Clive in the English Political World, 1761–64

C. H. Philips

doi:10.1017/S0041977X00083282

Clive in the English Political World, 1761–64

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009

C. H. Philips

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Much of the economic and colonial history of England can be written in terms of the changing membership of the House of Commons;and much of the early history of the British in Asia in particular can be fully understood only in relation to the rise and fall of competing parties at the India House in Leadenhall Street. The following brief glimpse into Indian politics in London in the period of Olive′s sojourn in England between his first and second governorships of Bengal illustrates the force and truth of these generalizations.

Type: Articles
Information: Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 12 , Issue 3-4 , October 1948 , pp. 695 - 702

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X00083282 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1948

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^{page 695 note 1} This article is a revised version of material originally prepared in the spring of 1934.

^{page 695 note 2} Hunt, W., Political History of England,p. 19. D. A. Winstanley says,“The new parliament contained an unusual number of members who had never sat before. Many of these novices probably belonged to that class which had enriched itself in India”(Personal and Party Government,p. 40).Google Scholar

^{page 695 note 3} C. Dalton, Governor Pitt,p. 69. For St. Michael, Sandwich had proposed Clive, but Newcastle got the Edgecumbe and Boscawen families to oppose him. Clive was elected, but his opponent petitioned. When the case was heard in Committee before the House, Sandwich and Fox got a decision in favour of Clive, but Newcastle reversed this in a resolution of the House (W. T. Lawrance, Parliamentary Representation of Cornwall, p.297).

^{page 696 note 1} Cf. L. B. Namier, Structure of Politics,vol. 2, p. 352:“I have been unable to trace it.”There is no mention of the connection in the Sandwich Papers,Navy Records Society Series.

^{page 696 note 2} W. Laprade, Robinson Papers,p. 26. Add. MSS. 9344, f. 121. Cf. H. Walpole, Last Journals: “Lord Sandwich, who governed the East India Company, had got into his own hands the intercourse of diamonds with which the ‘Nabobs ’fed the passion of the King“(vol. 2, p. 244). Cf. also C. Churchill, Poems,vol. 2, p. 211, London, 1769. Grand asserted that his wants were occasionally supplied“from Robert Jones′Accompting House ”, and Jones was a Director of the Company;it was Jones who endorsed the petition for a Writership of Robert Ray, who was Sandwich′s illegitimate son. Ray himself believed that his father had rewarded Jones with a seat in Parliament for Huntingdon in return. G. F. Grand′s Narrative,pp. 47–9. W. W. Hunter, The Thackerays in India,p. 68. Writers′Petitions,vol. 6, No. 52, India Office Records.

^{page 696 note 3} Add. MSS. 32957, f. 193.

^{page 696 note 4} Sulivan to Newcastle. Add. MSS. 32934, f. 425. 18th February, 1762.

^{page 696 note 5} Same to same. Add. MSS. 32935, f. 158. 2nd March, 1762. Sulivan′s connection with Bute is further illustrated by the fact that he had requested the attendance of Charles Jenkinson, then Bute′s secretary, at the hearing of his Ashburton election petition. Add. MSS. 38458, f. 2.

^{page 697 note 1} Add. MSS. 32892, f. 332. 30th June, 1759.

^{page 697 note 2} See L. B. Namier, Structure of Politics,vol. 2, pp. 320–332. Bath got his revenge by replacing Powis as Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire. Ibid., p. 348. dive′s interest at Shrewsbury was fully established by November, 1762.

^{page 697 note 3} Add. MSS. 35596, f. 204. 20th December, 1760.

^{page 697 note 4} Forrest mistakenly says that “Clive′s strenuous endeavours to have Walsh accepted as candidate for Worcester did not meet with success ”. Life of Olive,vol. 2, p. 175.Google Scholar

^{page 697 note 5} Grenvitte Correspondence,vol. 2, p. 46.Google Scholar

^{page 697 note 6} Add. MSS. 32948, f. 335. In May, 1763, he held £23,000 of India Stock.

