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A SUMMARY ACCOUNT

OF THE

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LATE PARLIAMENT,

From its Meeting on the 11th Day of November, 1783, to its Diffolution on the 25th Day of March, 1784, fo far as relates to the India Bills, and the Difmiffion of the late Miniftry.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

NOVEMBER II, 1783.

IS Majefty came to the Houfe, and being in his robes, feated on the Throne with the ufual folemnity, the Ufher of the Black Rod was fent with a meffage, commanding the attendance of the Houfe of Commons; and the Commons being come, his Majefty was pleased to deliver the following moft gracious fpeech:

My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I HAVE the fatisfaction to inform you, that Definitive Treaties of Peace have "been concluded with the Courts of France and Spain, and with the United States of "America. Preliminary Articles have been alfo ratified with the States General of the "United Provinces. I have ordered thefe feveral Treaties to be laid before you; and "am happy to add, that I have no caufe of doubt, but that all thofe Powers agree "with me in my fincere inclination to keep the calamities of war at a great diftance. "The objects which are to be brought under your deliberation will fufficiently explain "my reafons for calling you together after fo fhort a recefs. Enquiries of the utinoft "importance have been long and diligently purfued, and the fruit of them will be ex"pected. The fituation of the East India Company will require the utmost exertions of "your wisdom, to maintain and improve the valuable advantages derived from our Indian "poffeffions, and to promote and fecure the happiness of the native inhabitants of thofe "provinces.

B

"The

"The feafon of peace will call upon you for an attention to every thing, which can "recruit the strength of the nation, after to long and to expenfive a war. The fecurity

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" and increase of the revenue, in the manner leaft burthenfome to my fubjects, will be "amongst your firft objects. In many effential parts it has fuffered; dangerous frauds "have prevailed; and alarming outrages have been committed. Exertions have not been wanting to reprefs this daring fpirit, nor pains to enquire into its true caufes. In any "inftances in which the power of Government may not be equal to its utmost care and vigilance, I have no doubt that the wifdom of my Parliamentwill provide such reme"dies as may be found wanting, for the accomplishment of purposes in which the "material interefts of this nation are fo deeply concerned.

66

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons,

"I have ordered the estimates of the expences for the year to be laid before you. From "those you will perceive the reduction which I have made in all the establishments, which appear to me to be brought as low as prudence will admit; and you will participate "with me in the fatisfaction which I feel in this step towards the relief of my fubjects. "At the end of a war, fome part of its weight muft inevitably be borne for a time. I "feel for the burthens of my people; but I rely on that fortitude, which has hitherto supported this nation under many difficulties, for their bearing those which the prefen "exigencies require, and which are so neceffary for the full support of national credit. My Lords and Gentlemen,

66

"In many respects our fituation is new; your counfels will provide what is called for by that fituation, and your wisdom will give permanence to whatever has been found "beneficial by the experience of ages. In your deliberations you will preserve that tem"per of moderation, which the importance of their objects demands, and will, I have no "doubt, produce; and I am fure that you are unanimous in your defire to direct all "thofe deliberations to the honour of my Crown, the fafety of my Dominions, and the 66 profperity of my People."

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

November 18.] Mr. Fox propofed his India Bill, and on the 20th presented it to the Houfe, when it was read for a first time. On the 27th it was read a fecond time, and oppofed going into a Committee by Mr. Pitt, but the Houfe divided on the motion of Mr. Pitt for adjourning the question.

Ayes
Noes

Majority for the Commitment

229

I 20

109

December 1.] Mr. Fox made a motion for the Houfe to refolve itself into a Committee, agreeable to the determination of the 27th of November, when the queftion being put, there appeared

For Mr. Fox's motion
Against it
Majority

217
103

144

December

Being appointed for the third reading, the House

December 8. divided on the queftion.

Ayes
Noes-

208

104

106

Majority

Mr. Fox then gave notice that he fhould attend on the next day at three o'clock, to carry the bill up to the Lords.

The following is an exact Copy of that celebrated Bill.

A BILL for vefting the Affairs of the EAST INDIA COMPANY, in the Hands of certain COMMISSIONERS, for the Benefit of the PROPRIETORS,

and the PUBLIC.

