HC Deb 27 April 1812 vol 22 cc1049-57

A Petition of the woollen manufacturers of the county of Gloucester, and other persons interested in the woollen trade, was presented and read; selling forth,

"That the petitioners humbly beg leave to represent to the House, that by various charters granted from time to time to the East India Company, the petitioners have for a long series of years been restricted from carrying on trade with a large portion of the globe, whereby the petitioners have been deprived of those privileges which they humbly presume to be the common birthright of all his Majesty's subjects, under such regulations as the policy of this country may require: and the petitioners further beg leave humbly to stale to the House, that they cannot but regard all monopoly as highly in- jurious to the general interests of the country at large, and as tending greatly to discourage and depress that spirit and industry which are indispensable to the prosperity of their manufactures; and that the petitioners therefore have deemed it advisable to appeal to the House, in the humble but confident hope, that it will consider the protection of the rights of his Majestys subjects to a free trade to all parts of the British empire, and other countries in amity with this kingdom, as amongst the first and most important objects of legislative regulation; and praying the House lo take the subject of the renewal of the Charter to the East India Company into its most serious consideration, and to adopt such measures for abolishing the present monopoly, and for opening a free trade to all parts of the British Empire, and other countries in amity with this kingdom, as the wisdom and justice of parliament may deem most expedient."

A petition of the ship owners, merchants, and other inhabitants of the port of Sunderland, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That the petitioners, although willing at all times to make every sacrifice for the honour of their country, cannot help slating to the House, the depressed and deplorable state of the shipping and manufactures of this kingdom; and that the monopoly of the East India Company, however expedient or necessary, at the grant of their present Charter, is as the petitioners humbly conceive, in the present state of commerce and of the world no longer so, and it is moreover inconsistent with those principles which are universally admitted to be essential to the prosperity of commerce; and that the petitioners, while they lament the confined and fettered state of the trade of this island from political circumstances, humbly conceive the abolition of the East India monopoly will open an extensive market for British manufactures, render the kingdom less dependant upon an intercourse with the continent of Europe, and revive the declining interest of the shipping of this kingdom, an interest which it is the imperious duty of every Briton at this particular crisis to support; and that in no view of the subject can there be a reason why the East India Company should be allowed a monopoly, because if they can carry on the trade to greater advantage than individuals they will have nothing to fear from the competition of individuals, and if they cannot so carry it on they ought not to be suffered to uphold their monopoly to the injury of their country; and that the petitioners forbear to enlarge upon the decrease of the trade of the East India Company, notwithstanding the great increase of their territorial possessions, they forbear also to enlarge upon the increase which has taken place in the trade carried on by foreign individuals, who have ingrossed into their hands so great a proportion of the whole commerce of the East; knowing, as the petitioners do, that all these facts are before the House, and not doubting that they will give to them that deliberate consideration which their great importance demands: and that the petitioners look up with confidence to the House as their representatives and natural protectors; and do indulge a most confident hope, that the House will not suffer their serious and weighty interests to be carried to any partial considerations; and praying, that the House will adopt the necessary measures for the total abolition of the commercial monopoly of the East India Company at the expiration of their present Charter, but, in the event of the House seeing reasons to continue, in some degree, a commercial monopoly of the East India Company, the petitioners do then most earnestly implore, that they will not suffer it to deprive British subjects of any privileges which are allowed to neutral nations, and that the Charter may be made subject to such modifications and additions as may best promote the interest of shipping and manufactures of the United Kingdom, leaving open to the capital, the enterprize, and industry of British merchants, all the islands of the Indian ocean, together with such parts of the continents of Asia and Africa as to the House may seem expedient."

A Petition of several rope makers resident in the port of London, was also presented and read; setting forth.

