The Sun.
London, England, 1813-03-31 00:00:00

P*ER TA L P%J LTAIf EXT.

HOUSE OF LORDS;
TuestiA,i,. gARCIi 30:
In a COMmittee of Privileges ; their Lordships
took the case of the Borthwiek Peerage into fer-
tile'. consideration.. Sir Samuel 'Hominy and Mr.
•Attorney Generil were heard at some length. The
farther proceedings of the Committee were then
adjourned till Thursday.
Lord :Viscouitt StomooTo pre!,,ented a Petition
from the Corporation of Appleby against the Cathotic Claims.
-
,
Isis
Lordship nlso presenteda Petition to the
same effect from the Synod and Elders of MerSe
anntd Tivietdale, in Scotland ; as did
• The Earl of CA4IDIGAti oae from Chipping Wy-
combe. •
These documents being read, were severally'or-
tiered to lie on the table.
The two EXcheque.r Bills Bills were read a sec.
cond
The .Waste Silk*Bill, and the British and Irish
Sugar Drawback Bills, severally passed fliroegh
Committees of the whole House, and were report-
ed, without any amendment.
EAST INDIA. QUESTION.
Lord Rateeseat.e presented a second Petition
to their Lordships, on behalf of the East India
Company, praying (iti we colud collect), that in
whatever arrangements the wisdom of Parliament
nosy make, the. government of the territorial pos
sessions in ludia might he continued to them ;
and for leave to be heard by their Counsel in sup-
port of their interests.
Ordered to lie on the table.
The Earl of BUCKINGIIANISHIAE rose, and stated
to the House, it would he in the recollection of their
Lordships that, on the occeilon of the affairs. of
India being generally ,cOnsidcred in 1793, the sub-
ject was first illtrOdtlecd to that House through the
medium of a Bill sent up to their Lordships flout the
Commons. He understood,. however, that it was
now conceived such a mode of proceeding would he
the most convenient and eligible wey,ats it would
afford a proper opportunity of considering and dis-
cussing that very important subject, as all their
Lordships scented to be so desirous of. It was,
therefore, in the contemplation of his Majesty's
Government to bring the question forward in a
manner' similar to that in which. two other very
important subjects were brought before 'Parlia-
ment ; he alluded to the prop Atfons for a caul--
mercial intercourse between Great Britain and I re-
land ; and subsequently, that of the. Act of Union
with Ireland Such a mode, it was conceived, would
be the Most proper on this occasion. - And in this
view it was propOsed, in order to save time, and'
.les,t it May be-too bite in the Sessiop before tile
subject should be thoroughly canvassed, that the
various petitions now uPon the' table, tiS shell
from the - Company as the . several out-ports,
should be referred to the consideration of a Coin-
mittee, whAt should be empowered to' hear
Counsel and evidence thereon. These pro-
ceediags, it ..was proposed, :should take place
-previous to the communication of the business'
from the other House. He bad therefore, in the
hest instance, to subinit to their Lordships a se-'
aies of, rettolettioris, repressive of the line and
principle of arrangement recommended by his
Majesty's Government, and 4milar to tho Sea-
l; reedy commimie•ated to the Othernouse of Par-
hament These `resolutions, it was proposed,
sitet4lo also- be referred to the same Culmnittee';
WllO would he directed further to consider of the
Itep.orts now upon their Lordships' tehle. relative
to the. subject.. The Noble Earl then presented
the Resolutions advertent to, which were read by
the Lord Chancellor. Ile then moved, that the
said Resolutions, together with the several Peti-
tions upon the table, be refer red to a einnmittee
of the whole House, before, whom Counsel and
evidence should he beard at the bar on Monday
next..
A few words were then interchtinged across the.
table, between the Noble Earl, Lord Grenville, and
the Earl of Liverpool, when
Lord GRENVILLE rose and said, he thought it
would be more generally convenient, as well us a
great saving:of
,time, if these proceedings Were to
take place before a Select Committee. , •
The Earl of.Llveuroot. observed, the only rea-
son for. proposing the other mode Was, that it had
been adopted in the two greet questions adverted to
by his Noble Friend. He was aware of the conve-
nience of a Select Committee, and had not the least
,objection to such a course being adopted; and in or:-'
dering spelt a proceeding, he thought the most regu-!
lar way would be to have so touch of the Prince
gent's speech to Parliament at the openingof the Ses7-
shut, as referred to the affairs of India, read, and then
to ref-et—such recommendation, together with the
document's before the.Honse, to the co9slderation
of the Committee. This meeting. the general
sense of the House, that part of the Royal Speech,
calling,the attention of both Houses of
Pam lia-
meat to, the necessity of providing .a proper sys-
tem. of Government for the British territories in
India," .was" accordingly read. "
The tart of LIVERPOOL 061 regularly moved
to the foregoing effect :----and that the Committee
Should be a 'select one; that all the Lords who
have attended the lionse-ihis.Bession be Mem-
bers of the:said Committee that it be empowered
to hear Counsel and evidence, and have liberty to
appoint its own Chairman ; and that' the said
Committee do sit on:Monday next.
'FltiS, on the queition being" put, Was ordered
accordingly. •

