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the weaver complaining, fought the Fougedarry against the factory. By this fort of business the Aurung was thrown into confufion, every man being willing to keep what he had in advance, and it was impoffible for me to do otherwife than complain, for the Tannadars, the force of the country, were ordered to protect these my debtors against me, by which I lose fome 8 or 9,000 rupees, as these difputes were never fettled wholly.",

From the above information, I was enabled to confider the pretenfions of the different competitors for the labour of the manufacturer, and to estimate the impor tance of good administration. If the Company will not, at all events, provide advances for the manufacture, at proper times, and to certain amount, the country, as well as European traders, will fuffer. It is clear that if the power of arresting a debtor is withheld, and the power to appoint Mofufil to fecure advances is alfo forbidden, and an appeal to Adaulets and Fougedarries is made neceffary in every cafe, the merchant would be ruined; to

give the power to every merchant is impoffible; to give the power to certain claffes of merchants would inftitute petty monopolies, which would become great monopolies. The Company, to the extent of its advances, becomes entitled to the preference, because it can apply the revenue in aid to commerce, and to the well-being of the natives. It is not of importance to estimate the proportion of the manufacture which paft advances have covered, the irregular advances and demands of the Company enable very different statements to be made in different years; it cannot be difputed that manufactures can be pushed to any extent to which advances fhall be made, for cloth as well as for other manufactures and produce; but it is equally obvious, that the occaGional market, opened by an American or Imperial fhip, cannot be the foundation on which even fugars can enrich Bengal*; nor ought the agriculture to depend on fortunate contingency + of droughts

*Sketch of late Arrangements, p. 73.

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Malabar coaft; nor the falt diftricts or Sunderbunds of Bengal be deferted to extend the fale of bay falt from the coaft. It is known that competitions in the Mofuffil are not fo much with foreigners as with English under foreign names; these cafes may be all confidered independantly of each other: a very fimple addition to the regifter of the Company's commercial agent might complete a district register of all advances, and it would be to the advantage of foreigners and merchants often to fupply themfelves from the Company's warehouses, at a fixed per centage on the Aurung coft and charges, in lieu of intereft of money, lofs, &c. The only requifite checks appear to be, an immediate control of the exports by the Supreme Board; an abfolute prohibition to the Comptroller and, his deputy engaging in any fort of inland trade; and a general prohibition to the indire& trade of the Company's revenue fervants, and to the commercial agents' trade in those articles which compofe his provifion for the Company, under pain of immediate difmiffion of the fervice; to infift on balances being paid in

no other way than by the articles contracted for; and to give weavers, not under advances, the option of their employer.

The delays of weavers are not always fraudulent, fometimes to enfure fubfiftence they will lend to the Reyuts: thofe who have not Tuccavee, or advances, muft borrow of Shroffs or of manufacturers, and the manufacturers often receive 24 per cent. per month if they can delay their contract. The compofition of balances has proved in all periods and in all branches of management, the fource of oppreffion and peculation; before the Company's adminiftration, the Rajah of was kept up to his chin in ordure to make him pay his balance; he held out till his Vakeel returned from Delhi, where, by a bribe of 19 lacks he avoided paying 45 lacks. Renters now employ agents to gain allowances, or to fuffer punishment for delays; and inftances have been ftated to me of an agent having fubmitted to several floggings before he produced the required payment from his girdle of which his employer had feed him to fue the remiffion; none of

thefe abufes and horrors need exift under a fimple fyftem: to perpetuate unequal affeffment and ignorance of internal management, is in fact to perpetuate peculation; and partial reforms are both ineffectual and oppreffive. I may include what is farther neceffary to be confidered in an attempt to fimplify the fyftem in fome obfervations on

MONOPOLY.

SALT, the firft article fo denominated, has always been the fource of opulence to individuals or to Government; it is ftated to have been a monopoly, better controlled for the benefit of the people by the Mogul, than by the British Government*; the Zemindars appear to have had the management of the Mahals in their districts, for on that title the Company began their claims, and resumed them on the principle of engroffing every ftage of profit, even to affect the hereditary employment of falt

* Bolt, Vol. I. p. 174.

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