Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Deducting increase of debts above, from increase of affets, 1,082,581 the state of affairs at home appeared better in 1796, by

Upon a general comparison of debts and affets, Mr. Dan

das concluded, that the company's affairs were better, as to 1,240,490 debts and affets, than last year, by

Mr. Dundas next alluded to the plan which he had laid before parliament last year for redreffing the grievances complained of by the officers in the company's fervice.

Thefe meritorious men had laboured under many hardships; they had not the fame chance with his majefty's officers of being put upon the ftaff. They could not return to their own country for the benefit of their health without giving up their commiffions and lofing their pay. They had not often the means to enable them to return, nor any half pay if they fhould quit the fervice. Thefe were the grievances they complained of, and he certainly thought that their complaints were juft. These complaints had been completely remedied, and the regulations to that effect had been fent to India, where they were highly approved of by the great bulk of the officers. The enforcing of these regulations would be attended with an expence of about four millions. He reprefented the affairs in India

to be in a ftate of progreffive im provement. He ftated, however, that the expences to be accounted for in the next budget would be greater on account of the armaments that had been fitted out againft the island of Ceylon, the fpice iflands, and the other poffeffions which had been captured fron the Dutch. He then prefented a feries of refolutions pursuant to his ftatements.

Mr. Huffey contended, that the revenue of India, after the neceffary deductions, fell short of the appropriation of a million; nor could he look upon the revenues of the company as increafing, becaufe the eftimates of the prefent year were lefs than the former. He infifted that the company was now infolvent, as it would turn out; that were all its effects turned into money, it would not have enough to pay all demands; the former he calculated at 6,734,000l. and the latter would amount to 7,780,000l. The refolutions were agreed to.

Mr. fecretary Dundas, on the

14th of July, brought forward a fecond India budget; the accounts he then fubmitted to the committee had been made out to the latest period, and fo far as related to the explanation of their ftatements, he followed the fame plan which he had done in the former accounts.

He entered into an examination of the house accounts, and, laftly, fhewed the flourishing state of the company's finances, by giving a comparative view of the accounts prefented this year with the estimate on which the arrangement of 1793 was formed,

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE RESULT OF THE ESTIMATES.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The affets in India, consisting of cafh, goods, &c. laft

[blocks in formation]

8,867,266 8,958,669

91,403

Upon

Upon a comparison of accounts prefented this year, with the estimates on which the arrangements of 1793 were formed, the estimated furplus of 1796-7 was 1,584,0081. which exceeded the estimate of 1793 by 70,4311.

7.

The total of the estimate of receipts and fales of 1793 was 5,185,987 The total of the actual ditto in 1796-7 was

[ocr errors]

7,316,916

He made the net excefs of payments over the actual ual} 1,882,965

receipts for 1796-7 amount to

He next begged the committee to obferve, that though there appeared to be a decrease in the state of the company's affairs, they were, notwithstanding, as favourable and as flourishing as the most fanguine perfon could wifh. Some caufes of a diminution of revenue he had pointed out last year, one of which was a diminution in the fale of various articles, particularly that of opium, during war; and the other, was the increased amount of charges, on account of increased military arrangements in the various fettlements abroad. He wish ed the prefent ftate of the company's affairs might be compared with their former condition, when their folvency was a matter of public difputation. In 1783, on account of the height to which party had run, every thing relating to their affairs was delufive.

In 1786 the debts of the company amounted to four millions beyond the affers; fince that time they had indeed increased their capital 3,740,000l. but against that was to be placed the fum of 3,330,000l. as the expences of carrying on the war with Tippoo, and in the capture of the French and Dutch fettlements in the Eaft Indies. In 1796, it would be found that the affairs of the company had been made better by the fum of eleven millions than they were in- 1786.

It appeared from the statements that the company's affets abroad exceeded the debts to the amount of 660,obol. and that if their whole affairs were wound up, they would receive an annual interest of 950,000l. He concluded with moving a series of refolutions pursuant to his fatements, which were agreed

to.

E

CHAP.

, 1797.

CHA P. III.

Review of the Negotiation at Paris in 1796.-His Majefty's Declaration on that Subject-Debates in Parliament on the Negotiation.-In the Houfe of Lords. In the Houfe of Commons.-Endeavours of the Oppofition Party to remove the Obstacles to Peace.-Motion to that effect in the Houfe of Lords. -Further Difcuffion on the Subject of Peace in the fame Houfe.-Motion for Peace in the House of Commons.

