769. The History of the laft Seffion of Parliament, &c. 605 The Hifiory of the Seffion of Parliament, which began Nov. 8, 1768, being the fecond Sef fion of the Thirteenth Parliament of Great-Britain; with an Account of all the maierial Queftions therein determined, and of the political Difputes thereby occafioned without Doors. Continued from p. 505. INDING it always moft agreeable to our readers to have the imporant questions of parliament feparately difcuffed, as they are much better able to judge upon a fingle point immediately before them, than when a matter comes complexively interwoven to their view with the wide variety of heteroge neous business that conftitutes the daily course of a session, we now proceed to the great agreement between the public and the directors of the Eaft India company; a subject of fuch confequence, whether confidered in a private light, or a national one, that we are not in the leaft furprized at the general ferment which it created through the kingdom. The increafing opulence of the EaftIndia company, had been for many years an object of very ferious reflection to government, and more than one of our minifters had beheld it with much envy, as the fpring of a very important revenue. However, as the company were by charter entitled to the poffeffion of an exclufive trade to the Eaft, for a limited term, and were befides a moft formidable enemy to provoke, none of our statesmen were hardy enough to lay them under contribution, till their own inteftine difputes, which quickly produced difputes between their governors, and the Afiatic princes, reduced them to a neceffity of applying to adminiftration for protection, and led their various factions to ftipulate for the influence of the Treasury in the immediate choice of their directors. In reality, the latter of the foregoing caufes was thought to operate more strongly in favour of government than the firit; for, unless the several factions by which the company was distracted, had more their own private emolu. ment at heart than the general profperity of their fellow proprietors, there would have been little occafion to pay an extraordinary fum for the national protection. The members of the comDec. 1769. pany, as fubjects of the state, were entitled to defence in common with all other fubjects: attacking the intereft of a part, was ultimately ftriking at the univerfal happiness of the Briti empire, and the fame motive which fhould induce us to defend our WeftIndia trade, or any other department of commercial connexion, was naturally to animate us for the fupport of a traffick to the Eaft-Indies. GreatBritain was to be the general guardian of her people; fhe was not to neglect the prefervation of particulars, because her whole dominions was unannoyed; nor while the Eat India company furnished their neceffary portion for the common good, were they to be loaded with additional burthens, becaufe they happened to be the only fuffering part of the community. If in times of danger, for instance, a defcent was made upon Ireland, or upon an American colony, we fhould order a proper force at once to the affistance of either; we should think our own intereft infeparably connected with the' intereft of the people aggrieved, and never once dream of calling upon them for more than the regular portion of what as individuals they were affefied to the state, on account of their being" only a part of our territories. From this fimple ftate of the queftion, we may easily conjecture that we are more indebted to the ambition of the Eaft-India company on the prefent occafion, than to their gratitude. Be this however as it may, we shall now proceed to the fact, and leave the motive to the confideration of our readers. On the 15th of March a petition of the court of directors for the affairs of the united company of merchants of England trading to the Eaft Indies, was prefented to the Houle of Commons, fetting forth that an act paffed in the seventh year of his present majefty's reign, eftablishing an agreement for the payment of the annual 4 H fum 606 The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament. fum of 400,000 l. for a limited time, by the East-India company, in respect of the territorial acquifitions and revenues lately obtained in the Eaft-Indies, having expired on the first day of February inftant; the faid united company, at feveral courts lately held, took into their confideration the terms and conditions for entering into a further agreement with the public, refpecting the aforefaid acquifitions and revenues; and the following queftion being propofed, was carried by a ballot held at the company's houfe in Leadenhall-street, on the 9th of this inftant February, viz. That it is the opinion of the general court, that the court of directors be empowered to make an agreement with the public on the terms and conditions mentioned in the propofitions now laid before the general court, and that the faid propofitions then laid before the general court were as follows: First, That 400,oool. a year be continued to the public for five years from the firft of February inftant. Secondly, That the company be at liberty to encreafe their dividend to twelve and an half per cent. during the faid term, fo as not to exceed one per cent. in any one year. Thirdly, That if the company fhall, during the faid term, be