his idea to invest a naval officer with plenipotentiary powers at large; that he only wanted to establish fuch a fhare in the bufinefs of adminiftration, as would be both for the good of the company, and the honour of adminiftration. That as his firft letter, with the directors' anfwer, were now to be laid before the proprietors at large, to prevent any future mifunderstanding, he recommended only the difcuffion of the two following points: First, the reconfideration of the commiffion, and next, the degree of authority proper to be invested in a aval officer. To the first of thefe he said, that as it was a point, on the legality of which there were different opinions among the fervants of the crown, and the council of the company, he would not pretend to speak on it; but in regard to the fecond, as government, at the request of the company, in the 11th article of the laft definitive treaty of peace with France, made conditions with feveral princes in India, it highly refpected their honour, and that an officer of theirs fhould be the principal agent in all matters of fenfive and defenfive.. The defigns of the miniftry were now too obvious to be mistaken, and too alarming not to be oppofed with vigour. The directors obferved to the court, that this requifition was a matter, which affected the confequence and fafety of the company in the highest degree; that it was not therefore to be haftily decided, but required the most serious deliberation, and the cooleft difcuffion; that the court fhould be accordingly adjourned, and sufficient time given so every proprietor, before the next meeting, to revolve the matter fully in his mind; to confült the charters, and enquire into the pri vileges of the company; to confi. der well, whether any, or what part of their rights might be given up, and that in their conceffions to government they did not ens danger their own fafety that it was hoped they would pay the greateft attention to thefe points; for that their affairs were never in a more critical fituation, nor the honour of the company more deeply concerned. A confiderable time was accordingly taken for the confideration of this fubject; and, at Aug. 30 the enfuing general court, great debates arofe upon it. It was faid, that if authority was given to the king's officers to interfere in the governmental affairs of India, the power of the company, in that part of the world, would from that moment be at an end. That applying to go vernment for affistance, and at the fame time invefting the officers of the crown with independent powers, was in effect furrendering the company's territorial acquifitions in India, to the direction of the king's minifters, the confequences of which might eafily be forefeen. That whenever any conteft fhould arife between the king's fervants and the company's, the event must be fatal to the company that as it would often be neceffary to employ the one and the other in the fame fervice, fuch contefts may very naturally be expected to arife, which had already been the cafe upon many former occafions. That if the company is of itfelf unable to maintain its territorial acquifi tions, it were better to furrender [E 4] the the fovereignty to the powers of the country, upon terms advantageous to its commerce, than to be at the mercy of a minifter. It was fhewn, that commerce was of fo tender and delicate a nature, that it could only thrive where it had the most unrestrained liberty, as well as the moft perfect fecurity and that the refraints or exertions of power, though feemingly founded upon falutary principles, had generally proved deftructive to it. The fatal effects of minifterial interference in commercial matters, was exemplified in the prefent ruinous condition of the French Eaft-India Company; as the great and flourishing ftate of that in Holland, was brought to fhew the happy confequences that refulted from different conduct. That the States General were fo well convinced of the importance of the Eaft-India trade, and faw fo clearly into the great national benefits arifing from it, that every territorial, or other acquifition of the company in India, was confidered by that wife body as a national one. That they fup. ported it at all events, and rifqued the most dangerous wars upon its account; that in the greatest exigencies of the ftate, the company's property, at home or abroad, was held as facred as any man's private property; and that the full yearly profits arifing from their trade or revenue in India, were fairly divided among the proprietors, even when they amounted fo high as 75 per cent. That, in the prefent cafe, the demands of government rofe in proportion to the facility with which ill-judged conceffions had already been obtained; that the granting of an annual fum which exceeded their whole dividend, without a renewal of their charter, or any adequate confideration being given, might have been deemed a fuficient gratification for the prefent, and did not deferve to be immediately fucceeded by an attempt that ftruck at their very existence. On the other hand, it was faid, that officers bearing the king's commiffion, would add dignity to the negociations that might be fet on foot for eftablishing peace in India; that the powers of the country being fovereigns themselves, would more readily liften to propofitions, fan&tified by the name of a great king, than coming only from a delegated company of merchants, to whom the neceffity of fubmiffion must ever be hateful; that fuch fubmiffion could, from the nature of things, be only temporary; for it was folly to fuppofe, that millions of reasonable beings would endure the yoke of a handful of rapacious individuals, longer than they could unite to deftroy them. That if government did not difcover, by a fpirited interpofition, a timely difpofition to grant the territorial acquifitions in India, the most powerful affiftance and protection, thefe important acquifitions would be loft to the nation, and all the immenfe advantages to be expected from them, facrificed to the humour of a few interested and turbulent perfons, who, by the most unjust proceedings, had raised themselves into confequence; and who, to maintain it, would traffic away the greatest national advantages. That the mifconduct of the company's fervants in India was univerfally allowed; and that if it had admitted before before of any doubt, the meafure of fending out fupervisors would fufficiently prove it; that nothing could prevent thefe enormities for the future fo effectually, as the king's maintaining a perfon of rank, honour, and integrity, in fuch a station in that part of the world, as would enable him to be a fufficient check upon the apacious and exorbitant conduct of their fervants; at the fame time, that he would not only be answerable for his own conduct to his majefty, but also to the nation in general. After many debates, and feveral propofed modifications, the matter was at length refted upon the following queftion, which was put to be decided by ballot: "That this court will give the officer of the crown,commanding fhips of the line, a fhare in the deliberations and refolutions of the company, merely with regard to the two objects of making peace and declaring war when his majefty's forces are employed;" when it was rejected by a