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state of his power and the moans he possosscs of maintaining perfect tranquillity in his
countiy. If he and tho persons in power under him treat strangers with kindness and
condescension, if in his ports the merchant finds safoty, convonienco and an entiro freedom of
the trado if tho regulations of those ports are plain, and tho inhabitants observo them
inviolably, if a facility is given for a recovery of debts, tho laws arc justly administered, and
no grievous exactions laid upon the trade in any part of the kingdom, nothing moro is
roquired, the fame thorcof will spread through the mercantile class of inhabitants of India,
and Persia bo immediately suppliod with every article of necessity or luxury that tho
inhabitants require or can afford to purohaso and tho excess of the produoo or manufactures
of that country trausferred to those parts of the world where they can meet a consumption.
No attempts should be undo to cramp commeroe. The merchant is, by tho nature of
his transactions, free, he will not send an adveuture where he can expect to profit nor venture
his property, where ho thinks it insecure ; if trade is rendered less beneficial or secure in
one quarter he pursues it iu another. A Sovereign should avoid being himself concerned in
trade, as it would be almost impossible for him to carry it on without the interference of
his authority whioh must discourage the subjects, who, whon left to thomsclves, would pursue
it with industry and eurich the country and thereby the Sovereign moro than all he could
possibly expect from his own adventures.
Applying the present principles in the present instanoe it might be said that nothing was
required for the assistance of trade that could be effected by Embassy in contemplation, but this
would bo presuming, as we have done that the country is perfectly settled and confidence
reestablished ; as to the former we can only express hopes that it is so, the last we know is
not, nor can it be expected for many years, by those who look back to the history of the last
century.
An aid to this may, we humbly conceive, be rendered by the establishment of a respect
able factory under the priviloge3 formerly obtained, and every other exemption to duties
that might be consistent therewith at every convenient port in the Gulph, which may be
found healthy. Bushire, though in many respects eligibly has not good road for large ships i
Bundereek appears to be still worse, and they are both situated higher up to Gulph than,
perhaps, necessary. Gombrooa, from what accounts we have seen of it, appears convenient, but
is unfortunately exceedingly unhealthy; whether this arises 'from the cliraatj, or some cause
that could be removed it has not been in our power to ascertain, though from some passages we
have met with in Diaries, we apprehend the former.
In establishing a factory, the duties .of the person appointed there should be nearly
those of a Cousul to see the British merchants are not imposed upon by the officers of
Government, but enjoy all the privileges of tho port to their full extent; he should also bo
vested with authority to prevent their giving offence to the natives nnd a very principal
consideration would be tho host mode of recovoring debts from eaob party, for without tbi*,
trade must ia & great measure be carried on with ready money, which would prevent its
increase to the extent that might ba expected, from a well established oredit and a certain
facility of recovering debts.
If by this means the trade of Persia should be fairly re-established, the consulage to be
collected on merchandize imported, would not probably defray the expenses of the establishment,
but if it should not do so, it must be recollected that, this was not the only benefit tho Company
derived the increase of shipping it will require to carry on tho trade and of the consumption
it may occasion of articles, most of which must be tho produce of some part of their effected in
I India oro objected of rouoh greater consideration. Whether the Company should themselves
I carry on the traffic, or leave it entirely to private merchants, is a question that wo don’t
consider as coming before us, or even necessary for the present to be di^cussod.
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