THE Eaſt-India Company had Four Ships arriv'd from India in Septemb. 1691. and in October they deliver'd into the Honorable Houſe of Commons a Paper ſaid to contain a true Account of all their Stock both at home and abroad, wherein they make their Eſtate then in England to amount to about Thirty Nine Thouſand Pounds: And in that they value their Dead Stock at about Ten Thouſand Five Hundred Pounds, for their Buildings and Equipage for a Troop of Horſe.

Now to paſs over all Reflections on the many Notorious Falſities in that Paper, It may ſuffice here to obſerve, That were this Article true, 'Tis yet inconſiderable, even to a Scandal; For that our Eaſt-India Company ſhould have Four great Ships from India: whoſe Cargoes they valu'd in their aforeſaid Account at Three Hundred and Seventy Thouſand Pounds, and that all that, conjoyn'd with every thing they could poſſibly pretend to here before, ſhould yet altogether, according to their own accompting, make the Total of their Quick Stock in England, no more than Twenty Eight Thouſand Five Hundred Pounds, Is too plain a Diſcovery of their ill Condition.

But tho they were, by their own Confeſſion, thus utterly deſtitute of a ſufficient Stock to carry on the Trade, yet they obtain'd leave to ſend out Five Ships in the Spring, wherein, if they adventur'd any thing for account of the General Joynt-Stock, It muſt be borrow d; For the foreſaid ſmall Sum was as little as they cou'd reſerve for incident Charges and Secret Service. But 'tis well known, that a great part of the Effects laden on thoſe Ships, were for the particular Accounts of a few ruling Gentlemen amongſt them, with ſuch Friends as they pleas'd to admit into the Concern; together with the Armenians, whom, to the great Diſhonour and Detriment of the Nation, they have of late introduc'd into the Trade. And to cover theſe private Concerns from publick Notice, ſo that they might paſs as the Company's own Goods, the Proprietors were oblig'd to let them go under the Company's Mark, and be enter'd at the Cuſtom-Houſe in their Name.

Since this, they have had no more than One Ship from India, which is the Kempthorn, lately arriv'd, and after ſhe had been detain'd above Two Years in the Country, and the Commander at laſt forc'd to proteſt for his Diſpatch, ſhe is now return'd about a Hundred and Fifty Tuns Dead Freighted. Neither were the Goods ſhe brings provided by the Company's own Stock; For, by the Confeſſion of a Principal Member of their Committe, their Servants have, for this occaſion, made uſe of the Monies of particular Merchants of London remaining in their hands, to the amount of Fifteen Thouſand Pounds, for which they have drawn Bills on the Company; And that is at leaſt one half of the Coſt of her Cargo.

This is the beſt Face they themſelves can put upon their Affairs here at home: And as to their Condition abroad, if the Evidence in the laſt Seſſion of Parliament were not ſufficient, There is now come by the foreſaid Ship Kempthorn a further Confirmation of the whole Matter, in a Letter from one of their principal Factors, to an Honourable Member of the Houſe of Commons, Declaring, That the Engliſh had lost their Eſteem in all Places, That the Companies Servants were kept as Priſoners in the City of Suratt, And that the Natives were ſo Incens'd againſt them for their late Hoſtilities, That they could ſcarce refrain from treating them at preſent after a more ſevere Manner, tho their own Intereſt required it till they had recovered ſatisfaction for thoſe Injuries: Which, if not comply'd with, 'twas fear'd their Rage would drive them to Extremities: And moreover that there was ſo great a Debt upon the Company at that Place, as would demand a large Stock to be ſent out to diſcharge it.

And now, Tho their Affairs labour under all theſe diſmal Circumſtances, which render them wholly Incapable to act as a Company, according to the true Intent of their Charter; and make it apparent, that this valuable Trade will be intirely loſt to the Nation, if any longer continued in their Hands: Yet thoſe Gentlemen who preſide in the preſent Management, are Maſters of ſo great Aſſurance, To Petition the King in Council, for leave to ſend no leſs than Twelve Ships to India this Seaſon; And they were ſo ſucceſsful on Thurſday laſt, to obtain a Grant for half that Number. But

'TIS humbly Hop'd and Pray'd, That our Honourable Repreſentatives, who are now (in purſuance of His Gracious Majeſties Meſſage to them) Conſidering of the moſt proper Methods to Preſerve, Improve, and Establiſh this Trade to a National Advantage, Will be pleaſed to Interpoſe with their prevalent Applications to His Majeſty, to prevent ſo great a Prejudice to the Publick, as muſt unavoidably be the Conſequence of permitting theſe Ships to proceed; At least until it be firſt effectually Provided, That they ſhall carry out no Effects but what are intirely for Account of their General Ioynt-Stock, And give ſufficient Security to diſcharge all Debts and Demands on them in India.