WHEREAS diforders of an alarming nature and magnitude have long prevailed, and do ftill continue and increase, in the management of the territorial poffeffions, the revenues, and the commerce, of this kingdom in the Eaft-Indies; by means whereof the profperity of the natives hath been greatly diminished, and the valuable interests of the nation in the faid territorial poffeffions, revenues, and commerce, have been materially impaired; and would probably fall into utter ruin, if an immediate and fitting remedy were not provided :

Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, that the government and management of the territorial poffeffions, revenues, and commerce, of the United Company of Merchants of England-trading to the Eaft Indies, by the Directors and Proprietors of the faid Company, or either of them; and all and fingular the powers and authorities of the faid Directors and Proprietors, or of any fpecial, or general, or other Court thereof, in the ordering and managing the faid poffeffions, revenues, and commerce; and all elections of Directors of the faid United Company; be and are hereby declared to be difcontinued, for and during the continuance of this act; any charter, law, or ftatute, to the contrary notwithstanding.

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And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That for the better governing, ordering, and managing the faid territorial poffeffions, revenues, and commerce, the Right Honourable William Earl Fitzwilliam, the Right Honourable Frederick Montagu, the Right Honourable George Legge, commonly called Lord Viscount Lewisham, the Honourable George Auguftus North, Sir Gilbert Elliot, Baronet, Sir Henry Fletcher, Baronet, and Robert Gregory, Efq. fhall be, and they are hereby conftituted and appointed Directors of the United Company, and fhall be, and they are hereby constituted Members of the faid Company; and that the faid Directors hereby appointed, or any three of them, fhall have, ufe, poffefs, and exercise, all and fingular the powers and authorities which have been, at any time heretofore, vefted in or lawfully exercised by the faid Directors hereby discontinued, or Proprietors, of the faid United Company; and all fuch further and other powers and authorities, and under fuch directions, and fubject to fuch limitations and reftrictions, as in this act, or in any other act, the provifions whereof are not hereby altered or repealed, are contained, for the government and management of the faid territorial poffeffions, revenues, and commerce, of the said United Company, or in any wife relative thereto.

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And

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the faid Directors hereby appointed fhall, and they are hereby authorized and impowered, immediately from and after the commencement of this act, to enter into and upon, and to poffefs themselves of all lands, tenements, houfes, warehouses, and other buildings whatever, of or belonging to the faid United Company; and alfo to take into their cuftody and poffeffion all books, records, documents, charters, acts, inftruments, letters, and other papers whatfoever, and alfo all fhips and veffels, goods, wares, merchandizes, money, fecurities for money, and all other effects whatfoever, of or belonging to the United Company, in truft for, and for the benefit of the Proprietors thereof, and to have, hold, poffefs the fame, in like manner as were they held and poffeffed by the Directors hereby difcontinued, fubject to fuch charges, claims, and demands, as do or may affect the fame; which Directors fo difcontinued, and all other officers and fervants of the faid United Company, are hereby enjoined, immediately upon the requifition of the faid Directors hereby appointed, fignified under their hands and feals, or the hands and feals of any three of them, to deliver to them, or to fuch perfon or perfons as they fhall for that purpose appoint, all fuch lands, tenements, houses, warehouses, buildings, books, records, documents, charters, acts, inftruments, papers, fhips, veffels, goods, wares, and merchandizes, money, fecurities for money, and all other effects what foever.

And for the fole purpose of ordering and managing the commerce of the faid United Company, under and fubject to the orders and directions of the faid Directors hereby appointed, be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That Thomas Cheap, Efq. George Cumming, Efq. Richard Hall, Efq. John Harrison, Efq. Jofeph Sharp, Efq. John Michie, Efq. John Smith, Efq. George Tatem, Efq. and James Moffat, Efq. being Proprietors, each of them of two thoufand pounds capital ftock in the faid United Company, at leaft, fhall be affiftant Directors, for the purpofe laft aforefaid; and fhall, from time to time, without requifition, and alfo as often as they fhall be thereunto required, render an account of their proceedings to the faid Directors hereby appointed; and in all matters and things whatfoever, fhall purfue and follow fuch orders and directions, as they fhall from time to time receive from fuch Directors.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That in cafe any vacancy or va→ cancies fhall happen in the office of the faid Directors hereby appointed, by death, refignation, removal, or otherwife, fuch vacancy or vacancies fhall be filled by his Majefty, under his fign manual, within twenty days after notice of fuch vacancy or vacancies fhall have been given to one of his Majefty's principal Secretaries of State.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That in cafe any vacancy or vacancies fhall happen in the office of the faid affiftant Directors, by death, refignation, removal, or otherwife, fuch vacancy or vacancies fhall be filled by the majority of the Proprietors of the faid United Company, qualified in the manner required by an act of the thirteenth year of his prefent Majefty, intituled, "An Act for eftablishing "certain regulations, for the better management of the affairs of the Eaft India Com"pany, as well in India as in Europe;" which Proprietors, at fuch election of any affiftant Director, fhall not vote by ballot, or in any other covert or concealed manner, but in open court, for that purpose only fpecially fummoned; and every fuch Proprietor, in giving his or her vote, fhall fubfcribe his or her name in a book to be prepared for that purpofe, under the name of the perfon for whom he or fhe fhall

