affent was given by commiflion to twenty public and thirteen private bills; the commiffioners were Lords Mansfield, Stormont, and Dartmouth. Tuesday, April 22, Mr. Rolle moved that the lift of the fubfcribers to the loan be laid before the Houfe. The motion was feconded and carried. But when the order of the day was read, for the Houfe to refolve itself into a committee of the whole Houfe, to take into confideration the report of the committee on the petition that had been prefented by the East-India Company;

Sir Henry Fletcher, after flating the fituation of the Company, moved, "That leave be given to bring in a bill to indemnify the Eaft-India Company from all loffes in refpect to their not making regular payments of certain fums due to the public, and to allow further time for fuch payments, and to enable the East-India Company to borrow a certain fum, and to make a dividend of 4 per cent. to the proprietors at Midfummer 1783." General Smith oppofed the propofition, but Commodore Johnstone obferved, that the conduct of the honourable General was fingularly inconfiftent. For many years he had been the champion for the privileges of the proprietors, and had, on a former occafion, offered to lend them 150,000l. to prevent their applications to parliament. The General replied that it was but 50,000l. that he had offered. The Commodore allowed, that taking it then at 50,000l. it was a tolerable round fum for an individual to offer. The honourable General LOND. MAG. OA. 1783,

North) had repeatedly taken 400,000l. from the Company, and what is the prayer now before the Houfe? Not that government fhould pay back that fum, but that the Eaft-India Company fhall be permitted to borrow 500,000l. and yet the honourable General oppofes this reafonable requeft. Such conduct was inconfiftent from a person who had quitted all connexion with the Com pany, by felling out. Let gentlemen confider, that, when the Company was circamfcribed in its commerce, it had a credit of three millions fterling, but at prefent, it was confined to half that fum, and the requeft was, that the company might be allowed to increase their debt, not to the original three millions, but to two. Would any reafonable man fay that this kingdom was a bankrupt, becaufe there had not been zol. in the Treafury laft week, and twelve millions had juft been bor-` rowed. Let gentlemen but reflect on the immenfe expences of the Company at home and in India, and that 17 fail of the line, befides frigates, and 16,000 men had been fent from France to India; in fuch a cafe, it could be no furprize that the Company, as well as the state, had recourfe to borrow for a fhort time. There was, he obferved, an illiberality and want of candour in the proceedings of the felect Committee, that obliged him to ask their honourable chairman, whether he meant. to move any refolutions against Mr. Sullivan, Sir William James, or Mr. Wilks, in confequence of the late report? That report was in his opinion purpofely obfcure; but he doubted

not his ability, provided the refolutions were not brought in by furprife, to convince every member of the Houfe, that the charge was fo exceedingly trivial, as not to deferve the fmalleft confideration.-General Smith replied, that he fhould have brought forward the refolutions before, had he not been placed at the head of an election committee, and that he intended they should be prefented after the recefs. The Commodore faid, that, unlefs he named a day, he was at as much lofs as ever.-The General anfwered, that he would certainly give the honourable Commodore three or four days previous notice, but that it was impoffible for him to name the day.

Next day (April 23) Mr. Fox moved that the order of the day fhould be read, for the Houfe's refolving itfelf into a committee on the American manifeft and intercourfe bill. It was read accordingly, and the Speaker having left the chair, Mr. St. Andrew St. John took his feat at the table.

Sir Robert Herries ftated two objections which ftruck him as militating against the bill in its prefent state. In the first place, he conceived it was not the defign of the party who brought in the bill, to place American fhips on better terms than British fhips, but that the benefits, advantages, and accommodations derived from the operation of the bill, if it paffed into a law, fhould be reciprocal. At prefent, as the claufes of the bill were worded, he conceived American veffels would be allowed a variety of advantages, which were not to extend to Britifh fhips. Another matter which appeared to him to require fome alteration was this: Suppofe a plague fhould break out in

any

of the thirteen provinces of America, according to the wording of the bill, the government of Great-Britain would have no authority to oblige American fhips, coming under fuch circumftances, to perform quarantine, or produce bills of health. Sir Robert declared, that he did not mention thefe matters with any view of oppofing the bill; the bill was a neceffary meafure, and he was confident his Majefty's minillers intended to pafs it in a fhape

beft adapted to the peculiar circumftances of its application, and in the way leaft liable to objection of any kind; and he could not help, therefore, fuggefting what ftruck him as deferving notice.

