The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-10 00:00:00

The Lotto Cuancennort entered the House at a Quar-
ter before Four o'clock.
Prayers were read by the Lord Bishop of OXFORD.
The Earl of GLINOALL took the oaths and his seat, as
one of the Representative Peers of Ireland, in the room of
the Marquis of Headfort, deceased.
The LORD Crsancannon took his seat on the Wooblack
at live o'clock.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from a
person of the name of Gunning, raiding in Kent, praying
their tordshipa to take into consideration the Poor, Corn,
and Tithe Loins.
The Earl of LONSDALE presented a petition from ,
Cumberland, praying their Lordship' to adopt some means
fur the relief of the country.
Lord WYNFORD presented a petition from parishes in
Suffolk, for the removal of Malt Duties.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.
Tle Order of the Day being called on by the Clerk of
the Houee,
Lard LLLENBOROUGH said, in rising to move
for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the
state of the East India Company, and the trade between
Great Britain, the East Indies, and China, I can assure
yotit Lordships that his Majesty's Government enter into
the subject free from previous engagements ; they have
nothing to coneetd. My Lords, so far from wishing to
conceal any thing, there has been already printed by or-
der of his Majesty's Government every paper of importance
relative to this question. If it shall tarn out that fur-
ther Information is necessary, it shall he given. All
that is desired by his Majesty's Government is, that Par-
liament and the country should have every opportunity
afforded of forming the fairest judgment upon this most
important subject. My Levis, in consequence of the
paper: which will be so soon in the posseesion of your
Lordships, it is nnnesemary ba draw your at-
tention to those results which will most naturally
present themselves to your mind when yen consider those
papers with the attention which I know you will do, and
also which they deserve. For my own part, it is a
subject of great satisfaction to ktteew that the publi-
cation of those papers, and also the papers which
were presented to the House by his Majesty's command last
Session, will tend to dissipate many of the erroneous no-
tions that have been industriously circulated. What, my
Lords, his Majesty's Government desire is, that your
Lordships and the country should see the real troth of
this question.of the acts of the Legislature, of t
It isnotforyour Lordskips, informed
real
as
you are
state of the finance of India, and the general hearing of the
East India Company; it is not for your Lordships that I wish
to point out fallacies most industriously circulated relative
to the finances derived by the East India Company, but it is
for the information of the public. In the 16 years that have
elapsed since the commencement of the present charter,
in point of fact, the territorial finance of India derived
from the commercial profits of the Company, has been as
great as that derived from the dividends on East India
stock. Your Lordships know that in the papers of last
Sessions, it was stated that the quantity of tea consumed
in this country has greatly increased. Under the pre -
sent Charter, the consumption of tea in this country
is equal to that of the whole continent of Europa,
exclusive of Russia. Your Lordships are aware, that
previous to the production of the papers which were
brought forward last Session, information had been, obtain-
ed from his Majesty's Consuls in different parts of the
country as to the prices of different teas. In the present case,
in order to enable Parliament to form a complete judg-
ment, directions had been sent by his Majesty's Govern-
ment to his Consuls abroad, to make enquiries of the
like nature. Every precaution therefore had been taken
to prevent the possibility of any unfair dealing. It
would be matter of great satisfaction to me if I could
inform your Lordships that the finance* of India were fa-
vourable. That I cannot say. But when your Lord-
ships take into consideration the extensive conquests made
by the Company, followed by expensive wars—when you
consider that the charter which was last granted to the
East India Company was not more extended than that
which they formerly possessed, your Lordship" will not, I
am persuaded, be surprised that the revenues of
this Company 'Wald not bear the same proportion as
in former times. My Lords, I should certainly not be
dealing fairly with the House, did I not admit there
had been much to blame in the management of these
matters in India. Nobody feels that more than the
Directors. Indeed, it is impossible for any per-
sons to have used snore exertions than they have
done to the removal of sash evils.--(Hmr.)—My Lords,
I deprecate any attempt in the measures intended to be
adopted of increasing the revenues of the Company by
throwing additional bardene upon the people. But it is
