By a laudable and wholesome bill, which was passed during this year, considerable reformation was effected in the auditing and examining of public accounts, and the regulation of public offices. The balances of the navy and ordnance offices, and of the paymaster of the forces, were ordered to be paid into the bank. Many of the interior departments of office, or heads of service, were consolidated; and the whole assumed an aspect of regular and rational system.
Provision was made for funding in the 5 per cent. stock, the remaining floating arrear of debt, consisting of navy bills and ordnance debentures ; fresh taxes, of which the amount was calculated at 400,000/. These taxes were passed with slight opposition. One only was particularly obnoxious. This was a tax on retail shops It was SileNVII by the whole body of retail traders, that, for obvious reasons, it was impracticable to indemnify themselves for this imposition by raising the price or commodities on their customers; and thus a speedy ruin was threatened to thousands of the most industrious and useful of the trading community. By way of re compense to the shopkeepers, Mr Pitt proposed to an nihilate a class of traders, still poorer and less capable of remonstrance ; by revoking the licences from all hawkers and pedlars; whom he styled, a pest to the community, and a nursery for illicit trading. Far from being pests to society, it is known how useful these itinerant traders are, to the remote inhabitants of the country. Like all other traders, these men were liable to detection and punishment in the act of illicit traffic ; but to prohibit them from the fruits of their honest la bour, was justly censured as despotic in principle, and cruel in proportion to the poverty of the sufferers.
In the business of the succeeding session, the minis ter's plan for extinguishing the national debt, holds a distinguished place, and indeed forms an era in the his tory of the country. The plan was founded on a report, framed by a select committee, who had sat during a part of last year, and who had examined the annual income and expenditure of the state. By the report of this committee it appeared, that the public income for the year 1785. had been 15,379,000/., and the expenditure 14.478,000/., leaving a surplus of 901,000/. This sur plus the minister proposed to increase to one million, and to appropriate for ever after this yearly million most sacredly to the exclusive purpose of extinguishing the national debt. Commissioners of the highest respecta bility were to be chosen for the important service of purchasing in the funds towards the redemption of the public debt. Several savings of expense, and overflow ings of revenue, would fall into this fund, which, in the course of 28 years, would produce four millions a year.
The propriety of liquidating the national debt being ac knowledged on all sides, the motion was carried without a division.
In the progress of the hill, an amendment was sug gested by Mr Fox, and gratefully received by the minis ter, viz. that whenever a new loan should hereafter be made, the commissioners should be empowered to ac cept the loan, or such proportion of it, as should he equal to the cash then in their hands ; the interest and douccur annexed to which, should be applied to the purposes of the sinking fund. Another clause, enabling the commissioners to continue purchasing stock for the public, when at or above par, unless otherwise direct ed by parliament, was moved by Mr Pulteney, and carried.
Next to the establishment of the new sinking fund, the affairs of India occupied during this session the principal attention of parliament. The trial of Warren Hastings for alledged crimes and misdemeanours in his government of India, was brought on by Mr Burke, who had for some time held out l,is threats of impeach ment. On the 4th of April Mr Burke came lorward fully prepared for the charge, and solemnly exhibited against the late governor nine articles of accusation, which in the succeeding week were completed to twen ty- WO. The chief substance of these charges was, Mr Hasting's receiving illegal presents—making unjust war upon the native princes, and oppressing their de fenceless subjects. The first charge related to the Rohilla war, on which subject the governor obtained a decision by a majority of the commons, that there were not grounds of impeachment. A more important charge was soon afterwards produced, relating to the expulsion of a native potentate, Cheyt Sing, from the Zemindary of Benares, and Mr Hasting's severe and unjust con duct in that province. By the supreme council of India it had been solemnly decreed, that the native prince Cheyt Sing, and his heirs for ever, should enjoy the Zemindary of Benares on condition of giving only the usual payment of revenue hitherto paid to the late vizier. For refusing to pay beyond this sum, the native prince was expelled from his territory, and his people were put to the sword. The friends of Mr Hastings saw with dismay, that the minister himself could not but side with his accusers. Mr Pitt acknowledged, that, admitting the right of the governor to have taxed the Zemindar, his conduct had been unnecessarily severe. On this charge the commons decided, that there were grounds of impeachment. But beyond this decision no thing of importance towards the trial was accomplished in the present session, which was closed by prorogation on the 1 tth of June.