MIsCELLANEauS.
. The
,Earl of DAttiat.ty -adverted to the Order-for
summoning their Lordships on his intended mn.
tinn respecting the conduct of the war on 'Nevi:ly
next,
and observed, that as he understood it Would
be inconvenient to some Noble Lords to have the
discussitin brought on that day, he should propose
to dischwrge the order, and to renew it for Friday
the 9;4. The Noble having so intwed,it was
ordered accordi•oglv.
On the motiOn cif Lord lioht,AND, their Lord-
ships 'were ordered to 'be: itithitioned for Friday
next, when, instead of Thursday, as be had ori-
-011401 PrOPoted, be should move their berdships
to give a 'second reading to the Shoplifters Mi.'
The Earl of UAititovraY.acquainted the House
with his intention to move, should the discussion
of which the Noble Baron bad just given notice

fOr Friar', um to an inconvenient length,.
the Itep',nt of thc 'F'riperniinry.C;tratel Hill, W'Alcb
now stool icy Ohnt. day, slippl:l be taken into
consiLiciation on the following MOticlay. .
‘.
An account of the receipt
_anti iibn; of
the Cheat at Gri.-criwi ,s
eb;.',l-Or the last year, as
presenteci•atth,: Ar air. !S w
i'Lein; '..1(1 ordered
to lie on the Lillie; as
.wa§..

. ,
An Account ()I' the »umber of Promk;sofv,Notcs
tamped (hlrluding the sevcraJ anionntfj tivw teen. 1
the 10th or October, 1864 ; and the same (late hi
1812, presented by Mr. Stedman, of iwe i....taniii
Office:

•
The remaining Bilis before he house being re.:
.
speetk-ely. fOhrarded;. their hAliourao,
to-Inortoiv.

HOUSE OF COMMONS;

TUEgriAi, MArtctt 3Q.

Mr. POLE CAREW obtained, leaie to bring in
Bill to facilitate and promote the duty ofsurvey-
big Turnpike Roads in itlngland, and also fOr
amending the Laws relating theret6.

