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cafe the difficulty would perhaps have been avoided in a more conftitutional manner, by a particular act of parliament, declaratory of the principle that impeachments do not abate.

The next important business that engaged the attention of the British legiflature, was the INDIAN WAR, the caufes and circumftances of which we have already noticed.

Mr. Cox Hippefley, member for Sudbury in Suffolk, a gentleman whofe knowledge of India politics qualified him in a peculiar manner for the task, undertook to evince to the house of commons the injuftice and evil policy of a measure which he conceived ruinous to the finances, and indeed to all the beft interefts of his country.

On the 22d of December Mr. Hippelley rofe to propofe a preliminary motion, the object of which was merely to defire that copies of the correfpondence relative to the attack of Tippoo Sultan on the lines of Travancore fhould be laid before the houfe. Mr. Hippefley fupported his motion by a statement of the particulars as far as he had been able to inform himself of the tranfaction, and infifted principally on the ancient feudal claim of the fultans of Myfore to the forts of Cranganore, &c.; on the pacific intentions of Tippoo; and on the report of his offer to fubmit the difpute to an equitable arbitration. He confidered the purchase of the fort by the rajah of Travancore as the effect only of an unwarrantable ambition, and as a fair caufe of uneafinefs and complaint to the neighbouring powers. Travancore he allowed to be the ally of Great Britain, who had certainly guarantied all her lawful poffeffions: but he afferted that it was a moft mifchievous principle, that we were

bound to protect her in every ambitious fcheme for the extension of dominion, whether by purchase or otherwife. Such, he said, were his doubts as to the juftice of the war; but his doubts as to its policy were not lefs formidable.

The native powers, he afferted, neither were, nor could be, radically friendly to the English. Little dependence was to be placed upon the Nizam or the Mahrattas both thefe powers were notorious for their perfidy. However flourishing our force in India, there was reafon to believe that Tippoo had kept equal pace with our improvement. He had a force of 150,000 men, a large corps of Europeans well officered, an admirable artillery well ferved. He had a revenue of five millions fterling, and a treafury of eight or nine millions. To thefe refources we had to oppose an exhaufted treafury, and a tottering credit. Mr. Hippelley deprecated a war in India, and entered into a forcible detail of the difficulties and miferies which would attend it in that part of the world; declaring himself altogether of Mr. Grey's opinion, as given on another occafion-" that war was the chief of political evils; and that any peace which was confiftent with the honour of the nation, was better than the most fuccefsful war."

Mr. Francis fupported Mr. Hippelley's reafoning, by fhewing that it had been confidered by all good flatefmen, and by the British legiflature, that to increase our territories in India was a deftructive policy to this country. He enforced his argument by another obfervation of equal authority-That it was the policy of this nation to avoid all alfiances with the native powers of India, as they only tended to lead us into dangerous and expenfive con

nections.

nections. Between the Nizam and Tippoo there fubfifted a mutual jealoufy, by means of which they might be prevented employing their power to the prejudice of our fettlements. The Mahrattas again were the most formidable power in India; and on this account it would be dangerous to extirpate Tippoo, even were it in our power, as he ferved particularly to maintain the balance of India. With regard to the character of Tippoo, it was by no means unufual to exaggerate accounts of characters; and even if thefe accounts were true, it remained for them to confider whether they would expofe their fubjects and allies to the confequences of that tyranny and cruelty which had been depicted in fuch formidable colours.

Mr. Dundas afferted, that if the rajah had juftice on his fide, it was obvious we were bound to fupport our ally. The claim of Tippoo Sultan to the feudal fovereignty of the forts in queftion was recent, and founded on the province to which they belonged having been over-run and conquered by the Myforean power about twenty years before. The Dutch, on the other hand, had held them by right of conqueft from the Portuguese for more than a century. But there were proofs of a ftill more unequivocal nature, that Tippoo had engaged in the difpute, not from any notion of right, but from motives of ambition. In 1788 he had advanced with a formidable army to the frontiers of Travancore,, without any provocation or pretence. The rajah applied to the government of Madras; and, on receiving an intimation from fir Archibald Campbell, that he would confider any act of hoftility as a declaration of war against Great Britain, he withdrew. If Travancore was to fall into Tippoo's hands, Mr.

Dundas afferted that the whole of our territories would be laid open. It was therefore neceffary to watch his motions with a jealous eye. If he had made no other attempt, his conduct at Tellicherry would be sufficient proof of his intentions. At the time when he advanced in force to attack Travancore, he furrounded Tellicherry, and seized a boat loaded with provifions. When complaint was made, and restitution demanded, he not only returned the letter unopened, but told the meffenger, that if any other was fent, the bearer fhould leave his head with it. Mr. Dundas added, he had some reasons for difbelieving the report that Tippoo offered to fubmit the difpute to arbitration. In fpeaking of our refources, Mr. Dundas faid, we had as fine an army in that quarter, and as well appointed, as ever had appeared in India; and inftead of having a war to fupport against the French, the Dutch, the Mahrattas, and all the European and native powers of India, we had only to contend with one of them. He had no objection to producing the papers.