obliged to reduce their dividends, from any caufe whatfoever, in fuch cafe there shall be deducted, from the fum agreed to be paid for the ufe of the public, a fum equal to fuch reduction; and in like, manner, if the company's dividends, fhall at any time during the faid term be again raised, or reftored, the public fhall receive equal benefit; but if the faid dividends thall be reduced to fix per cent. then the payment to the pub. lic fhall be discontinued. Fourthly, That the company hall be obliged to export in every year during the continuance of this agreement, goods and merchandizes of the growth, produce, or manufacture, of Great Britain (military and naval fores excepted) of the like value as they fhall appear to have been exported annually on an average of five years preceding this agreement. Dec. ing intereft, and the reduction of the company's bond debt, to the debe which fhall be due from the public to the company, then fuch furplus fhall be lent to the public at two per cent. And the petitioners beg leave to submit the faid propofitions to the confderation of the House, as the terms and conditions for making a farther agreement between the public and the faid company, in respect to the territorial acquifitions and revenues lately obtained in the Eaft-Indies. Such be ing the company's petition, the Lord North acquainted the Houfe that his majefty having been informed of the contents, gave his consent as far as the royal intereft was concerned to the houfe, to act in the bufiness as their wisdom fhould direct. Accordingly, the affair was referred to a committee of the whole house, and on the 13th of February Sir Charles Whitworth, according to order, delivered in the report of the committee, which was agreed to by the House, and conceived in the following terms. Refolved, That the proposals contained in the petition of the court of directors for the affairs of the united company of merchants of England trading to the East-Indies, for continuing the payment of four hundred thousand pounds per annum, for the use of the public, during the term therein mentioned, and for other purposes therein expreffed, be accepted. Ordered, That a bill be brought in upon the faid refolution, and that Sir Charles Whitworth, the Lord North, Mr. Onflow, Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Dyfon, Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Solicitor General, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Boulton, Sir George Colebrook, Mr. Jones, Mr. Stephenfon, and Mr. Peregrine Cuft, do prepare and bring in the fame. In confequence of this order a bill was brought in, which paffed the House, and receiving the royal affent, fecured this very valuable ftipulation for the five fubfequent years to the public. It may not be unneceffary in this pe to obferve, that when the friends of the Eaft-India company infifted upon the right of protection which, ass Fifthly, That if any furplus of cash British fubjects, we have already pro fhall remain in England, during the nounced them entitled to in common faid term, after the difcharge of the with the other members of the com company's fimple contract debts bear-munity, the administration urged, that they 理 769. The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament. hey did not by any means intend to nvade the commercial concerns of the company, but to profit merely by thofe erritorial acquifitions, which being made under the fanction of the naional force, had naturally confiderable Obligations to the nation. The difpaffionate part of the world, however, Taw no mighty force in this mode of reafoning; they confidered it as a difinction without a difference, and knew that if the interefts of the company were affected, it was of little moment whether the minifter attacked them in their dominion, or their trade. It was on all hands agreed that the East-India proprietors had as juft a title to their new poffeffions as to their old, and confequently, if it was thought inequitable to fubject the 607 latter to any territorial impost, it as na- [To be continued.] THE BENEVOLENT SOCIET Y. WE fhall make no apology for fine feeling ladies as you are; yet I do presenting your readers with infiit upon it, that if you would ask the following letter. To the BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. "AND fo, my dear ladies, you really imagine yourselves of wonderful ufe in the creation. Commend me, I fay, to the modesty of those who, contrary to all Scripture rules, are for removing the mote from the eye of their neighbour, whilft a miferable beam impedes their own fight. I had an acquaintance once whofe mother was of the number of your reformers; the would declaim whole hours upon the beauty of charity, when the would have fuffered her own brother to perish unrelieved, or betrayed the infirmity of her best friend to ridicule. She was peculiarly happy upon the fubject of extravagance, though he never scru pled to indulge herfelf in the most extenfive practice of it; would preach virtue to her daughter at the fame in ftant that the compelled her to watch her father's return, left her virtuous mother and her gallant fhould meet with unfeasonable interruption, and declare the fin of ingratitude to be worfe than the fin of witchcraft, in the moment that she was committing, not only the groffeft, but the moft infernal violations