-
AI.V.'LusnINOTON inlhe Chair.
Lord .C\sTLEREAati, previous to the calling .
of Mr. Hastings as a witness) said, he hoped tho,.
House,-sconSideriog the extreme age of that Gen-
tleoan,, would have no objection to indulge him
with a chair. • , •
Mr. lIATIXGs was then called, and examined
by Mr. Anam (as Counsel), who stated that the
object of his examination Would be to shew the
cttiogeroes consequences that were likely to result
from the orirestraint:d intercourse-and sojourning
of Europe-ans in India., and the improbability of
heing able aii get the'native population to take
nay quantity of etir. manufactures. Mr. Hast-
in4s's testimony was in Substance—That he re-
membered no cheats prodiiced by the few Euro-
peons no in the service of the Company who did
-re;tide_in India at the period be was Governor of
Madras. were pertinitted to "hold
unlheited ietercoir.ze with India, and to sojourn
in that Cher' own pleaFtre,
and ~v.V..:;ul t r, :t.t. it ,:could,
be Most th Company, to the Govern-
inept, ;,,.id rif the country. Nothing
a*.%-s more thln the characters of I:17.ovo.
Funs and the ,ba . and it wits from
a censideration of t ills (into a minute detail of the
particulars of e-lech he entered in a low voice)
that he - believ.il the free Intercourse would be
fatal to our interests: He had no 'doubt, that if
Europeans Were allowed to have athrestrained in-
tocourse with the nativeS, their conduct towards
them' Would be' that of oppression ;- this would
rece-sarly prodnce dissatisfaction 'on the-Tart of
the 'natives, which would be a temptation.to any
61 the nei,i4hhouriug 'estates to invade the British
ter iaries if an opportunity should offer. No re-
st ):13 would' he 'sufficient to confine British
a !venturers to any particular settlement, 11()W.
ivith;l certain bonularies, It had been at one
time his opinion that some restrictions might be
,framed which would be Sufficient for that -purpose,
but he mu; now 'cony need that it would be im-
possible. He conceived, that the consumption of
goods. of British manofacture, could not be much
iaoreased hi India. The' natives disposed of their
Superfluous wealth in dissipation; but not in
luxuries of the table-nor in drinking. • As to whe7
'Aber they emisdered articles of. British manufac-
'titre us part of their luxuries, some goods
.'of Bri-
tish manul'acture had been purchased to compose
the Court furniture of some of 'the Princes; and
were of course esteemed as luxuries. -English
broad cloth mid. British *lace had also been par-
`OhCsed, but for
.)tny of the articles which• he had
'mentioned, there was now hut little., occasion
and tie sale of them could not. be much extended
in any part of India, excepting perhaps in Cal-
pima, and ev-,t there to a Very smallndegree. The
character of the natives was very stationary, he
could not Say that it:' Was intmtivable; but their
manuers had not undergone any alteration for a
very kruictime,, He had seen instances of their
imitating the If4uropean manners, butivery rarely.
'European articles had been, and
,were then ex-
poser: to sale ; but he could not say what wits the
eitect produced by this. He conceived that the
,European inhabitants inhabitents were the equal, if not the
principal purchasers of these articles.
Mr. Hastingahaving answered au- the piestions
put by the Comisel,,prooeeded ,to make ..ante ob-
sereatiuns respecting; the tendency of his evidence.
:Respect lag the opinion Which he had given of the
,conaeqrieuce of the unrestricted intercourse of Eu-
ropeans, not in the service of the'Ettst India Corn-
paity, with the natives of India, be was afraid that,
their might possibly (though be hoped not) ha a
tuspi.don that his testimony wits given under, a
..towards'lii c the India Company ; therefore
,lied to obviate the possibility of such an impu-
tation on the credit of his evidence. It was cer7
s, thinly true that.an attachment to the Company be
"did feel—au attachment-of gratitmle ,to-that sec-
'. vice in which lie had gained his -bread, and,bad em-""
ployed what of talent he had:. during the active
period of his lite ; and from whose hoonty nOw
derived Ids subsistence. He wished to show that
• those opinions which lie had ,delivered, were not
new, nor framed for the occasion :—he wished
also to shew that his declarations had .not been
wade upon slight grounds. Twenty years ago he
had addressa d. a letter to the Chairman (at, the
time being) of the Court of Directors of the-East
India Company, in which letter, as fur as he could
speak from :recollection, lie strongly urged the rte.!
cessity of prOviding against the irruption
of I3ri-
ti adventOrers into India, beyond the boundarieS
of our- settlements, because they would molest
and oppress the people, and'olunder the cointry.
He had urged the-necessity of having some pro,
vision against that made' in 'the Charter Of the
Company. lie hail no access to any copy of the
letter, so be could only speak as to the generclim-
port of it ; but he mentioned it to:prove thathis
doctrines
,were not novel. , The letter -had been
seen, and be had pleasure in thinking that it bad
been approved of bythe Gentleman who then pre-
shied over the Board of Commlssioners for the
Atl'airs of the last India Company (the lute Lord
Melville), a 11,1:41 or whom it might be said, if it
could be said of any man, that lre needed no light
from tbejtidgment of another to guide his own.
He mentioned these circumstances toiliew „how
tarn his opinions had been foruted,Cnd- the ar.
dour with which he had acted,
,Hc had again ad-
dressed the 'Court of Director.* through the same
channel, and' upon the same subject, endeavour-
' ingto convince them that it would be improper to
allow-any British -subject (warty was not a servant
of the Company) to reside in. any part of lodia,,
-except lathe principal settlements, without a ape-
' cial license friar ,the Compaby, or the Govern-
melit. of /utlia. He then went 'on to.stateAhat
he
bad twice, by letter, addressed the Court of Di-
rectors-oh the 'subject, Viz. on the 12th of March,:
)804. and the 34 of April, 1812; in each. of
'which two last, mentioned` letters- he bad prepoS-
. 4ed restrictions similar to those which he had allud-
ed to in-his !first letter. He humbly referred the
- Honourable notiSe Ilk last letter of the :id of
April, 1012. : ,

