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duced to three; the want of churches, the want of glebes, and the want of an univerfal ufe of the English tongue: for the remedies, the reverend Author looks to Parliament, in confequence of refolutions already entered into by the House of Commons.

Treating of the agency of Romish miffionaries in fpiriting up the common people to infurrections, the Bishop adverts to the letters of Mr. O'Leary; and though he does not affirm that the writer intends to fow fedition, he ftill thinks them calculated to raise discontent and indignation in the Roman Catholic peafantry, againft the national clergy, the legislature, the executive power, and their Proteftant fellow fubjects:' and fuch a tendency is certainly discoverable in the extracts here given from his letters to the White Boys.

INDIA AFFAIRS.

Art. 13. Obfervations of the Court of Directors on the refpective Conduft of Warren Haftings, Efq. Sir John Clavering, K. B. Colonel George Monfon, Richard Barwell, and Philip Francis, Efqrs. in the Service of the Honourable Eaft India Company. 4to.

brett. 1787.

Is. De

This pamphlet is not what the title is calculated to make it feem, an exprefs publication of the Court of Directors deciding on the conduct of thefe gentlemen; but a number of extracts from the official letters of the Court to the prefidency of Bengal, cenfuring the conduct of Meffrs. Haftings and Barwell on particular occafions: and, as might be expected, commending the oppofition of the other parties above named. They are obviously now brought into one collective view to meet a favourable season.

Art. 14. Original Letters from Warren Haftings, Efq. Sir Eyre Coote, K. B. and Richard Barwell, Efq. to Sir Thomas Rumbold, Bart. and Lord Macartney, K. B, 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1787. Thefe letters, by the aid of Italics, and fhort notes to particular paffages, are made to co-operate in the fame purpose with the preceding Obfervations; that of fhewing the difagreements between Mr. Haftings and his colleagues, with the occations on his part.

Art.-15. An Appeal to the People of England and Scotland in Behalf of Warren Haftings, Efq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett 1787. This appeal from the fenate houfe to the fire fide is a very well written apology for Mr. Haftings, It pleads the emergency of circumftances and manners of the people, in extenuation of the meafures they dictated, principally with refpect to the two Begums. It is probably the work of the Governor General's vigilant and well known friend, who manages the argumentum ad hominem very dexterously against his accufers.

The reasoning in behalf of Mr. Haftings is fo far juft, as to fhew, that it would be cruel to try his conduct in Indoftan according to the ftrict code of religion, morality, and the customs of this country. For if we affume a dominion over a people, whofe modes of thinking and cuftoms differ materially from ours, it is to be maintained by adapting our adminiftration to their apprehenfions, and not to the appre henfions of people in this country. Thus, for inftance, any particular tranfaction may meet with a harsh cenfure here; yet if it an

fwers

fwers a good purpofe, without violating their ideas of government, it is clearly meritorious.

The conduct of a British Chief in peculiar fituations, is therefore rather to be estimated by the general outline of his fuccefs, and eftimation on the spot, than by minute fcrutinies into detached inftances here. If this be not found doctrine, it must be abfurd to grafp Indian fceptres; and it would be more to our credit to lay them down, than to fuffer them to be wretted out of our feeble hands.

Art. 16. The real Situation of the Eaft-India Company confidered with respect to their Rights and Privileges, under the Operation of the late Acts of Parliament, establishing a Board of Controul and a Committee of Secrecy. By George Tierney, Efq; 8vo. 25. Debrett. 1787.

By the late ftatute to regulate the Eaft-India Company, the King was impowered to appoint fix privy-counsellors, of whom, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and one of the Secretaries of State are to be two, as commiffioners to fuperintend and control all measures of the Court of Directors, any wife relating to the civil or military government, and revenues, of the British territorial poffeffions in India. In confequence, all dispatches to and from India, relating to thefe objects are to be fubmitted to the Board of Controul; whofe orders the Directors of the company are bound to obey.

If the Court of Directors receive orders from the Board of Controul, relating to points unconnected, in their opinion, with civil or military government or revenues; they may appeal to the King in council, by petition, for a final decifion.

If the Board of Controul deem the object of their deliberations concerning the making war or peace, or negociating with any of the native princes or ftates in India, to require fecrecy, they may tranfmit their orders to India through the medium of the fecret committee of three Directors, who are to fend them without disclosing their contents and the Prefidencies are to obey them, and return their anfwers in like confidential manner.

