The Carnatic is a country not much inferior in extent to England. Figure
to yourself, Mr. Speaker, the land in whose representative chair you
sit; figure to yourself the form and fashion of your sweet and cheerful
country from Thames to Trent north and south, and from the Irish to the
German Sea east and west, emptied and emboweled (may God avert the omen
of our crimes!) by so accomplished a desolation. Extend your imagination
a little farther, and then suppose your ministers taking a survey of
this scene of waste and desolation; what would be your thoughts if you
should be informed that they were computing how much had been the amount
of the excises, how much the customs, how much the land and malt tax, in
order that they should charge (take it in the most favorable light) for
public service, upon the relics of the satiated vengeance of relentless
enemies, the whole of what England had yielded in the most exuberant
seasons of peace and abundance? What would you call it? To call it
tyranny sublimed into madness would be too faint an image; yet this very
madness is the principle upon which the ministers at your right hand
have proceeded in their estimate of the revenues of the Carnatic, when
they were providing, not supply for the establishments of its
protection, but rewards for the authors of its ruin.

Every day you are fatigued and disgusted with this cant:--"The Carnatic
is a country that will soon recover, and become instantly as prosperous
as ever." They think they are talking to innocents, who will believe
that by sowing of dragons' teeth, men may come up ready grown and ready
armed. They who will give themselves the trouble of considering (for it
requires no great reach of thought, no very profound knowledge) the
manner in which mankind are increased and countries cultivated, will
regard all this raving as it ought to be regarded. In order that the
people, after a long period of vexation and plunder, may be in a
condition to maintain government, government must begin by maintaining
them. Here the road to economy lies not through receipt, but through
expense; and in that country nature has given no short cut to your
object. Men must propagate, like other animals, by the mouth. Never
did oppression light the nuptial torch; never did extortion and usury
spread out the genial bed. Does any of you think that England, so
wasted, would, under such a nursing attendance, so rapidly and cheaply
recover? But he is meanly