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AFFAIRS OF INDIA.

Lord Melville adverted to the intention he had intimated on Thursday, of asking a question this day, respecting the affairs of India. Seeing a noble lord (Minto) in his place, he wished to ask, whether there existed at present any government general of India in Bengal, and if there did, of whom it consisted?

Lord Minto said, he felt no difliculty in answering the questions of the noble viscount, to whom, as well as to every noble lord in the House, he wished to give every information in his power, whenever it could be given with propriety. He conceived that the same government general of India existed now in Bengal as there did when that event took place, which was so much deplored, the death of Marquis Cornwallis. He had no hesitation in stating that his Majesty had been advised to issue orders for vacating the commission under which the functions of the gover ment of India were exercised. This had been done according to the terms of the act of Parliament. There was, however, a provision made in the orders sent out, that all the members of the present government should exercise their functions, until the publication of a new commission at Calcutta. There would not, therefore, be a moment's interval between the cessation of the functions of one government, and the assumption of those functions by another.

Lord Melville felt it necessary to trouble the noble lord with another question, which was, whether any intimation had been sent to Sir G. Barlow, that he only held the government until the arrival of a successor?

Lord Minto said, that intimation had been sent to Sir George Barlow of the vacation of the commission of go vernment. The vacation of the commission of course applied to all the members of the council, but only pro forma, it not being the intention of government to make any change in the council. This, however, as the noble lord knew, rested with the court of directors: all he could say was, that it was not the intention of government to change any of the members of the council.

Lord Melville maintained, from what the noble lord had stated, that there was at present, virtually, no government general existing in India.. From what had been stated by the noble lord, added to the dispatches in the gazette,

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which he had read within an hour of his coming to the House, he could not help feeling considerable anxiety with respect to the situation of affairs in India. His lordship gave notice of a motion respecting the government general of India for Friday, for which day the lords were ordered to be summoned.

Strangers were excluded for some time whilst the House discussed some matter of privilege.

During the exclusion a conference was had with the com

mons.

The third reading of the insolvent debtors bill was post-. poned till the next day.

Mr. Alexander and several other members of the House of Commons brought up the post-office regulation bill, the thread lace bill, the philanthropic society bill, and several private bills, which were read a first time.

Simpson's divorce bill and the excise regulation bill were read a third time and passed.

The Irish spirit licence bill and the stamp oflice regulation bill were read a second time, and committed for the next day.

The committee on the customs fees bill was postponed till the next day.

Lord Walsingham reported the Irish post roads bill, the, amendments to which were agreed to.

Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, JUNE 30.

A new writ was ordered to be issued for the election of a member for the borough of Sligo, in the room of Owen Wynne, Esq. who had accepted of the office of escheater of Munster.

Sir Charles Price having brought up the report of the committee on the lord mayor, aldermen and common council of London's petition relative to Smithfield market, obtained leave to bring in a bill to make certain regulations respecting the same.

Mr. Spencer Smith presented a petition from the Sun fire-insurance office against the Globe insurance bill. Sir Robert Wigran presented petitions from the Westminster life insurance company, and from the British fire office,

against

against the same bill. Mr. Hurst presented petitions from the Phoenix fire office, and the Pelican life insurance office, to the same effect. These were ordered to be referred to the committee on the bill.

Mr. Williams presented the 14th report of the commis sioners of naval inquiry. Ordered to be printed.

Mr. Johnson, from the oflice of the chief secretary in Ireland, presented accounts relative to the Irish revenue. Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Mcheux presented papers from the India board, pursuant to orders of the House. Ordered to be printed, and to lie on the table.

Mr. Hobhouse moved the postponement of the second reading of the Nabob of Arcot's debts bill till Friday, on account of the absence of certain persons who would wish to be present on the occasion.

Mr. Francis wished to draw the attention of the House to this important subject, and desired to know whether, in case the bill should not pass this session, the commissioners would proceed in the investigation of these debts, or remain in statu quo till next session.

Mr. Hobhouse hoped that the bill would pass this session. But the question was a reasonable one. It was one, however, so difficult, that he could not answer it at present. But in case the bill should not pass, he should feel it his duty, before the end of the session, to inform the House in what state the commission would be.

