committee acted, alfo underwent We have already taken notice, that a fevere examination; by the letter he came over to the English army of inftructions from the directors, foon after the battle of Buxar. their power of acting was limited In confequence of this meafure, and to the duration of the troubles in of the perfevering obftinacy of the country, and was then to ceafe Sujah Doula, the council at Caland determine; now, as the oppo- cufta had entered into engage. fite party faid, that the troubles ments with the Mogul, to put him were entirely over before the letter in poffeflion of that Nabob's domiof inftructions arrived, or the com- nions. mittee was formed, they urged ftrongly from thence, that the powers under which they pretended to derive an authority never exifted. The committee, entirely regardless of these charges, exerted their authority to the full extent; making little or no ufe of the council, whom they fometimes acquainted with tranfactions; but without licence to give any opinion upon them. In the mean time, Lord Clive had gone to the army at Eliabad, with full powers from the felect committee, to him and General Carnac, to conclude a peace with Sujah Doula. We have before taken notice, that the Mogul was at this time under the English protection. This Prince, whom the reader will recollect to have formerly known by the title of Shah Zadah, which fignifies The Prince, had, upon the death of the Mogul his father, who was murdered at Delhi, taken upon himself the title of Mogul, and fought the affiftance of Sujah Doula, whom he conftituted his vizier, to reco. ver the throne of his ancestors. In thefe circumftances, when Sujah Doula undertook the Bengal expedition, he was obliged to accompany him, though much againft his inclination and opinion, as appeared by feveral of his letters to the English commanding officers. Upon Lord Clive's arrival in the camp, he foon difcerned the labyrinth in which the company's affairs were likely to be involved; he found that the fuccefs of our arms promifed nothing but future wars; that to ruin Sujah Doula, was to break down the ftrongest barrier the Bengal provinces could have against the invafions of the Marattas, Aufghums, and other powers, who had fo long defolated the northern provinces. The Mogul, whofe caufe the company were fupporting, was found utterly incapable of collecting the revenues of Sujah Doula's country, without the affiftance of their whole force. Their connection with the Mogul could not have ended here; they muft have proceeded with him to Delhi, and have established his authority in the empire. To prevent all thefe inconveniencies, Lord Clive found it neceffary to refiore his country to Sujah Doula, who alone was capable of maintaining it, to fatisfy the Mogul, by obtaining a more ample revenue for him, which might furnish him with the means of raifing an army to march to Delhi to take poffeffion of the capital of his empire; and to obtain for the company from his Majefty, the office of King's Duan for Bengal, and the provinces belonging to it. For For the better understanding of this paffage, it will be neceflary to oblerve, that by the original confiitution of the empire of Indoftan, the offices of Nabob and Duan were entirely diftinct authorities; that of the Nabob was chief civil governor, and commander of the troops, with a jaghire, or eftate annexed to the office, as a falary; but no power to difpofe of any other branch of the revenues. The office of Duan was to receive the revenues, and account for them to the emperor. Since the irrecoverable ftroke, which the Mogul family had received, by the invafion of Thamas Kouli Kan, most of the diftant and powerful Nabobs, among whom were thofe of Ben, gal, had in a great measure thrown off all fubjection to them, and feized the revenues of their refpective provinces. By this revolution the Duanage became annexed to the Nabobhip, and the Duan was the Nabob's creature and prime minifter. The treaty was concluded upon the foregoing principles, and Sujah Doula was again put in poffeftion of his dominions, except a fmall territory which was referved to the Mogul, and which was eftimated at 20 lacks of rupees yearly, or 2 0,000l. fterling. The Mogul conftituted the company his perpetual Duans of the Bengal provinces, for which they are to pay him 26 lacks of rupees yearly, amounting in English money to 325,000L fterling. The company engage themselves to pay to the Nabob of Bengal, for the expences of the civil government, and for the fupport of his dignity, 53 lacks of rupees yearly, amounting in English money to 662,5001. fterling. The remainder of the revenues of Bengal are allotted to the company, for their expences in fupporting armies to protect the country. The Nabob and his minifters are to have the collection of the revenues, but accountable for them to the company, as holding the office of King's Duan. The company alfo guaranty the territories which Sujah Doula and the Mogul are at present in poffetiion of. There are, befides, fome articles in favour of the company's inland trade, &c. By these