The speeches of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, in the House of commons, and in Westminster-Hall Volume 2 - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1816 Excerpt: ... Mr. Fox's East Iudia Bill December i. "HPHE order of the day being moved, for going into the com mittee on Mr. Fox's bill " for vesting the affairs of the East India Company in the hands of certain commissioners, for the benefit of the proprietors and the public," the question for (he Speaker's leaving the chair was strongly opposed by Mr. Powys. After which, Mr. Burke rose and said: Mr. Speaker; I thank you for pointing tome. I really wished much to engage your attention in an early stage of the debate. I have been long very deeply, though perhaps ineffectually, engaged in the preliminary inquiries, which have continued without intermission for some years. Though I have felt, with some degree of sensibility, the natural and inevitable impressions of the several matters of fact, as they have been successively disclosed, I have not at any time attempted to trouble you on the merits of the subject; and very little on any of the points which incidentally arose in the course of our proceedings. But I should be sorry to be found totally silent upon this day. Our inquiries are now come to their final issue:--It is now to be determined whether the three years of laborious parliamentary research, whether the twenty years of patient Indian suffering, are to produce a substantial reform in our eastern administration; or whether our knowledge of the grievances has abated our zeal for the correction of them, and our very inquiry into the evil was only a pretext to elude the remedy, which is demanded from us by humanity, by justice, and by every principle of true policy. Depend upon it, this business cannot be indifferent to our feme. It will turn out a matter of great disgrace or great glory to the whole British nation. We are on a conspicuous stage, and the world mark...