Edmund Burke Bill
Edmund Burke Bill 1783
Though the Regulating Act of 1773 had made the two presidencies of Bombay and Madras subordinate to the Presidency of Fort William, yet there was an absence of power in the Governor General in Council of Fort Williams to control them and even override his council.
- Warren Hastings, practically worked as a 5th member of the Council.
- There Supreme Court of Calcutta was established but there was not clear jurisdiction.
The Regulating Act was a failure. In the first Anglo-Mysore war and First Anglo Maratha war its failure was seen in the confusion of treaties and these flaws were taken up by William Pitt, the younger. He introduced the Pitts Bill in 1784 with an objective to provide better regulation and management of the company as well as British Possessions in India. It also had an objective to establish a court of Judicature in India, which could provide speedy trial and justice. But the bill was not passed.
- Prior to Pitts India Act, Jame Fox had introduced an Edmund Burke’s bill to reform East India Company. But this bill failed in the house of Lords.
In the subsequent election, William Pitt obtained a majority and got the bill passed in August 1784, which was known to be Pitt’s India Act 1784.
