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It would be but heaping Pelion on Ossa to quote any more items. The total value of the private-trade imports from the whole eastern hemisphere was

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This, I suppose, is what Mr. Crawfurd calls "rapid progression." That the Company have not, so far as lay in their power, neglected so serious a duty as that of assisting in the exportation of the raw produce or manufactures of the Hindoos, will be seen by the following figures derived from Mr. Wilson's work, which although they refer only to Calcutta will convey a sufficient idea of the efforts made to augment the trade between India and England; and which, indeed, it is for the direct interest of the Company to cultivate to the utmost extent, instead of, as has been foolishly asserted, to throw obstacles in its way :*_

Mr. Bourne, chairman of the Hull Committee, on the Monopoly of the East-India Company, says, "the Company check and suspend traffic to suit their views and interest." I recommend Mr. Bourne to read the Parliamentary evidence before he repeats his rash assertion. If there be an excuse for Mr. Bourne on the score of ignorance there is none for Mr. Rickards, who had the presumption to write to the Board of Control in reply to their queries (22d June 1832)." So far from facilities having been afforded by the Company, merchants meet with many obstacles which are at variance with the intentions of the legislature in 1813;" the utter want of truth in this assertion will be demonstrated by the testimony of Mr. Mackillop, Mr. Ritchie, and other private merchants resident in the East, whose knowledge at least renders them more deserving of credit than Mr. Rickards.

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The augmented shipping employed by the Company will

be seen from the following statement :

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Increase on two years of tonnage and men 30,696=2,436

The exports of the Americans from India have fallen off nearly as much as their imports. Indeed, of late years the Americans have been purchasing in India, Manchester goods at such a rate as will enable them to obtain a profit for them in New York or Boston!* In 1816, the Ame

In a similar manner the French supercargoes purchased large quantities of claret and champaigne in Calcutta, at two and four rupees per dozen, which they had been the agents for selling. This wine was re-exported in ship-loads to Bordeaux, the consigner was ruined, Mackensie, Lyall, and Co. the auctioneers, got their charges,

and

ricans laid in cargoes at Calcutta to the amount of 6,00,000 rupees; in 1818, to the extent of 7,00,000 rupees-but they have ever since continued to diminish; and, as Mr. Wilson says, when the protecting duty which they have enacted for the benefit of their home-manufactured indigo has produced its full effects, there will be no necessity for a single American trader in the Ganges. Yet Mr. Crawfurd tells the public that the Americans are sweeping every thing before them in the East, free-trader and all;—that people naturally and justly jealous of their

and the immense importation of claret and champaigne was triumphantly adduced as a convincing proof of the increased trade and new tastes of the native community of Bengal!

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By a parliamentary return (No. 2), laid before the Lords' Committee, I find that the tonnage of American ships in China was

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Of the foregoing sum-total on the four years eighteen millions were bullion-Spanish dollars.

Their exports from China were in value—

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Here also we find a decrease again of nearly seven million of dollars on the exports.

The Spanish, Dutch, and other trades have also declined materially. For seven years to 1821, the Spanish trade at Canton averaged

1,500,000

rights, could be found to credit such assertions, is far less extraordinary than that an individual could be found who would hazard them.

Observing the following table among the parliamentary documents, I give it to shew the imports into, and exports from, of Bullion for the three Indian presidencies, from 1810 to 1827:

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Total Rs. 27,02,08,949 2,62,70,018 Total Rs. 25,69,72,851 9,25,25,665

Of this bullion the principal importations have been from China, and the chief exportations to Europe. In 1821 the latter was 1,10,00,000 rupees; in 1823 nearly 1,20,00,000 and in 1827 more than 80,00,000.

By private letters and accounts I find that the importation of bullion from India into England has considerably

1,500,000 Spanish dollars per annum ;-for the last five years, it has not been more than 500,000 dollars a year! But amidst the decline of the foreign trade in China, the private English trade under the protection of the East-India Company's factory has rapidly increased :

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An increase of fifty millions of dollars on the trade of three years shews the infamy of the assertion, that the East-India Company

obstruct the trade with China.

increased since 1827, in consequence of the difficulty of procuring articles of profitable remittance, the quantity of money withdrawn from India since the failure of Palmer and Co., and the increasing territorial charges of the EastIndia Company.

I have concluded my monotonous array of figures respecting the free-trade commerce between India and England, reserving some remarks on the staple productions of the former, viz. Cotton, Sugar, Tobacco, Silk, Indigo, &c. for the chapter on "Colonization ;"—that the commerce with Asia has increased since 1814, admits of controversy; all, however, that I contend for is that it has not augmented to the extent that was so sanguinely anticipated, notwithstanding the extraordinary combination of circumstances that so suddenly were created or apparently fortuitously rose in its favor,—that it has not been steady or progressive but in epileptic fits like;-and that by the increase of the principal article of export, (cottons) many million of Indo British subjects have been totally ruined in their trade, and forced to seek a subsistance by any labour, however coarse or ill-remunerated, that presented itself, while thousands of men and women have perished of want. The general effects of this policy are thus described by Bishop Heber.

Effects of Free Trade at Surat." The trade of Surat* is now of very trifling consequence, consisting of little but raw cotton, which is shipped in boats for Bombay. All the manufactured goods of the country are undersold by the English, except kinkobs and shawls, for which there is very little demand; a dismal decay has consequently taken place in the circumstances of the native merchants; and an instance fell under my knowledge, in which a Mussulman family, formerly of great wealth and magnificence, Formerly the greatest trading port in Asia.

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