A window into a heated 1790s negotiation over the East India Company’s charter and its trade rules.
This edition draws from an argumentative record about renewing the Company’s exclusive rights and the broader contest between administration and directors. It covers the economics of Europe-to-India exports, the role of clandeftine and private trade, and the clash over tariffs, freight costs, and government participation. Readers will see how ministers, the Court, and financial figures debated profits, losses, and what a settled regulation might mean for commerce and imperial policy.
- How the trade balance was framed, including the cost of goods and the value of certificates.
- Arguments over the Company’s monopoly and the push to bring private trade into a regulated channel.
- Key figures and moments, including the budgetary figures and the ideas of Mr. Dundas and Mr. Pitt.
- Questions about the role of government in shared profits and the potential impact on imperial finances.
Ideal for readers of economic history and British imperial governance, this material sheds light on the debates that shaped late 18th‑century trade and governance.