forces in that ifland, in oppofition to the Prince of Villa Franca, who the people had earnestly requested, to have been nominated to that employment. The marshal arrived at Palermo at the end of the year, with two weak battalions, confifting only of feven hundred men; and was received in that city with

all the honours due to his rank & but his foldiers were not admitted, and are obliged to lodge in the fuburbs. Thus the affairs of Sicily, and the fate of Palermo, hang fill in the fame ftate of apprehenfion and uncertainty, in which they have continued for fome months.

HE time that elapfed during Tthe recefs of parliament, was not productive of any public events either foreign or domeftic, that materially affected the interefts of this country. The negociations that were carried on at Foczani gave room to hope for the concluhon of a peace between the belligerent powers; and if it proved otherwife, there was no reason to imagine, from what had hitherto appeared, that we had any intention to be involved in the confequences of the war, unless fome very extraordinary change took place both as to its nature and extent, which was not yet to be forefeen.

At home, administration had carried every thing with fuch irrefiftible force in the last feffion, that oppofition feemed to be reduced to little more than a name; and could afford only a weak and unavailing diffent, to measures which it was

not capable of impeding: whilft its meinbers were weary of fruitless exertions, in which the inequality was fo great as fcarcely to admit of a struggle. In this ftate of things, it feemed as if nothing but difunion or intrigue in the cabinet, was capable of obftructing the views, or endangering the fecurity of the minifter; and these, if there were fuch, were not of a fufficient magnitude-to anfwer either of those purposes.

With respect to parties, the re. mains of the old whig and revolu tion intereft, which we have already frequently taken notice of, under the name of the Rockingham party, although there were fome actual defertions from them, and a doubtful appearance in a few of those that remained, they were, in the main, rather better united than the reft. They, in general, continued pertinaceoufly in their old oppofition, to the fyftemand.

measures

mealures of the court, and firm in the fupport of their leader. The party which is thought particularly attached to Lord Chatham, did not feem much nearer to a political arrangement with adminiftration; though they agreed with them in many of the measures, or at leaft in fome parts of many of the meafures of this feffion. This circumftance added extremely to the weaknefs of oppofition. We have formerly fhewn, that several of the late Mr. Grenville's friends, foon after his decease, went over to the court; fome of them, however, have till continued on their old ground, and have accordingly acted occafionally with the other parties who diffent from adminiftration.

In this ftate of fecurity, no change had taken place in adminiftration, which could either affeat its internal ftrength, or its outward conduct. The Earl of Hillsborough, indeed, Aug. 14th, had refigned his office 1772. of fecretary of state for the American department, together with his feat at the head of the board of trade, both of which were bestowed on the Earl of Dartmouth, who upon this occafion quitted his old friends in oppofition. This refignation was not, however, the effect of any difference with the court; that nobleman having quitted his places in great good humour, and being immediately after promoted to an English Earl. dom. But as thofe measures, which had caufed the greatest diflike and uneafinefs in the colonies, had originated in Lord Hillsborough's adminiftration, this change was by many confidered as conciliatory with refpect to America. This was the more believed, as both

Lord Dartmouth's private character and public conduct had given a fanction to the opinion; he always had acted with thofe gentlemen who repealed the ftamp act, and had fince oppofed every other mode of taxation in the colonies; his appointment was therefore confidered as a prelude to a change in American politics. But it seems that the general fyftem of adminiftration has overborne any particular diffent, and that the plan of American government continues without any alteration from the changes in office.

Some other changes which af terwards took place, had as little effect upon the general fyftem of government. The Earl Oct. 9th. of Harcourt fucceeded Lord Townfend in the government of Ireland, and the latter was appointed mafter - general of the ordnance; the death of the Earl of Albemarle afforded an opportunity for promoting General Conway to the government of the ifland of Jerfey; and Sir Jeffrey Amherst, who fucceeded him in the ordnance, was foon afterwards called to the privy-council. Lord Stormont was appointed ambassador extraordinary at the court of Verfailles, in the room of the Earl of Harcourt; and, upon the death of the Earl of Litchfield, Lord Edgecumbe having got the band of gentlemen penfioners, Mr. Jenkinfon was appointed a joint vicetreasurer of Ireland in his ftead, and Mr. Charles Fox a Lord of the treafury, in the room of the latter.

The Eaft-India Company had long been amongst the firit and moft delicate objects of government. From the time that their

affairs

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affairs were first intoduced into parliament in the year 1767, the idea of bringing the business of that company under the immediate infpection of the officers of the crown, had rather been fufpended than abandoned. The difficulties, however, attending this fcheme, and the large fum of money by which the refpite was purchafed from government, rendered admimistration rather fupine on that fubject for feveral years; until the impoffibility of the annual payment to the ftate, and the annual increased dividend to the proprietors, rouzed both proprietors and minifters out of their lethargy, caused the fharpeft diffenfions amongst the former, and animated the latter to the profecation of their original scheme of deriving power to themselves, out of the innumerable diforders of the company.

The abuses both abroad and at home were great and serious. In feveral things the form of the company's government ftood in need uf correction. Many thought that the conduct of individuals ought to be diligently enquired into, their valt wealth confifcated for the national benefit, and fevere punishment inflicted, as an example to those who fhould hereafter be entrusted with fuch power, under fuch temptations to abufe it. To all this was added, the clamour raifed by the difcontent of all thofe who, at any time, had any difcuffions with the company abroad or at home, and which was propagated in various publications, with a degree of activity hardly credible. It is not improbable that in thefe paffionate accounts, the mifconduct of the company's fervants, and of the company itfelf, was

Indeed there is no form of government fo happily framed, nor ftate of human nature fo perfect, in which the power, opulence, territorial poffeffions, and revenues of that company, would not have excited the avarice and ambition of their rulers, as well as the envy and jealoufy of their equals. Mankind will prescribe bounds to wealth, as they would to happiness, if nature had not done it for them; and the continence of power will be confidered as more than human, when it can refift the temptations offered by riches, dominion, and patronage.