"That the petitioners have erected, at a very considerable expence, large and extensive manufactories for ropes and cordage within the port of London, and that they employ therein numerous industrious individuals, who altogether depend on the trade of the petitioners for the subsistence of themselves and families; and that the outfit of British-built ships for the service of the East India Company, and the intervening supplies of ropes and cordage to such ships during their respective charters, have hitherto constituted a very considerable proportion of the trade of the petitioners; and that they view, with great anxiety, the system which has been introduced by the East India Company, not only of employing in their regular and private trade Indian built ships, but of their open encouragement of them for the general trade of this country; and that the petitioners are apprehensive that, in case India built ships are allowed to be employed in the trade of this country, the same will prove ruinous to them and to the numerous individuals who are dependent on them, and also injurious to the state, it being well known that, in time of war, his Majesty's navy is largely supplied with ropes and cordage from the private manufactories, the artisans therein employed cannot therefore be kept up at the said port without constant employment, which the building and equipment of ships in the river Thames for the service of the East India Company have hitherto afford-ed; and that the petitioners do not presume to enumerate to the House the various national and private evils, which will inevitably result from a continuance of this system, which must affect the vital interests of the state, and tend rapidly to render precarious the permanency of the naval power of the country, besides its injurious effect in that point of view, the diversion of so much capital from Great Britain will be seriously detrimental to its prosperity, and be the means of raising a naval power in the East, which may at no distant period of time become a source of annoyance to the mother country, which so improvidently admitted its establishment; and that the petitioners have recently learnt, with great surprize, that, in addition to the India built ships in the service of the East India Company, they have been admitted to British registry here, and that several of them are now employed in the general carrying trade of Great Britain: many of these ships, it is understood, have had certificates of registry granted to them in this country, some on the certificates from the builders or other persons in India, and others from having obtained certificates of registry there but by what authority in either case the same have been allowed, the petitioners have not been able to ascertain, for they are informed, that the provisions of the register acts do not invest the Com- pany's officers in India with any such authority, but that the same can only be granted by the officers of his Majesty's customs, who are specially designated by the acts referred to for that purpose; and that the petitioners are afraid, unless the House shall condescend to interfere, and to check a system so prejudicial to the maritime interests of Great Britain, that the petitioners, in common with all others who are dependent on the building and equipment of British built ships, must in a very few years, and especially on the return of peace, abandon their establishments altogether, as they will not possess the means of maintaining their present extensive manufactories, and consequently they will become incapable of rendering any assistance to the public service on future emergencies when the exigences of the state may require it; under these circumstances the petitioners most humbly pray, that in future East India built ships may be prohibited by statute from being admitted to registry and to the privileges of British built ships."

A Petition of the merchants, ship owners, tradesmen, and other inhabitants of the town of Lancaster, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That the petitioners beg leave to represent to the House, that, by various charters granted to the East India Company, for a long series of years, an exclusive right has been exercised of carrying on the trade to the extensive possessions in that quarter of the globe; and that the petitioners, having assembled together at a general meeting, have resolved to appeal for redress to the House, humbly praying, that the Charier to the East India Company may not be renewed, and that the petitioners may be permitted to enjoy a free trade in common with all his Majesty's subjects; and praying the House to adopt such measures for abolishing the commercial monopoly of the East India Company, as to them may seem most expedient."

A Petition of the mayor, aldermen, burgesses, and inhabitants of the borough of Wigan, in the county of Lancaster, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That the power and prosperity of the British empire depend eminently on the extent of its commerce, and that it is the birthright of every British subject to share in that commerce to the full extent of his industry and capital, under such regulations as the legislature may impose equally on all adventurers; and that all monopolies, as national measures are highly impolitic, tending only to the aggrandizement of a few individuals, the obstruction of commerce, and the depression of public spirit and general enterprize; and that the depressed state of the commerce and manufactures of this empire, the embarrassments of the merchant and tradesman, and the calamitous condition of the labouring poor, call imperiously upon the legislature, and all public men, to adopt the most effectual means, consistently with the national honour, for their relief; and that, as a most important measure of this nature, the petitioners humbly conceive that the commercial monopoly of the East India Company should be totally discontinued at the termination of their present Charter, and that a free trade to every country in amity with this empire should be open to all his Majesty's subjects; and that the reasoning adduced to shew the expediency of maintaining the chartered privileges of the East India Company, either with respect to China, or any other of the countries to which they extend, as well as the confining of the trade with those countries to the port of London, in the humble opinion of the petitioners, proceeds from narrow and partial views, and has been demonstrated fallacious by arguments which are incontrovertible; and that it appears to the petitioners., that a free and unrestricted trade to India would revive the manufactures of this country, extend its commerce, and alleviate the evils which press so heavily on a large portion of the community; and praying, that the House will adopt such measures, as to their patriotism and wisdom may seem best, for the abolition of the exclusive commercial monopoly of the East India Company, and for the general diffusion of Indian commerce to every part of this empire."

