A great deal of ftri&tnefs in driving bargains for whatever we contract, is another of the principles of mercantile policy. Try the company by that teft! Look at the contracts that are made for them, Is the company fo much as a good commiffary to their own armies? I engage to felect for you, out of the innumerable mass of their dealings, all conducted very nearly alike, one contract only, the exceffive profits on which during a fhort term would pay the whole of their year's dividend. I fhall undertake to fhew, that upon two others, that the inordinate pro, fits given, with the loffes incurred in order to secure thofe profits, would pay a year's dividend more.

It is a third property of trading men, to fee that their clerks do not divert the dealings of the mafter to their own benefit. It was the other day only, when their governor and council taxed the company's investment with a fum of fifty thoufand pounds, as an inducement to perfuade only feven members of their board of trade to give their honour that they would abftain from fuch profits upon that investment as they must have violated their oaths if they had made

at all.

It is a fourth quality of a merchant to be exact in his accounts. What will be thought, when you have fully before you the mode of accounting made ufe of in the treasury of Bengal?—I hope you will have it foon. With regard to one of their agencies, when it came to the material part, the prime coft of the goods on which a commiffion of fifteen per cent. was allowed, to the astonishment of the factory to whom the commodities were fent, the accountant-general reports that he did not think himself authorized to call for vouchers relative to this and other particulars because the agent was upon his honour with regard to them. A new principle of account upon honour feems to be regularly established in their dealings and their treasury, which in reality amounts

to an entire annihilation of the principle of all ac

counts.

It is a fifth property of a merchant, who does not meditate a fraudulent bankruptcy, to calculate his probable profits upon the money he takes up to vest in bufinefs. Did the company, when they bought goods on bonds bearing 8 per cent. intereft, at 10, and even 20 per cent. difcount,, even afk themfelves a queftion concerning the poffibility of advantage from dealing on these terms?

The laft quality of a merchant I shall advert to, is the taking care to be properly prepared, in cash or goods, in the ordinary courfe of fale, for the bills. which are drawn on them. Now I afk, whether they have ever calculated the clear produce of any given fales, to make them tally with the four million of bills which are come and coming upon them, fo as at the proper periods to enable the one to liquidate the other? No, they have not. They are now obliged to borrow money of their own fervants to purchase their investment. The fervants ftipulate five per cent. on the capital they advance, if their bills fhould not be paid at the time when they become due; and the value of the rupee on which they charge this intereft is taken at two fhillings and a penny. Has the company ever troubled themselves to enquire whether their faies can bear the payment of that intereft, and at that rate of exchange? Have they once confidered the dilemma in which they are placed the ruin of their credit in the Eaft Indies, if they refufe the bills-the ruin of their credit and existence in England, if they accept them? Indeed no trace of equitable government is found in their politics; not one trace of commercial principle in their mercantile dealing; and hence is the deepeft and matrueft wifdom of parliament demanded, and the best refources of this kingdom must be ftrained, to reftore them; that is, to reftore the countries deftroyed by the misconduct of the company, and to reflore

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the company itfelf, ruined by the confequences of their plans for deftroying what they were bound to preferve.-Speech on Mr. Fox's Eafi-India Bill.

MIDDLESEX ELECTION.

Contest (how to be confidered.)

pre

WE muft purpofely fhut our eyes, if we confider this matter (the capacitation of Mr. Wilkes) merely as a contest between the Houfe of Commons and the electors. The true conteft is between the electors of the kingdom and the crown; the crown acting by an inftrumental Houfe of Commons. It is cifely the fame, whether the minifters of the crown can difqualify by a dependent Houfe of Commons, or by a dependent court of ftar-chamber, or by a dependent court of King's Bench. If once members of parliament can be practically convinced, that they do not depend on the affection or opinion of the people for their political being, they will give themfelves over, without even an appearance of referve, to the influence of the court. Indeed, a parliament unconnected with the people, is effential to a miniftry unconnected with the people; and therefore thofe who faw through what mighty difficulties the interior miniftry waded, and the exterior were dragged, in this bufinefs, will conceive of what prodigious im portance, the new corps of king's men held this principle of occafional and perfonal incapacitation, to the whole body of their defign.-Thoughts on the Caufe of the prefent Difcontents.

MINISTERS,

Our natural Rulers.

MINISTERS are not only our natural rulers, but our natural guides. Reafon, clearly and manfully delivered, has in itfelf a mighty force; but reafon, in

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the mouth of legal authority, is, I may fay, irrefifti ble.-Regicide Peace.

MEANS (EXTRAORDINARY.)

WE may reft affured, that when the maxims of any government establish among its refources extraordinary means, and thofe exerted with a ftrong hand, that ftrong hand will provide thofe extraordinary means for itfelf.-Thoughts on the Caufe of the prefent Difcontents.

THE MINT.

THE Mint, though not a department of the houfehold, has the fame vices. It is a great expence to the nation, chiefly for the fake of members of parhament. It has its officers of parade and dignity. It has its treasury too. It is a fort of corporate body; and formerly was a body of great importance; as much fo on the then fcale of things, and the then order of bufinefs, as the bank is at this day. It was the great center of money tranfactions and remittances for our own, and for other nations; until king Charles the firft, among other arbitrary projects, dictated by defpoftic neceffity, made him withhold the money that lay there for remittance. That blow (and happily too) the mint never recovered. Now it is no bank; no remittance-shop. The mint, Sir, is a manufacture, and it is nothing elfe; and it ought to be undertaken upon the principles of a manufacture; that is, for the best and cheapest execution, by a contract, upon proper fecurities, and under proper regulations. Oecon. Reform.

MONEY.

Want of Money how fupplied.

THEY (the French) are embarraffed indeed in the highest degree, but not wholly refourcelefs. They

are without the fpecies of money. Circulation of money is a great convenience, but a fubftitute for it may be found. Whilft the great objects of production and confumption, corn, cattle, wine, and the like, exift in a country, the means of giving them circulation with more or lefs convenience, cannot be wholly wanting. The great confifcation of the church and of the crown lands, and of the appenages of the princes, for the purchase of all which their paper is always received at par, gives means of continually deftroying and continually creating, and this perpetual deftruction and renovation feeds the fpeculative market, and prevents, and will prevent, till that fund of confifcation begins to fail, a total depreciation.— Memorial on the Affairs of France in 1791.

MONIED INTEREST.

THE monied intereft is, in its nature, more ready for any adventure; and its poffeffors more difpofed to new enterprizes of any kind. Being of a recent acquifition, it falls in more naturally with any novelties. It is therefore the kind of wealth which will be reforted to by all who wifh for change.-Reflections on the Revolution in France.

MONIED INTEREST

Not neceffary to the French.

BUT all confideration of public credit in France is of little avail at prefent. The action, indeed, of the monied intereft, was of abfolute neceffity at the beginning of this Revolution; but the French republics can ftand without any affiftance from that defcription of men, which, as things are now circumftanced, rather ftands in need of affiftance itself from the power which alone fubftantially exifts in France; I mean the several districts and municipal