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 698 HISTORY OF INDIA. [Book III.

A.I). iTc-,. their honour nor their dignity to promote such an exclusive trade, as it is now more immediately our interest and duty to protect and cherish the inhahitanis,

Tiie director. s and to give them no occasion to look on every Engli.shrnan as their national enemy,

of the a sentiment we think such a monopoly would necessarily suggest. We cannot.

monopoly, therefore, approve the plan you have sent us, for trading in salt, betel-nut, and tobacco, or admit of this trade in any shape whatever, and do hereby confirm our orders for its entire abolition." These orders were too explicit to be directly disobeyed ; but the execution of them was suspended on the ground, that before they were received the contract for the second year had been formed, and it was therefore impossible, "without ruin to individuals and confu.sion to the puljlic. to fix an earlier date for the abolition than the 1st of September, 1767 Even this date was extended to enable the society to collect their debts and realize their capital, and their operations did not ceasa till September, 1768.

cuve applies Another arrangement which Clive made at this time was deserving of more

to the .... .

Madias pre- praise, though it subjected him to a larger amount of obloquy. Owing to the thesuppiyof resignations, voluntary or compulsory, which had taken place in the council of thrcomcii" Calcutta, and the bad spirit manifested by some of those who remained, it be- came necessary in supplying vacancies to deviate from the ordinary routine and appoint those only who, from character and experience, might be both able and willing to carry out the reforms which had already been introduced or were still contemplated. It seemed vain to look for such persons within the Bengal pre- sidency. The most eligible had perished in the Patna massacre, and the select committee did not hesitate to declare that the whole list of junior merchants within the presidency, did not contain the names of more than three or four individuals whom they "could possibly recommend to higher stations at present." They therefore, on their own responsibility, subject of course to the approval of the directors, applied to the Madras presidency for four of their ablest civil servants, and on their arrival gave them seats in the council. It was not to be expected that a measure which not only broke in upon the established rule of seniority, but virtually charged those who would have succeeded under that rule with incompetency, would escape severe animadversion and violent opposition. The whole settlement was thrown into a ferment, and the individuals who con- ceived their interests to be inj uriously affected, not contented with subscribing a formal memorial of complaint, took the less justifiable step of attempting to eflfect their object by means of private associations, which Clive denounced as "destructive of that subordination without which no government can stand." Failing to obtain their main object, the members engaged to persist in a series Discontent of petty and insulting annoyances. No visits were to be paid to the president ;

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proceeding, no invitatious from him or any other member of the select committee were to be accepted; and the new counsellors from Madras were to be treated with ne- glect and contempt. In pursuing this course they were abetted by some of the highest officials. Two members of council signed their memorial "in testimony