Mr.T. Pitt. chants, bent on the extenfion of mercantile objects only, to the surprise and almost beyond the belief of those now living, and undoubtedly in a manner so wonderful, as to exceed the poffible credibility of pofterity, as the noble Lord, who moved for the address, had declared. He admitted, that in the fyttem pursued by that company to obtain their acquisitions, and afterwards to govern them, there might be fomething wrong, and fomething that called for correction; but he cautioned Minifters against the gross error of rejecting the whole of their system as absurd. He reminded them, that those who obtained the acquisitions, and had held them so long, could not have acted with unremitted blunders in their conduct, and bad them recollect the fate of America, which had begun to estrange itself from a connection with Great Britain, only when we began to think the government of the colonies wholly wrong, had proceeded to violate their charters, and to force them to submit to a fyftem of governing never before practised. The Commodore faid farther, that men of the greatest abilities could not judge of the fitteft mode of governing India by intuition, that men of experience in the affairs of that country must be advised with, and that therefore he hoped, his Majesty's Minifters would not proceed to enforce a plan of their own, without confultation with those, who were best able to inform them, what system was most applicable to India, and what was moft otherwise. He expected that some notice would have been taken of the Governor of Bengal, or at least of the great and defirable events in India-fomething of congratulation on the accomplishment of the peace, he looked for in the speech from the throne, and he trusted the House would, at a proper time, remedy the defect, by voting their thanks to Mr. Haftings. Mr. Thomas Pitt observed, shortly, in answer to Mr. Fox, that if, as he had stated in justification, that the definitive treaties were in substance the same as the preliminary articles, that the latter were necessarily bound by the former, and that therefore he could not alter them without breaking the faith of nations, in that case they were not objects of thanks to the crown, but merely of acquiefcence to those who disapproved of the preliminary articles by which they were controled. As to the explanations and amplifications he had stated as having been obtained by him, not contained in the former articles, it was in the nature of a definitive treaty, to explain and elucidate preliminary articles, ticles, and could therefore no more be claimed as merit by him, than it could be brought to detract from the merit of his predeceffors, who never could imagine, that preliminary articles, which are only the basis of treaty, can be as precife and determinate as the definitive articles, that are to be built upon them. With regard to the motion that day se'nnight upon East India affairs, he only hoped that the whole system intended would then be laid before the House, when he would give it his ferious attention; but that he should expect the whole of the plan, and not to be surprised into the giving his affent or diffent to any part of it, in a previous step, which might embarrass him afterwards in the confequences. General Smith said, he would not take up two moments General of the time of the House; but he could not fit still, and Smith. hear opinions delivered upon particular subjects, from which he differed, without declaring that he did fo. An honourable gentleman, he observed, had expressed his furprife, that his Majesty's Ministers had faid nothing in praise of the perfon principally concerned in concluding the Mahratta war: whenever the subject came properly before the House, he should state his reasons, why he thought that perfon entitled to no particular praife. The motion was then read from the Chair, and agreed to nemine contradicente: a Committee was appointed to draw up an address thereupon. November 12. The Earl of Upper Offory reported from the Committee, The Earl of that they had drawn up an address to his Majesty, which Upper Offio they had directed him to report to the House; and he read "Y the fame in his place. He then delivered it at the table, were it was read, and agreed to by the House nemine contradicente. It was then ordered, that such members of the House, as were of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, do humbly know his Majesty's pleasure, when he will be attended by this House. Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish called the attention Lord Geo. of the House, to a motion which he was confident would Cavendish. meet the most cordial and heartfelt approbation of every gentleman, and as it was unnecessary to press it on the House by argument, he would move, and it was refolved unanimoufly, that a message be fent to the Queen, with the General the fincere and hearty congratulations of this House on the joyful event of the birth of another Princess, and on her Majesty's happy recovery; and to, affure her Majesty, of the zealous and dutiful attachment of this House. Ordered, that Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish, Colonel Stanhope, Lord Charles Spencer, Mr. North, Mr. Fitzwilliam, Mr. John Townshend, and the Lord Viscount Duncannon, do attend her Majesty with the faid message. The Select Committee appointed to take into confideration the state of the administration of justice in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa, was revived, and the documents referred to it. General Smith then stated to the House the situation of India affairs, in regard to the particulars which belonged to the object of the Select Committee, and faid that it was fomething very fingular, that Sir Elijah