"That it is of the greatest advantage to the great body of British cotton manufacturers to confine the import of India piece goods to one port, as it gives them the opportunity of viewing them, and regulating their manufactories, according to the quantity and sorts intended for sale; whereas, if individuals were allowed to import piece goods, and sell them at an out-port, the British manufacturer would never know what quantity might be brought into the market, or how to regulate his manufactory."

"That the principal factories in India for muslins, callicoes, and silk goods, being in the hands of our East-India Company, and the greatest attention being paid to maintain the qualities and fabrics of each sort, it is reasonable to conclude, that the same influx of foreigners, who purchase very large quantities of the national manufactures, will attend the sales at the India House (whenever the politics of Europe will allow them to come) as used to resort here for a series of years, provided the quantity exposed to sale by the East India Company is of sufficient importance to draw their attention."

"That the plan now pursued, of having periodical half-yearly sales of piece goods, and publishing a declaration every three months previous to the sale, prevents every merchant and manufacturer from being suddenly surprised by an excessive quantity being brought on, and enables the foreign buyer to make his arrangements to attend the sale, or to send his orders."

Another establishment of great magnitude and importance to the City of London, as well as to the individual concerned, will be rendered useless by a transfer of the Indian Trade to the Out-ports, and it is only necessary for me to refer to the Act of the Legislature, to impress upon your Lordship's mind the necessity of giving this part of the subject due consideration, before you proceed to recommend measures which must involve the dearest interests of the several persons connected therewith.

By the Act of 43 Geo. III. cap. 126, An Act for the further improvement of the Port of London, by making Docks and other Works at Blackwall, for the accommodation of the East India Shipping in the said Port, it is enacted that, Whereas the Ships in the employ of the East India Company are of larger size than other vessels employed by Merchants in Trade, and many of them nearly VOL. I. Pam, No. II.

2 N

equal in bulk to the Ships of the Line in the Royal Navy; And whereas the Cargoes and Merchandize on board of such Ships ARE OF GREAT VALUE AND NATIONAL IMPORTANCE; and whereas by the present system of loading and discharging the Cargoes of such Ships, the Navigation of the River Thames is frequently impeded, and delays, losses and inconveniences experienced, and the Cargoes of such Ships are subject to plunder, and the East India Company and Owners thereof injured, and THE PUBLIC REVENUE DEFRAUDED TO A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT; And whereas if GOOD AND SUFFICIENT WET DOCKs and Basons, with necessary accommodations and requisites for the reception of East India Ships were made at or near Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, the evils and mischiefs aforesaid might be greatly remedied and prevented, &c. &c. The Act then goes on to recite under what terms, &c. the said Docks should be built, and the money raised for the purpose.

*

In Sect. 12 of the said Act, provision is made for the half-yearly payment of the interest on the money borrowed; and in Sect. 13, the application of the money so borrowed, is directed, first, in paying the Charges incurred in the passing the said Act; next, in paying and discharging the consideration of purchase-money and other costs, and afterwards in PAYING SUCH YEARLY OR OTHER SUMS OF MONEY AS THEREIN DIRECTED, FOR COMPENSATION FOR LOSSES AND DEFICIENCY OF TYTHES, TAXES, SEWER RATES, AND OTHER RATES AND ASSESSMENTS, &c. &c.

In Sect. 91 it is stated, that in consideration of the great charges and expenses in making the said Docks, the rates mentioned in the said Act should be paid by ships loading or unloading.

In Sect. 110 it is enacted, that none of the restrictions for Ships loading or unloading in the East India Company's Dock, shall continue in force for more than twenty-one years, commencing from the date of the first rate being taken.

It appears then, my Lord,, that Parliament permitted the construction of the said Docks from a conviction that it would be au improvement to the City of London, that it would be the cause of greater security to the Revenue in securing the Cargoes of Ships EQUAL IN SIZE TO LINE OF BATTLE SHIPS AND OF GREAT NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

If the Trade is removed to the Out-ports, this improvement will be rendered useless and become a burthen, unless empty warehouses and dry docks can be considered an improvement. The security arising therefrom to the Revenue is given up, and the Cargoes of Ships equal in size to Line of Battle Ships and of great National importance, are consequently of no importance. By the construction of the Docks the Revenue will be deteriorated, for had the buildings still existed which were pulled down to make way for the Docks proposed to be now rendered useless, the inhabitants, individually, would still have contributed their quota towards the exigencies of the state, which must be now considered a posi tive loss, as well as the additional loss which will be occasioned by the non-payment of the interest to the individual subscribers; also the non-payment of tythes, assessments, &c. &c.