Mr. Fox conceived that we were to be made the dupes of the Dutch upon this occafion, and were likely to be led into a war unneceffarily, if not unjustly. It was confeffed that the rajah of Travancore making a purchafe of Cranganore was a fubject of jealousy to Tippoo Sultan. Ought it not, then, to have been the wifdom of government to prevent our ally from making a purchafe likely to ftir up the jealoufy of a watchful and fufpicious neighbour? Py fuch loofenefs of conduct we might be inceffantly involved with the country powers. It had been further allowed by the oppofite fide, that Tippoo manifested an indifpofition to the transfer of thofe

forts,

forts, when first proposed in 1788; and that fir Archibald Campbell prudently preventing the transfer, he was perfectly fatisfied, and had remained fo till the transfer was actually made in 1790. A war for conqueft, he hoped, never would be un dertaken by England, either in India or elsewhere. The extirpation of Tippoo would not be a politic meafure: however we might deteft his vices, with the Myforean country we ought to be friendly, inafmuch as it was a ftrong barrier between the most powerful states of India and our fettlements.

Mr. Pitt, Mr. D. Scott, and colonel Macleod, fupported the neceffity of the war, and reprefented Tippoo as a mercile fs tyrant. The queftion was however carried in favour of the production of the papers.

On the 28th of February, Mr. Hippefley followed up his former motion on the Indian war; but his ill flate of health only permitted him to move the reading of the acts of parliament and refolutions of the houfe of commons, which prohibit the British governors in India from entering into offenfive war. The reading of thefe was followed by that of feveral extracts from the correfpondence of the government and council of Fort St. George, tending to establish the ill policy of fuch meafures, and particularly with Tippoo Sultan. After the reading of thefe papers, Mr. Francis rofe at the request of Mr. Hippelley, and in a very able speech explained the caufes of the war, which he entirely attributed to the policy of the Dutch, and the ambition and imprudence of the rajah of Travancore. He faid it was a mistake to fuppofe that a war in India did not affect the bett interefts of Great Britain; for India did not poffefs the means of

fupporting the war for a fingle hour, but by incurring debts which must be paid by England. Compared with this, he added, if extended to any length, a war with Spain would be a bleffing; a war in Germany, or even in America, would hardly be a calamity. He urged the neceflity of adhering to that fyftem eftablished by law, which pofitively forbade the fervants of government, or the India company, engaging in of fenfive wars. He cenfured the appointment of a military officer over the immenfe civil as well as military government of Bengal, obferving, that the prefervation of peace could not be the predominant paffion of men educated in a camp. From a civil to a military, from a military to an arbitrary government, the gradations are eafy, and the progress rapid. The fame facts which counteract principles to-day, will be precedents to-morrow, and principles the day after.

He requested the attention of the houfe to a paper on the table, the treaty of alliance offenfive and defenfive concluded lately with the Nizam. That war and conqueft fhould be the object of an offenfive alliance, was not extraordinary; but it was indeed extraordinary, after what they had juft heard read to them, that a British governor fhould profefs that the acquifition of territory was his object in making war, that he fhould propose or think of making a new partition of dominion, or even accept of an extenfion of territory, if it were offered him. Mr. Francis remarked fome other fingularities in the treaty; such as, that the rajah's name was never mentioned in it; that the pay of the cavalry was not specified, &c.

In fpeaking of the expences of the war, Mr. Francis produced feveral authentic documents, to prove that

the

the refourees of India were utterly in adequate to them. He endeavoured to fhew that the rajah was the aggreffor, in making what Mr. Francis termed a collufive purchafe from the Dutch: the aggreffor, he faid, fhould alone be anfwerable for his aggref fion; and as to the forts themselves, they were on all hands allowed to be of no ufe or importance, and ought in fact to be demolished. In the fingle article of bullocks we incurred an expence of above 700,000l. per annum; and general Meadows very freely declares, that we must be undone by procrastination. He preffed the neceffity of preferving the balance of power in India, by keeping Tippoo as a counterpoife to the Mahrattas; and quoted, in fupport of his opinion, the authority of Mr. Dupré, Mr. Haftings, lord Clive, and feveral others. Mr. Francis concluded with a series of motions, the object of which was to cenfure the origin, and prevent the profecution

of the war.

