speak with accuracy of its contents; but he would venture to say, he had not in that letter decided in favour of sending out a great number of officers at a time when the Company had 600 officers of their own in India unemployed, nor had his lordship given any opinion against sending out a number of recruits to fill up the vacancies in the skeleton regiments now in India.

to the same amount as they have been collected in former years. The salt and the opium are productive branches of revenue, and are in an improving state, and the natives are happy and contented. I find indeed, that one branch of revenue has fallen off. The mint duties in 1782 produced near 40,000 rupees,; this year they are estimated at only 13,000; but I do not agree with the hon. gentleman (Mr. Francis) on the conclusion he has drawn; for the fact is, that in 1782, the money procured by the nabob from the Begums, and employed in liquidation of his debt to the Company, was principally received in our mint. The hon. gentleman asks, what is become of the Bengal surplus? I will an

have been purchased without drawing bills upon England: the arrears of our army in Bengal have been paid off; remittances have been made to Madras and Bombay. In a word, having once established indisputably that there is an actual surplus of revenue in Bengal, and its dependencies, amounting to two millions annually; it must be obvious that a very few years of peace must put us in a most flourishing state, and we never had a fairer prospect of a long peace in India than we have at the present moment.

Sir Grey Cooper asked when Mr. Dundas intended to bring the other estimates, referring to the state of the Company's affairs at home, under discussion?

Major Scott said: I have examined the several accounts now before the Committee, with all the accuracy that I am capable of, and I can with confidence say they more than confirm every statement which I have at any time bad the honour to mention to this House, in opposition to the glaring misrepresentations of the hon.swer him-the last three years investments gentleman (Mr. Francis). It appears evident, beyond contradiction, that from the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Benares, and the Oude subsidy, after the payment of all our expenses of every denomination, there is an actual surplus of two crores of rupees, or two millions sterling; whereas I never presumed to reckon upon more than a surplus of 150 lacks, or 1,500,000%. and the difference arises from two causes; the actual receipts are higher than I estimated them, and the expenses are lower than I had conceived they could be brought. I do not go upon a vague estimate, but upon an estimate grounded upon the actual receipts of former years. If I go to Oude, I find, from an authentic document from lord Cornwallis now upon your table, that we have received annually from the vizier for the last nine years, 84 lacks; in future we are to receive 52 lacks annually; and lord Cornwallis tells us, he has no apprehension of that resource failing; such is his confidence on Hyder Beg Khan; yet we are told every day that Oude is ruined beyond redemption. If I look to Benares, I find lord Cornwallis and the right hon. gentleman take credit for a revenue of 44 lacks annually from that country, and lord Cornwallis tells us, he has no fears either for the balance of the last, or the full receipt of future revenues; yet we the knights, citizens, and burgesses in parliament assembled, are marching into Westminster-hall three times a week, to declare, that the revenue from Benares never can be received, and that we have ruined the country. If we look to Bengal and Bahar, we shall find from documents upon your table, that the revenues are now collected precisely in the same manner, and as near as possible

Mr. Pitt said, the subject matter of those estimates was totally distinct from that of the estimates upon which the resolution was grounded. It was a duty imposed upon his right hon. friend, in the course of every session, to submit to the House an account of the Company's affairs in India, with an account of their bond debts in Bengal; but it was not his duty to state the situation of the Company's affairs at home. The directors were bound to lay an account of the latter before parliament every session and if any gentleman questioned the validity of any part of that account, he had an undoubted right to bring the whole account,under the consideration of the House, and move any proposition which he might think fit. But, unless that was done, or some reason arose to induce the House to go into the discussion, it was not absolutely necessary. He understood, however, that an occasion would soon offer which would bring the state of the Company's affairs at home before the House, because it probably

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would be necessary to attend to an application from the Company to grant them additional powers of extending their credit. The question was now put upon the resolution, and carried. Mr. Dundas then moved various other resolutions, which were severally agreed to by the Com-pleasing or popular exercises of power. mittee.

that had the good fortune to be under his command.

Mr. Dundas said, that no man was more willing than himself, to admit the merits of sir John Macpherson, while he held the government of Bengal, and therefore he begged that his not having expressly taken notice of that gentleman, might not be interpreted into any unwillingness on his part to do him every possible justice. He had not mentioned that gentleman, because the nature of his duty did not make any such mention necessary, nor could he have done it without going more into matter not immediately connected with the facts it was his business to state, than he felt it right for him to go, because in that case he must not only have mentioned the merits of some but the demerits of others. He had therefore thought it more wise to avoid any such allusion altogether. Sir John well knew his sentiments respecting him, and that there was not a single dispatch sent out to him, while in India, that did not convey him approbation and thanks for the firm ness, integrity, and wisdom of his conduct in many instances. What he had said often in private, he had not the smallest objection to declare in public, and to affirm in the face of that House, that the conduct of sir John Macpherson in India, had been highly meritorious.

The resolutions were then agreed to.

prevent their being crowded too close together; the securing to them good and sufficient provisions, and other matters conducive to their health and their accommodation. He should not have thought of bringing in the Bill at that late period of the session, were he not convinced of the existence of grievances to a considerable extent, and satisfied, that by applying an immediate remedy, some thousand lives might be saved before the next session of parliament. He concluded with moving, "That this House will, immediately, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the state and condition of the natives of Africa during their passage, in British ships, from the coast of Africa to their landing in America, the West India islands, or elsewhere."

