committee acted, alfo underwent a fevere examination; by the letter of inftructions from the directors, their power of acting was limited to the duration of the troubles in the country, and was then to ceafe and determine; now as the oppofite party faid, that the troubles were entirely over before the letter of inftructions arrived, or the committee was formed, they urged ftrongly from thence, that the powers under which they pretended to derive an authority never exifted. The committee, entirely regardless of these charges, exerted their authority to the full extent; making little or no ufe of the council, whom they fometimes acquainted with transactions; but without licence to give any opinion upon them.

In the mean time, Lord Clive had gone to the army at Eliabad, with full powers from the felect committee, to him and General Carnac, to conclude a peace with Sujah Doula. We have before taken notice, that the Mogul was at this time under the English protection. This Prince, whom the reader will recollect to have formerly known by the title of Shah Zadah, which fignifies The Prince, had, upon the death of the Mogul his father, who was murdered at Delhi, taken upon himself the title of Mogul, and fought the affiftance of Sujah Doula, whom he conftituted his vizier, to recover the throne of his ancestors. In thefe circumstances, when Sujah Doulah undertook the Bengal expedition, he was obliged to accompany him, though much against his inclination and opinion, as ap'peared by feveral of his letters to the English commanding officers.

Upon Lord Clive's arrival in the camp, he foon difcerned the labyrinth in which the company's affairs were likely to be involved; he found that the fuccefs of our arms promised nothing but future wars; that to ruin Sujah Doula, was to break down the strongest barrier the Bengal provinces could have against the invafions of the Marattas, Auffghums, and other powers, who had fo long defolated the northern provinces. The Mogul, whose caufe the company were fupporting, was found utterly incapable of collecting the revenues of Sujah Doula's country, without the affiftance of their whole force. Their connection with the Mogul could not have ended here; they must have proceeded with him to Delhi, and have established his authority in the empire.

To prevent all these inconveniencies, Lord Clive found it neceffary to reftore his country to Sujah Doula, who alone was capable of maintaining it; to fatisfy the Mogul, by obtaining a more ample revenue for him, which might furnish him with the means of raifing an army to march to Delhi, to take poffeffion of the capital of his empire; and to obtain for the company from his Majefty, the office of King's Duan for Bengal, and the provinces belonging to it.

For

of the nation. The fecurity and permanence which the company are like to acquire, in confequence of this treaty, is not among the smalleft of the advantages belonging to it. As they are now to be confidered as a part of the empire, depending only on the Mogul, whofe intereft it is, as far as lies in his power, to fupport them; as they are now allowed a large revenue, to enable them to fupport a force, fufficient for their protection; they are no longer liable to become victims to the avarice or caprice of the Nabobs.

There is another capital advantage expected, and which has been already in part experienced, in confequence of this fettlement; viz. that proper investments are to be made from Bengal to China, for the payment of the great balance that is always against us upon that trade; whereby that country will be prevented from being any longer the drain of most of the filver we acquire by all our other commerce.

The great advantages that were fecured by this treaty, did not prevent its being feverely animadverted on, as well as the makers of it, by the difcontented party in Bengal. It was faid, that by breaking the former treaty made with the Mogul, whereby he was to have been put in poffeffion of all Sujah Doula's dominions, the national faith and honour, as well as that of the company, which had been ever held fe facred in that part of the world, was entirely forfeited. That by the ftrength which the Mogul would have gained by that acquifition, his dominions would have been a powerful and lafting barrier to ours; as the advantages he drew from our pof

feffion of Bengal, would ever bind his friendship, and affure us of his defence. On the contrary, that we have now reftored to power and opulence Sujah Doula, an able, warlike, and politic prince; our natural enemy, and a mortal one to the Emperor; to whom he can never forgive the agreement he entered into with us, for taking poffeffion of his country. That the Emperor is now, as well by fituation, as otherwife, in fo weak a condition, his dominions being almoft furrounded by those of Sujah Doula, that we are obliged to be at the expence of keeping an army at his capital for his protection against him: that Sujah Doula, by being put in poffeffion of all the fortreffes and the intermediate country, between the Mogul's dominions and ours, muft have the moft obvious advantages over both him and us, in cafe of a war. That by being guarantees both of the Mogul's, and Sujah Doula's dominions, as well as by the immediate and continual protection which we are obliged to afford the former, there is a foundation laid for continual wars, and diftant military expeditions; which may in time prove the ruin of the company's affairs, and the total deftruction of the fettlement. That Major Monro might long before have made a peace upon as good terms; but that it was infifted on as a previous condition, that Someraw, the murderer of 72 English gentlemen, and Coffim Aly, the author of the war, fhould have been delivered up: and that by departing from those requifitions, the national honour and juftice are again betrayed.