Mr. Secretary Fox faid, he was ashamed to repeat what he had so often troubled the House with on the fubject of the prefent bill, but as the objections now ftarted were to be answered by former declarations, he could not help making them. The prefent bill was a mere temporary matter, adapted to a moft urgent occation, the abfolute neceffity of opening an immediate intercourfe with America. The object

of the bill was rather to remove obftacles than to provide regulations, and, therefore, particular care had been taken to couch the bill in as general terms as it would admit: and this by avoiding every fort of allufion to the legal fituation of America and GreatBritain, and to leave it partly to the negociation now going on, and partly to the confideration of parliament, who were to digeit another bill then pending; they were to determine what rules the nature of the cafe rendered most neceflary, and to give thofe rules their full force and authority. Had the late miniftry been fo good, in their adjustment of the provifional treaty, as to have inferted fome one or more articles concerning a commercial treaty with America, they would have not only done their country a very effential fervice, but have faved the prefent government, and both Houfes of Parliament, an infinite deal of trouble, and relieve them from a difficulty of the greateft magnitude. Had they, for inftance, not only by their treaty agreed, that a ceflation of hoftilities fhould take place, in the ftrict and common fenfe of the words, viz. by the armies of the two countries no longer continuing to fight, or make war on each other, but in a more general acceptation of the term, and a more extenfive fenfe of it, namely, that, from and after the ratification of the provifional treaty, all hoftilities fhould cease, and that the prohibitory laws that impeded the commerce thould no longer

for reminding him of this fact, and faid that the reafon why ftocks did not fink now, when the noble Lord was restored to his place, might be becaufe his lordship had not now, in the time of peace, the opportunities to do mifchief, which he had had in time of war. Lord North faid, he thought well of the loan, because they who oppofed it had recourfe to their old trick of attacking him; they had no folid argument to advance, and yet, willing to fay fomething, added his lordship, tunc itur ad me." The ftocks rofe laft year because one adminiftration had been removed, and they had rifen now becaufe another administration had been removed. This was putting the matter upon a fair iffue, and both fides might hake hands upon it. He was ready to give the gentleman over the way credit for the rife of flocks upon their having effected the downfall of his adminiftration, and he thought that in candour they ought to give him credit for the removal of their adminiftration. Each of them had ferved their country, and each the fame way; fo far, therefore, their accounts were equal.-As to the loan, his lordship faid, that while he was doing mifchief, he tried a 5 per cent. but found the moneylenders always averfe to it, and most unreasonable in their demands. With regard to a double loan, it was a very bad mode of railing money, for the expectation of the fecond loan would operate to keep the ftocks low; but if two loans were thought of for this year, it was extraordinary that the firft was delayed fo long.

Mr. Pitt faid that the laft miniftry had been threatened, and the Houfe advised to watch them, and to fuffer no loan nor mutiny bill to pafs, becaufe a coalition had been formed to feize upon the government.-Mr. Fox inftantly got up, and reprobated the indecency of the expreffion. Had it been applied to the oppofition of laft year, had they been faid to feize upon the government, when they cffected the removal of the then adminiftration, the right honourable gentleman would have readily expreffed his indignation; and yet that adminiftration had been re

moved exactly in the fame manner as the laft, viz. by the Houfe having declared their fenfe that the adminiftration ought not to continue any longer in office.

The debate was about to end, when Lord Newhaven begged to know of Lord John Cavendish to what amount of money he had received offers. Lord John replied, to the amount of 60,000,000l. but that of the perfons offering there were fome who offered millions, although he would not have given a guinea for their millions. The bill paffed in this reading without any amendment.

On Monday, April 28, Mr. T. Rous brought up the report of the felect Committee concerning the India indemnity and dividend; the amendments being read a firft time, the question was put, that they be read a fecond time.

Sir Cecil Wray objected to the mo◄ tion; it was paradoxical, he thought, that the Company fhould profefs to be diftreffed, as a ground to be enabled to borrow money, and at the fame time to defire permiffion to divide four per cent. for the laft half year. He should therefore, move that the words four per cent. be altered to three per cent.

