The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-12-17
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial advertiser.
From the Philadelphia News.
The British East fudfu Cormp.u M,

The British East Ind7n Company.
The latest adsices from Eurona inform ms that
Delhi has not yet fallen, and that the detection among
the native troops in India was largely on the increase.
Whatever may be the fate of that ancient city, now
the arsenal OF lndis, 1T certainly is a serious problem
whether Great Britain is not about to lose her Eastern
possessions; and should this prove to be so, the disin-
ferested and careful reader who studies the means by
winch this conquest was achieved-the accumulated
wrongs of a century which have at length stirred up
the faclle people of the East to revenge, must see in
the act, the deferred but certain retribution which
We are taught comes sooner or later upon nations, as
upon Individuals, in return for crime. It's a remark
able fact, aad one which shows how contagious is the
lust for conquest, that some Of the most influential
journals Of this country have IN the face of History
attempted to defend tie Entertainments of England,
and express the hope that this rebellion viii be
speedily tTampled out. 1t may not be uninstruetiye
ut the present moment to give in the brief, and i'm
perfect manner which u newspaper article viii only
allow, i succinct history of that remarkable company
OF merchant princes, who starting as humble suppl
ants for mercantile privileges upon the coasts of the
fir-flmei peninsula ot Hindostan, have extended and
consolidated their authority with money. and with
arms, until the British rover rules with undisDuted
sway from the Hinmala "a mountains to Cane Cor
MORN, over a land whlcl was the seat of industry, Of
eotnneHee- and of the arts, when Europe was sunk in
har5arIsna. In the middle ages the merchants Of
Venice alone imported into Europe the precious pro
diee of indif, which they obtained through the ports
OF Egyft ami the Red Sea After the discovery Of
'~ $500 " AAsNAAt~ " tAt zap OF UOO1 HOPE. the
maritiaEe powers of Europe entered largely into a
contest for the supremacy Of the Asiatic seas, and the
sominefee of the country. In this contest the Portu-
guese, then in the zenith Of their power, were the most
successful, and for nearly 4 quarter of a century
incBopolzed the trade without Interference from any
European rival Subsequently the Dutch competed
with the Portuguese, and divided with them the
profits OF It's commerce, and at length the attention of
same field
1t was on the last day OF the Sixteenth Century,
that oueen Elizabeth granted the first charter to the
East INDIA company, giving them the right of exclu-
Sive trade IN the Indian Seas for fifteen years. with
promise OF renewal Previous to 1913. each member
OF the association managed his affairs on mis- own
account, but in that year the capital was consolidated.
As early as the period OF the Commonwealth, public
opinion became so strong against the Company, prin-
cipaiiy IN Consequence of alleged abuses in the time
Of the Stuarts, that Cromwell DESTROYED the charter
which had been originally only a royal grant. After
the restoration o. the Royal Family, the charter was
renewed BY Charles III. In 1888, Government being
IN want Of funds, in consideration of Il large loan,
Incorporated Il rival Joint Stock COMPANY. but the
rivalry proved 20 detrimental to both companies. and
to the nation at large, that a union was effected in
its present basis
Up to this time the organization and management
oil the association had been merely commercial, but
now through the Introduction of native soldiers into
the services OF the Company, under the pretext of de
isHuibS their victories, the initiation was taken in the
grand scheme OF conquest and wrong. which has
gwen to the managers of a trading company in Lon
DON a kingdom ten times the size of England. with a
population Of upwards Of 80. 900, 900 of inhabitants,
and which from y cOuEtIng-room In Leadenhau street. !
has for . century, instead Of engaging In the peace
fui pursuits OF trade, engaged IN var and made peace, !
and has dethrOnel Princes and ruled over Kings.
ihe Polltlcai power OF the English commenced in 174S
Dy the conquest OF Bengal. Ambition and avarice-i
political and mercantile Fl arms
and discipline under the leadership of the able Give,
VINO then an humble Lieutenant In the Company's
service, hnally won his way to the Peerage, and
GOveTnor-GeneralshiD of India, proved alI-poyerful
against the brave but eneryated Indian. The first
important act in the drama was the famous battle of
Plassy, in which Give depose1 the rightful King,
Suraja Dowls, and elevated in his place by treasons
able conspiracy s yizer, Nicer Jaffier, who having
served the Company's purpose by paying enormous
sums of money, and giving up large portions of Terri
tory was IN his turn driven from ms throne by the
English, who elevated bis son-in-law, Nicer C0ssim,
IN his stead. and subsequently deposed him also.