We fhall not attempt to antici pate the judgment of our readers,

by

by pretending to determine, how far thefe obfervations are founded on facts and juftice; or how far they may be fuppofed to proceed from private pique, or party refentment. We learn at prefent from India, that Lord Clive has put the troops in that country upon a new footing. His Lordhip has given orders, to build barracks for them in proper places.

He has alfo divided them into three parts, each of which is to confift of one regiment of European infantry, one company of artillery, and feven battalions of Seapoys, each battalion to confift of feven hundred rank and file. One of thefe divifions is to be itationed at Eliabad, a fecond at Patna, and the third at or near Calcutta.

VI.

T the conclufion of our laft AT volume, we faw the nation involved in the most diftrefsful circumftances that could well be imagined; our manufacturers at a fland, commerce almoft totally annihilated, provifions extravagantly dear, and a numerous populace unemployed, without the means of procuring a livelihood. Such, and fo gloomy was the profpect that opened at home upon us along with the year nor did the view become more pleafing by extending it across the Atlantic, where the colonies exhibited nothing but fcenes of anarchy and confufion; where licentioufnefs was carried almost to the higheft pitch that it could poffibly admit, without af fuming another name: whilst the profligate and abandoned (as is ufually the cafe in civil commotions) under the fpecious pretext and mask of liberty, and the common caufe, gave a loofe to their own unruly paffions, and commit

ted all thofe exorbitances which the vulgar are fo prone to, when under any pretence they are allowed to affemble in bodies, and through any relaxation of the laws, they have not the fears of immediate punishment upon them. We have before observed, that those of an higher rank ainongft them did not take any pains to allay the ferment; it is probable, that many of the more ferious of them condemned in their own minds feveral acts that were committed; but did not think proper to damp a fpirit, which, however irregularly or improperly exerted, they perhaps at that time thought it conducive to their defigns to keep alive.

But though a violent refentment fupported the fpirit of the colonists, they could not but fenfibly feel the inconveniencies which an entire ftoppage of trade muft occafion among a people who had hitherto fubfifted by commerce. However, their warehouses were full of

British

British goods, for which they had not paid. And the many refources of fo vaft an extent of country, abounding in the most effential articles of life, prevented them from feeling fo much immediate diftrefs, as our own manufacturers and labouring poor at home.

It must be observed, that the enormous fums owing to our merchants, in the colonies, added greatly to the difficulties the pub. lic were under, and feverely affect ed the trading and manufacturing part of the community. These debts, amounting to several millions fterling, the Americans abfolutely refused to pay, pleading in excufe their utter inability: which plea, it appears, the merchants admitted to be reasonable.

As the nation was never perhaps in a more critical fituation, fo of confequence no administration ever had greater difficulties to encounter than the new one. They were un. der an immediate neceflity of enforcing the ftamp act by fire and fword, or elfe of moving its imme. diate repeal in parliament. In the former cafe, though there was no doubt of the ability of Great Britain to crush, or even extirpate the colonies; yet fuch a decifion, if not looked upon as abfolute fuicide, muft at least be confidered as making use of one arm to cut off the other.

Fatal were the confequences, which it was forefeen and foretold would attend fuch an attempt, and it was obvious, that if such confequences fhould enfue, the first framers and promoters of the obnoxious laws, would have been entirely forgot in the general odium and execration, which would have fallen folely upon the minifters, who,

by enforcing fuch ruinous measures, had wrought the deftruction of their country.

On the other hand, if the act fhould be repealed, a colourable appearance was not wanting to charge them with facrificing the dignity of the crown, together with the honour and intereft of the nation, to their own irrefolution, or elfe to a caufelefs animofity, which it would be faid they bore to their predeceffors, and a blind oppofition to all their measures.

The lofs of their illuftrious friend and patron, the Duke of Cumberland, feemed at this nice period to be truly critical to the miniftry : his influence, his authority, his good fenfe, his patriotifm, and the high regard the public held him in, would have added greatly to their ftrength and fecurity.

Thus fituated, they had an oppofition to encounter, confifting of gentlemen, feveral of whom had held the first employments in the kingdom, and who, for abilities, experience, knowledge of bufinefs, property, and connections, were very refpectable, and therefore truly formidable.

Some of thefe gentlemen feemed obliged in honour, as well as thro' opinion, and a spirit of oppofition, to embark warmly in vindication and fupport of meafures which had originally been their own, for which it may be fuppofed they had the natural partiality of a parent, and in defence of which they were determined to difpute every inch of ground with the miniftry. Some alfo joined them through principle.

They thought that the infolence of the Americans deferved chaftifement, where otherwise the hard