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 Chap. XII. J PKIVATE TllADINCi INTKRDKTKI). GST

almost absolute. His own suggestion was, that he should be intrusted with " a ad. itim. dispensing power in the civil and political affairs," that is, as he him.self explains it, " that whensoever I may think proper to take any resolution entirely upon rowers myself, that resolution is to take place." The directors did not confer these oucuve. absolute powers, at least in the form in which he asked them ; but they did wliat was almost equivalent to it, by making him the head of a select committee, consisting, besides himself, of four individuals, appointed on his recommendation, and made so far independent of the council, as to be empowered to act whenever they judged proper without consulting it. Two of the members of the com- mittee, Mes.srs. Sumner and Sykes, accompanied Clive fi"om England ; the others, General Carnac and Mr. Verelst, were already in India. Among other arrange- ments to which an understanding was come, the most important related to the private trade, and to the receiving of presents. In February, iTG-i, while the old directors were still in office, they had taken up the former subject and dis- posed of it greatly to their credit, by the following passage in their general letter to the Bengal presidency: — " One grand source of the disputes, misunder- standings, and difficulties, which have occurred with the country government, appears evidently to have taken its rise from the unwarrantable and licentious manner of carrying on the private trade by the Company's servants, their gomastaks, agents, and others, to the prejudice of the subah, both with respect, to his authority and the revenues justly due to him; the diverting and taking from his natural subjects, the trade in the inland part of the country, to which neither we, nor any other persons whatsoever dependent upon u.s, or under our protection, have any manner of right. In order, therefore, to renied}' all these disorders, we do hereby positively order and direct, that, from the receipt of this letter, a final and effectual end be forthwith put to the inland trade in salt, betel-nut, tobacco, and all other articles whatsoever, produced and consumed in the country." This interdict on private trade was fully ap- Privaietra.i proved by Clive, who, in a letter addressed to the directors, 27th April, Gi, .lictedton... thus expressed himself: — "Strict and impartial justice should ever be observed; ^r^uTta" but let that justice come from ourselves. The trade, therefore, of salt, betel, and tobacco having been one cause of the present disputes, I hope these articles will be restored to the nabob, and your servants absolutely forbid to trade in them. This will be striking at the root of the evil." Unfortunately, these enlightened and disinterested views did not find favour with the general court of proprietors, who, in a meeting held 18th May, adopted the following reso- lution: — "That it be recommended to the court of directors to reconsider the orders sent to Bengal, I'elative to the trade of the Company's servants in the articles of salt, betel, and tobacco, and that they do give such directions for regulating the same, agreeable to the interests of the Company and the subah, as to them may appear most prudent, either by settling here at home the restric- tions under which this trade ought to be carried on, or by referring it to the