The power of appointing and difmiffing fervants of the Company, is referved to the Directors.

Such is the general plan under which the affairs of the Company are at prefent managed; and the writer now before us remarks, That the trade of the Company may be ably carried on by twenty-four gentlemen, acting in concert with, and under the di rection of a fuperior Board, I can readily conceive; but to fuppofe it can continue to thrive under the management of a fet of men who have no authority, acting in oppofition to a Board who have the entire fuperintendance of all our territories in India, who have the right of making war and peace, the arrangement of all matters of revenue, and the office of negociating with every power in the. country from whence this trade is to flow, is a pofition which I fhould beg leave to queflion. It is to be confidered, that our connec tion with India ftands upon a very different footing from what it ori ginally did. Commerce and territory are now fo intimately blended, that their refpective confequence muft, perhaps, entirely depend on their united exertions."

But

But the Directors are provided with a remedy, in an appeal to the King in council. An appeal! from fix Privy Counsellors, two of whom are in the Cabinet, to the King in Council!-The decifion that would be given is about as difficult to be gueffed at, as the refult of a Dean and Chapter's deliberations when they affemble to elect a Bishop. An appeal! to beg his Majefty will explain to four-and twenty merchants what things are to be understood as relating to trade! It is as idiculous as if the Privy Council were to apply to the India Houfe for a definition of prerogative.'

Accordingly we find the Board of Controul have taken the management of the Nabob of Arcot's debts out of the hands of the Directors; becaufe, though it was but a pecuniary domeftic tranfaction, it was interpreted to be a negociation with one of the native Princes of India; and in a difference between the Directors and one of their officers, colonel Rofs, they have deprived the Directors of all authority over their fervants, and virtually releafed thofe fervants from a dutiful attention to their masters, by informing the Directors (without the leaft qualification) that they do not recognize any power in them to tranfmit to India either cenfure or approbation of the conduct of any fervant civil or military, exclufive of the controul of this Beard.' Thefe preparatory steps led the way to virtually depofing the Directors; for early in the laft fefiion of parliament, a claufe was introduced into the new act, compelling the members of the fecret committee of Directors to take a folemn oath not to difclofe any of the fecret orders of the Commitioners for India relating to peace, war, or negociation with any of the Indian princes, without authority from the Board. Thus, though it was impoñible to take away the charter at once, after the language that had been used with refpect to Mr. Fox's rejected measures; it has been most effectually done, gradually, and underhand.

The twenty-four Directors being thus reduced to three, a dispatch refpeting fome pecuniary arrangements with the Nabob of Arcot, having been fubmitted to the Board of Controul, as ufual for their approbation; they expunge almoft the whole of it, and then deliver this aconic meliage: "As we think it more proper that fuch inftructions, as it is now neceffary to transmit upon the subject, should go through the channel of your Secret Committee, we fall find a draft to them for that purpoje."-la confequence of this affumption, Mr. Smith, one of the Directors, threw up his cffice, and refigned a ftation in which he found himfelf deprived of all information which his duty required him to infpect; and from that day to this, continues Mr. Tierney, the Board of Controul have been arbitrary monarchs.

The concluding words of the Author to the Directors, fuperfede the need of any farther reflections on this fubje&.The attack of Mr. Fox certainly would have taken every privilege and franchile from you, but you would have loft them honourably, and the Compay have expired with the reputation of martyrdom. - Better would it have been to have died to, than to be allowed to live on fuch terms as the prefent. The conqueft obtained by the Board of Controul adds infult to injury, and having taken poffeffion of your citadel and made you prifoners, compels you to walk in the Con

1.

queror's

queror's train, dreffed out in the pomp of your former dignity, like captives in a Roman triumph! All the parade of your loft confequence remains while you are not able to call one fingle privilege your own. Without kn wing what your duty is, you are refponfible to your conftituents for the discharge of it, and though oftenfible rulers of India, you cannot carry one measure into execution. With all the mockery of nominal power, you are deftitute of vigour or efficacy, and you fit with paper cru s upon your heads, to copy difpatches, and lament your fate!'

Art. 17. An Addrefs to Capt. Evelyn Sutton; containing profeffional Remarks on his Conduct as Commander of his Majelty's Ship Ifis, on the 16th of April 1781, on the Evidence given by Witneffes, on his Trial at Portfmouth in December 1783; and on the judicial Conduct of his Court Martial. By a Seaman. 8vo. 2s. Nicoll.