vote.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That if five of the faid Directors hereby appointed, who fhall be prefent at any meeting, fhall, upon enquiry, and after examination into the conduct and behaviour of the faid affiftant Directors, find that any of them is guilty of neglect or misdemeanor in the execution of his faid office, or of wilful difobedience of any order or orders of the faid Directors hereby appointed, they are hereby authorized and impowered to remove and difplace fuch affiftant

Directors;

Directors; entering in their journals their reafons refpectively, for removing or difplacing fuch affiftant Director, figned with their refpective names.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the faid William Earl Fitzwilliam fhall be, during his continuance as a Director by virtue of this act, Chairman of the board of Directors, and the faid Right Honourable Frederick Montagu, Deputy Chairman thereof; and if the faid Chairman fhall die, refign, or be removed from fuch office of Director, at any time during the continuance of this act, then and in that cafe the faid Deputy Chairman fhall fucceed to the office of Chairman of the faid board of Directors; and if the faid Deputy Chairman being become Chairman of the faid board of Directors, fhall alfo die, refign, or be removed from the faid office of a Director, then and in that cafe, and alfo in every other cafe of a vacancy in the office of a Chairman of the faid board of Directors, the faid Directors hereby appointed fhall choose and elect one of themselves to fupply fuch vacancy; and if a vacancy, either by fucceffion or otherwife, fhall at any time happen in the faid office of Deputy Chairman of the faid board of Directors, established by this act, the faid Directors hereby appointed, fhall in like manner, choose and elect one of themfelves to fupply fuch vacancy.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the faid Chairman of the faid board of Directors, or in his abfence, the faid Deputy Chairman, fhall have power to call or fummons any extraordinary meeting of the faid Directors hereby appointed, at fuch time or times as he fhall think expedient; and may, at any meeting whatever of fuch Directors, if he fhall think fit, propofe the bufinefs to be first confidered by fuch Directors at fuch meeting; and in cafe of an equal divifion of voices on any queftion whatever before the faid board of Directors fhall have the cafting voice: provided always, that nothing herein contained fhall prevent the majority of fuch Directors prefent at any meeting, from adjourning their meetings to fuch time or times as they fhall think

proper.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That it fhall not be lawful for the faid Directors hereby appointed, or any of them, upon any question whatever, to vote by ballot, or in any other covert manner; and that in any difference of opinion, except as to the election to offices of perfons not having before been in the fervice of the faid United Company, the faid Directors (as well the majority as those who fhall diffent) fhall each of them enter, on the journals of the faid Directors, his reafons for his vote, figned with his name, or his adherence to the reafons entered by any other Director.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no perfon furnishing the faid United Company with fhipping, or with any article of their investment outwards, either from Great Britain, or from fuch ports and places as the Company's fhips have occasion to touch at in their way to India, or with any naval or military ftores, or concerned in buying and felling any commodity of the faid United Company's importation, fhall be capable of being a Director or affiftant Director for the execution of this act.

And be it alfo enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no perfon fhall be capable of being a Director, or affiftant Director, for the execution of this act, against whom the charge of any corrupt practice, peculation, or oppreffion in India, doth or fhall appear in the records of the faid United Company within the fpace of two years before the time of his nomination, or fhall be made upon oath before the faid Directors hereby appointed within the fpace of two years before the time of his nomination, until fuch Directors, or three of them, fhall have examined into the fame, and fhall have feverally declared that they have examined into the faid charge, and do in their confcience believe fuch perfon not guilty of the faid charge; or that they do, upon the faid examination, find the faid charge not of fufficient importance to exclude the faid perfon from the faid office of Director, or affiftant Director, as the cafe may be; and that they have entered upon their journals their reafons for fuch their opinion.

4

And

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