Mr. Dundas, in reply to Mr. Francis, admitted that the war in India was a seriously expenfive war, but contended for the juftice of it, The claims of Tippoo on the forts of Cranganore and Acottah, he faid, were not the actual caufe of the war; for Tippoo had marched 150,000 men to the lines of Travancore, previous to any complaint of the rajah's conduct. The forts he held to be effential to the prefervation of Travancore, as they were the key to that country; and his bargain with the Dutch was a legal contract. Tippoo's claim to the forts refted on his own affertion; and he could have no object in obtaining them, but to over-run the territory of the rajah. The Mahrattas were no longer formidable, as they were no longer a united body: Tippoo was the only formidable native

:

power, as he was the first both In troops and in revenue and with refpect to the amicable intention of that prince, Mr. Dundas obferved, that he had three times attacked the lines of Travancore, while he was making profeffions of peace.

Major Maitland obferved, that the caufe of the war was the great object of enquiry, because upon that depended every confideration. The war had been occafioned, he faid, by the ambition of the rajah, and not of Tippoo Sultan. The alliances which we had formed in India he ftyled alliances of divifion, and treaties of ruin!" There were four great powers in India, the British, the Mahratta, the Myforean, and the Nizam. It was our bufinefs to balance these powers. We had lefs to fear from Tippoo than from any other, as he could only come down upon us through fix narrow paffes eafy to defend (the Ghauts): whereas, if we had a quarrel with the Mahrattas, all our frontier would be expofed. A long and a fuccefsful war, he said, was a contradiction in terms;, for what was the acquifition of a dirty province, weighed against the expence of three or four millions?

Mr. Fox remarked, that lord Cornwallis had originally taken up the matter in the proper point of view; he had condemned the purchafe of the forts in the ftrongest terms; but had afterwards unfortunately altered his opinion-why he could not conceive. With respect to the hoftile preparations of Tippoo, it was an argument that fcarcely deferved an anfwer. He reprobated the treaties which had been entered into with the Nizam and the Mahrattas for the extirpation of Tippoo: at a time when the enlightened policy of all Europe led them to renounce their offenfive alliances, we

were

were pursuing that difgraceful fyftem in India. The rajab, he af ferted, was the aggreffor even to us, by purchafing the forts contrary to our advice. But fuppofing Tippoo to have been the aggreffor,what right had we to afk for more than adequate fatisfaction? We cenfured his conduct, but did not look at the injuftice of our own. He profeffed to have a claim upon Cranganore, and aimed at recovering his right. But what do we? We carry the war into the centre of his dominions, extirpate him, and divide his territories.

The arguments of Mr. Dundas were powerfully fupported by Mr. Pitt; but he advanced little new refpecting the cause of the war. He agreed with Mr. Fox, that any propofal of amicable adjuftment was preferable to war; but afferted, that while we had named commiffioners for the termination of the difpute, Tippoo Sultan had refused to name any; but, with a view of placing the British government in a state of humiliation in the eyes of all India, he had infifted on our fending an ambaf fador to his court, and, even while the negociation was pending, had committed an act of hoftility. Mr. Pitt denied that the treaties with the Nizam and the Mahrattas were grounded on any fuch principles

as that of extirpating Tippoo, and dividing his dominions. He ridi culed the idea of favouring Tippoo, who was at prefent our enemy, in order to balance him against the Mahrattas, who were at prefent our friends; and profeffed that this was a fort of policy, which he, for one, did not underftand.

Mr. Wilberforce, lord Fielding, and the folicitor-general, fupported the conduct of adminiftration, and Mr. Francis's motions were negatived. Not fatisfied, however, with this triumph, Mr. Dundas, on the 2d of March following, moved three refolutions, approving of the Indian war and of the conduct of lord Cornwallis, which were carried without a divifion. But as the fubject was fo much exhaufted in the two preceding debates, it would be treading beaten ground to report the arguments.

The expediency of the war was debated upon nearly fimilar principles in the houfe of lords, on the 11th of April; but the debate ended only in the triumph of minifters; as lord Grenville, before the houfe broke up, moved three refolutions, fimilar to thofe which had been moved in the commons, approving of the conduct of lord Cornwallis, &c. which were carried by a great majority.

CHAP. VII.

Bill

Bill for the Relief of Protefting Catholics. Libel Bill. Slave Trade. Reflections on that Subject. Eftallifhment of a Colony at Sierra Leona. for the Divifion of Canada into Upper and Lower, and for the Regulation of thofe Provinces. Altercation between Mr. Burke and Mr. Fox cons cerning the Affairs of France.

HE caufe of toleration re- which must be peculiarly grateful ceived this year an acceffion, to the friends of freedom. It is reLa

TH

1791.

markable,

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