130,000,000 sterling.

PITT'S PLAN FOR REFORMING THE TREASURY ETC.

In the course of this session, Mr. Pitt brought in a bill for making
some economical reforms in the treasury. In his speech on this subject,
he demonstrated that extravagant abuses existed; and his bill was
carried in the commons, but lost in the lords. But though ministers
could not countenance Pitt's plan, they were under the necessity of
producing one of their own. At the end of June, Lord John Cavendish
carried a bill through the house, for abolishing certain offices in the
exchequer, and limiting the salaries of others after the death of the
present possessors. In consequence of a motion made by Pitt five
months before, Lord John Cavendish also presented to the house a book,
containing a list of accountants, who having received public money by
way of imprest, had not yet accounted for it; and of those persons
from whom balances of declared accounts were still due. By this book it
appeared that a sum of about L44,000,000 sterling was still unaccounted
for; and this induced Mr. Pitt to move an address to the king,
requesting him to take measures for the recovery of this sum, and to
prevent similar delinquencies for the future. This was objected to by
ministers; but it was allowed to pass with a few trifling amendments.
About the same time, Lord Mali on introduced a bill for preventing
bribery at elections; and Alderman Sawbridge made his annual motion for
a reform in parliament, both of which were negatived.

{GEORGE III. 1782-1784}

EAST INDIA AFFAIRS.

It has been seen that a select committee had been appointed to consider
the state of the British dominions. This committee, in the prosecution
of this inquiry, not only discovered corruption, fraud, and injustice
in every department of the Indian government, but that the company's
finances were in a ruinous condition. In order, therefore, to rescue the
British name from disgrace, and to secure our territorial possessions in
India, Sir Henry Fletcher introduced a bill for "suspending the payments
of the company due to the exchequer, and enabling them to borrow the sum
of L300,000 for their relief." This bill, which was declared to be
only a branch of a larger plan, passed both houses with very little
opposition; an impression generally prevailing among peers and
commoners, that unless relief was afforded, bankruptcy was inevitable.
Thus works profusion.

PETITION OF THE QUAKER