Impey had fat as President of the Court of Judicature, pofterior to the arrival of the orders of recall in India. This certainly demanded the attention of Parliament; and he hoped every gentleman would feriously confider the subject, and come prepared next week for a full discussion; and for this purpose he moved, that an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give direction, that there be laid before this House, copies of all orders that have been fent to the East Indies, or to the East-India Company, relating to the recall of Sir Elijah Impey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Calcutta. November 13. The House went up in procession to St. James's, and presented to his Majesty the following address : "Most Gracious Sovereign, "WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majesty our humble thanks for your Majesty's most gracious speech from the throne. "Affectionately and dutifully interested in whatever concerns your Majesty's domestic happiness, we beg leave to offer our most fincere congratulations on the birth of another princess, and to express our unfeigned joy at the happy recovery of the Queen. "We are gratefully sensible of the paternal regard for the welfare of your people, which has induced your Ma jefty jesty to conclude definitive treaties of peace with the courts of France and Spain, and the United States of America, and to ratify preliminary articles with the States General of the United Provinces; and we beg your Majesty to accept our most humble thanks for having gracioufly ordered those several treaties to be laid before us. We have great fatisfaction in learning that your Majesty has no caufe to doubt but that all those powers agree in fincere inclination with your Majesty to keep the calamities of war at a great diftance. Your "We entertain a just sense of the importance of the objects which demand our attention; and we acknowledge, with thanks, the anxious folicitude for the public good which has induced your Majesty to give us, thus early, an opportunity of taking them into confideration. faithful Commons are sensible that the fruits of those enquiries, which they have fo long pursued, are now justly expected, and that the fituation of the East-India Company claims our utmost exertions to provide, in the most effectual manner, for the maintenance and improvement of the valuable advantages derived from our Indian poffessions, and to promote and fecure the happiness of the native inhabitants in those provinces. "The season of peace will call for our attention to every thing which can recruit the strength of the nation, after so long and so expenfive a war. "We acknowledge your Majesty's paternal goodness in recommending fuch means of increasing and fecuring the public revenue, as may be least burdensome to your fubjects. The frauds which have prevailed in many of its most effential parts, as well as the outrages which have been committed, are truly alarming; and we have the fullest confidence that no exertions have been wanting to repress this daring spirit, nor pains to enquire into its true caufes. In those instances in which the powers of Government may not be found equal to its utmost care and vigilance, we shall use our utmost endeavours to provide such remedies as may apply to this evil, and fuch means as may be found wanting to the accomplishment of purposes in which our material interests are so deeply concerned. "We beg leave to assure your Majesty, that your faithful Commons will chearfully grant your Majesty fuch supplies as may be found neceffary for the fervice of the for year; acknowledging, with the utmost gratitude, your Majesty's VOL. XII. E immediate immediate attention to the relief of your subjects, in the reduction of all the establishments to as low a state as your Majesty, in your royal wisdom, thought prudence would admit. We take a fincere part in the fatisfaction which your Majesty feels in this step towards the relief of your subjects; and we have no doubt that your people will juftify your Majesty's gracious reliance on the fortitude of this nation, by willingly bearing those burdens, which are the inevitable consequences of the war, which the present exigencies require, and which are so necessary for the full support of the national credit. "We feel that our fituation is, in many respects, new; and we beg your Majesty to be assured, that we shall use our utmost diligence to provide what is called for by that fituation; at the fame time, to the extent of our power, giving permanence to whatever has been found beneficial by the experience of ages. "The objects of our deliberations fully demand that temper and moderation which your Majesty fo gracioufly recommends; and we entreat your Majesty to accept our most humble thanks for the confidence your Majesty has been pleased to express in our unanimous defire to direct all those deliberations to the honour of your Majesty's crown, the safety of your dominions, and the profperity of your people: and we afsure your Majesty, that we will use our best and utmost endeavours to demonstrate by our conduct, that a confidence so honourable to us has been well founded." To which his Majesty was pleased to give this most gracious answer: " Gentlemen, "I THANK you for this very dutiful and affectionate address, and for the fresh mark you give of your attachment to me and my family, in your congratulations on the happy recovery of the Queen, and the birth of another princess. " I receive, with the utmost satisfaction, your afsurances of promoting such measures as may tend to the support of the national credit, and to the welfare of my people; and I consider the unanimity with which they are offered as a happy earnest of the success of your endeavours." |