The Sun. — London, England, 1806-03-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF PEERS. MONDAY, MARCH 10. "TIE further hearing of the Appeal the Countess Dowager of Lincoln and others v. the Duke of New ; castle and others, was postponed till Monday next. In an Appeal from Scotland, Howie v. Merry, Mt. Nowlan was heard on behalf of the Appellant. . After which the further consideration of it was post poned till Wednesday. IMPEACHMENT OF'LORD MELVILLE, Mr. Whitbread, accompanied by Earl Temple, Lord Archibald Hamilton, Mr. Calcraft, and several other Members of the House of Commons, presented at the Bar, in the 'name of the Comnions of the • United Kingdom, a further Article Of-Impeachment tvg . ainst Lord Viscount Melville. The Article , was.read at the table—after which Lord AUCKLAND moved that it .be referred to the C6mmittee appointed to search for precedents of the proceedings of that - House in cases of Impeachment. 1,--Ordered. • INSOLVENT DEBTORS. Lord HOLLAND presented a Petition:from the Debtors confined in the King's, Bench Prisen;pray inc; for relief. Seeiner a Noble Lord (Noire) in his place; he wished to take this opportunity of inquiring whether his Noble Friend had any intention of pro posing any measure for the relief of. InSolvent,Debtors, or any general law upon the subjeel. The latter measure he considered to be much preferable to the . praftice of passing temporary Ads for the relief of that description Of pet - Sons. , The Earl of MOIRA expressed his desire• to con cur-in any measure for the relief of the description of persons alluded to by his Noble Friend ;- but a general law upon the subject would require much consideration before it could be brought forward, in the present state of public affairs, with - the varkgy of important business which pressed upon his attention, and which could not be. postponed; it was impossible for him to bring forward any mea- . si,ire upon the subject. LOoking_ forward, also, to . the multiplicity of busineSs which would come be fore the House, he thought it would be utterly im pradicable for any general law of this description to . be framed during thepresent Session. lf, howe'ver, any temporary AZ} for the relief of Insoltent Debtors • ',hound come into the House it should have his sup- The LORD CHANCELLOR was anxious, from coniderations 'of humanity towards many unfor tunate persons who experienced great sufferings from imprisonment for debt,. that some measure should be adopted for their relief ; but the _sub jea required greit -and serious deliberation. - '„ill for that purpose was . broeght into, the House it should have his most a'Aentive.consideration, with.a beaingat tho same time towards the object sought to be attained. • The Petition was ordered to lie on the Table. The Big fur declaring toe law with respea to the of witnesses to answer, was read a second time, and committed for to-morrow. Adjourned till to-morrow (this day). HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MARCH 10. A Gentleman from the Office of the Chief Secre , tary for Ireland presented an Account of the Ordinary llevenues of Ireland: Several Aecounts relative to the Ordnance Ix, partment for this Country and frela.id were pro duced. Mr. CALCRAFT gave, notice, that he should on Friday, in the Committee of Supply, move the Es tifnates for this Service. Mr. PkiNsEt. postponed the notice of a Motion, which he had given for this Clay, till Friday. LORD ME LVI LLE Mr. IPHITBRE.AD Moved the Order of the Day I . )r the farther consideration of the Report of the Committee. appo . pted to prepare. a -farther - Artkle of Impeachment against Henry Lord Viscount Mel ille ; which being - done; the lleport was. read and 2greed to.. `.Vhe Cominittee obrai'ned liberty to draw. _up an Additional Article,,.of Impeachment in terms 'tncreof; Which Mr.Whitbread immediately brought up. It was ali.6,agteed to, and Mr. AVintbread had . , Oder.: to carry it to _the Larch, Fie accordingly left the acconipanied -by several Members, and op his return informed the House that he had pre v.futed the Additionaill - sticle of Impeachment at the Bar of the House of Lords. , . R F.'fiT VG ACT' Mr. 77.E;RA;L1 t r;),e,;pgr2c , :bly to notice, to nioye leave to bring,,inn.a 1.;Al to, expl:nn and: render rt - ;37e effeaual tilts =A6? rv.:Fsed in , the ;Reign °Thing cor#nnonly . caned the TreAtiz - Ig in doing So the Right Hono - ,:trAle 'Gentleman' en "terA at considetbie-li4ngth.into a statement of the' inc:)nveniencies resulting from a v, - r.nt of nniformitv even in the decision of the Cu.c,.