;Ctite TtS a .thity
lUr. 'Hastings stated, that ,he could not, from.' the burning of widows on the fatiend pile of their
What he knew, deliver any decided opinion us to I husbands From his OWlleiperience.he did not
the political contequenees' which, were likely to know this to be a very common practice, hut' from—
'
result from an ecciesiasticel establishment in In- ... the information he had, received from others, he
dia.' He hoped he might .say, withol. offence,
understood irwas. The, crime of infanticide he
,
that. be wished that any other time . had been chosen ' did not, believe to he generally prevalent.- It had
for such. a (petition. A surmise hail gone forth formerly been ' common in cert;tin ie.istriets. till it
amongst the nat'i've troops in ladle, that there was was prohibited. ' Ile was not sure that it was pro-
m) intention on the pot of the Governmeot to use bibited by a'regiOation of the Bengal ',Govern-
Coerelve .measures for tiie ;coliverion of the (141. meat. He believed self-iinniolation to be eiljoin-
tives to' Christianity. The evil-consequences of ed by, the libido° faith, :Flie prac-iiee of the.
,believed, to prostrate themselvese
sechi belief must be evident, since so much de- i tiinpos was, li
pended on the
native -trO tb ops for c security of ; llt;fore the ear of their idols to be Creshed to deail,
oer Indian territories-. Mira, . would depend on
1 Inc- Alid,not kuow whether this wag sanctioned by
•
the temper and demeanour of the person eadOWed. ' the books of their fitith, but it' was regarded as a
with sureme ecclesiastical authority, He dared meritorions:sacriliee 'by the Hindoos. He, sup-.
not say all 'that was in. his mind on' the-subject, posed it to be !auctioned by, the listahniin, and
but he was convinced that such a measure would believed there -were on other modes of snieide
be one of great hazard. • : . ' • sanctioned by tfietn., but he could not speak of his
In answer to a question front Mr. AVaa'n, he ,own knowledge. He had seem no minatural tai-
stated, :that there with ntore danger .At present Seenity, or indecent conduct in their religious
'from an tcciesiastfeil Establishment, than there rites, but he had .seen indecent pictines of them.
would bare .been. twenty years kip), 'COliSiOtt,'ing The Ilindoo.law was pectiliarly favourable to the
the great political changes which had taken place. . Brahmin. He; Was not punished I:94rriit be
nitrrtle. sibirtile-
-In his °pluton, there would be, dane2d. io rid:- .same as another indi► idital. He 11
'mitting British Merchants to a free 441tere•OtIrie jeeted to ii puinishmeot -Wow than death, but he
with the interior of tin.. country. The union. of -coajd not be put to death, ..The nit rdei 91 a
the emnineree and the sovereignty he did not think Brahmin was regarded in India as an 'inexpiable
prejudicial to the inhabitants :of the country._ It ./. prime. He considered the Hindon, law to he a
was much More beneficial that -the' comineice „ great. impediment to the improvement of their
'should remain iii its present State, thanibethrotyn Inotat character, The introduction. of Chris-
.
open. If he haft° any -iimet in a p.imphlet pub... '.ti....inity Would fend to noprove 'th'eir civil condi-
lished by him, uttered' any sentiment :different -to . :doll, ..lie recollected no efforts_made by the last
