William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . ew Empire won duringthe war to be administered solely for the benefit of thetrading company, its officers and shareholders?The years immediately following the conquests ofClive were undoubtedly the worst in the history ofEnglish government in India. The directors couldnot control their subordinates, no pressure of Eng-lish opinion could be felt at so great a distance, andthe whole system was one of violence and held the view that the Company onlyshared with the State its right to the
William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . ew Empire won duringthe war to be administered solely for the benefit of thetrading company, its officers and shareholders?The years immediately following the conquests ofClive were undoubtedly the worst in the history ofEnglish government in India. The directors couldnot control their subordinates, no pressure of Eng-lish opinion could be felt at so great a distance, andthe whole system was one of violence and held the view that the Company onlyshared with the State its right to the territorial rev-enues which had been granted by the subject princes. As to the transcendent object, East Indian affairs,the consideration of the Companys right to this enorm-ous revenue is the source from which the whole trans-action must flow and the hinge upon which must turnthe very essence of the question ; namely, whether theCompany is to receive on this head indulgence and bene-fit from the public, or whether they are to impart someto the public. * ^Chatham Correspondence, iii., FREDERICK THE GREAT. FROM THE ENGRAVING BY MEYER IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM PRINT ROOM. 1769] The Chatham Ministry. 281 The method by which Chatham proposed thedetermination of the right, was to throw responsibil-ity upon the Commons. Nowadays such a principlewould be stated by the Cabinet, but Chatham em-phatically declined to follow what would now be theusual course. He employed Beckford to move foran inquiry into Indian affairs, which was grantednotwithstanding opposition. From the committee of inquiry a declarationwould be obtained,* * {a) that it appears by the Charter, Acts, etc. that theEast India Company was instituted for the purposes oftrade ; (3) that the acquisitions and cessions of territoriesand revenues obtained in India for the retaking of Cal-cutta from the country by the Company, were made inconsequence of actual and extensive operations of war,and succours stipulated. By this P
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