[ocr errors]

N our preceding volume, in relating the political tranfactions in France, a fhort account was introduced of the negotiation for peace, which was attempted at Paris, in the latter end of the year 1796. The fubject was brought before the Britifh parliament, foon after the return of Lord Malmefbury, and underwent a fpirited and interefting difcuffion in both houfes. The fincerity of minifters was queftioned by fome of the fpeakers on the fide of oppofition, and the extravagant terms (as they were deemed by that fide of the house) propofed to the French were vehemently cenfured; while, on the other hand, the minifters defended themfelves, by appealing to the abrupt and violent conduct of the French in haftily difmifling the ambaffador, as a proof of their indifpofition to peace, which they confirmed by a general review of the late politics of France.

His Majesty's declaration on this fubject was laid before the houfe of lords, on the 27th of Dec. by lord Grenville, wherein he acquainted them, "That the negotiation, which an anxious defire of peace had induced him to open at Paris, had been abruptly terminated by the French government.

"That his majefty had directed an overture to be made, in his name, by his minifter in Switzerland, to afcertain the difpofitions of the French

government refpecting peace; the anfwer which he received was at once haughty and evafive; it affect ed to question the fincerity of which his majefty's conduct had afforded fo unequivocal a proof; it objected to the mode of negotiation propofed (that of a general congrefs, by which peace had fo often been reftored to Europe); but it studioufly paffed over in filence his majesty's defire to know what other mode would be preferred by France; it afferted a principle, as an indifpenfa ble preliminary to all negotiation, under which the terms of peace muft have been regulated; not by the ufual confiderations of juftice, but by an implicit fubmiffion on the part of all other powers to a claim founded on the internal laws and feparate conftitution of France, as having full authority to fuperfede the treaties entered into by independent ftates, to govern their interefts, controul their engagements, and difpofe of their dominions.

"A pretenfion fo extravagant could in no inftance be admitted; in the prefent, it led to nothing less than that France fhould, as a preliminary to all difcuffion, retain nearly all her conquefts, and particularly thofe in which his majefty was moft concerned; that the fhould recover back all that had been conquered from her; and that the thould bring forward fuch farther demands, as

back

fuch unqualified fubmiffion, on the part of those with whom the treated, could not fail to produce. On fuch ground no negotiation could be eftablished; neither did the anfwers of the French give any opening for continning the difcutlion, fince the mode offered by his majefty had been rejected, and no other been ftated in which they were willing to concur.

"Not difcouraged by this refult, and in order to deprive his enemies of all fubterfuge or evafion, his majefty renewed in another form, and through the intervention of a friendly power, a propofal for opening negotiations for peace: the repeated overtures were of fuch a nature that the French government found it impoible to reject them, without avowing to all Europe an abfolute determination to refufe all hope of the reftoration of tranquillity. A channel was therefore at length indicated, through which the government of France profefled itfelf willing to negotiate, and a readiness was expreffed to receive a minifter authorized by his majefty to proceed to Paris for that purpofe. The repeated endeavours of the French government to defeat this million in its outlet, and to break off the intercourfe hus opened; but above all, the abrupt termination of the nego tiation, afforded the moft conclufive proof, that at no period of it was any real with for peace entertained by the French government.

ment, memorials were presented by his majesty's minifter, containing the outlines of peace; the delivery of thefe papers was accompanied by a declaration, exprefsly and repeatedly made, both verbally and in writing, that his minifter was willing to enter into the difcuffion of the points therein contained, or that of any other fcheme of peace which the government might wish to fubftitute in its flead.

"It had been agreed, that compenfation fhould be made to France by proportionable reftitutions from his majefty's conquefts on that power, for thofe arrangements to which the fhould be called upon to confent, to fatisfy his allies, and to preferve the balance of Europe: at the defire of the French govern

"In reply, he received a deniand, in form the moft offenfive, and in fubftance the most extravagant, that ever was made in the courfe of any negotiation. It was peremptorily required of him, that he should, in twenty-four hours, deliver in a statement of the final terms to which his court would in any cafe accede. Having declined compliance with this demand, and explained the reafons which rendered it inadmiffi, ble, but at the fame time expreffed his readiness to difcufs the propofal he had conveyed, he received no other answer but an abrupt command to quit Paris within forty-eight hours. "It was therefore neceffary that all Europe fhould understand, that the rupture of the negotiation did not arife from the failure of any fincere attempt on the part of France; but from the determination of that f verument to reject all means of peace, by the obftinate adherence to à claim which never could be admitted; a claim which that government refted on the conftitution of its own country, to be received by all nations as paramount to every principle and law in Europe, as fuperior to the obligations of treaties, the ties of common intereft,- and the moft gent confiderations of general fecurity.

"On thefe motives it was, that the further eifufion of blood, the contiE 2 nued

« AnteriorContinuar »