Produced by David King and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.) THE PRESENT STATE OF THE BRITISH INTEREST IN INDIA Transcriber’s Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Footnotes have been moved to follow the chapters in which they are referenced. THE PRESENT STATE OF THE BRITISH INTEREST IN INDIA: WITH A PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING A REGULAR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN THAT COUNTRY. LONDON: Printed for J. ALMON, opposite Burlington House, in Piccadilly. MDCCLXXIII. [Price Three Shillings.] CONTENTS. I. The present State of the British Interest in 5 India, &c. II. The Nature and Effects of the Company’s 17 Government in Bengal III. The true Causes of Evil and Abuse in the 46 Government of Bengal, and the Means to remedy them IV. A Plan, for establishing a regular System of 106 political Government in India V. A Plan, for establishing a regular System of 156 military Government, and of secure Defence, in India Chapter I No nation nor state ever acquired an accession of dominion so truly valuable and beneficial, as are the acquisitions lately made by Britain in India. But the particular situation of her circumstances at the time when these acquisitions fell into her hands, enhanced the real and intrinsic value of them to Britain. Oppressed by a grievous debt, the annual interest of which, exceeding four millions and a half sterling, was levied by taxes, which raised the price of each manufacture, her commerce labouring under such disadvantages was daily sinking into decay; whilst a considerable part of this annual interest being paid to foreigners, created such a drain of specie, as the balance of her trade could not supply; so that, in proportion as her expence increased, the means of defraying it diminished; and she was every year approaching towards a state of national poverty and bankruptcy.