TheRegulating Act 1773(formally, theEast India Company Act 1772) was anActof theParliament of Great Britainintended to overhaul the management of theEast India Company's rule in India (Bengal).[1]The Act did not prove to be a long-term solution to concerns over the company's affairs.Pitt's India Actwas therefore subsequently enacted in 1784 as a more radical reform. It marked the first step towards parliamentary control over the company and centralised administration in India.
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| Long title | An Act for establishing certain Regulations for the better Management of the Affairs of theEast India Company,as well inIndiaas inEurope. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 13 Geo. 3.c. 63 |
| Introduced by | Frederick North, Lord Northon 18 May 1773 |
| Territorial extent | |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 June 1773 |
| Commencement | 10 June 1773 1:00pm |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Relates to | 13 Geo. 3.c. 64 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Background
editBy 1773, theEast India Company(EIC) was in dire financial straits. The company was important to the British Empire because it was amonopolytrading companyinIndiaand the east, and many influential people were shareholders. The EIC paid£40,000(equivalent to £46.1 million in 2015) annually to the government to maintain its monopoly but had been unable to meet its commitments since 1768 because of the loss ofteasales toAmerica.About 85% of all the tea in America was smuggledDutchtea. The EIC owed money to both theBank of Englandand the government. It had 15 million lbs (6.8 million kg) of tea rotting in British warehouses and more en route from India. The Regulating Act 1773, complemented by theTea Act1773, had the principal objective of reducing the surplus of tea held by the financially troubled EIC and improve its financial standing.
Lord Northoverhauled the management of the India Company with the Regulating Act. The EIC had taken over large areas of India for trading purposes and had an army to protect its interests. Company men were not trained to govern, so North's government began moves towards government control since India was of national importance. The Act set up a system whereby the British government supervised the work of the EIC. Company shareholders opposed the Act, and the EIC was still a powerfullobbying groupin Parliament despite its financial problems.[2]
Provisions of the Regulating Act
edit- The Act limited Companydividendsto 6% until it repaid a£1.5mloan (passed by an accompanying act, 13 Geo. 3 c. 64) and restricted theCourt of Directorsto four-year terms.[3]
- First step taken by the British government to regulate and control the company's affairs in India.
- It prohibited the servants of company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the "natives".
- The Act elevated Governor ofBengal,Warren HastingstoGovernor-General of Bengaland subsumed the presidencies ofMadrasandBombayunder Bengal's control.[3]It laid the foundations for a centralized administration in India. Governor of Bengal became the Governor General of Bengal with an executive council of four to assist him. Decisions would be taken by majority and Governor General could only vote in case of tie.
- The Act named four additional men to serve with the Governor-General on theSupreme Council of Bengal:Lt-GenJohn Clavering,George Monson,Richard Barwell,andPhilip Francis.[3]
- A Supreme Court was established atFort WilliamatCalcutta(1774). British judges were to be sent to India to administer the British legal system that was used there.
- Establishment of Supreme Court at Calcutta with Sir Elijah Impey as first chief justice. Court has both the Civil and criminal jurisdiction. With original & appellate jurisdiction.
- It has permitted the company to keep back its territorial possession in India. It has not given the complete power to company hence called asregulating act.Ultimately, we can conclude that it was the first step towards parliamentary control over the company.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Regulating Act | Great Britain [1773] | Britannica".
- ^The making of British India 1756-1858Ramsay Muirpage 133-39
- ^abcWolpert, Stanley(2009).A New History of India(8th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford UP. p. 19n5.ISBN978-0-19-533756-3.
Notes
edit- ^Short title as conferred by theShort Titles Act 1896,s. 1 included a comma; the modern convention for the citation ofshort titlesomits the comma after the word "Act".