THE PRESENT STATE OF THE BRITISH INTEREST IN INDIA
Footnotes have been collected at the end of the text, and arelinked for ease of reference.
CONTENTS.
| I. The present State of the British Interest in India, &c. | 5 |
| II. The Nature and Effects of the Company’s Government in Bengal | 17 |
| III. The true Causes of Evil and Abuse in the Government of Bengal, and the Means to remedy them | 46 |
| IV. A Plan, for establishing a regular System of political Government in India | 106 |
| V. A Plan, for establishing a regular System of military Government, and of secure Defence, in India | 156 |
Chapter I
No nation nor state ever acquired anaccession of dominion so truly valuableand beneficial, as are the acquisitionslately made by Britain in India. Butthe particular situation of her circumstancesat the time when these acquisitions fellinto her hands, enhanced the real and intrinsicvalue of them to Britain. Oppressedby a grievous debt, the annual interestof which, exceeding four millions and ahalf sterling, was levied by taxes, whichraised the price of each manufacture, hercommerce labouring under such disadvantageswas daily sinking into decay; whilsta considerable part of this annual interestbeing paid to foreigners, created such adrain of specie, as the balance of her tradecould not supply; so that, in proportionas her expence increased, the means ofdefraying it diminished; and she was every6year approaching towards a state of nationalpoverty and bankruptcy.
In such circumstances did Britain acquirethe sovereign dominion of Bengal,and of other rich manufacturing and tradingcountries in India; which, at the timethey fell to her, were capable of not onlydefraying every charge of their own governmentand defence, but over and abovethat, of yielding a