measures, the Mogul had a certain revenue fecured; Sujah Doula, whofe abilities we were fenfible of, from an implacable enemy, is, by every tie of gratitude and intereft, fecured as a friend; and the Nabob of Bengal is put in that fituation, which, by the conftitution of the empire, he is entitled to. The great advantages accruing to the company in confequence of this treaty, will appear from the words of the Noble Lord, whom we have fo often mentioned, and who concluded it. He fays, that "the company will thereby be in poffeffion of a clear yearly revenue, exempt from all charges, expences, and deductions whatsoever, amounting to 1,700,000l. fterling a-year." Others, who, perhaps, had not fo good an opportunity of being matters of the fubject, as his Lordfhip, have increased the estimation of the clear yearly revenues to two millions fterling, and upwards. In whatever point of view we confider thefe acquifitions, whether as national, or as regarding the company only, they must be looked upon as of the greatest importance; and must be fuppofed to have a great weight in the future political, as well as commercial, fyftem of of the nation. The fecurity and permanence which the company are like to acquire, in confequence of this treaty, is not among the fmalleft of the advantages belonging to it. As they are now to be confidered as a part of the empire, depending only on the Mogul, whofe intereft it is, as far as lies in his power, to fupport them; as they are now allowed a large revenue, to enable them to fupport a force, fufficient for their protection; they are no longer liable to become victims to the avarice or caprice of the Nabobs. There is another capital advantage expected, and which has been already in part experienced, in confequence of this fettlement: viz. that proper investments are to be made from Bengal to China, for the payment of the great balance that is always against us upon that trade; whereby that country will be prevented from being any longer the drain of moft of the filver we acquire by all our other commerce. The great advantages that were fecured by this treaty, did not prevent its being feverely animadverted on, as well as the makers of it, by the difcontented party in Bengal. It was faid, that by breaking the former treaty made with the Mogul, whereby he was to have been put in poffeffion of all Sujah Doula's dominions, the national faith and honour, as well as that of the company, which had been ever held fo facred in that part of the world, was entirely forfeited. That by the ftrength which the Mogul would have gained by that acquifition, his dominions would have been a powerful and lafting barrier to ours; as the advantages he drew from our pof feffion of Bengal, would ever bind his friendship, and affure us of his defence. On the contrary, that we have now restored to power and opulence Sujah Doula, an able, warlike, and politic prince; our natural enemy, and a mortal one to the Emperor; to whom he can never forgive the agreement he entered into with us, for taking poffeffion of his country. That the Emperor is now, as well by fituation as otherwife, in fo weak a condition, his dominions being almoft furrounded by thofe of Sujah Doula, that we are obliged to be at the expence of keeping an army at his capital for his protection against him: that Sujah Doula, by being put in poffeffion of all the fortreffes and the intermediate country between the Mogul's dominions and ours, muft have the most obvious advantages over both him and us, in cafe of a war. That by being guarantees both of the Mogul's and Sujah Doula's dominions, as well as by the immediate and continual protection which we are obliged to afford the former, there is a foundation laid for continual wars, and diftant military expeditions; which may in time, prove the ruin of the company's affairs, and the total deftruction of the fettlement. That Major Monro might long before have made a peace upon as good terms; but that it was infifted on as a previous condition, that Someraw, the murderer of 72 English gentlemen, and Coffim Aly, the author of the war, fhould have been delivered up: and that by departing from those requifitions, the national honour and juftice are again betrayed. We fhall not attempt to anticipate the judgment of our readers, by by pretending to determine, how far these observations are founded on facts and juftice; or how far they may be fuppofed to proceed from private pique, ro party refentment. We learn at prefent from India, that Lord Clive has put the troops in that country upon a new footing. His Lordfhip has given orders to build barracks for them in proper places. He has alfo divided them into three parts, each of which is to confift of one regiment of European infantry, one company of artillery, and feven battalions of Seapoys, each battalion to confift of feven hundred rank and file. One of thefe divifions is to be ftationed at Eliabad, a fecond at Patna, and the third at or near Calcutta. CHAP. VI. Diftreffed fate of the nation and colonies: both involved in the greatest diffi culties by the new laws refpecting