Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/730

 696

lllSTUKY UF INDIA.

[Book 111.

A.D. 1765.

.rrange- iiient as to private trade.

Monoijoly of s;ilt, betel, ami tobacco secured by servants of the Com- pany.

vate inland trade were "so injurious to the nabob and the natives that they could not, in the very nature of them, tend to anything but the producing general heartburning and dissatisfactions," and rec^uired that their order of the 8th of February slmuld in the meantime be enforced, they told the committee "to consult the nabob as to the manner of cairying on the inland trade, and there- upon to form a proper and erjuitable plan for that purj^jo.se, and transmit the same to the directors, accompanied by such explanation.s, observations, and remarks, as might enable them to give their sentiments and directions tliere- upon, in a full and explicit manner." This letter contained the only special instructions which Clive and the select committee had received on the subject ; and it was therefore to have been expected that in any arrangement subse- quently adopted, the spirit at least, if not the letter of these instructions would be carefully observed. This, however, was not the case. On the contrary', a scheme was framed by which the three leading articles of the inland trade — salt, betel, and tobacco — were converted into a strict monopoly for the exclusive behoof of the servants of the Company. This scheme, which was diametrically opposed to the instructions of the directors, could only be justified by the great change of circumstances which had taken place. When the directors wrote, they understood that the nabob was still in actual possession of the revenues, and consequently had a special interest in suppressing the abuses by which their amount had been so seriously diminished. The case was now completely altered. By the grant of the dewannee, the whole revenues of the country had been transferred to the Compan}^ and the nabob was only to receive a pension of a definite amount. It was therefore no longer of any consequence to him how the revenues were managed, so long as he was sure of receiving payment of his fifty lacs. So far was the existing nabob from feeling the degrading position to which he was thus reduced, that Clive says: — " He received the pro- posal of having a sum of money for himself and household at his will with infi- nite pleasiu-e ;" and, on retiring from the interview, exclaimed, " Thank God, I shall now have as many dancing girls as I please." There was thus no occasion to pay any regard to tlie nabob in the new arrangement, all modes of carrying on the inland trade being now to him equally indifferent. The only interests to be protected were those of the Company and of the natives, and Clive thought that the plan which the select committee had devised would at once secure this protection and accomplish another object of vital importance. The salaries of the Company's servants were totally inadequate, and the private inland trade was the cliief soiurce from which they had been accustomed to make fortunes or to obtain maintenance. Now therefore, when this source was at once peremp- torily cut off", they saw nothing before them but a sudden descent from affluence to beggary. The salary of a member of council was only £350, and it was perfectly notorious that the establishment which his position in society rendered necessary could not be kept up at less than £3000. The directors, in abolishing