this, lie now abjured it. lic did not think it zon- India Company to introduce iihristianity. He
sistent or safe that Christian.MksiOnmies''shonid - ibought . the discreet efforts .of Alk;Sionaries,
be
,employed in India. There tvere many distinc- .(:icting as they 'hail ceer conducted, themselves)
tions between Americans and' British' sUbjects in would not. be dangerous to the , Empire.—
India, because the laws that Affected both in that Other
,nations; he, beNved, had laboured much
country were different., more than (ireat Britaiii to introduce Chris-
.
ms
e ,
eleilsi resulting, train such efforts:on the part of the
Lord'reignmoutb was then called to the Bar, .' tutty. He hat' never heard of ,any serums
and examined by Mr. JACKSou, Mr. H91.1'6711),
Mr. 13,114,, Mr. STir lIEN, Mr. vrit:,aNF,Y, , Lord Dullish, Dutch' and Portugeese.. He. did yot
think . their improvement in civil. and .reliioous
,CASTLEREAGII, art. 'W', SiNirrn, and Other WM.
knowledge, likely to increase their_consumption of
Members, and a chair Wtts placed for his Lordship, '
how.
,forcign coimuedities. The trawlatiotis of the
On the suggestion of Nit. C. W. WYNN.C,
they H 41(100 lallgline,
.he was certain,
ever, it was settled as, a matter of privilege, that Bible into
Peer „mid, could do no harm at all. Tile Government had nei-
neither his Lordship or' any, other
.nor'illseouraged . the ditfusioo of
claim it as a riglit to answer the questions sitting; titer encouraged
Christian knnwledge•athong the natives. Schwartz.
but that all queitions, unless as a matter of cOur-
' tesy, were to he' answered by Peers stendirt; the A;issjonary had been very much esteemed by
Being examined by Mr. R.. Juncsine -on the .pert the Rajah .and ;natives of Tanjore: . 'The natives
.had 'an one oecasinwhad been satiitied witty the word
of the COMpany, his Lordship stated that he
beetr3o yeurs .in the service of the Company, Of Schwartz, when. they would not take that of
Wow 1768 to 1798..-L•that he bad ..liiefly resided in their 4" Rajah.
. ..
Bengal-
tija t be filled the office of Governor Ge- The 'Noble Lord, when informed he might
naval .four. years ,aid it half—that he had been . Withdraw, begged to be allowed to observe; that
chiefly employed in the 11.6Veplte,-Department, be many questions had been pitt to ititn that tiitAr,
fore he succeeded' .to the,situation of a Member which lie could- have wished to consider tw;,:. or
of the Supreme therethathe had form- . three days. before be gave an answer. He' hoped.
,
eit an accume idea of toe enaracter and. habits of the House would make allowraces for the cir-
. , ,
acquainted with ' einnstanees .under.whieh his evidence had been
, .
and the Persian: :4eiven-.
.
unrestrained in- ' The House resumed i dlir.ionstrviloTo).t report-
iittillitteeexln.c(v)oaaf
snt
liii,intettocsini.;:i
eeltaat;:tisgtn,,
,tiiiiiiit;gth:ei "nolaklnfl.dt"ilii4nalct%:'via,aomsn'u 1 d ,
,1.1
e.
prejudicial ccl *progress,' and aiked leave to Sit, again to-
to the interest, a this country as ctS:mected with morrow. .

.t...01.4f10N: Printed i.lirt-umt.ts wool), of Ntt* 114, Strand; and Published by ‘VILIA,AI4 SCRIPPS, Multmi.strevt.
;am aint.()lTlZa, No 112, iottanti, wkre Advorlifpnefill, Ordcr4 for the l'apero 4.otter,, fir the Editor, (putt p3;4;t).