great majority. In the mean time the commiffion for the naval commander in chief was made out: but as the proposed requifition for extraordinary powers had not been complied with, his operations were limited to the gulph of Perfia only. The company's affairs had for fome time been embroiled upon that coaft, through the lawless conduct of the neighbouring chiefs, who, taking advantage of the troubles that prevailed in Perfia, to become independent, had thrown off at the fame time all regard to order and juftice. Thus a fort of compromife was made; the power of making peace and war was granted by the directors to the naval.commander in the gulph of Perfia, beyond which his authority did not extend; and the demand for fhips of the line to the bay of Bengal was fufpended. Two frigates of war were however ordered upon that fervice, and to convey the fupervifors, whofe powers were at length finally adjuited, and an end put to this tedious courfe of debate and altercation. CHAP. VIII. Retrospective view of fome matters previous to the General Election. Mr. Wilkes elected for the county of Middlefex. Great licentionfites prevails, which is noɛ fufficiently reftrained by the civil power. Conduct of adminiftration. Caufes of diffatisfaction. State of the ministry. Parliament meets. Speech from the Throne. Parliament adjourns for the holidays. A N event which took place at the late general election, as it has been productive of feveral extraordinary confequences, fome of which are fuppofed by many to affect even the first principles of the conftitution, all the circumftances relative to it, deferve, upon that account, our more particular attention. that Mr. Wilkes (of whofe mixed character, conduct, and adventures, fome account has been given in a former volume) having retired to France, was not only expelled the house of commons, but in con fequence fequence of his not appearing to the indictments that were laid against him, was run to an outlawry. The great popularity which he had acquired, was, in confequence of fome circumftances that attended that profecution, a good deal lowered. A book written by him, of an obfcene and immoral tendency, though, in appearance, not intend ed for general publication, and brought into public notice by means not very honourable to the managers of the profecution against him, had however a confiderable influence on the public opinion, and, for a time, abated even the fervor of his warmest advocates. Other matters, of great national import, became foon afterwards Jubjects of general difcuffion, and drew away the attention of the · public. In this fituation, an exile from his country, diftreft in his circumftances, and, in a great meafure, abandoned by his friends, Mr. Wilkes feemed not only totally ruined, but also nearly forgotten. The outlawry having run beyond the limits allowed by the law for a reverfal, he was apparently cut off from the benefit of the laws, and the protection of his country; and it seemed that nothing but a pardon from the crown could reore him to the civil rights of a Citizen. This ray of hope feemed however to fhine upon his affairs, by the promotion to power of fome perfons lately in high office, and of fome who are ftill in confiderable employments. Thefe had not only been his intimate friends, but they had alfo a great lead in the party with whom he had originally embarked, and in whole cause he had encoun tered all his fufferings. It was therefore fuppofed by many, and not unnaturally, that these gentle men would use all their influence to procure a pardon for a man, who it was conceived had done them real fervices, and who at leaft had fuffered feverely in the courfe of their common oppofition. Many of his friends alfo thought, that what he had already undergone, might fufficiently fatisfy the dignity of the crown; and that it would be better confulted and provided for, by an occafional act of grace and lenity, than by pursuing, with the appearance of a vindictive and perfonal refentment, the ruin of an individual, infinitely below its notice, to the utmoft line of extremity.. On the other hand, those who had been active in his original profecution, afferted, that his offences, and the popularity which, by a ftrange perverfenets in the people, had arisen from them, had jointly rendered him a person of impor tance enough to be ftrictly watched, and feverely punished; that as his misfortunes feemed not to have infpired him with any degree of perience for his crimes, a pardon from the crown would be an aft rather of weakness than of benignity. Above all, they infifted that it was necessary a fevere example should be made, to prevent other persons from afpiring to a popular character by outrageous infults on government. We muft obferve, that notwithstanding the frequent changes in adminiftration, the greateft number of the perfone who had been the most direct objects of Mr. Wilkes's attacks ftill preserved their places, and feemed, at this particular time, to have rather rather risen in intereft and impor tance. This circumftance did not prevent Mr. Wilkes from applying, through the duke of Grafton, who was now at the head of the treafary, for a pardon; and it is probable made no doubt of his ufing all his influence to procure it. In this however he was disappointed. Whether it was, that the political fentiments of this noble perfon were changed, or that the opinion held of the man was altered, or that the application to be made, was of so critical a nature as not to be attempted with fafety; from whatever caufe it proceeded, the request was not only rejected, but treated with fome appearance of neglect. may be conceived, from fome traits of Mr. Wilkes's character, that have appeared upon other occafions, that he was not likely to remain totally dormant, or to acquiefce in a treatment, which he probably confidered to be as unjuft, as it was full of indignity. He accordingly upbraided the firft lord of the treafury, and feveral other old friends, with the greateft acrimony, in a number of publications; and a letter to the D. of G, which was only wrote to be publifhed, abounded with anecdotes, reflecting on the confitency of their public conduct, and on their friendship and fincerity in private life. meafure; to reflect that he was at Thefe difcuffions began again to draw the attention of the public, to a fubject that had nearly funk into oblivion, and a man whom they had almoft forgotten. The defertion of his friends ftrongly excited their companion; they be gan to think his fufferings out of So far we have thought it neceflary to premife, as to matters which in order of time do not come within the line of our prefent narrative; but which lead to fucceeding points of great and imme diate confequence. Mr. Wilkes, who was not ignorant of the great change fo much to his advantage, which had taken place in the public opinion, and whofe private affairs were in a moft defperate fitua tion, determined to make a bold attempt to benefit by it, fenfible that if it failed of fuccefs, the confequences could not place him in a much worfe ftate than that in which he was already. He accordingly came over to England. previous to the general election, and to the aftonifhment of man-kind, though he fill lay under the fentence of outlawry, declared him felf |