nity in the eyes of the people *." After which the feal of the Company's Government bore an infcription, of which the following is a translation:

"The Magnificent Merchants of the Eaft-India Company; the Dewans of the Magnificent Provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa; Servants of the Bold King, Shaw Allum†.'

On the 30th September, 1765, Lord Clive had given an account of his fuccefs to the Directors; in which he clearly defines the conditions and the benefit of his

arangement. He fays, "The allowance for the fupport of the Nabob's dignity and power, and the tribute to his Majesty, must be regularly paid; the remainder belongs to the Company :" but, in May 1770, the Bengal Select Committee confidered the propriety of curtailing these allowances, on account of the famine. "It appearing

* Eaft-India Reports, Vol. II. p. 18.

+ Ibid. Vol. I. p. 161. A Short Hiftory of English Transactions from 1756 to 1763.

to the Committee highly neceffary and reasonable, that the tribute, ftipends, and all extraordinary iffues whatever, should give place to the more urgent calls of Government;" and the letter to Richard Becher, Efq. then Resident at the Durbar, convey the order: "With concern we obferve the great and alarming difproportion of your receipts to your disbursements; and, at the fame time, we lament the calamities of the country. In conjunctures like this, neceffity compells us to make the conveniences of dependants, and even the letter of engagements, fubfervient to the exigences of the state;" "It would be a ridiculous and unprecedented maxim to regard any tribute or ftipend before the support of our own Government; the exact fum which should be withheld from each article, we would not precisely determine, but we expect you will, at least, keep back 30 lacks, between this period and the 17th of October* ;" and the Directors in 1771 confirm this principle, and order

* Appendix, Report of Committee of Secrecy, 1772, No. 4.

SS

farther reduction of the Minifters' allowances. "At a time when every juftifiable measure should be adopted, for availing the public and the Company of all the advantages, we had in profpect, from the poffeffion of the Dewannee, we cannot but reflect on the diffipation of a confiderable part thereof by the allowances to the Nabob's Minifters, &c *."

Thefe inftances may fuffice. I fhall, however, add two obfervations which will farther illuftrate the circumftances of the provinces, at the periods feparately confidered in the preceding review of the financial arrangements of the Company.

When the East-India Company in 1698, afferted the pretenfions which Mr. Russell has revived, they informed Parliament, that, in fome royal charters, they had been denominated Lords Proprietors of Bombay and St. Helena, poffeffions vefted in the Crown, as Dower to the Queen of Charles the Second. The total produce of

* Appendix, Report of Committee of Secrecy, 1772, No. 2.

thofe fettlements and the factories of Fort George, Fort St. Davids, Bengal, Sumatra, and Perfia, including customs, and licences to fell fpirituous liquors, amounted 44,000l *.

In 1760 the Company's military and other charges in Bengal amounted to 200,000l. per annum, and their net revenue did not exceed 80,000l +.

In the present year, the net fum of the landed eftates and cuftoms of the Company, viz. Calcutta and its Pergunnahs, Madras and its fageer, the five Northern Circars, the Iflands of Bombay and St. Helena, Cuddalore, Pinang, and Bencoolen, are ftated by Mr. Ruffell and by Mr. Dundas § to produce a grofs income of 500,000l. a year, or 400,000l. a year net income, being at least 250,000l. a year,

* Parliamentary Debates, 1698, and Anderson's Hiftory of Commerce.

+ Vanfittart.

Short History, p. 36.

§ Parliamentary Debates, 1793, and Sketch of Mr. Dundas's Speech referred to, Introduction, p. xxxix.

after allowing its due proportion for the general defence. Mr. Ruffell confines his inquiry to the merits which relate to the town, port, and diftrict of Maffulipatam, and to the five Northern Circars, from a perfuafion that they will be found intrinfically of the first importance, among the other claims with which they are claffed and, because by an investigation and difcuffion of the merits whereon the legal right to these districts feem to depend, it is not improbable but fome rule or principle may be established with regard to all, or fome of the others *. Accordingly we find that the grofs rent of the Northern Circars is eftimated by Mr. .