Hamilton, and Mr. Parnell, the gallery was cleared. But we understood that the division did not take place on the clause, but on the question for the chairman's leaving the chair, when the numbers were-For the bill 52-Against it, 48-Majority, 4.

The report was then ordered to be received the next day.. A message was received from the Lords, stating, that their lordships had agreed to the customs fees bill, and certain private bills.

Sir Henry Mildmay asked whether it was the intention of the right honourable secretary of state (Mr. Windham) to make any proposition to the House this session respecting the volunteer officers ?

Mr. Windham replied that it was his intention to move, the next day, for leave to bring in a bill relative to volunteer officers.

Sir Henry Mildmay then gave notice that he would on Friday next submit a motion to the House on the subject of the volunteers,

OUDE.

Mr. Paull presented the supplementary charge on the sub, ject of Oude, and moved that it should be printed.

Sir Arthur Wellesley asked whether it was the intention of the honourable gentleman to make any more motions relative to Marquis Wellesley this session? He wished to ascertain this as he had other duties to perform, and was desirous of getting away as soon as possible. He would not object to printing the charge.

Mr. Paull stated that it had always been his intention to come at a decision on the Oude charge this session if possible. But he had been at the India house, and found that accounts of great importance could not be made out in less than eight or ten days. He would therefore give no pledge to proceed this session. But he would certainly be ready to proceed on the second or third day of next session. It was also his intention then to prefer a charge relative to the transactions in the Carnatic, as this subject had been aban doned by a right honourable gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) whom he saw in his place.

Mr. Wellesley Pole said that it was very natural for the Marquis Wellesley and his friends to wish to have the deci sion this session. But when they proposed to have come to a decision the other night, they were not acquainted with

the

the circumstance that the honourable gentleman wanted, what he considered as material evidence. On inquiry at the India house, he was given to understand that the accounts could not be made up in less than two months. It could not, therefore, be expected that the Flouse should decide on the Onde charge this session. He asked whether the honourable gentleman had any more evidence to move for, respecting this charge? If he had, he hoped he would move for it this session, that the House might be ready to decide at the beginning of the next.

Mr. Paull stated that he had only a few papers to move for, which might be prepared in a few hours.

Mr. Sheridan begged leave to trouble the House with a few words in consequence of his having been accused by the bonourable gentleman with having abandoned the subject of the Carnatic, and hinted that this had been done since he had come into administration. The fact was, and he thought the honourable gentleman might have known it very well, that he had abandoned that subject when Lord Powis was appointed, or understood to have been appointed, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. But he had not abandoned his opi nion respecting these transactions, and when the honourable gentleman brought the affair forward, he should have his support. But his charge was against Lord Powis, and not against Marquis Wellesley; and he must say that it was somewhat singular that the honourable gentleman, who must have known this at the beginning of the session, had not come forward with this charge when he had the mate rials prepared to his hand.

After a few words from Mr. Paull, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Dr. Laurence, the charge was ordered to be printed. Mr. Windham presented a petition from the Veterinary College, praying for public aid. Ordered to lie on the table.

Lord Castlereagh moved, by address, for a copy of the third report of the commissioners of naval revision, Agreed

to.

Lord Henry Petty brought up the surveyor-general of woods and forests office regulation bill, Read a first and ordered to be read a second time the next day.

Mr. Paull moved for an account of the expences of the 27th light dragoons in India from 1798 to 1801, and for copies of letters that passed between Colonel Scott, the res

sident

sident at Lucknow, and Marquis Wellesley, retative to the excursions of the Nabob Vizier in the Decan. Ordered.

In the committee of supply Lord Henry Petty moved, that 4,7157. 11s. 54d. should be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum which had been issued pursuant to addresses of the House, and not made good. He also moved that 2,400,0007. should be granted to his Majesty to enable him to take such measures as the exigences of affairs might require. In this, however, he stated, that one million of arrears of subsidies was to be consolidated. He likewise moved that 600,000l. be granted for the exigences of Ireland. These resolutions were agreed to. Report the next day.