`..i in Westminster Hall, ou the subjeq •of this A{..l - . There was, he conceived, nothing in the A t. -:Hch warranted. my fair line of distinEtion and non-re , sident' lfle&ors. Yet dc:T.:.,ons were to tie ,fOund laying 'it dotm that ‘:' of carriages, bf a , compensation for time, ,:f refreshments, &c. ruisht , legally be 'paid Can resident : Ele6to - i . s. To fits to wiEt! . .. might•be to furnished, and t was the -Objra of his present Motiocl, it. Was intention ; tolpi - opose tot for Taying sums to Eleaors on a:: :,ccouni er, S:_Lch, he waf convinced, was the 7 - )riginal of the Adt i'vhich he wished to have explained. A r - eneral remedy must have ben in the contem plal-ion of the Legislature, not on::: by which three- fourths of the Eleaors of this Co.-intry were t 6 be left out totally and entirely from the ben7-f1c.11.1 cf feHs Of the AR - . But ,it might be :star:::;in conven ience that (his UM, if cal tied into en'ea, would go to disiranchise three -fourths, of the persons v, - ho t 1 - )res2nt vote!A in Eteafons. L . he really the ht this wOuld the reSult, he •either would not i>> IL'; in his Bill, or lie would attempt to fall -on means' of 'remedying the evil. Ha' apprehended, llowevei, it .would be f:iund in unny c:: that • - -where a man lost his Vow non-re.,ioence i n one piJc; 1W procurel the riglit in anoti]cr. Their c:unstan,cci of .not residing - too was th.! a&.t f)f The him f° If, t an Ipconvell tr.ce to h:111 frolli It on iii i it was ridiculous that lic should ItavQ it iu his power to transfer it ta., the shoulders of the Candl 7 date. Non-residence waa.:not only the act of the Voter, but' it was natural te.;presunge that he chose it for his owns profit. In Cotinty Eleetions he admitted the case was different---tau( still he cc:intended, that, even there the eleCtive franchise, not being for the benefit of the Candidate, but of the Eledor, the person etorcising it roust do so at his own expence— The hardship of subjeCling Freeholders of 40s. a year to the expence of corning from a great distance at their own e.xipence; or of losing their right' of voting,. he"was' . awaie would be urged ; but - he begged that the origin of that right would bd looked into. It would be seen it originated in the Reign of Henry Vt. when the - value of money was very great in comparison to what it Was at this moment, and the rate then fixed might be safely reckoned as equal to 301. a 'year at the present day. It might be esteemed a hardship if an Aet were to beintroduced for taking into consideration the depreeiation of mo ney since that time, and raising.a qualifiCation for a Freeholder to 301. a year, not would the Right Honourable Gentleman vote for such a Measure : but still it would be equally hard to make this de-r, preciation, - in the valne of money fall on the Can clidate: Probably, the evil might be remedied by ap pointing that in great - Counties, such as York, the suffrages should be collected in' different -places, ther than according to the, present mode. The Right Hon: Gentleman proceeded to point out some of the many advantages that would result from the ; adoption of a - measure similar to that now,proposed, and. ,coneluded 'oy moving for leave to 'bring in the Bill. Mr: Secretary FOX could - not be brought to think lightly of the difficulties which presented ; themselves to the framing of a Bill similar to that proposed by his Right Hon. Friend. The right of a Freeholder to 'the extent of 40s. he had always understood 'was to_ be held equally sacred; with that of one to the greatest possible extent ; .nor should ' be agree to that right' being taken away by any aft of his. If the Right Hon. Gentleman introducecta Bill for raising the qualification of an EleCtor to 301. or any other sum, he (Mr. Fox) should . feel himself called on to oppose it to the utmost of his power. 'And • if it was not right to do so directly, it was not right to do so indirealy. In the case of Boroughs, too, he saw many difficulties present • themselves. 