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1751. PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. 157

B

they impofe, deteftable, to much the jured by his colonel, he may have greateft part of the people both in intereft enough to obtain fuch an and out of the army. As it is not a order; but how shall a poor foldier very long time fince we had a stand- obtain it, when he has been injured ing army, there cannot be many ex- by his colonel? A regimental courtamples of complaints being brought martial he cannot truft to for relief, by officers or foldiers before par- A even fuppofing that the colonel should liament; but in K. William's time, order one at his requeft; and a gewhen ftanding armies were firft kept neral court-martial he cannot obup by authority of parliament, tain, because it is fo difficult for him there were feveral inquiries and com- to get accefs, either to the crown, or plaints, and not only foldiers but the commander in chief; but to a even recruits were examined at the member of this houfe he may get bar of this house in relation to the be. accefs: By means of that member haviour of the officers towards them. he may get juftice done him by parEven but very lately, as every gen- liament; and now and then an intleman must remember, there was ftance of this kind would attach all: a committee appointed by this houfe the foldiers to the parliament, and to inquire into feveral things relating would be a continual check upon to the army, and tho' the power of thofe officers that are apt to oppress that committee was, by the order, C and tyrannize over the foldiers, that very much confined, yet their in- have the misfortune to be under quiry produced a very good effect, their command; for tho' I have the and gained the applaufe of every pleasure to think, that there are few man in the army. Suppofe we fhould fuch officers in our army, there must now and then reject a frivolous, or always be fome, and nothing can be punish an unjust complaint, can we a more effectual check upon their imagine that this would bring upon D conduct, than the parliament's givparliament the deteftation of the ing ear to every foldier's complaint, foldiers? No, Sir, a common fol- that appears to be just and well dier has common understanding as founded. well as other men; and every one of them not concerned in the complaint, would judge impartially and approve what the parliament had done. Nothing can bring us into contempt but our refufing to hear a juft complaint when properly brought before us, or our neglecting to give redress to the party injured, when the facts have been fully proved; and in particular, we ought to be attentive to the complaints of the common foldiers, because it is very difficult for them to obtain redress by any other method.

F

That this would be of any prejudice to the difcipline of our army, there is not, Sir, the leaft ground to E apprehend; Can oppreffion and tyranny be neceffary for preferving difcipline and fubordination in an ar my? Shall fuch a doctrine ever be adopted by a British house of commons? On the contrary, do not we know, that difcipline, fubordination, and what is of ftill more confequence, the courage of the foldiers, are preferved by juft and gentle ufage? And this I take to be the chief reafon, why the common foldiers of the British army face danger with more intrepidity, and with more alacrity, than the common foldiers of any na tion under the fun. Do not, therefore, let us encourage brutal officers, if any fuch there are, or should ever be in our army, to ufe the foldiers

Let us confider, Sir, that a board of general officers, or a general court-martial, must be appointed by G an order from the crown, or the commander in chief, when there is one appointed by the crown: When a commiffioned officer has been in

158 PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, & April

ill, by laying it down as a maxim, that the parliament must never intermeddle in any disputes or differences, that happen in our army.

A

To refute this doctrine, Sir, which I thought of fuch dangerous confequence, was the only end of my ftanding up, and therefore I fhall not take up your time with giving you my opinion upon any of the other points now under our confideration, but conclude with observing in general, that I fhall always be jealous of a power, the exercise B whereof is trusted to the abfolute and arbitrary will of a fingle man ; nor do I think, that any fuch power can ever be neceffary in time of peace; for tho' in time of war fuch a power must often be granted, yet even then it ought to be as little made use of as possible.

C

The next Debate shall give you, is one we had in our Club upon the famous Bill paffed laft Seffion, intitled, An Act for the Encouragement of the British White Her- D ring Fishery; which Debate was opened by C. Claudius Nero, ho, upon that Occafion, fpoke in Subfance thus:

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T is very furprifing, that of all

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London against flockjobbing; and every one knows what oppofition he met with within doors, what reproaches without, before he could get that bill paffed into a law. It is true, Sir, we have, thro' complaifance, or for fatisfying a filly popular clamour, given our confent to feveral fuch bills; but I hope we fhall at last put an end to this complaifance; for I do not think there was ever a more ridiculous bill fent up to us, than the bill now under confideration.

There is no man, Sir, that more heartily wishes the improvement of the British fishery than I do : There is no man more fenfible of the benefits that might accrue to this nation by extending our fisheries, especially that of white herrings, upon the coafts of our own ifland; and there is no man more forry than I am, that proper expedients have not been found, for turning to the best advantage, the fpirit that at present prevails among the people for the improvement, or rather, I should say, the introduction of that fifhery. I am from information, as well as ftudy, fully apprifed of the riches that might accrue to this nation from a due improvement of that fishery, of the numbers of poor people that might thereby be usefully employed, and above all, of the vaft addition that might thereby be made to the number of our feamen, which is the natural ftrength and the true glory of this kingdom; therefore, I cannot but defire above all things to fee this F trade put upon a proper foundation; and for this very reason I must be against the bill now under confideration; because, from fuch regulations, I am fure, we can meet with no fuccefs, and a failure in the attempt will throw fuch a damp upon the prefent laudable fpirit, that it will not for many years be poffible to revive it.