A Petition of the merchants, manufacturers and other inhabitants of the town of Stockport, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That it appears to the petitioners that, however beneficial or even necessary it may have been, in the infancy of the commerce of this country, to grant a monopoly of the trade to the East, it cannot now be compatible with the national interests, and ought therefore to cease entirely at the termination of the present Charter of the East India Company; and that if, upon general principles, it would he unwise and inexpedient to renew this monopoly, it is more especially so in the present restricted state of the foreign trade of the nation, which even the return of peace cannot be expected to restore to its wonted freedom; and that, should the legislature, in its wisdom, see fit to throw open the commerce of the East, its liberal intentions will he in a great measure, frustrated, should there be left to the India Company any direction of, or controul over, the private trade; and that, to confine the importations to the port of London, and to compel the private trader to sell at the Company's sales, will equally frustrate these internions, in as far as the petitioners and others of his Majesty's subjects, similarly situated, are concerned; for, not to mention (he additional expence and delay there by occasioned, they will be prevented from importing, for their own use, the cotton wool, indigo, and other raw materials of the East, which would be their chief inducement to and advantage from engaging in the trade; and that, to confine the importations to one place, merely for the convenience of collecting the duties, is a ruinous policy, injurious to the revenue itself, which must ultimately suffer far more from the limited imports of a trade thus shackled than it can possibly gain by any difference in the facility of collection; and praying, that the House will refuse its sanction to the prolongation of the monopoly of the East India Company beyond the term of their existing Charter, or to any controul by them over the private trade to the East, or to limiting to one port the privilege of importing from thence; and should the House, in its wisdom, deem it expedient to grant pecuniary aid to the said Company, or the continuation of any of their exclusive privileges, the petitioners further pray, that such grants may be on condition of their immediately opening the trade of the East generally to his Majesty's subjects, that the earliest possible relief may be thereby afforded to the trade and manufactures of this nation in the present most pressing exigency."

A Petition of the bailiffs, burgesses and other inhabitants of the borough of Clitheroe in Lancashire, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That the petitioners consider all their fellow subjects as having a right to a free trade with all parts of the British empire and other countries in amity with this kingdom, subject only to such general regulations of trade as the policy of this country may require, or as may be necessary for maintaining the relations of these realms with foreign states, and securing to government those revenues which may be necessary for its support; and that they conceive, that he great object of all legislative regulation in the commercial concerns of the country is the protection of this equal right in the subject, and the further extension of an honourable, just, and legitimate commerce; and that there-fore all monopolies which exclude the general body of the people from trading with other countries are in derogation of the birthright of the subject, and counteract the chief purpose which they ought to have in view; and the petitioners humbly suggest, that, on the expiration of the East India Company's present grant, the full and absolute trade to India, to China, and other Eastern shores and seas, reverts, as their undoubted birthright and inheritance, to the subjects of these realms, under such salutary laws for regulating and protecting their commerce as the legislature, in its wisdom, may deem necessary; and that the petitioners further beg leave to observe, that the monopoly of the East India Company is prejudicial to the general interests of the country at large, discourages that commercial spirit, and cools that ardour of generous and liberal competition which, from the nature and local situation of these islands, are indispensable to their prosperity, and upon which their security at this moment essentially depends; and that upon these grounds the petitioners unite with their fellow subjects in petitioning the House for the abolition of the commercial monopoly of the East India Company as speedily and effectually as, in its united wisdom, may be judged most expedient."

A Petition of the magistrates and common council of the burgh of Rutherglen, in the county of Lanark, was also presented and read; setting forth,

"That, amongst the many evils which a war of nineteen years duration has produced, none have more sensibly affected that part of the country than the present depressed slate of commerce and manufactures, owing to which the misery amongst the lower classes of the community is very great, many being without employment, and others, by the utmost exertions of industry, unable to procure a sufficiency of food; and that, under these circumstances so afflictive, the petitioners humbly conceive, that opening the trade to Hindostan and China, to the enterprize of the whole people of the United Kingdom, might tend to relieve or alleviate these distresses; and praying the House not to grant any exclusive privilege to the East India or any other Company to trade to Hindostan or China."

Ordered to lie upon the table.