'ln the case of that body., which it was so necessary for the Country at this moment to eneourage and ang ment—the- Military—did the' Right Hoh. Gentle `. man wish thattheyaliould be disfranchised ? That the Militia particularly, because they were, by bal lot,' sent into a distant County in the service of their King and Country,' should, as a reward, be dis franchised and deprived of their .rights ay Citizens ? The Right Hon. Secretary did not state these .as ob jeCtions- to the bringing in of the Bill, but merely to shew that the difficulties in it were great : he agreed that it was proper that doubts shotfld be put an end to ; but he was afiaid they would not be en tirely reinoyed by the Bill-proposed. Mr. TIERNEY explained. Mr. LEIGH Said a few words, principally on the grounds alluded to by Mr. Fox. Sir 11.. Bo x-ros observed, that the Right Hon. Mover had distinguished the Eledive Franchise as 7 being the right of the Vc er. It was a right given to them 'to execute for the benefit of the Public at large. The quetion was then put, and leave given to Mr. Tierney to bring in the Bill. INDIA. Mr. JOHNSTOIVE rose, agreeably to 'notice, to move for certain Papers relative to 'the situatibn.of India. The Papers which he. wished produced, he was happy to infbrm the House, were extremely short. They consisted of three Letters from Mar . Cornwallis, and from. his successor, Sir G. .Barlow,,to the Court - . of Directors, containing the opinions of the Noble • Marquis and of the' present GoVernor-General do the policy which had dire&ed the affairs of India for some time.' The Hob. Mem- ber"disclairped ,all personal animosity to. Marquis WelloF,ley. He only objected to the policy by which he iiiid — oc:en governed. He begged himself. to be considered .as entirely s6)arate from thoSe who charge the Noble Marquis aS:a . belinquient. He . Co p him to be a matt of high ambition, but loos sessed of an. ardent desire to proihote the interests of his Country. Alluding ,to the financial situation of Iridia;-- be expressed a hope that the prospective• mode of arguing adopted by rho Noble Lcird for , merly a.t- the-head of thelioard of Conn'oul would , not be followed by thq persons- now at , the. head of affairs, and that they would oh. all occasions state the simple fad as VI •the then adual state of ithe finances. The dbierent Treaties Concluded' with the Native Powers by,Marquis 'W - til,esley; he tro ceeded to. shew, instead of being of the glorious .nature repi'esented by that' Noble Lord, had b:.'en disastrous Or of none - etredi • and Stich hp Maintained _ . . 'they I,vould . be found to be represented, in the Let ters-ha now utiove;l ;>r. He wished toknow.if 'the System of warfare r conquest which bad of late yearidistuagui:;h:. a condua of our Government in India, was to be pee;evered !in, or if, we •:v.7-..e to return to our antient policy ? He, trusted t4ellight' Hon. Gentleman 'opposite would not only declare that, be continued ,firin to the opinions' He had for merly ex.pressed, but that he would a& on them ; tlfat'he would allow the,House to see the opinion of Lord Cornwallis On the snl,j,4; and as His Majes ty's Ministers had ratifiedthe appointment • of Sir" - George Barlow, principally on account of his enter tainiryr similar views with his.predecess'or,lhat they would dedare to the' House if such was the plan now to , be followed. The Letters - called - for were all, except one, carried into the Hall to be read to the Court of Proprietors, and that one - Was to lie, for the inspeaion of those interested.' He' presumed to hope stmil#lntbrination ‘vOt_tld not be denied to this House. He then moved that two • LettPrS of the Ist and' 9th of August, 1 8 G 5, frorn-MarquisCorn wallis, be laid before the FThuse. Mr. FOX said that. he had no inte.ntion•whateyer to object to the Produ6tion of the Papers moved althoUgh lie must observe that his HOn. Friend did nat appear to him to have stated any necesitty or parliamentary ground upon which they ought to be laid before the House,. As to the Hon. Gentle man's allusion to the propriety of a declaration on the part of His Majesty's Ministe"s relative to the sysft-tn ofGovernment meant to be acted upon with • regard to India, he was at a loss to conceive nay reason upoa which- that derirind could-be ju.:i : it: 1, No disposition was manifested to deviate from the course 'which wag now pursuing respecting India ; • andaintil such disposition should appear, he appre hended that it was qUite unnecessary imMinisters to make any declaration upon the subject. Indeed it seemed to his mind, that, according to pro.aice, some resolution Should be adopted by the House, expressive of its opinion and wish, before Ministers were called upeta, enter into the question. The Hon. Gentleman had alluded to the epleiens for-' merly delivered by him (Mr. F.) relative