HISTORY OF EUROPE.

the greateft difpatch. It did not, however, pafs without oppolition; though, as in the other houfe, the opponents were few. A noble duke, who had long been dillinguilhcd in oppofition, and who of late had applied himfelf with uncommon induliry to obtain a perfect know- ledge of India aliiairs, traverlied this bill with great vigour and al- mofl: alone, for the {hart time in which it was pulling through its feveral fiages. As the bill was brought in on a Saturday, and a report was fpread in the evening, and inferted in the news-papers, that it had been carried that day through its lat’: reading, (a matter, however ‘uncommon, which was readily believed) the India Cotn— pany had not time to go through the neceffary forms, for aiiembling in its corporate capacity, and fram- ing and preienting a petition, be- fore the following Wednefday, on which it was finally paiied. A pe- tition ligned by 14 proprietors W38, however, received, and witnefles were examined, and counfel heard at the bar againil: the bill.

We (hall take notice of fome of the arguments that were ufed upon this occafion, {o far as they were peculiar to the place, or may feem to throw new light upon the {ub- jeft. As the Houfe of Lords is slofe fhut, we are obliged for the arguments of the minority in that houfe to their protefis; thofe o the minifiry we mull: fuppofe nearly the fame with tliofe ufed in the Houfe of Commons. lt was urged againlt ‘the bill, that the arbitrary staking away oflegal franchifes and capacities, without any legal caufe of forfeiture, eftablilhes a prece- dent, which leaves no fort 0F fecu- ,rity to thefubjetft for his liberties ;

Fro!»- XVI-

W! fince his exercifing them in the firictell conformity to all the rule: oflaw, general equity, and moral conduct, is not furiicient to prevent parliament from interefiing its lo- vereigzi powers to diveli him 0F tlioie nights; by means of which, inlecurity, the honourable djllinc- tion between the Britilh, and other forms of government, is in a great meafure loll; that this misfortune is greatly growing upon us, through, temporary, Qccaiional, and partial afls of parliament, which, without confideration of their conformity to the general principles of our law and coniltitution, ‘are adopted raflily and haiiily upon every petty occafion; that though it may be difficult to fix any legal limit to the extent of legifiative power; it is to be fuppofed, that pirliament is as much bound as any individual to the obfervance of its own com- pacis ; or otherwife it is impofiible to underfiand what public faith means, or how public credit can. fulilili.

That the India Company mighy have been legally called in quell tion, and even its charter Cndug» gered, for a neg1e§t of exercifing thole necelliary powers with which it is entrulled, and the ufe of which it is now propofed to fufpend ; and that it mufl: be a government corn- pofed of deceit and violence, where men are liable to be punilhed if they decline, or to be refirainedg if

‘they endeavour, to exercife their

lawful powers. That it appears by evidence, upon oath at the bar, that the Company had been au- thoritatively informed, that the commiflion for regulating their ail fairs would have been approved of by adminiliration; and that their lituation was peculiarly unfortu-

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