Conquest followed conquest, annexation came after
annexation, until IN less than ten years the East
India Company were elevated from being refugees in !
an insignificant mud fort Mt Calcutta, to the sovereigns
of one of the richest kingdoms in the world. with a
population of $1,000 900 souls and a revenue of
600 rupees Next followed IN rapid succession
the annexation of the extensive provinces in the
northwest of India. extorted from the weakness of the
King OF Dude, with y territory of 81, 900 square
miles, and a population Of Il, OOO,O 900.
Already, however, the magnitude of the Indian
Empire aad the inability of the Company to properly
govern it, attracted the jealousy Of the Government.
In June, I773. the Legislature altered the Constit.,-
ton Of the Association, and vested in the Crown the
Il has since exercised. 4 Governor Gen
eraI was appointed by the directors, but subject to
the approval of the King, while a Supreme Court of
JudIcature was established az Calcutta with Judges
selectei by the Crown.
The period from 1772 to 1885 is memorable as the
term during which Warren Hastings administered
the government, and extended with INSCRIPTIONS
hand the territory and resources of the Company. !
4 = 1rwrrl r1-ou his ~ 10 Eurona r%+r, . -
and corrupfion-with Infamous Outrages
through his agents, upon innocent people by tOrturing !
them with hunger, stripes and imprisonment-with
oHtrages upon females az n means of extortinc their
jewels or their weaith-with the determination of the
hollillas by f-c and sword, and with devastating the
provinces Ct Dude and Benares-his famous impeach-
saeat y we'll known to the popular mind. Although
acquitted by the House Of Peers, the history of that
trial and its results has become an inefaceable blot
upon the escuteheon Of his country, aud il is oily not
20 see that the administration OF Warren Hastings
was tho seed thai has produced the crop Of swords
now drinking the blood of Rnclishmen throughout I
the territory Of Bengal. Perhaps nothing in the
English tongue is more narrowing than that tartion
Of the famous philippe of Burke, which describes
the horribie oatriges upon men and women, commit
ted oy his agents As the crOwniug point to Hast
IDgss lnfa1py, he caused the arrest of his aceuser, the
hsJah Nunicoaar, on n charge of forgery, tried him
before a jury Of Englishnen, and hung him amid the
tears and lamentations Of his countrymen.
The fall OF Tippoo Saib in 1892, placed another
- = AH5'VH . fA~ t-olNNAt - liz tHcn OUNtEHVTsl
the late Duke of Wellington. When that officer had
taken possession Of al the Company then thought fit
20 appropr1ate, II vas resolved TO form the remainder
into a native kingdom, and place upon the throne a
child Of SIX years old, who should be under the charge
Of the British Government.
The influence Of British Authority was BIZ this time
extended over the greater part of India, not only by
but by prctective treaties 1t is apparent,
that the presence of n military force superior to his
own, must have reduced every Prince In whose ter
ri5ery it Was stationed, to n state of complete subjec-
ton The next step taken by the Company was to
require that certain districts in each protected State,
should be assigned for the maintenance Of the troops;
and az length the princes were Obliged to resign the
civil administration with all the revenues, and to ac-
cept ftom the Company o pension just suficien
support the pomp Of royalty Among these pensWA-
ers to a corporation was the Movul himself, the Nabob
OF Bengal, the Nizan and the King of Mysore.
In 1866. charges we're preferred against the Mar
qEis Of WELLESLEY for misinanagement in Office, but
deferred by the want Of success in the case of Hast
ings, the accusation was allowed to sleep. In 1878,
rho r1artor "a tho Dcrorour oxpfraI Eroo+ c.,t>ou,