"The natives of Bengal are fo exceedingly mild, pliant, and fubmiffive, that from thence there is no domeftic danger. The inhabitants, have been more defpotically governed than thofe of any other country, yet we do not find that they ever made. any attempts to reduce or reftrain the authority of their princes, or to redress their own grievances by force.-The dominion of Britain over Bengal being abfolute, unlimited and implicit,fo that the dominion of Britain over Bengal is fecured, in a moft fingular manner." On the contrary, "The genius of the Americans is illiberal felfish, and fordidly attached to their own intereft-of a difpofition haughty, and infolent, impatient of rule, difdaining fubjection, and by all means affecting independence.- America was fo far from fubmitting to her authority, that the pofitively declared against admitting Britain to the most diftant participation in, the difpofal of her finances: and expreffed her indignation and refentment of the bare attempt, by the only means in her power, breaking off as far as poffible all commercial correfpondence with, the mo-ther country; by either denying herfelf the ufe of those commodities which the ufed to take off, or otherwise purchafing them from the rivals and enemies of Britain." The fpirit of arbitrary government is what furnisheth the force of the argument from the genius and fpirit of the two people contrafted, Secondly, The military force compared." The military defence of Bengal will not, on ordinary occafions, demand a standing force of above 3000 Europeans,-which will not call for an annual recruit of more than 7 or 8 hundred men. "Whereas Britain is obliged to keep up in America, at her own proper coft and charge, even in the time of peace, a force of 18 regiments; which are recruited almost entirely from the mother country, and cannot require less than a recruit of 2000 men annually." How it does appear, that such a number of troops are at all requifite, but to enflave a people, who need them not for their defence; this writer is not able to inform us, and what is the meaning of those provifions demanded of, and granted by the Americans for the military, if they are kept at Britain's own proper coft and charge, fhould alfo be fhewn. This comparison will die by its own hands, it is felo de fe. Thirdly, Britain's lofs of fubjects "exclufive of the military defence, Bengal cannot poffibly drain Britain of any confiderable number of her fubjects; the purposes of civil government and of commerce are the only ones befides; and these can never call for above 100 perfons: and the greater part of the fmall number is now reftored to her again; nay, fometimes the whole is returned with encreafe. Therefore the total drain of fubjects, occafioned to Britain by Bengal, for the purpofe of her dominion there, does not exceed in ordinary years 800 men-and, on extraordinary occcafions, not more than 1000. Whereas Whereas the prefent emigration of British fubjects to America, by a very moderate computation, may be reckoned at 4000 men annuallyand thefe, her moft ufeful hands, being, for the most part, artifans or husbandmen.- America creates to Britain, even in time of peace, an annual expence of 6500 ufeful fubjects, which is, at least, eight times as much as that of Bengal.' Should not the writer have told us the reafon of these emigrations? fhould he not have fhewn, that an unaccountable inattention to our trade and commerce, and the most oppreffive laws upon the Americans, have occafioned this emigration* ? In the laft place we are to take his eftimate of the profits from the commerce with Bengal and America. -In ftriking the balance, he says, "if we look forward, and fuppofe that the finances of that one branch of dominion, Bengal, are reduced within equitable and permanent bounds, India will be ftill worth to Britain about 1,300,000l. per annum. Britain does not derive the fmalleft benefit from America, otherwife than by commerce; which is now, through various caufes, become not only uncertain, but in a great measure fruitlefs."- "the utmost extent of benefit that Britain could poffibly receive from America, in the most favourable circumstances that can be fuppofed, would fall fhort of 600,000l. per annum." Affured I am, very different calculations have been made of the profits of our American commerce. However, be this as it may, there is a capital objection lies to this fcheme of defpotifm, which induces this writer to give the preference to the dominions in Bengal, and that is, the whole towering fabrick tumbles at once into nothing, upon a fuperiority of the French naval power. And what is more probable, in the prefent direction and condition of our naval force? The author feems to have this in his eye, when he only fneers at his reader, and laughs at the affair, in the following manner: as to the particular effects of this diftance, with refpect to France, confidered as the power contending with Britain in India, it will properly fall under confideration, when we come to treat of the fubject diftin&tly."