E

the bills fent up to us of late years from the other house for amending the law, improving trade, or removing any grievance publickly complained of, most of them were fuch as were apparently ineffectual for the end proposed, or fuch as tended to introduce a greater grievance than that they intended to remove. Such were their bills against the use of spirituous liquors, their bills againft vagabonds, and many others I could mention. In fhort, G I can think but of one bill that has fully answered what was expected from it, which was that brought in by a worthy magiftrate of the city of E of W 2.

Did we ever hear, did we ever read of a company, that carried on

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POLITICAL CLUB, &c. 159 trade, or lay it open to our own people, and this put an end to the trade of the company; for their present circumftances fhew, that they have never fince carried on the trade with any advantage.

1751. PROCEEDINGS of the a trade with any fuccefs, unless it was to a place where none could trade but themselves? Do not we know, that in order to enable a company with a joint stock to carry on any trade, they must not only have an exclufive privilege with re- A Our Eaft-India company owed its gard to their own countrymen, but establishment to the fame causes, it must be to fuch a place, or a trade and will, at laft, I fear, Sir, have of fuch a nature, that they cannot the fame fate with our African compoffibly be rivalled by any foreigners? pany; for its trade will be at an end Is not the bill we but the other day as foon as it begins to be rivalled by agreed to, for extending and im- the private traders of other nations; proving the trade to Africa, a me- B but thank God! our neighbours have lancholy proof of this truth? No all hitherto carried on that trade by trade had ever ftronger arguments companies as we do. And as to the in favour of a company with a joint South-Sea company, they have neftock, than that trade had at the be- ver so much as once endeavoured to ginning: It was to be carried on establish a trade in that which is proupon a favage coaft, where it was perly called the South-Sea; and impoffible to trade with any fecurity C now, I believe, will never more for your merchants and factors, with- have any trade in any fea whatever. out having forts for their protection But left it fhould be objected, that against the natives. The friendship these were all exclufive companies, of the natives was to be purchafed I shall make fome obfervations upon by prefents to their little princes, our Turkey company. This comand yet that friendship, after you had pany was from the beginning depurchased it, could not for a day be D figned to be a free and open comdepended on, unless you had a fort pany That is to fay, every man for a fecurity againft their perfidy. was to have leave to trade to Turkey, Such a trade, therefore, could not who could make himself free of the be opened without a much greater company by the payment of a small expence than the profits of the trade fum, I think 51. But the company could answer in a great number of were enabled to make by-laws, and E years; confequently, this expence every man free of the company was must be defrayed by the publick, or to be fubject to thefe by-laws. What a company with a joint ftock and was the confequence? Some cunning exclufive privilege must be erected. fellows among the directors conAs the government had not at that trived a by-law, by which they extime millions yearly at its difpofal, cluded every man from the Turkey as it has had fince, it could not fpare trade but themselves and their the expence, and therefore it was F friends. By this means they inabfolutely neceffary, for the opening groffed the trade to themselves, and of that trade, to erect a company fold all English goods in Turkey at with a joint ftock and exclufive pri- fuch a high price, that the French vilege. Whilft that company was were enabled to rival us, and at laft unrivalled, or but very little ri- run away with the greatest part of valled by foreigners, they carried on the trade. the trade with advantage; but as G foon as they came to be rivalled by the private traders of other nations, we faw that we must either lose the

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In this country, Sir, we fhould be more cautious of erecting trading companies, than in countries where their government is arbitrary. Merchants,

* See a debate on the Turkey trade, London Magazine for 1745, p. 521, 530.

160 PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. April

chants, in all countries, are but too
generally selfish and cunning: They
will endeavour to inrich themselves
often by fuch methods as tend to the
ruin of their country; and by erect-
ing them into companies you furnish
them with the means of exercifing A
their talents in this way. When
fuch attempts are made in arbitrary
countries, the minifters may easily
and fpeedily put a stop to it, and
punifh feverely the authors, in an
arbitrary, fhort, and fummary way;
but here you muft proceed according B
to the forms of law; and it is fo
eafy to evade any law that can be
made for preventing fuch practices,
that it is impoffible to convict them,
efpecially as they are to be tried by
lawyers, who feldom, I believe, un-
derstand any thing of trade. We
had a ftrong inftance of this in the
Turkey company I have mentioned;
for tho' the affair was about four or
five years ago brought before parlia-
ment, and tho' the pernicious con-
.fequences of the by-law they had
made, were fet in the clearest light, D
yet not only the authors of it efcaped
without punifhment, but the by-
law itfelf was left in its full force;
whereas had our government been
arbitrary, and our minifters careful
of their duty, the by-law would
have been by the fupreme authority
abolished as foon as made, and the
chief promoter of it hanged, for at-
tempting fuch an injury to the trade
of his country.