The Public have already before them every particular concerning Captain Sutton's trial. The Author of this pamphlet blames the Captain, and fays the members of the court martial muft either have been egregiously ignorant, or confummately wicked.' We are forry to fee a man, who is endowed with fuch acute faculties as this very intelligent feaman poffeffes, make use of fuch intemperate language.

DISSENTERS' APPLICATION TO PARLIAMENT. Art. 18. A Letter to the Deputies of the Proteftant Diffenting Congregations, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, on their intended Application to Parliament for the Repeal of the "Corporation and Teft Acts. 8vo. 1s. Buckland. 1787.

By the deputies here meant, we are to understand the reprefentatives of Diffenting congregations, in and near the metropolis (two members from each), who occafionally meet in consultation, on matters refpecting the general interests of the body at large. These gentlemen are confidered by the writer of this letter, as having been the principal movers of the late application to Parliament, for a repeal of fo much of the Teft Act as affects the Diffenters, by depriving them of an equal participation, with their brethren of the Established Church, of the civil rights of British fubjects. Accordingly, he addreffes them on their conduct, with refpect to this application,-a measure which he difapproves, as unwarranted by the general national voice of the Diffenters, and as not being, in his opinion, conducive to the real intereft of the Diffenting caufe. He writes with great appearance of moderation and good temper, and fome of his arguments feem to merit the candid and ferious attention of the gentlemen for whofe confideration they were brought forward. The pamphlet was published before the bufinefs was actually moved in the House of Commons; and it is figned," A Proteflant Diffenter."Whether really one of the flock, or a wolf in sheep's clothing, we know not.

Art. 19. Bishop Sherlock's Arguments against a Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts; wherein most of the Pleas advanced in a Paper, ftyled, The Cafe of Proteftant Diffenters, &c. are difcuffed. With a

Dedication

Dedication to the Right Hon. William Pitt. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Robinfons. 1787.

Revived from the memorable Bangorian controverfy; the tract is ingeniously written, but fallacioufly argued. It is now dedicated to Mr. Pitt, to induce him to ftand by the church-that the church may ftand by him *.

Art. 20. Bishop Hoadly's Refutation of Bishop Sherlock's Arguments against a Repeal, &c. wherein the Juftice and Reasonablenefs of fuch a Repeal are clearly evinced. 8vo. 1s. d. Dilly.

Sherlock, though a more polifhed writer than Hoadly, was nothing in the hands of the great champion of civil and religious liberty, when engaged with him on polemic ground. Let thofe who question this affertion, give this and the foregoing work a candid perufal, and be convinced. The Editor has added the fentiments of two other eminent divines of the established church (viz. Sykes and Paley), in confirmation of Bifhop Hoadly's liberal and truly Chriftian fenti

ments.

Art. 21. The Right of Proteftant Diffenters to a complete Toleration, afferted; or, An hiftorical Review of their Situation under the Laws impofing the Sacramental Teft on Perfons admitted to Offices; and fhewing the Impofition of that Teft to be unjust with respect to the Proteftant Diffenters of England and the Natives of North Britain, as well as inexpedient; with an Anfwer to the Objection urged from the Act of Union with Scotland; and Proofs that the prefent is the proper Time for applying to Parliament for the neceffary Redrefs. To which is added, a Poftfcript, in Reply to the Arguments of Bishop Sherlock on the Teft Laws. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Johnfon. 1787.

The Author takes a wide range, and includes, in this treatise, every thing relative to his fubject.-Confidering the short time + allowed for the writing and publishing a work produced on the fpur of the occafion, we think the Author has acquitted himself with reputation. Whoever wishes for a complete view of the arguments, particularly thofe that have been urged in favour of the Diffenters, may be referred to this pamphlet.

Art. 22. Obfervations on the Cafe of the Proteflant Diffenters. By a Lay Member of the Church of England. 8vo. 6d. Debrett.

The Cafe, above mentioned, was a paper circulated by the Diffenters and their friends, at the time of their late application to Parliament, and was allowed, on all hands, to be well drawn up. Many candid readers, indeed, pronounced it unanswerable; yet here is an answer to it, and not a contemptible one.

Art. 23. Letter to the Rt. Hon. William Pitt, on the Subjects of Toleration and Church Establishments; occafioned by his Speech against the Repeal of the Teit and Corporation Acts, on the 28th of March

* Let the Throne fupport the Church, the Church support the Throne, and God will fupport both.' Dedication.

+ Only fix weeks. The piece contains 227 pages.