only by diminishing the increased charge. of collecting that
revenue, it is only by effecting all such reductions that
may be made without injury, and bringing forward plea-
sures with caution and tenderness that 1 look forward to the
reinstatement of that revenue—an event which it would
be gratifying to toe, and I have no doubt to the House, to
observe. Your Lordships are aware that since the com-
mencement of the present charter, very great alterations
hare been effected by the Parliament in the regulations
that govern trade between this country and India. Some
of those regulations emanated from the Noble Marquis
(Lansdowne) on the opposite side, who brought the
matter before the House some years since. The duty on
tea has been materially increased ; the East India Com-
pany bare gone as far as they poesibly could; the duty
upon woollen and other articles of manufacture, which was
at five per cent. has been reduced to 24. That on cotton
has been reduced to 14. The export duties, which were
originally 5 per cent., have been reduced to 24 ; so that
your Lordships will see the attention of Government has
been directed to afford every additional facility to the trade
of that country. The first measure that is intended
to be adopted will be that of relieving from all restriction
whatever the internal trade of that country. In consider-
ing this subject and the papers now upon the table,
you will see that the first question for Parliament
to consider is this, whether it be proper to
conduct the Government of India without any assistance
direct or indirect, from the East India Company. And
the next question will be, if you consider that it
should be conducted without the assistance of the
Company, what other measures should be adopted,
for that purpose. lam quite satisfied, my Lorde, that it
is unnecessary for me to lay before you the many im-
portant political considerations that are involved in
this commercial question. I stn quite satisfied, any
Lords, that in considering in detail this important subject,
you will proceed with caution and deliberation.—
And, my Lords, I must say, that on the part of
his Majesty's Government every information will be given to
your Lordships that possibly can be given. I am suite
satisfied that there will be no disposition on the part of
your Lordships to sacrifice for seeming present advan-
tage, the interests of the people of England. My Lords
I shall sit down by moving that a Select Committee be
appointed to inquire into the affairs of the East India
Company, and the trade between this country and China.
—(Hear, hear.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR was proceeding to put
the question, when—
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he did not
rise to offer the slightest opposition to the motion %Oriels
the Noble Lord had brought forward ; en the contrary, it
met with his sanction. He was glad to see so early an
opportunity taken of having that important subject in-
vestigated. Having said this, he must be at the same
time allowed to add, that upon many of the points con-
nected with the subject the Noble Lord appeared in a
very great degree to have formed his opinion. Their
Lordships were called upon to discharge one of the most
important duties that was ever brought before Parliament :
it was a subject of great difficulty, and involved the hap-
piness of millions of people whom they had never seen,
nor would ever see. But, although those millions of
human beings were beyond their ken, they were within
the reach of their power. He was assured that every
Noble Lord would approach that momentous
esd
wqtuhitesahttittoihinee
with a perfectly unbiassed mind, freed from those con-
siderations of interests, if they should be believed to inter-
fere with that great object, the happiness of so many mil-
lionstr: ou ft
interests o
op I s. f—t
h( e &
is ear .u)u—t rßy
wt
ere was
interwoven a
happiness of the Indian population. Ile would again re-
peat that the one great object which their Lordships should
keep in view ought to be the happiness of so many mil-
lions of human beings. It would be no difficult task to
show that the happiness of that people was perfectly con-
sistent with the best interests of this country. The cha-
racter of that distant people might be raised by giving to
them habits unknown to them before; their characters
might be raised by giving to them virtues to which hither-
to they have been strangers; their character might be
raised by giving them the advantages and benefits of laws
1 and government. Circumstances had probably arisen to
prevent the benefits which might have been conferred,
but which, not being bestowed, left this country much to
answer for.—(hear, hear.) He regretted to hear from
the Noble Lord opposite a confirmation of what had been
before stated, of tke inability of India to provide fur its

own Government and expenditure. H. would not troulde
the House with any further remark then on the suhj ct,
c-c-oling, as he did, with the Fatties: this theervu•iuu,