Mr. Whitbread seconded the motion. Mr. Gascoyne said, that when the hon. baronet had first given notice of his intention for leave to bring in a Bill, he had declared his determination to oppose it, because he considered it as highly improper to interfere with the general question, which the House had unanimously agreed it was too late in the session to bring under discussion, and had therefore wisely reserved it for consideration next year.

When he found, however, that the hon. baronet meant only to remedy the evils stated to exist in transporting the inhabitants of Africa to the West Indies, he should not object to the bringing in of the Bill. He begged, however, not to be considered as pledged to support the Bill, or to oppose it.

The motion was agreed to, and the House having resolved itself into a Committee, sir W. Dolben moved, That it was the opinion of that Committee that a Bill ought to be brought in to regulate the transportation of the natives of Africa to the West Indies.

Debates in the Commons on the African Slave Bill.] May 21. Sir W. Dolben rose in consequence of his notice, to move for leave to bring in a bill for the relief of those unhappy persons, the natives of Africa, from the hardships to which they were exposed in their passage from the coast of Africa to the colonies. He had been honoured with the conversation of those gentlemen who had officially spoken against the introduction of such a Bill as he had given notice of, and upon finding that he meant merely to confine the Mr. Cornwall asked, what laws already object of the Bill to regulating the treat-existed on the subject, and what facts the ment of the African natives while on ship- hon. baronet had to state to the Commitboard, and to keep it totally clear of the tee, to induce them to vote the resolution general question, that the House had re- moved? solved to take into their consideration next session, those gentlemen had said, that if he would not bring in the Bill till Monday next, they would have no objection to its being introduced. The regulations attempted by the Bill, would regard the number of Africans put on board each ship, limiting that number in proportion to the tonnage of the vessel, in order to

Sir W. Dolben answered, that there were no laws in existence on the subject; that as to facts he had a large body of evidence ready to be adduced, if it were deemed necessary to prove that the African natives did suffer very great and intolerable hardships on their voyage to the West Indies. He said he could call naval officers, captains of men of war, captains

of Guinea-men, the mates and surgeons of such ships, and various other respectable witnesses, to prove that the grievances endured by the natives of Africa, while on their passage to the colonies, were intolerable.

a consequence might grow out of their late resolutions, during the intervening months, between the end of the present and the commencement of the next session, was a sufficient parliamentary ground for them to provide immediate means to prevent the existence of such an evil. On that ground the Bill should have his support. He wished, however, in order to mark the Bill as a measure distinct from the general question, that the hon baronet would alter the title, and instead of “ A bill to regulate," call it "A bill for pro

Mr. Hamilton said, that the word " regulate" convinced him that by such a Bill the House would, for the first time, sanction that most abominable traffic, unauthorized by the doctrines of divine law, and so repugnant to human feelings. He therefore deprecated the voting of the resolution as a measure that would be mis-viding temporary regulations, &c." construed as an indirect declaration on the part of the House, that they approved of the Slave Trade, and recognized it as legal.

Sir W. Dolben observed that, as a member of parliament, he could not say that the Slave Trade was an illegal traffic, because no parliamentary declaration, either by statute or otherwise, maintained this doctrine. He therefore wished, by a Bill, to provide some temporary regulations in the transport branch of the Slave Trade, for the comfort of the unhappy sufferers.

Mr. Pitt reminded the House that, on a former occasion he had cautiously avoided giving any opinion respecting the legality or illegality of the Slave Trade, or whether it ought to be suffered to be continued, and if so, under what regulations. He meant strictly to adhere to the same rule with respect to the Bill then moved for; but without precluding himself from declaring his sentiments on either side of the general question, when it should come properly under consideration, he thought he might fairly support the present motion. There was undoubtedly a possibility (and a bare possibility was sufficient ground for the argument he meant to state), that in consequence of the resolution lately come to by the House, those persons who carried on the branch of the Slave Trade to which the Bill referred, might, from the knowledge of the intention of the House to examine the subject of the Slave Trade fully next session, put the natives of Africa into a worse situation during their transportation to the colonies, even than they were in before, by cramming additional numbers on board their vessels, in order to convey as many as possible to the West Indies, before parliament ultimately decided what was most fit to be done upon the general subject of the Trade. Certainly, therefore, the possibility that such

The resolution so amended was agreed to; and the House being resumed, leave was granted to bring in a bill for providing certain temporary regulations respecting the transportation of the natives of Africa, in British ships, to the West Indies and elsewhere.

May 26. Sir W. Dolben brought in the said Bill, which was read a first time. On the motion that it be read a second time,

Mr. Gascoyne insisted that the Bill was not likely to be productive of any good consequences, and that it could not pass without bringing forward a premature discussion of the general question. He objected to the mode of regulation proposed in the Bill, even if regulation were necessary, as being neither practicable in itself nor adequate to its proposed object. If the Bill proceeded, his constituents must, he conceived, be heard by counsel, and such a variety of evidence must be gone into, as would unavoidably occupy more time than the period of the session would admit. He therefore moved, “That the Bill be read a second time upon that day three months."

Mr. Brickdale seconded the motion. Mr. W. Smith regarded the Bill as indispensably requisite to answer the purposes of humanity, and put a stop to the cruel practices which were stated to prevail in that branch of the African Trade, to which alone the Bill pointed. If those who opposed the Bill designed to examine witnesses against it, he hoped they would bring forward their evidence in as compact a shape as possible. He hoped no gentleman would attempt to mix the question of the present Bill, with the general question of the policy of the Slave Trade, with which, in its provisions, it had no necessary connexion. He urged the necessity of interfering, without delay, in a case that called for reform, and to which