E

F

We may from hence fee the rea-
fon, Sir, why trading companies
profper much better, and are of
more advantage to their country, in
France than in England. Even in
Holland they have generally been
conducted with much more publick
fpirit, and a greater regard to the
gene-
good of the commonwealth in
ral, than ever they were in England. G
We may
be convinced of this, by
comparing the conduct of the Eaft-
India company in Holland, with that
of our Eaft-India and African com-

panies. In the infancy of both these trades, the undertakers made vaft profits in both countries; but the application of thofe profits was very different: The directors of the Dutch Eaft-India company applied a great fhare of those profits in planting colonies and ingroffing the fpice iflands; by which they have fecured a lasting revenue to their fucceffors, and extenfive dominions to their country: Whereas the directors of our EaftIndia and African companies applied their whole profits yearly towards increafing their dividends, in order to raise the price of their ftock, by which indeed they inriched themfelves and the then proprietors, but they procured no folid lafting advantage to their fucceffors, nor any useful dominion to their country; and the late fate of Madrass is a melancholy proof, how precarious their little poffeffions are in that part of the world.

These things I thought neceffary to premife, Sir, concerning the conduct and fate of trading companies in this country, in order to fhew, fuch erect that we should never any without an abfolute neceflity; but what is the neceffity of erecting the under confideraticompany now on? For carrying on the fishery we have no occafion for erecting any forts, or for purchafing the friendfhip of any foreign princes: We have no occafion for being at any expence, but what with frugal management may be reimbursed by two or three fuccessful voyages; and the fitting out a herring bufs is so small an expence, that any common merchant may by himfelf alone undertake it. When I talk of frugal management, I muft obferve, that it is by this alone, and by felling at a fmall profit, that the Dutch have hitherto prevented our interfering with them in the trade, and now we are going to grasp at a fhare of the trade, by carrying it on in the most expenfive way that can be thought of.

2

1751 PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c.

161

do; but 10,000l. is too large a fum for most men to inveft in fuch a new and precarious trade, and most men like to have the whole management of what money they employ in trade, nor will any man living in the north A of Scotland chufe to have the accounts of his outfet under the infpection of the fociety of London. Therefore I am much afraid, that this London company will be like the dog in the manger: They can neither carry on the trade themselves, B nor will they allow others to carry it on; and I am fure, the company can be of no fervice to the government, with respect to the discovery or prevention of frauds.

of. This really, Sir, appears fo ri-
diculous, that I am afhamed of it,
and yet it is certainly the cafe; for
a company can never carry on any
trade at fo cheap a rate as private
men may do, and London is the most
inconvenient port in the kingdom,
that herring buffes can be fent from,
or fitted out at; because it is more
diftant from the proper places for
fishing than any port in Holland,
and the voyage more tedious and more
dangerous; and the building and fit-
ting up of buffes at London will be
more expenfive than at any other
port in the kingdom, because the
wages of workmen are much higher
than any where else. For these rea-
fons, Sir, I think it is almost a de-
monstration, that whatever may be
expected from the chambers at the C
other ports of the kingdom, the
company at London can never carry
on the trade with fuccefs, because they
will always be underfold by the Dutch,
if not by the chambers at other ports.

I cannot therefore see, Sir, what occafion we had for a company: I am fure, it will be a cramp upon the trade, rather than of any advantage to it; and it is fo evident, that the company must lofe by their trade, if they carry on any, that few men will engage in it with that view. I am therefore afraid, that there is fome stockjobbing scheme, or some fuch fraudulent fcheme in view of fome of thofe concerned; and if this fhould at last appear to be the cafe, or if the company fhould honeftly and fairly engage in the trade, and in a few years exhaust E their capital, as they will probably do, it will be fuch a difcouragement as will, for many years, prevent others from engaging in it. For this reafon, Sir, I think we fhould reject the bill now before us, fince it is fuch a one as cannot be amended; and because we cannot propofe to have another bill brought in and paffed this feffion, we fhould address his majesty to order the board of trade to prepare fuch a scheme againft next feffion, as they may think will be effectual for promoting the white herring fishery, and other fisheries, upon the coasts of Britain and Ireland.

Then, Sir, as to the chambers, if any fuch be fet up in the north of D Scotland, they may, by means of the premiums allowed them, come in for a fhare of the trade with the Dutch; but why should you put those pre. miums, or at leaft, the 31. per cent. under the management of a company at London? Or why fhould you confine the 31. per cent. to the company and the chambers? Why fhould not every private man, that will risk 500 or 1000l. in this trade, have the fame encouragement, so as the whole does not exceed 500,000l. that the publick may be certain what fum F it has to pay yearly upon this account? If this had been done, I am perfuaded, that many private men would have engaged in the trade, and would have gone to fettle at, and fit out buffes from, the northern ports of Scotland; where, G by being near the proper places for fishing, they might have carried it on at a much less expence than it is poffible for the Dutch to April, 1751.

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