The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

ruin. The Company, in former times, when it had no sovereignty or power in the country,
had large privileges under their dustuck, or permit: their goods passed, without paying
duties, through the country. The servants of the Company made use of this dustuck for their
own private trade, which, while it was used with moderation, the native government winked
at in some degree; but when it got wholly into private hands, it was more like robbery than
trade. These traders appeared everywhere; they sold at their own prices, and forced the
people to sell to them at their own prices also. It appeared more like an army going to
pillage the people, under pretence of commerce, than anything else. In vain the people
claimed the protection of their own country courts. This English army of traders in their
march ravaged worse than a Tartarian conqueror. The trade they carried on, and which
more resembled robbery than commerce, anticipated the resources of the tyrant, and
threatened to leave him no materials for imposition or confiscation. Thus this miserable
country was torn to pieces by the horrible rapaciousness of a double tyranny. This appeared
to be so strong a case, that a deputation was sent to him at his new capital, Monghir, to form
a treaty for the purpose of giving some relief against this cruel, cursed, and oppressive
trade, which was worse even than the tyranny of the sovereign. This trade Mr. Vansittart,
the President about this time, that is, in 1763, who succeeded to Mr. Holwell, and was in
close union of interests with the tyrant Cossim Ali Khân, by a treaty known by the name of
the treaty of Monghir, agreed very much to suppress and to confine within something like
reasonable bounds. There never was a doubt on the face of that treaty, that it was a just,
proper, fair transaction. But as nobody in Bengal did then believe that rapine was ever
forborne but in favor of bribery, the persons who lost every advantage by the treaty of
Monghir, when they thought they saw corrupt negotiation carrying away the prizes of
unlawful commerce, and were likely to see their trade crippled by Cossim Ali Khân, fell

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