.bill had been brought in
purpofe in the preceding feflion,»

HISTORY OF EUROPE.

[*79

there was not‘, occafion for the in- were to be made by the fele& com-

terpolition of parliament; if there
was,‘how could the Company pre-
tend to act independent of them,
after it had applied for relief to
the miniller? if there was not, why
did they apply I’

On the other fide it was ob-
ferved, that parliamentary inter-
pofition had hitherto been attended
with very little advantage to the
Company. That the laft parlia-
ment -had undertaken, in the year
1767, the regulation of their af-
fairs, and after {pending the greater
part of the feflion upon that buli-
nefs, the refult was, the extortion
of a vall fum of money from the
Company without an equivalent,
and the leaving their affairs to lhift
for themfelves, without the fmalieit
regulation; that their affairs had
fince continued open to parliament,
without any thing being done, but
the‘ making or renewing of bar-
gains for the benefit of govern-
ment, without the fmallcii atten-
tion t.o that of the Company; that
a feleél committee had been ap-
pointed in the preceding feifton,
which had continued its fittings
throughout the fummer, and it
was not pretended that the Com-
pany had reaped any advantages
from them ; and that a fecret com-
mittee had newly llarted up, the
benefits of which were yet to be
difcovered, as nothing but com-
plaints had hitherto attended its
proceedings. That if the Com-
pany was not armed with fuflicient
powers, fpr the punilhmcnt of its
fervants and the regulation of its
governments in India, the fault
lay wholly in adminillration, as a
lor that

which was laid by, under pretence
0f Waiting for the difcovcries that

mittec.

That the evils apprehended, from
the extraordinary powers of the
fupervilion falling into the hands
of the oFFenders in India, were
merely imaginary; the Company
had well forcfeen, and effectually
provided againlt thole evils, in the
body of the commiilion; no at} of
the fuper-vifion can be valid, with-
out the prefence of three of the
commifiioners; the firfi ofthefe is
to have the cafiing voice, and they
are to be aliilted by the governor,
commander in chief, and fecond
in council, only as inferior aflcf-
fors; and the fupervilors have
power, if they fee caufe, to dif-
mifs the governor and the whole
council, and have a power of con-
troul in all cafes.

That if the particular intercfls
of the Company were conflicted
as matters of indifierence, the great
revenues and immenfe benefits it
afforded to the iublic were not
to be wantonly {parted with; that
as the reliraint in tile bill was laid
for fix months, and the iemlrti of
the year would of nccefiw cc‘: i-
nue it for fix more, twelve tvhole
months, in the prefent critical {late
of their affairs, would be tOtaliy
loll to the Company, before any
intended regulation, whether by
parliamenrt, or other-wile, could
pollibly take place; that this de-
lay might be productive cfthe molt
milchievous eri-“ect to the COmPn-‘tt’,
as the grievances and evils, winch
they wanted to renxcdy or prevent,
would have the accumulation c-f
all that time added u» their pre-
fentamount; and as the dcltgtl of
regulation would be ft- l-ng known
before hand to the oficndtrrs, they
would tzfe inch intiur. y in their fe-
veral tl<-p.trtn~::~.t~, t-zat there would

not