The bill was then ordered to be read a second time on Friday.

Lord Howick said, that he was about to move for some papers, to the granting of which there could no objec tion. It would be proper to state to the House the reason why he asked for them. Soon after he had come into office he had been informed on good authority that in consequence of the embankments at Catwater, near Plymouth, the Sound there might in a short time become unsafe for his Majesty's ships. Having this information from respectable authority, he had thought the matter of saflicient moment to require examination. He had accordingly ordered an inquiry to be made by engineers, whose reports, in some degree, confirmed what he had heard on this point. They, however, requested time to make a more minute and accu rate report, and this, by some accident, did not come to his hands till the 18th of the present month. This he VOL. III. 1805-6. stated

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stated to account for the lateness of the period at which he submitted this affair to the House. After he should have obtained the papers, his design was to refer them to a committee, which should inquire whether any injury was likely to arise to Plymouth Sound from these embankments, or if no injury was likely to arise, whether any more works of that kind should be allowed to be carried on without authority from some competent public body, or a consent on the part of the Crown, such as was required in a grant of public money. He concluded by moving for a copy of the report of the 18th, made by Messrs. Rennie and Whitby on this subject, and an extract of the other report, with the plan of the Sound.

The motion was agreed to, the papers presented, and referred to a committee as proposed.

Sir John Newport moved for an account of the woollen goods, silk mixed with cotton, &c. &c. exported from England to India, in the years 1801-2-3. Ordered.

The report of the committee on the Scotch forfeited estates was ordered to be referred to a committee the next day.

The Earl of Ormond's butlerage bill was brought up, read a first, and ordered to be read a second time the next day.

The Irish revenue regulation bill was read a third time and passed.

The report relative to the Bell Rock light-house was or dered to be further considered the next day.

The Secretary at War seeing the gentleman in his place. who had asked for some papers relative to the barns hired as barracks in the Isle of Wight, wished to know whether he meant to bring forward any motion on the subject?

Mr. Robson understood that the chancellor of the ex. chequer had taken the business entirely out of his hands. He had moved for the papers, and on his motion the chancellor of the exchequer had moved the previous question. He himself, however, had come down three or four days after, and moved for these very papers, If the chancellor of the exchequer meant to prosecute the affair, he would leave it to him; but if he was resolved to do nothing, then he (Mr. Robson) would certainly offer a motion to the House in the course of a week.

The Secretary at War wished that he would fix a day,

as

as he intended to move for papers which would throw fur ther light on the subject.

Mr. Robson understood that the chancellor of the exchequer had given up the cause, and therefore would submit his motion on Friday.

The Secretary at War said, that the chancellor of the exchequer had only called for the papers at the sugge tion of the honourable gentleman. He then gave notice that he would move for the other papers the next day.

A message from the lords desired a present conference with the commons in a matter that concerned the good correspondence between the two Houses.

On the motion of Lord Howick, the House agreed to the conference: managers were appointed and went out. On their return, Lord Howick stated that the lords bad communicated to them that in consequence of the exami nation of Lord Teignmouth before the commons, relative to a charge against Marquis Wellesley, they had taken the matter into their most serious consideration; that they had searched for precedents, but could only find one, which was that of Lord Balcarras in 1779. On the motion of Lord Howick this communication was ordered to taken into consideration on Friday next.

On the motion of Mr. R. Thornton the East India shipping bill was read a third time and passed.

Lord Howick presented certain papers ordered by the House relative to the expences incurred for subsidiary corps on the Continent in 1800-1. Ordered to lie on the table.

On the motion of Sir William Young, Lord Temple's proposed motion relative to the Oude charge was postponed from Wednesday to Friday.

Lord Morpeth postponed the India budget from the next day till the next day se'nnight.

The slave ships bill was further considered, and its provisions ordered to be in force from the 1st of August for two years. Ordered to be read a third timo the next day. The Irish poor bill and Irish road bill were read a second time, and ordered to be committed the next day.

The Irish revenue regulation bill was committed. Report the next day.

Mr. Kerr gave notice that early next session he would move for a committee to examine the acts relative to the

Irish roads.

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