The constitution, in other respects, of the East India Company is shown by the following brief analysis of the principal clauses of the act 3 & 4 Will. IV., c. 85, which received the royal assent, 28th August, 1833, and under which its con cerns are at present administered :— The government of the British territo ries in India is continued in the hands of the Company until April, 1854. The real and personal property of the Com pany to be held in trust for the crown, for the service of India. (§ I.) The privileges and powers granted in 1813, and all other enactments concern ing the Company not repugnant to this new act, are to continue in force until April, 1854. (§ 2.) From 22nd April, 1834, the China and tea trade of the Company to cease. 0 The company to close its commercial concerns and to sell all its property not re quired for purposes of government. (§ 4.) The debts and liabilities of the Com pany are charged on the revenues of India. (§ 9.) The governor-general in council is empowered to legislate for India and for all persons, whether British or native, foreigners or others. (§ 43.) If the laws thus made by the governor general are disallowed by the authorities in England, they shall be annulled by the governor-general. (§ 44.) Any natural-born subject of England may proceed by sea to any part or place within the limit of the Company's charter having a custom-house establishment, and may reside thereat, or pass through to other parts of the Company's territo ries to reside thereat. (§ 81.) Lands within the Company's territories may be purchased and held by any per sons where they are resident. (§ 86.) No native nor any natural-born subject of his majesty resident in India, shall, by reason of his religion, place of birth, descent, or colour, be disabled from hold ing any office or employment under the government of the Company. (§87.) Slavery to be immediately mitigated, and abolished as soon as possible. (§ 88.) Previously to the passing of this act, the Company possessed the power of arbi trary deportation against Europeans with ,tit trial or reason assigned, and British born subjects were not only restricted from purchasing lands, but were prohi bited from even renting them. Under the 7th section, if fairly carried into execu tion, a greater inducement than had hitherto been offered, is held out to the natives of India to qualify themselves for advancement in the social scale; a cir cumstance from which the best moral effects upon their characters are expected to result.
The revenue of the Indian government is not confined to its collections from the land, but consists likewise of customs' duties, stamp-duties, subsidies, and tribute from certain native states, some local taxes, and the profits arising from the monopolies of salt and opium. The fol lowing is an abstract of the principal revenues and charges of the Indian go vernment for 1839-40 : In 1830, the total number of the mili tary force employed at the three presi dencies and subordinate settlements in India amounted to 224,444 men, and its expense to 9,474,4811. • but in several years subsequently a larger force has been employed.
The progress of the trade with India since the abolition of the East India Company's privileges is shown generally in the following tables : 1. Average annual number of ships and their tonnage which entered and cleared the ports of the United Kingdom, from and to the East India Company's terri tories and Ceylon, in the six years ending 1836, and in the six years ending 1842 : employed to and from the ports of the United Kingdom and the Cape of Good Hope, and places eastward thereof, was as follows, in 1839 and 1844 : Inwards. 1899. 1844.
London . . . 74-1 66.8 Liverpool . . . 20-5 27-2 Hull & Bristol . . 1.95 1.9 Clyde, &c.. . . 3-45 41 Outward,.
London . . . 61.7 50 Liverpool . . . 25.5 31.9 Hull and Bristol . 2•0 1.9 Clyde, &c. . . . 10-8 16-2 4. Value of British and Irish Produce and Manufactures exported to the East India Company's Territories, and Ceylon, and to China, in the undermentioned years.
East Indies. China.
X. X.
1834 . . 2,576,229 842,852 1835 . . 3,192,692 1,074,708 1836 • . 4,285,829 1,326,388 1837 . . 3,612,975 678,375 1838 . . 3,876,196 1,204,356 1839 . . 4,748,607 851,969 1840 . . 6,023,192 524,198 1841 . . 5,595,000 862,570 1842 . . 5,169,888 969,381 1843 . . 6,404,519 1,456,180 In the last of the above years, the exports to the East Indies and China (7,860,699/.) were between one-sixth and one-seventh of the whole of our exports, and more than double the value exported in 1834. In 1844 the exports to China were considerably more than double the value of the exports of 1843. In the ten years from 1834 to 1844 the value of the exports to the West Indies has rather de clined; and to British North America the increase is not very great.