« renewal of tbe Company’s .charter, rit would-be requisite to alter and
“ modify its conditions according to existing circumstances/; :^rid-/especially
« how far it would have,been,expedient, in'future, to leavooetho-^Company
“ the exclusive trade, and at hthe-same time the ;uncontrouled sovereignty
“ oyer the same country.”
But- however natural it may: be, at the present■ moment,• to consider
questions of. this kind, it - was perhaps at that- time beyond -the.-.common
course of-human thought, ;to entertain-doubts on: thq subject.. -.Brom an
honourable regard; for ancient institutions, -the .mercantile- system fpf the
Company was;-still- considered with reverence andnrespect; .it/badsbeen: at
all-times the boast and pride of-.the nation ; tbe-services -which'the'Company
had^ rendered to the state in its earlier days, and the immensC'benefits
which.the government had .been, enabled, by its mean^ itoispread:among
the community at jarge, had.rendered the East-India-^©mpafly and:rail-its
privileges, objects of peculiar -care and tenderness. The rights of sovereignty
which the Company afterwards' requiredj were obtained by degrees
and 'almost impereeptibly. Every acquisition of-the kind .had been, con-
• sidered, at the time* merely as the means of. increasing its mercantile
profits, and all its territorial rights were looked upon as subservient-to-its
' mercantile system.
In .consequence.of these ideas, after the whole.of the northern -arid least-
ern coast of .Java had been added to the Company’s territorial dominions;
by a cession in the yea? 1749, no step seems to have been taken for improv-
ing.these acquisitions, by any direct use of the supremacy obtained..- Sora’e
contracts were instituted with the native chiefs, for delivering gratis, or at
the lowest-.possible. price, such articles as would serve the ■ Company’s
investments; home; but.. taxation, the levy, of produce,, and the. management
of police and justice in -the inferior-courts, were left to-the care-:and
conscience of the natives themselves.
■ Arguments-in 'favour • of>-this.system may. perhaps:be drawn from the
: respect due to the native usages and institutions, and from a supposed want
of powers bathe part- 0$ fh# 'Cbifcparij* td agSuTflSe Uriy direct eOntrotil bve*
the-mativ^pOputeiOn-.d'JijBat' whatever ’ infthence'fthe;Se: ideas: may have had
on-'th'e^conda^ af-thef^.Compalrtyvidt niay be affirmed:‘that an European
government,:! himiHg: SnLy'-'Eosfe^«f%httftand: justice: administered-;to- every
class of the population, might and ought tO* f e e maintained # tie'native
ages and|institution's,'."nbftltecongisfent'witlr'tib'Sfe^rinciples ; and, that tie
- foP- Want of r which-' ik withheld-its ■interference',. "-been
aupblfedand doiffiifefdd-by te’^a&roftefcfei^th^poweP which-itipugae^
arid: b f tile-feSoUrcOs StJiia-i^hfe to te beeri'- th ^ means! Of"1 tewitf^ frtetKe
eMEntry.- -- •'
i vConsidOf$rig*tliefelforefft&hO propensity i t e f ^ d m e t e ^ ifotiVe authority
tb-abUSe-ifs inflUeftOe,' dnd-to-tender itoppfessivb k f thd population?’at- large;:
lhe''a¥cend'aricj^Hf -Edrob'eSne-irf!geneml,-f eVefJ'dVe^tte <flSSS o f t e t e c b i e f
tairis^ the scaritiriesS o f many ©f -the; establishments ptepoSecf im-lhV plan Of
the Indian Commissioners ^ the manifest inadequacy bf the remuridtatteof
the« ciVil^er'Vant’s-which-if'i-fedbrnmOddddf -kiM’th'C tfarrbW sSiiTe off Whlclfall
e x p en s e ^ re calculate#;- no ve'fy durable benefits eOUld’baWbOeri re'asbn-
ably expe‘eted-frnmf i f -The' disfePetibnai-y:■pWe&iheingn^®:iH'thn'han'dS1 o'f
ileS«atiVe-i'cHieffaifit,r'ttfe'Wh^ of population %oYfld
have remained at tfear disposal; the ascerfdanfcybf the European- serVa®#
Wouldt-have'subjected- both? peculations, whicl^the-'-iriSuffioiencfbf-'tbfeir •
salaries would constantly have tei»pted;fHethi.to practice ;-the administration"
©f-jnstiei: U&t meeting with a'proper 'remuneration- Would' have^^fe’en
ineffectual,-perhaps corrupt; the* r e d a c t i o n t h e military^ establishment
Would have left-the' possessions- ari easy rprey:to> thn first in v ad e ran d the
Original sourcesb f ' the' Company*!:reVefifflOS in India remaining the satoe? i t
Sefefns- pTSbable; that in a' short time/ the1 skWe- scenes''which had hitherto’
With sorinuch-repfobation,--would haveten-acted over' again* and-to a
M il e ite fi© ^ n
But o f whatever'merit, might have’ been the plans- suggested by tbe Com-'
flj&sioneis in India on the 4th July 1795, the calamities which had already
Xpln befallen