-Anon he fays, "but the defence of this, or any other part of British dominion in India, against the attack of France, will principally depend upon the naval power of Great-Britain; and that force muft ever be proportioned to the occafion: however it must be "obferved, that, provided the nation of Britain is poffeffed of the - fovereignty and revenue of this dominion, the cannot with pro priety charge to the account of Bengal, any part of her navy that may be detached by her thither, to oppofe a part of the navy of France in that quarter: but if the fovereignty is vetted otherwife than in the nation itfelf, the cafe is greatly altered.". Very wonderful! 66 The * Vide Obfervations on feveral acts of parliament passed in the 4th, 6th, and 7th years of his prefent Majesty's reign. A. D. 1770. The title of this piece fhould have been, The Scheme of fubver fion fupported.—It is not doubtful whether the E. I. company be not ruinous to Britain?. INDIGNATION. HE THE ADVERTISEMENT. Editor Editor acknowledges his great obligations to his numerous Correfpondents, and begs leave to mention to fome few, who will be able to obferve the notice, without giving further particulars,-that their Manufcripts are carefully preferved till called for, as he makes it a rule not to burn any without permiffion, but hopes (as a multiplicity of papers makes confufion) they will be fo obliging as to fend for them, or order them to be deftroyed, in the courfe of the month following their appearance in print. The utmoft fecrecy may be firmly depended on, as there never was an inftance of the publisher of the Political Register giving up his writers on any profecution against them. CANDIDUS muft excufe our rejecting his Anecdotes of the Duke of Grafton, as firft Lord of the treafury, as he has refigned that office; but we think the fame fource of intelligence may furnish him with material intelligence refpecting the conduct of the prefent Premier; for any fuch communications we fhall be highly obliged to him. We beg leave to advife LEONTIUS to publish his Treatife on the affairs of Poland, by itself, as a pamphlet; it would be too long and uninterefting for our readers, though the subject is political. The important packet from Ireland is under confideration, but came too late for this month and we take this opportunity to defire our correfpondents in general to obferve, that any thing received after the 25th of any month, will always be too late for the publication of that month. We hope the inquifitive meffenger who called on the publisher on Tuesday laft, will not take it amifs, if we express our opinion, that he would do better, when he is on fuch an errand, to leave his badge of office at home, or to conceal it more carefully. A geuuine valuable petition is received, and will have a place as foon as council's opinion has been had on it; and it is now in reference. The Authors of Audi Alteram Partem will excufe our reviewing their pamphlet this month, on account of it's great length, and the time it will take to procure proper vouchers to invalidate fome of the facts advanced by them.- Next month we will endeavour to do justice to their combined labours. The fubject, befides, is not fo temporary as thofe to which we have given the precedence in this number. X. B. D. in cyphers, fhall be decyphered by the key fent us per poft from Norwich, and be given in the Regifter for April. THE POLITICAL REGISTER For APRIL, 1770. NUMBER XXXVII. SIR, St To the Editor of the POLITICAL REGISTER. O long ago as November 21, 1767, I had the honour to foretell and point out to you, the fatal confequences that were likely to follow upon Mr. Wy's being appointed to the government of the Ld Ids by the prefent ministry, or rather by his great friend the duke of Gn, the late fcourge of this unhappy country; fee Vol. I. p. 427. To confirm what I then afferted, which was, that Mr. W y had not fufficient parts for government, I now fend you a remonftrance and extract of a letter juft received from St. Chriftopher's; by which you will perceive that late happy little ifland how become a scene of difcord and confufion, by the blundering, and stupid administration of Mr. W y; the people are too wife not to fee the difference between Sir George Thomas, and this gentleman; the prefent complaint against him, is his intermeddling with elections to carry hislittle dirty points, for his little dirty creatures; by this you fee how truly he follows his mafter's fteps, but I wish he had lent him his parts when he instilled his diabolical arbitrary principles into him; the remonstrance will tell you that the Honorable Alexander Douglas, John Julius and James Akers, Efqrs; were duely elected and returned, to ferve in the affembly for the parish of St. Mary Cayon; these were known to be men of fenfe, property and refolution, and of course popular with their conftituents; they were also known to be people who would at the rifque of their lives oppofe any arbitrary or dirty fchemes of the governor's and therefore were to be removed out of the affembly; but how to VOL. VI. B b do 1 do this was the queftion; but what will not indefatigable industry prevailed upon the affembly to pafs a vote, (which was carried -y's nifiry |