of it. Not that I would be understood to impute any glaring enormities to fuch yourselves honeftly the queftion, you would find your errors, your defects, your petulances, as well as we worldlings, and whilft you are charitably beftowing advice upon your friends and neighbours, that a growing and uncorrected account was lodged within your own bosoms. But, however, it must be confeffed that when you declare the enfuing narrative to be moral, or the presented tale of misfortune inftructive, people are entirely at their own option, nor ought to charge the blame upon you, if the gloomy contagion reaches them; but to betray people into a fober track, by hanging out falfe figns, to promife pleasure, and give the tab of reflection to the unfufpecting and lively breast, is of all practices the most unpardonable. That you deserve this rebuke at my hands I believe you will not attempt to deny, when you recollect the nature of your last month's fubject. There did I begin the fprightly theme with the greatest fatisfaction; honoured the ladies fpirit in renouncing parental restraints, and cafting off the fimplicity of obfcurity, for the delightful habitations of the beau monde. The found of the masquerade! I cannot defcribe the agreeable effect it had upon tinued my mind; in fhort the delusion con4 H 2 608 The Benevolent Society. tinued down to the contemptible acknowledgment of her domefticality, her attachment to her husband,. and tenderness for her children. Now I will very foon convince you that I have an intereft in what I fay, or rather that finding myfelf perfonally attacked, I am juftified in retaliating. I run through life with all the mad fatisfaction you can conceive, had a little army of admirers without a fingle impreffion on my heart. I confidered a coach and fix as the only substantial good under the heavens, and as every convenience has its inconvenience, was too reasonable either to wifh, or expect to meet with every thing else to my perfect choice. An ancient peer, a high fpirited colonel, a rough hewn citizen, feverally offered me the object of my dearest wishes; but give me the man of a weak understanding and an uncontending nature for conjugal felicity. Such a one, ladies, has fallen to my lot; my dominion is abfolute. I drefs, vifit, and receive the company I please, nor has he once yet even looked an inclination to restrain, or interrupt me; he is fo much difre garded, I believe I might have faid, difefteemed wherever he goes, that I take care never to be of his party; and as my perfonal and mental accomplishments, together with an appearance of elegance and eclat, enfure me both admiration and veneration, what are the flights my hufband receives to me? I have two or three children, but I never admit them into my prefence, except when I am difpofed to find fault; then, indeed, 1 largely comment upon the roughness of their manners, the indelicacy of their complexions, and their prepofterous attachment to a governess I have placed about them, and for a ftipend gives them her care and kindelt attention: you know, ladies, as the does not fcruple to accept a gratuity for her fervices, I and my children are entitled to the best of them, and I conftantly fend her from me in tears, and the little fervile wretches with aking hearts for the diftrefs of the hircling they love, only for maintain ing my own dignity and my family confequence. This I hope you will allow is to be uniform, not blustering one hour, and fnivelling the next; as to public opinion it can never reach Dec. my ear; I will not fuffer unpleafing LETITIA. To the BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. "In a remote part of Cornwal, your works have at length reached me and a fifter, whofe education, as well as my own, has rather unfitted us for the fociety of the kinds with which this country abounds. My father and mother were perhaps the greateft contrafts in nature; the an elegant woman, and he a mere fox-hunter. Two fons and two daughters were the fruits of this union, and according to previous ftipulation the former were bred up in all the roughness of the chace, the latter refined by the documents of the polite world. But, alas! Ladies, that mother is no more; and as her fortune was too fmall to intitle her younger children to any certain provifion, they are wholly at the mercy of those whole fentiments are diametrically oppofite to their own. Both my fifter and my felf are advancing faft to that period, when a judicious, or injudicious, difpofition of us, in the matrimonial way, muft determine the happiness, or unhappiness, of all our days. Judge then what apprehenfions we inevitably feel; for whether our father, or brother, makes the choice for us, it cannot but be equally repugnant to our ideas and inclinations. Our reading has been extenfive, though, we are now afraid, not very useful: novels, and poems, are alone the studies we have engaged in; it would, therefore, be confiftent with that benevolence you profess to affift our inexperience, and fave our not ill-difpofed minds from error. We have read your notions with pleasure, and fubfcribe, in the fincerity of our hearts, to all your principles; but, excluded as we are from focial fatisfactions, and ignorant what authors are best calculated to fupply that deficiency, we are exceedingly defirous of being accepted for correfpondents, 1 |