. In the committee of ways and means,

Lord Henry Petty moved, that towards the supplies granted to his Majesty the sum of 34 millions should be issued from the consolidated fund, being the surplus of that fund up to the 5th of April, 1807. In order to shew the sufficiency of the ways and means to meet the supplies, his lordship, for the convenience of the House and the public, entered upon a statement of the supplies and ways and means of the year. He first stated the particular votes of supply, under the heads of the army, navy, ordnance, arrears of subsidies, vote of credit, miscellaneous services, &c. from which it appeared, that the sun actually voted as the joint charge of England and Ireland was 43,500,0007. The addition of the votes for the separate charge of Eng land, raised the total supplies to 48,530,5067. 6s. 114d. Deduct from this two-17ths of 43,500,000l. being the Irish proportion of the supplies, and 160,000/. being the Irish proportion of the civil list, and the total supplies for England will be 43,252,000. His lordship then stated the ways and means, under the heads of the war taxes, loan, malt, &c. which in all amounted to the sum of,

Surplus of ways and means

-£230,000

The additional pay to be granted to the army, however, would take up about 150,000l. of this sum, but there still remained a considerable surplus. His lordship then pro ceeded to state the produce of the war taxes in different quarters of 1805-6. The resolution was then agreed to, and the war taxes voted. Report the next day.

Lord

Lord Henry Petty afterwards moved that the House should go into a committee on the message relative to Lord Rodney's pension.

In the committee his lordship adverted to the liberal provision which had been made for Admiral Lord Rodney. Owing to the premature death, however, of the late Lord Rodney, the pensions had not been so long enjoyed as was in the contemplation of Parliament. He therefore concluded by moving, that 10007. Irish currency, be annually granted out of the consolidated fund of Great Britain to George, the present Lord Rodney, for life.

Lord Folkstone saw no reason for this vote, and besides, it seemed to proceed on the principle that when pensions were granted for a certain number of lives, if these happened to be short ones, the pensions were to be renewed.

Lord Henry Petty thought that under all the circumstances, in point of policy and liberality, there could be no objection to this motion.

Lord Castlereagh concurred with the noble lord; after which the motion was agreed to. Report the next day. Lord Henry Petty gave notice of his intention to move inthe committee of supply on Wednesday for compensation to the naval, military, and land tax commissioners.

NABOB OF ARCOT'S DEBTS.

Mr. Hobhouse moved the second reading of the Nabob of Arcot's debts bill.

Mr. Francis adverted to the importance of this subject. He would take a view of some of the most material points, however, that he might not tire the patience of the House. The claim amounted to 9,200,0007. on the revenues of the Carnatic, a sum said to be due from the nabob to indivi duals. Of this 3,658,0007. had been already paid. From the amount of the claim, one would suppose that the mo neyed men of Change-alley bad gone to India to lend their money to the native princes. After thus stating the amount, he adverted to the situation of the East India Company's finances, which certainly were not in a flourishing state, and were little prepared to meet such a demand as this. Here he alluded to the late treaties concluded în India, which, though he was fond of peace, appeared to him to contain dangerous concessions, under the circumstances. They were certainly concluded in a very private and precipitate manner, and he suspected that Sir G. Barlow was forced to

10

conclude

conclude them from want of money to carry on the war: He 'next adverted to the situations of many of those who made very considerable claims. He mentioned Lawrence Sullivan, a chairman of the court of directors, with several other persons holding high situations on the India estabishment. This threw considerable suspicion on their claims. He said that the nabob must have foreseen the loss of the territory, and therefore gave as many orders upon its revehues as those who had any influence in our Indian govern ment might ask for. He contended that this was a public transaction, and that therefore, instead of sanctioning an agreement made between the directors and creditors, Par fiament ought to take the affair into its own hands. The honourable gentleman was decidedly of opinion, that the revenue of India was insufficient to defray the expences attending its government; and this would, he had o doubt, be in a very few days openly stated to the House. The deficiency, therefore, augmented by the consequences of this bill, must be supplied by the finances of this coun try; and of course that should urge the House more care fully to inspect the affairs of India. With a view to afford the opportunity for careful inspection upon this subject, he proposed that the bill should be read a third time that day three months. In the interval gentlemen, and bis Majesty's ministers particularly, might inquire into all she circumstances of this case, and become better prepared for the discussion next session. To this delay no fair creditor could object, for none such were likely to suffer from inves tigation, only tending to separate their claims from the mass of collusive creditors and fraudulent claimants who now came forward.

Mr. Sullican explained the manner in which the nabob under consideration had become indebted to his kinsman, to whom the last speaker thought proper so particularly to allude. The Mr. Sullivan referred to, who was chairman of the India Company, being in competition with Lord Clive for power in India, lent India stock to Col. Maclean, in order to qualify the Colonel to vote at the India House, and in support of his interest. This Maclean afterwards went to India, and entered into the service of the Nabob of Arcot, in which service he died. At his death he remained in debt, for the amount of the India Stock, to Mr. Sullivan, through whose interposition with the nabob, that prince was induced, through respect for the mem VOL. III. 1805-6. 3N

of a

faithful