Secondly. That Parliament permitted individuals to raise large sums of money for the purpose of constructing their Docks. These sums were raised upon the faith of a continuance of the East India Trade to the Port of London, the ships engaged in which Trade were, by the said Act, obliged to enter the Docks; and from the rates paid by the owners of such ships, the individuals were to be paid the interest of the sums advanced by them, and ultimately the principal. If the Docks be rendered useless by a transfer of the trade, how are the individuals to be reimbursed?

Thirdly. So much importance was attached to the early completion of the said Docks, that in Sect. 91 it is expressly directed they should be constructed as soon as possible, and that even statements of their progress should be laid before Parliament yearly, and

Fourthly. It is enacted that none of the Resolutions of Ships unloading or landing in the East India Docks shall continue in force for more than twenty-one years from the date the first rate shall be taken:-surely this provision 'implies, that at all events individuals concerned had a right to look for a continuance of the Trade, which would oblige the entering of ships into the East India Dock for the twenty-one years, and upon the faith of such a continuance they became subscribers towards erecting the said Docks.

I shall now refer to an establishment which will be abolished if the Trade is thrown open. I should not have noticed it had it not been a subject which has engaged parliamentary attention.

By the 37th Geo. III. cap. 74, the Company were enabled to raise and pay the expenses of two Regiments of Infantry, to be embodied for the defence and protection of the House and Warehouses of the Company, and for such public services as are mentioned in the said Act.

By the 43d Geo. III. cap. 48, the same Corps was again permitted to be raised, and his Majesty was pleased to accept of the services of the said Brigade of Royal East India Volunteers, and the consent of Parliament was obtained to authorize the charge of the same amongst the ordinary outgoings, charges, and expenses of the Company. This Corps, whose establishment was ratified by Acts of the Legislature, is to be at once abolished, consisting of Two Thousand men.

Lord CASTLEREAGH, in bringing the matter before Parliament in 1803, stated, "That an Act of Parliament had expired relating to the appropriating of certain parts of the profits of the East India Company to the support of the Volunteer Corps of the East India House. His Lordship enlarged on the utility of the Corps, which he termed trust-worthy, as being composed of the different servants of the East India Company; the superior officers being persons who filled the higher departments; the inferior officers of another class of respectable persons; and the privates of the warehousemen, and persons in the lower situations. Provision had been made by a former Act for two Battalions, which he wished to increase to three Battalions. The propriety of the force being thus raised and provided for, must be manifest to the House; they were to be composed entirely of men known and employed at the East India House, and none could be more worthy of being trusted with the care and preservation of the peace of the Metropolis upon an emergency. He therefore moved that the House should resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House on the subject.”

The Company's military stores have supplied Government with arms and appointments at a time when a delay in obtaining such stores might have been of great detriment to the state.

Here, my Lord, is a statement of the ruin which will befal so numerous a body of his Majesty's subjects, and the establishments that will be broken up. Is it then too much to ask for a statement of the reasons or arguments which induced your Lordship to make

this sacrifice? For those arguments your Lordship has referred the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman of the East-India Company, to the Petitions from those out-ports to which it is proposed to remove the East India Trade. I shall avail myself of such permission, remarking at the same time, that in your Lordship's Letter to the Chairs, of the 4th ultimo, you explicitly state, "that you have no difficulty in acquainting them, that the claims of merchants connected with the out-ports, have not been brought before government by WRITTEN DOCUMENTS." And in the following paragraph your Lordship says, " You may obtain from the Records," viz. The WRITTEN Petitions to Parliament, that further information (viz. the representations which have induced his Majesty's Ministers to acquiesce in the transfer of the trade) which you appear desirous to possess." Pleading my incapacity to reconcile these two paragraphs, I shall proceed to consider these convincing Petitions, confining myself, of course, to those from the out-ports, which the Commissioners of the Excise, in their Report referred to in the Debate in the East-India House, on the 22d ultimo, consider as the only ports, which can, with any degree of safety to the revenue, or the country, be thrown open to the India trade; "for," say the Commissioners of Excise, "the other out-ports appear to us for VARIOUS REASONS INSUFFICIENT."

The Ports stated by the Commissioners are

HULL

BRISTOL

LIVERPOOL

PLYMOUTH

DOVER, and
PORTSMOUTH.

I shall commence with Bristol, the Merchants of which city claim as their Birth-right, liberty to trade with Kingdoms gained by His Majesty's arms. That the Company's trade has decreased, whilst Foreigners have competed successfully with the Company, and that such trade has been obstinately denied to the Subjects of the United Kingdom. That the promise of pecuniary participation held out in 1793, has not been realized, but that the Company has made repeated claims on the Public. That the Petitioners rely on Parliament disregarding any argument that may be advanced in