the colonies. Critical fituation of the miniftry. State of parties. A powerful oppofition formed. Parliament meets. The king in his speech takes particular notice of the American affairs. Addreffes thereon. Both houfes adjourn for the holidays. AT T the conclufion of our laft volume, we saw the nation involved in the most diftrefsful circumftances that could well be imagined; our manufacturers at a ftand, commerce almost totally annihilated, provifions extravagantly dear, and a numerous populace unemployed, without the means of procuring a livelihood. Such, and fo gloomy was the profpect that opened at home upon us along with the year: nor did the view become more pleafing by extending it across the Atlantic, where the colonies exhibited nothing but fcenes of anarchy and confufion; where licentioufnefs was carried almoft to the highest pitch that it could poffibly admit, without alfuming another name: whilft the profligate and abandoned (as is ufually the cafe in civil commotions) under the fpecious pretext and mask of liberty, and the common cause, gave a loose to their own unruly paffions, and commit ted all thofe exorbitances which the vulgar are fo prone to, when under any pretence they are allowed to aflemble in bodies, and through any relaxation of the laws, they have not the fears of immediate punishment upon them. We have before obferved, that thofe of an higher rank amongst them did not take any pains to allay the ferment; it is probable, that many of the more ferious of them condemned in their own minds feveral acts that were committed; but did not think proper to damp a fpirit, which, however irregularly or improperly exerted, they perhaps at that time thought it conducive to their defigns to keep alive. But though a violent refentment fupported the fpirit of the colonists, they could not but fenfibly feel the inconveniencies which an entire ftoppage of trade muft occafion among a people who had hitherto fubfifted by commerce. However, their warehouses were full of British British goods, for which they had not paid. And the many refources of fo vaft an extent of country, abounding in the most effential ar ticles of life, prevented them from feeling fo much immediate diftrefs, as our own manufacturers and labouring poor at home. It must be obferved, that the enormous fums owing to our mer chants, in the colonies, added greatly to the difficulties the public were under, and feverely affect ed the trading and manufacturing part of the community. Thefe debts, amounting to feveral millions fterling, the Americans abfolutely refufed to pay, pleading in excufe their utter inability: which plea, it appears, the merchants admitted to be reafonable. As the nation was never perhaps in a more critical fituation, fo of confequence no adminiftration ever had greater difficulties to encounter than the new one. They were under an immediate neceflity of enforcing the ftamp-act by fire and fword, or elle of moving its immediate repeal in parliament. In the former cafe, though there was no doubt of the ability of Great Britain to crush, or even extirpate the colonies; yet fuch a decifion, if not looked upon as abfolute fuicide, muft at least be confidered as making use of one arm to cut off the other. Fatal were the confequences, which it was foreseen and foretold would attend fuch an attempt, and it was obvious, that if fuch confequences fhould enfue, the firft framers and promoters of the obnoxious laws, would have been entirely forgot in the general odium and execration, which would have fallen folely upon the minifters, who, by enforcing fuch ruinous meafures, had wrought the destruction of their country. On the other hand, if the aft fhould be repealed, a colourable appearance was not wanting to charge them with facrificing the dignity of the crown, together with the honour and interest of the nation, to their own irrefolution, or elfe to a caufelefs animofity, which it would be faid they bore to their predeceffors, and a blind oppofition to all their measures. The lofs of their illuftrious friend and patron, the Duke of Cumberland, feemed at this nice period to be truly critical to the miniftry: his influence, his authority, his good fenfe, his patriotifm, and the high regard the public held him in, would have added greatly to their ftrength and fecurity. Thus fituated, they had an oppofition to encounter, confifting of gentlemen, feveral of whom had held the firft employments in the kingdom, and who, for abilities, experience, knowledge of bufinefs. property, and connections, were very refpectable, and therefore truly formidable. Some of thefe gentlemen seemed obliged in honour, as well as through opinion, and a fpirit of oppofition, to embark warmly in vindication and fupport of measures which had originally been their own, for which it may be fuppofed they had the natural partiality of a parent, and in defence of which they were determined to difpute every inch of ground with the miniftry. Some allo joined them through principle. They thought that the infolence of the Americans deferved chaftifement, where otherwife the hard |