to the Go verumeut of India. To these opinions he could assure his HotL Friend that he. still. completely ad-. hered : they were declared above . four and twenty years ago and as , far as be had since h'ad an op portunity of observing the affairs of India, to which, perhaps, he had not attended' as . much as other men had 'done, or as much as he ought, he had never seen or heard of a trarisaCtion which served to weaken the cenfidence he entertained in the justice of his original opinions, but which did not rather tend to their complete justification. However,' A& had passed in consequence of the ReSolutions upon the subjea of India, which he had the ho nour of supporting: That Act had been now pro ceeded upon, for a series pf years ; andewhen the subjea shbeld be regularly brought forward for ells . cassion, he would be perfeally ready , to state his • sentiments respeding it._. At present he should only say, that under that Aa a Board of Controul had' been appointed; and of all the Boards which had presided over"tlie Government of India, he Saw least :ground to question the intentions, or to 'ask expla nations as to the views of the preseee. by - Whom every disposition was shewn to follow , he lourse pre scribed in. the Reseliitions formeriy by the House, and of which the Hon. Mover le-.;.eheed to apai pro Ye. No one could doubt the proeaicty of entering into an ievestigation of the Ali - airs of India; but the • present, did not appear to him to be the proper time. When the India Budget shall be brought before the House, his Hon. Friend was aware that - the state ment to be looked for on that occasion, which . he 'hoped would be satisfaCtory, would naturally be con netted with the political system of India, and, that then would be the proper time to ;seleCt for a full. discussion of that -eubjeCt. The Right Hon. Gen tleman repeated his disinclination to oppose the pro duetion of those 4apers, although no adequate rea son was assigned by the Mover, althotigh no inten tion was announced, proposing an inquiry:, or o f grounding any proceeding upon them; At the same time he took occasion to remark, that he could not conceive any good reason for the. alarm and .anxiety which was; by his ~ Hon., Friend,. and by, other Friends, for whom he had a high iespea, so parti cularly stated to prevail, with regard to• the 6overn ment of India. It really appeared to him very strange a much greater degree of jealousy should 'seem to apply to the present .Board of Controul than to that which preceded ' it, Upon the whole the Right Hon. Gentleman did hotleel the propriety of calling upon Ministers for any distiha pledge as to the course of policy which they meant to follow with regard to : India. No intention appeared to etist, either on the part of His Majesty's Government; the Board of Controul, or' the Court. of Directors, to e abandon the course. of which all sides of the. House eyearessed their approbation, and thereflarte4le.pledlee was requisite: If any - variation s of circumstances should call for a change of system, an explanation would of course becOme necessary. But in the pre sent instance he did not think that any farther ea planation or pledge could bat fairly required: '_ hey, Mr. A DDINGD lU,V conceived. that a reason for the produdtion of some of the PapeeS moved for had been created by the condu& of, the Mover, who had thought proper to: read certain parts of those Papers, and thereihre, in fiirness, the Whole ought to be laid before the House. With respett to the allusions which had been so often made to the een duet of Marquis Wellesley towards the 'Rajah- of Bhurtpore, he felt himself authorised to sat, from a full perusal of the" DOcuments connected with the subjeet, that it would appear Prince Lad oweil the treatment he 'experienced to the most avanten and atrocious treachery on his own part--- I —to trea chery, indeed, of such a nature in the violation of .a solemn Treaty, that LenahWellesley - was, in the • first instance, unkvilling, to believe Lord, Lake's re presentatiou of. his guilt, and directed .farther in quiry. • Mr. GRANT -! declared, that the Court of Direc tors had no 'other -intention than to pursue the sys tem recommended in tire- Resolutions alluded to by the Right Hon. Secretary of State: With that view theyacoucurred in the appointment of Lord corn, wao, and in the - subseqtient one of Sir George BarlOw; from which lie was happy to •perceive that His Majesty's present Ministhrs approvel of