THE Conduct of the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been attacked without any reafon whatfoever; for that Gentleman' has acted with the greatest candour respecting the new Taxes. The complaints of the pooreft individual have been liftened to with the utmost attention and tenderness; and at present there is without doors a deputation from the Hatters, whose case has been attended to with the fame regard as that of the first Peer in the land. The Right Honourable Chancellor of the Exchequer has conducted himself with great philanthropy and candour; for he has, with a liberality which will ever do him honour, relinquished the Tax upon Coals, because he found that it was particularly obnoxious to the People. Confidering these facts, therefore, it can hardly be infinuated, in the most diftant manner, that the complaints of the People have not been attended to: and to my knowledge there are many others, whofe cafes are at prefent in contemplation. It must be evident to every Gentleman of this House, that the exigencies of the State must be provided for; and I imagine, that all will confefs, the Right Honourable Gentleman alluded to has acted with great caution and circumspection in respect to the new Taxes; and has discharged the trust repofed in him with fidelity to his Sovereign and his Country. There are feveral other Taxes, befides that on coals, which, I could inform the House, he intends to abandon, and fubftitute other Duties in their place, equally productive, I hope, but more confonant to the difpofition of the People. The propriety, however, of the alterations alluded to, will, on a future day, come before the House, when Gentlemen may affent or object to the measures; but I affure the Houfe, that it is the intention of the prefent Adminiftration, to conduct themselves with that propriety and decorum which will put malevolence at defiance; and while they difcharge their duty with honour and fidelity to their country, they will at the fame time take care, that their operations and refolutions will give vigour and energy to their Mr. Rofe, July 15, 1784.

measures.

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WITH refpect to the fatal confequences to be expected from the increase of Indian wealth and influence in this House, and in this Country, I will quickly remove the apprehensions of the House and the Public, by oppofing a few fimple facts to unmeaning and unfounded affertions. Much has been faid of the influence of Mr. Haftings in this House and in this nation. I folemnly deny the fact, if it is meant to convey an infinuation of corrupt or improper influence: Mr. Hastings is as unconnected with the prefent as with the late Ministers. All I afk on the part of Mr. Haftings is justice, and I want neither favour nor protection from any man.. Much alfo has been faid of the influence of Eaft-Indians in general in this House. On a former occafion I partly refuted a calumny of this kind, by the beft poffible mode, by an appeal to facts. I now hold my hand a paper which contains an exact lift of all the civil fervants of the Company, appointed to Bengal in the last twenty-two years; and I hope that, with the remarks, will be received as part of my fpeech. They are in number five hundred and eight-of these, thirty-feven only have returned to England; one hundred and fifty are dead, and three hundred and twenty-one now, I hope, are alive there. Every Gentleman knows that Bengal is the place for acquiring fortunes; and if the Houfe will perufe the whole of this paper, calmly and coolly, they will be convinced that there is not the smallest foundation to apprehend thofe dreadful confequences which the Right Honourable Gentleman dreads, from the vast wealth and influence of Mr. Haftings, and other Eaft-India Gentlemen. I fhall beg the affiftance of the Honourable Gentleman, [Mr. Francis, who nodded affent] to refute the ridiculous ftories that are propagated. I know that they have not the fmalleft foundation in truth. The following paper is authentic.

VOL. I.

P

A Lift

A Lift of the Gentlemen appointed in the Civil Service of the Eaft-India Company in Bengal, from 1762 to 1784; fpecifying the number that have returned to England, who died in the country, or are now refident there.

Names of the Gentlemen who have been appointed to Bengal in the two and twenty years, and have returned to England.

There is not a more mistaken idea, than that which has been fo induftrioufly circulated and believed, of the rapid and enormous fortunes made by the Company's fervants in Bengal, This lift is warranted to be accurate, and it proves, that of five hundred and eight civil fervants, appointed in the 'laft twenty-two years, thirty-feven only have returned to this country; one hundred and fifty are gone from whence they can never return; and, according to every probable calculation, not thirty-feven of the three hundred and twenty-one now in Bengal, will return in the next ten years, with fortunes acquired in India: of the thirty-feven who have returned, not a

man has brought home an enormous fortune; many of them less than twenty thousand pounds, fome of them not a fhilling; nor has one fortune, to my knowledge, been rapidly acquired; and of the whole number, two only are Members of this Houfe.

The fortunes that have been acquired by military Gentlemen, who have gone out, or been appointed Cadets or Officers in Bengal, in the last twenty-two years, are ftill more inconfiderable. In that time, above one thousand two hundred Officers have been appointed in Bengal, but not thirty of the one thousand two hundred have returned with any fortunes at all; and two, Captain Wathenton and myfelf, have the honour to fit in this Houfe. Of this number, I know only five who have brought home above twenty thousand pounds; and many have returned with lefs than five thousand pounds. About thirty Officers have fince returned, being difabled by wounds or ill health, and have now a very bare fubfiftence from Lord Clive's military fund.

That large fortunes have been acquired in Bengal no man will doubt; but the time is long fince paft. At the first revolution, in 1756, upon the English acquiring power in Bengal, and in confequence of the battle of Plaffey, fome very enormous fortunes were made.

Again, in the first acquifition of the Duannée, when the entire government of a great kingdom devolved upon a very few English Gentlemen, rapid and enormous fortunes were made by two or three of them; nor was it poffible it should be otherwife.

Our Commanders in Chief too, in thofe days, General Smith and Sir Robert Barker, acquired very large fortunes from the power and influence they enjoyed, by being conftantly at Allanabad with the King, or in the Vizier's country.

Again by the Treaty of 1775, with the prefent Vizier, the entire management of Oude fell (as Mr. Haftings foretold it would) into the hands of the refident at his Court. This

was