Mr. Burke faid it was neceflary that the bill fhould pafs as fpeedily as poffible. He then read extracts from an intended report of the Select Committee, relating to Bengal. He complained loudly of the ravages and boodshed committed by the Company's fervants, declaring that robbery and rapine formed their eftablished fyftem. The Mahrattas had refufed to be robbed, and war was made against them. The famine at Madrafs was owing to the English government in India. The princes and princeffes of India had been barbarously treated and,defpoiled. He frequently alluded to Mr. Hattings, hinting that a report of the Select Committee, not yet publifhed, would bring to light many inftances of criminality in which that gentleman was concerned. He faid that the private loan made in Eengal of 800,cool. was a plain proof that the Company no longer exified; and that their commerce was only used

as

as a means of accumulating private fortunes for individuals, whilst the Company was in a state of bankruptcy at

home.

Commodore Johnstone replied to Mr. Burke. The bill, he faid, was a bill founded in reason, neceffity, and juftice; it was brought in on a compromife with the Lords of the Treafury. Mr. Burke's humanity ran away with him; in the career of his eloquence he was accustomed to inflame while he was defcribing; a great deal of what he had faid was mere declamation. In regard to Mr. Haftings having borrowed for the Company 800,cool. in Bengal. Was the right honourable gentleman apprized of the extent and population of Calcutta? Did he know that it contained above 500,000 fouls? 800,cool. was a fmall fum to be raifed in Calcutta alone, much lefs in the whole Bengal government. The famine at Madrafs was owing to the manner in which the enemy made war; they fpread defolation wherever they went. He did not believe there had been any murder for above a century, except in one fingle inftance. He quoted Lord Macartney's letter, to thew that the French and Heider Ali felt the famine much more feverely. The harsh language with regard to Mr. Haflings ought not to have been held during his abfence. Were Mr. Haftings prefent he was confident he would hear no more of it, and that for two reafons; he was perfuaded Mr. Haftings would give a ready anfwer to every accufation, and he was fure he would not bear to be talked to in fuch grofs and harsh terms. Loofe accufation, accompanied with illiberal abufe, was particularly unjuftifiable in the abfence of the party accufed. The right honourable gentleman ought to have produced his tremendous report. Until he did fo, all general accufation would pafs with every candid man, both within and without doors, for mere declamation. The right honourable gentleman had a way of colouring things very high; he had once feen the captive loyalifts of Lord Cornwallis's army hanging on the trees along the coaft of Virginia, and yet not one of them was put to death.

At another time he had heard of dreadful cruelties exercifed under General Grey, but he himfelf was in America at the time, and had heard nothing of thofe cruelties. The Commodore added, that he had no partiality for Mr. Haftings; on the contrary, there were caufes of quarrel between his relations and Mr. Haftings's; but the cause of his ftanding up his advocate, was his wonderful exertions to preserve our poffeffions in India, under uncommon difficulties. The right honourable gentleman was always talking of the reformation that was to come, like a dwarf who terrifies folks by announcing the approach of a mighty giant; if the right honourable gentleman was the dwarf on the battlements of the giant's caftle, he wished he would ftep in and prevail on him to come forth.

Mr. Burke faid, that if he held unparliamentary language, he might be called to account in a parliamentary way; if called to account out of the House, he would answer in a way becoming a gentleman; but no bullying, nor threats, nor danger, should ever prevent him from doing his duty; and he pledged himfelf to the Houfe, that he would bring to juftice, as far as in him lay, the greateft delinquent India ever faw. He was juftified by the forty-five refolutions of the Secret Committee, in holding this language in regard to Mr. Haftings, whom the Houfe had already fo far cenfured, as to refolve that he fhould be brought home to stand his trial.

Commodore Johnftone denied that he meant to threaten Mr. Burke, but repeated, that it was ungenerous to attack Mr. Haftings, in his abfence, with fo much afperity. Mr. Burke replied again, that he wifhed Mr. Haftings prefent, but that the honourable Commodore was one of those who occafioned his abfence, The amendments were then read a fecond time, when Sir Cecil Wray's motion was negatived.

On Wednesday, April 30, the Houfe of Commons refolved itself into a Committee on "The bill for punithment of idle and diforderly perfons, taken with the implements for houfe

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