EAST INDIA COMPANY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 2

EAST INDIA COMPANY.

ITS TERCENTENARY. Just 300 years'ago (says the ‘‘Daily Express), on 31st December last, Queen Elizabeth granted a charter to- George Earl of Cumberland and 250 knights and merchants empowering them at their own cost to make voyages to the Bast Indies and parts of Asia and Africa, and to the islands thereabouts, "divers of which countries, islands, etc., have long since been discovered by others of our subjects.” The name of this chartered company was to be the “Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading in the East Indies.”

Eor a quarter of a millennium the company thus started conducted a remarkable business, which graduallv developed into running what is now her Majesty’s Indian Empire as a profitable concern. Cut its story out of the pages of English history, and the latter loses half its glamour and a quarter of its glory. = * The company, which was empowered to make by-laws and to inflict punishment either corporal or pecuniary, provided such punishments were in accordance with the laws of England, immediately raised .£57,543 6s 8d capital, each share costing ,£SO, and at once set to work organising its first trading expedition. This historic venture consisted of four vessels, whose total tonnage was but 1400 tons, accompanied by a small victualler, and from this baby enterprise grew the giant that eventually held India in its grasp. In its service lived and died some of England’s noblest manhood.

Its history affords an instance of the manner in which destiny hides her hand. Even the enthusiasts among those who took part in that first weary voyage could never have dreamed of the developments that would follow their simple acts of trading varied with occasional fisrlitinv. A visionary who had pictured to them the present position of England and India would have been regarded as little better than a madman. What does the coming century hide from ns?