He had provided not
only against resistance, but almost against any inquiry into his wild
projects. He had by his opium contracts put all vigilance asleep, and by
his bullock and other contracts he had secured a variety of concealed
interests, both abroad and at home. He was sure of the ratification of
his acts by the Council, whenever he should please to inform them of his
measures; and to his secret influence he trusted for impunity in his
career of tyranny and oppression.
In bringing before you his arbitrary mode of imposing duties, I beg to
remind your Lordships, that, when I examined Mr. Markham concerning the
imposing of a duty of five per cent instead of the former duty of two, I
asked him whether that five per cent was not laid on in such a manner as
utterly to extinguish the trade, and whether it was not in effect and
substance five times as much as had been paid before. What was his
answer? Why, that many plans, which, when considered in the closet, look
specious and plausible, will not hold when they come to be tried in
practice, and that this plan was one of them. The additional duties,
said he, have never since been exacted. But, my Lords, the very attempt
to exact them utterly ruined the trade of the country.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401