this course Of proceeding. Mr.IIII.ODIZSTONE-- - --I . rise to support thcMo-, tiope and -shall endeavour, as briefly as can, to state the views in which P think it of importance that the Palters Moved for should be laid before the House. The usual argument of danger to the public interest . from the disclosure of 'Papers is ef feCtually done away with resped to Indian Papers by those which have been already published; and Most especially by the late intercepted letters which have been published both in France and sin.thisl2oun try, in which whatever cad either infOrm or irritate our implacable Enemy is laid open to his view. Af terthat complete development, I. apprehend no one will talk of (Imager to the public ind:Testsfroin the `disclosure of any India Papers; but, with respect to those noav moved for, I am of opinion the disclosure :Of them, instead of,producing mischief,' will tend to - correed. die mischief which the publication ofthe late : intercepted letteraWaS - ealculated to prOduce; by des -troyin e. - , the hdpes-which the Lnemy Must have hididged of Our persevering in a system that was leading us to :ruin. And here, Sir, the production of .these Papers will be of solid benefit, by.shewing the true nature of •_ that system stripped of those ornaments and decora dons which 'dazzled the eyes, and, for time, led captive the understanding of -good arid able . men in this Country. They will show, upon' Ai authority which no elsquence can ,gainsay, the real value of that for whicinso tremendous, an expellee of blood and treasure has been incurred.' With respeCt to the Executive Bede of the East India Compahy, have no hesitation ie confessing, that I am glad these Papers have been moved'fot, and by an Hon.e.qem . her who is unconnected, with the Court of Directors. J' It is true• another Honourable Ih.‘ deer, who has I eieen inure atcention to India . perhaps, than any . other person, and who to the sub icti talents proportioned to its magnitude, has de- Glared the India Dire&ors free from any Wattle for. the existing evils.. But these Papers will shew that the 'Direst:ors have been as anxious to terminate those evils n the}i could have been it they had them selves been the authors of them ; and they will give • the House the satisfaCtion to know, that much was done towards the termination. of them, even in the few weeks that Lord Cornwallis was spared after his •enable the House to appreciate the - great services rendered by liii Lord ship, even in that short period, and they will shew . how, and by whom those services were procured. These Papers. will . also have the effe& of removing all doubt as to a ha, of Which I have heard, with surprise, that doubts, have been expressed in this House, namely, that the Mahratta war has been the great' preponderating cause of the . present ;deranged state of the finances of the East India Company. Not the only cause, I admit, for the same system which gave birth to the war, gave birth to a system of Finance and Expenditure which would nearly have absorbed the whole Revenue, even on , a peace' establishment. Bus when War was added, • to the scale, it was impossible for the Finances to bear up under - the accumulated weight. These' Pa pers then, Sir, will shew that the - present financial difficulties of the East India Company are among the serious evilS occasioned by• the late system—a system'. of which I quststion only the -wisdoms not the intention or integrity of mind with which it was undertaken. I can also, as well as the Hon. • Gentlerrhin, with the utmost sincerity disclaim any motives of personal ilt will 'to Lord Wellesley ; and whatever may prove to. lime been the object of calling for hreat variety of India Papers, 1 concur entirely with the Hon. Mover of the question, that it, is extremely desirable that Parliament should come to some resolution that should re-establish thte principle unanimously adopted end declared by this 'House in the year 1784. The Papers in question. will shew that a,change of ss -tern in Ilsdia is both resolved and entered upon ; out tiie transaaticns of the, three past years, and the death of the Marquis Cornwallis, may make it difficp to induce aloctief that the change is sincere, or likely to beepermie nent ; painful experience has wrought the convi&ion here whith reason and argument failed to produce—• that. if India is deemed _worth preserving, the system and principles of that great man, whom the whole Indian world is . now