We have formerly fhewn how the violence and interefted views of parties among themselves, first laid open the affairs of the company to the public, and drew the attention of the then administration upon them; we have also seen the confequent measures that were parfued, for the obtaining of a participation of their revenues, until the company were under a neceffity of fubmitting to the payment of the amazing fum of four hundred thousand pounds annually to government. The company were at that time encumbered with an enormous load of debts, both in Europe and in Afia, nor were they long enough acquainted with their new acquifitions, to obtain a clear knowledge of their net revenues; it would therefore feem that nothing but a false estima

tion of their own ftrength, operating with the immediate dread of power, on the one fide, and an impatient avidity, incompatible with true policy, on the other, could have induced the former to grant, or the latter to require, any participation in their revenues, until thofe debts were reduced to a moderate fize, and the true condition of the Company known.

The event has too fully juftified this opinion; and we have feen the Company, in the course of a very few years, brought to the brink of bankruptcy and ruin, in confequence of various mifmanagements of their fervants, various miftakes of the proprietors of that Company, and various errors of adminiftration, and even of par. liament. For though the revenues of Bengal and its dependencies are very great, the stated and certain difbursements, exclufive of contingencies, are alfo very confiderable; of which the tribute to the Mogul, and the ftipends to the nominal nabob, his duan, and other great officers, amount to about one million fterling annually, befides the expences of collection. A great military force, of near 30,000 men, muft alfo be kept up as a matter of neceffity; and the civil eftablishments, from the nature and diftance of the countries, the temper and manners of the people, with other circumstances, muft of courfe run very high.

To this it may be added, that however great the opulence of Bengal might be, yet as it was not founded upon any inherent treasure in mines, but depended folely upon the labour and induftry of the people, upon commerce, manufactures, and agriculture, it VOL. XVI.

This

cannot be fuppofed that it could long bear the fending of between feven and eight hundred thousand pounds ferling of its capital flock, annually out of the country, without a poffibility of its return. was however the cafe at prefent, the tribute paid to the Mogul, and the fum to the government here, being to that amount. With this enormous waste of its treafure, Bengal was alfo cbliged to furnish the Company's investments for China in filver, at the fame time that its ancient and abundant fources for that commodity from Europe were very much diminished by the change of government and property. It appears then upon the whole, that with the best management and the greatest œconomy, the Company was not, with juftice to itself and its creditors, equal to the payment of that fum to government, to fay nothing of its increafe of dividend, .

It must however be acknowledged, that œconomy was not practied, and that through the rapacity and misconduct of the Company's fervants, great diforders prevailed in the conduct of their affairs. It is faid, that expenfive wars had been wantonly entered into, and fhamefully conducted, to gratify the avarice and interefted views of individuals. Vaft fums were allo charged to have been lavished upon fortifications, which were either, unneceffary, or of fuch an extent, that the number of troops requifite for their defence, would always be fufficient to command the field in that country. Such works are frequently converted into jobs in all countries; but in this inftance, it is probable, they may be confidered merely as fuch. [E]

Num

Numberless other grievous complaints were made, many of which, it is to be feared, were too well founded. Pernicious and oppreffive monopolies where established; and much wrong and oppreffion was practifed by individuals, in countries where the name of an European was fufficient to authorize any act of injustice to the natives. It could not even be hoped, that courts and governments, any more than particular perfons, were undeferving of cenfure, at fuch a distance from any controul, and in a fituation, in which an immenfe fortune was a fure justification of the means by which it was acquired.

It was to remedy fome of thofe evils, and to prevent others, that the three unfortunate gentlemen, who are too justly fuppofed to have perished on board the Aurora, were fent out in the year 1769, as fupervifors to India. The fate of these gentlemen, was undoubtedly one of the greatest misfortunes that could have befallen the Company. They must have remedied many evils; and if it were admitted that they might have created fome, ftill the benefits would have been great; but in no inftance of fo much confequence, as in removing the pretences for that fatal interference, which, through the misconduct of its fervants, government has fince affumed in the affairs of the Company.

During this ftate of diforder and misconduct abroad, the Company was agitated. by violent difputes. It was neceffary to communicate with government, to whom the non-payment of the four hundred thousand pounds annually was to be accounted for, and where for

bearance, at least, if not affiftance, was to be demanded. The directors, and a ftrong body of the proprietors, were in a continual state of hoftility. The former were charged with acting immediately under the influence of the court, to which it was faid they expofed the affairs, and facrificed the interefts of the Company; and indeed it appeared in fome inftances, that they had either been impofed upon. themselves, by the ambiguous expreffions and conduct of the minifter, or that they joined in the deception of their conftituents.

Though the Company had been drawn into the hands of adminiftration, and their affairs under the cognizance of parliament, fo early as the year 1767, nothing had been done in all this time towards their regulation or fettlement, except the reftricting of their dividends, refcinding their acts, and the obtaining from them, without any vifible equivalent, immenfe fums of money, which were far beyond their abilities. No order was taken, conformable to the amazing change in their condition, for the regulation or government of their new acquifitions; nor no new powers of controul lodged in their hands, to

counterbalance the immense trufts which they were now under a neceffity of repofing in their fervants; nor to reftrain or prevent thofe evils which muft naturally attend the quick tranfition, from the management of a countinghoufe to the government of an empire.

While the many were furprized at this apparent inattention to matters of the utmost importance to the nation, fome of those who were the most versed in political man

œuvres,