^{page 697 note 7} In October, 1761, Pitt retired from the Ministry. George Grenville was now in the Cabinet.

^{page 698 note 1} Forrest makes a slip in putting 13th February instead of 13th October as the date of this letter from Clive to Newcastle. Life of Olive,vol. 2, p. 179. See Add. MSS. 32685, f. 66. Clive to Newcastle.Google Scholar

^{page 698 note 2} Clive tried to get a position as Commissioner of Taxes for Maskelyne. 22nd May, 1762. Add. MSS. 32938, f. 401.

^{page 698 note 3} Clive to Newcastle. 14th October, 1763. Add. MS. 32951, f. 424.

^{page 698 note 4} Grenville Papers,vol. 4, p. 14. 15th November, 1763. Powis is empowered by Clive to issue instructions to Clive′s friends when Clive is ill. Waring sold his estates at Bishop′s Castle to Clive (1767). With 1768 begins the domination of the Clives at this borough which lasted until 1818. Home Misc. 808, f. 210, India Office Records.

^{page 699 note 1} Forrest, , Life of Clive,vol. 2, p. 192.Google Scholar

^{page 699 note 2} Parl. Hist.,vol. 15, cols. 1241 and 1298. Sulivan was accused of trying to get an article inserted which restored to France all the late acquisitions.“Only the spirited action of Clive, Rous, and the Duke of Bedford prevented it.”Orme MSS. J, f. 248, India Office Records.

^{page 699 note 3} Ibid., col. 1272–4.

^{page 699 note 4} History of the Administration of the Leader in the India Direction(anon.), p. 17.Google Scholar

^{page 699 note 5} General Court Minutes,vol. 2, p. 278. 15th March, 1763, India Office Records.Google Scholar

^{page 699 note 6} The newspapers concerned were those particularly favoured by the Company; the Daily Courant, Daily Post, St. James′Post, Postman, Post Boy,and Flying Post.Home Misc. 31, f. 76, India Office Records.

^{page 699 note 7} Add. MSS. 32947, f. 269. 23rd March, 1763.

^{page 700 note 1} Add. MSS. 33031, f. 71–2. Home Misc. 811, f. 298, India Office Records.

^{page 700 note 2} Add. MSS. 32948, f. 69. 8th April, 1763.

^{page 700 note 3} Add. MSS. 32948, f. 130. 14th April, 1763.

^{page 700 note 4} H. Walpole′s Memoirs,vol. 1, p. 262.Google Scholar

^{page 700 note 5} Jāgīrwas a tenure common under Mughal rule in India under which the public revenues of a given area of land were made over to a servant of the State.

^{page 700 note 6} Home Misc. 808, f. 186. Sulivan goes on: “If I could not clearly refute Dupleix′s reasoning, that no trading concern can support itself, I should wish our trade to India at an end ”.

^{page 700 note 7} See R. Mowat, England in the Eighteenth Century,p. 75.Google Scholar

^{page 700 note 8} Add. MSS. 32597, f. 317. 5th August, 1763.

^{page 701 note 1} Grenville Papers,vol. 2, p. 46.Google Scholar

^{page 701 note 2} Namier, L. B., Structure of Polities,vol. 2, pp. 352, 360.Google Scholar

^{page 701 note 3} Grenville Papers,vol. 2, p. 183. 13th December, 1763.Google Scholar

^{page 701 note 4} Add. MSS. 32954, f. 36.

^{page 701 note 5} It happened that many of Clive′s supporters had held their stock long enough for Clive to retort by proposing in the General Court“That the right of voting be limited to those who had held stock for four months ”. General Court Minutes, vol. 2, f. 298. 12th March, 1764.

^{page 701 note 6} Forrest, , Life of Clive,vol. 2, p. 200.Google Scholar

^{page 701 note 7} General Court Minutes, vol. 2, f. 308.

^{page 702 note 1} Orme MSS. J., f. 250, India Office Records.

^{page 702 note 2} Home Misc. 811, f. 298, India Office Eecords.

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