lamenting, must be followed ,up ; and faithfully to adhere to his policy was the only true wisdom for governing India ; and its wis- • dem consisted in its simplicity, in its justice, iuu deration, and forbearance, alike to the strong and teethe weak, alike in success and under adverse for ' tune. • Had the Marquis Cornwallis remained in India, instead of coming home, after his first Ad ministration,' the most sanguine •expe&ation of ad yantagel from India would have been realized ; and that ihr-which we have centended'at such dreautul hazard and expence,• would .have been forced Lyon us by the affeelions.of the people 'I British Go vernment would have been. voluntariiy looked up to as the universal Umpire throughout the Dis pel-14er of -Peace, and .Happiness through Regioea larger than the whole .extent of Eurepe.—l am anxious then, Sir., for a : Resolution that should pledge this House in fiyour of the system and prin ciples of she late Marquis Cornwallis, ,and I=d all our future Goveenments in India to emulate j .his .example. And_ if an .11onuerable Gentleman below would- permit me,. I would call uper, him '• to tiling forward such a Resolution, or to renew a . proposat which - he breught forward last .Session, and which was then unhappily reje&ed. •I say unhappily rejected, , because I am peisuaded that that Resoltstiosi; lad it been carried,' would have pruvedolgreat importance, by strengthening the hands or Lord Coruwaids, and enabling hurl to the In= di an States,that the principles on which he protes to aOs:t, were not his only, bnt tno4Q ofPerhansent and ..the Country at large, Sir, it was a ILesolution di 7 reesit in the spaeth of that great man ' on the re anpointinetit ut Lord COrnwanit. to rue Government Geeerat, to click His isheesty's M.inisterS had oust given their seestiouse Aiet 1 tie sefere witnessed with equal :eihe s end sem-e'en.: the eseriee of teat .transcendant etesseeeese , svhich preealled on the .1 - lotase to reject it ; hoer often that t :, , loquence was exerted for 'the welfare of the Country no one can be more sensible than I aile , s-eut, inhhis instante, I shall ever ilkink it was plisappliL!ci. I rejOiee in the belief • thee His Mejesty's present ;Ministers have not ,entangled themselves in the maze 'of the late system, nor been deluded 'by the splendour of glare atteched • to it. I have heard with pleasure the sentiments deliVered this evening by aeßight Hon: Gentleman (Mr. Fox). I recollect with pleasure the seatiments delivered last Session by a Right Hon. Gentiesnan s now in Ins Msth.sty's Couocils.• I h o pe and trust that Right 'Honourable Gentle Man and his' Col ' league 4, ilct- up to them, and it they do much may vet ho retrieved. In the -present ale s ameat, whichbelieve to be not less a w ful in resist& to India than Eurtpe--;-notinessee-no individual mea sure—could prodece more salutary eifeets than a resuniption of •the discarded priecipl ee to which I have aliusled. And the "jail. Gentleman. who brought forward the, RS-solution last Session might - now - otter it under happicr auspices. I owe it to myself; as welias to that Hon. Genti6nian, to de clare that 4._ concur. in almost I lime heard that Right Honourable Geotiernan.deliver in this House oh the Affairs of India 3 - his view of the whole sthiS..° - th at, which, any ,conversation IS.without with him, my mind has long taken ; and; wi l ts tiler he be a friend to the Company or not, of this I am sure, that the most sheei mined friend of the Company could not haeseteheed opinions alio se, ice more friendly to their interests than o, w.:lnch :,,have r Heed that Right Htith Gentleman deliver in this House. It is hi reliance nu that friendly tuspo ‘sitis)if towards the East India Company that :I have presumed to urge him to renew his pr;iJos!tioh i • and my aphlogy must be, the perception ssiiiehishave in common with Min of the calainities which have hal lowed oUr departure train the vise principles which it was the otje4 of the preposition to enforce., And I htiee toe Howie will accepi - the Sdidle apology tor illy trespassing so long on ulcer patience ,Ihsv. , other subjects couid• overcon:.e , my retadauce 'to such an . 1 intrusion. Mr : I'IUJLL 'cleprec,ited the idea of forming a judgment of the chap,...r of the of pore from the staten - wnt tr,e , fl.,..use . ltitu just heard from the -itiht .Aletn!)ei - or the Bu&d of Controul. ‘Vhen the case should be fully cothi dc-red, he had hu doubt it would appear thatihis 1