
called for: This shewed, after an experiment of 20
years, that the argument was on the side of the Corn- i
pany. The Hon. Proprietor (Home) had stated Mr.
Colebrooke's authority for the indefinite increase of'
the trade to India ; but he ought to have mentioned,l
that the work in question was not wholly Mr. Cole-1
brooke's, as he disclaimed it in part six years ago.
But even- were the opinion of Mr. Colebrooke such
as had been stated, he (Mr. Grant), from hie own
experience, could not assent to it. He is further of
opinion, upon the whole, our exports cannot be
much increased. Nor is it (as had been hinted)
1
the high price of freight that prevents it, since the
Company's Officers pay no freight.—Mr. Grant then
proceeded to consider the exports from India to
England and to America. Mr. Hume had stated the
amount of these exports at 181,0001. in 1793, and
said, that in 1810 it had increased to 1,740,0001. I
But he ought (said Mr. Grant) to have followed the
matter up, by stating, that teat year it amounted i
only to 110,0001. Ti trade also has been much
affected by the Warehousing Act. From 1793 the
sales amount to 23 millions for the public, and to
8/ millions for private individuals. The amount
of the sale of indigo in this country, since 1793,
was 14,079,0001. i nor was it since the opening
of the trade since 1793 that this increase took
place, as
;the Company, when he was in foilia se-
vent yews before (1793), had encouraged the!
manufacturers of indigo in India, and he himself
then recoeuneuded it to the attention of Lord
Cornwallis. lie would, therefore, conclude, theft
the increase in the indigo sale since 1793, was owing
not to the Act of that year, but to the previous
encourag and measures of the Company.—
With respect to the importation of cotton from In- :
dia, that cannot be much increased now, as a great
quantity remains in the warehouses' unsold. Much
of this has ',ern in the warehouses many years ;
and there is no less a quantity unsold at present
than 42,000 hales, worth about 500,000!. Be-
sides this, he may state, that there is no less than'
eleven hundred thousand pounds worth of indigo
also, belonging to various individuals, unsold in
the Company's warehouses. In the course of twenty
years only two pew articles had been imported here
from India—cotton and Indigo ; and can it he said
that we want more of them, when so much lies on
our hands ? with respect to Mr. Bone's remarks
on. the American trade ith India, he would ask,
iy with the impolicy
ming the Indian trade
allowed in SI was
lor was this done by
;oing too far to call it
make the Americans
of the customers of
had settlements in
that we are not war-

we gave the uentrals

then recommended it to the I
Cornwallis. He would, thereto
j,';
the increase in the indigo sale sins
.
•,-
:'
ti'' not to the Act of that year, b
encourag,-.:ment and measures of
;',
With respect to the importation I
dia, that cannot be much increase
quantity remains in the warehout,
of this has been in the wareho
and there is no less a quantity
• V than 4'2,000 hales, worth abou
• , sides this, lie may gate, that thei
qeleven hundred thousand pound!
'1
also, belonging to various iiidii
the Company's warehouses. In th
years only two pew articles had
from India—cotton and Indigo ;
that we want more of them, whe
our hands ? With respect to M
I • on' the American trade with Ind
why does ho charge the Company
(Wit deserves that name) of openi
l 4 to liglitrillt ?—.-What had been a
'... confirmed by the Act of 93 ; 1101
1 the Company. But i.: it not goi
i impolitic in our Government to rr
our cpstonuo in, 4ndia, instead c
other I.nropean ittiotiS who I
India ? lie certainly thinks that
ranted in otilitigii imPolific) is li
ti • .. ,
4.111.