territories," which thus devolved, by an indisputable right of conquest, to the Crown of England. The Company, indeed, in the same year obtained a grant of Masulipatam from the Subah of the Deccan, which they now set forth in their Petition to Parliament: but yet, their most strenuous advocates admit, that Masulipatam belongs to the Crown of England, _by right of conquest over the French_[15]. And the same argument, that proves a right of conquest to Masulipatam, proves also a similar right to the Northern Circars. In 1765, however, the Company being desirous of acquiring _the form of an Indian title_ to the Circars, against the Subah, who might reclaim them, negotiated for a grant of those provinces at Delhi, over the head of the Subah; which grant they obtained. But the pretensions of the Subah, who was close at hand, might disturb them in their attempts to occupy the provinces; they therefore thought it _expedient_, to temporize with the Subah, and to enter into a separate negotiation with him, to induce him to surrender them; and they agreed to hold the provinces of him also, under an engagement to supply him with a contingent aid of _military force_, when called upon; and moreover, to pay him annually a tribute in money. By thus confusing their titles (which, instead of confirming, mutually defeated each other), they fully demonstrated the inefficacy and impotency of the Mogul's grant, in the present fallen state of that Empire. But the Company could only engage themselves for _military service_, so far as they possessed the ability; and their ability, is limited by the extent of their _military power_; which, being a part of their _sovereign power_, must necessarily determine with their sovereign capacity: as will be shown in the next article. Whenever that capacity ceases, they will be unable to furnish a single soldier, because they will be unable to raise a single soldier for the defence of the provinces. In that event, the Crown must of necessity interfere, to maintain and defend the territories; and then, _the original cause_ which led to the acquirement of the Circars, namely, the expulsion of the French _by force of arms_, and their exclusion by _the influence of the same arms_ in the Treaty of 1763, will be the true ground on which to rest _the question of right_: a right in _the Crown of England_, which had existence, prior to _the form_ of the Mogul's grant, and prior also to _the expedient_ of the grant from the Subah. And here we must keep in mind, that all territories possessed by the Company in India, by whatever means they have been acquired, are necessarily incorporated into the British Empire, and become subject to its Imperial Crown; conformably to the resolution of the House of Commons, in the year 1773: "_That all acquisitions made under the influence of a military force, or by treaty with foreign Princes, do of right belong to the State._" And as the