Star.
London, England, 1810-05-15 00:00:00

EAST INDIA COMPANY,

Mr. ASTELL presented a Petition fiotn the East
India Company, praying Parliamentary aid to the
amount of two millions. The Petition was read by
the Clerk at the Table in a low tone of voice. We
understood it to set forth the justice of a revived claim
on the part of the Petitioners to a balance alledged to
be due to the Petitioners from the Public, according
to the Report of the Committee in 1805—That ac.
cording to a subsequent Report of the Committee in
.1808, it appeared that the Public were in debt to the
Company in the sum of £51,600. The Petition?
rent on to state Lather the claims of the Petitioners
upon thi Public, the details of which we could not
collect, and concluded with asking leave to present
another Petition, pursuant to the prayer of the same
(then)
time for presenting privaie petitions beving ex-
pired).
Mr. ASTELL moved, that the petition be refer.
red to the Committee appointed to consider of East
India Affairs.

Mr. CREEVEY said, that the Committee in 18051
had reported the debt of the public to the East India
Company to amount to two millions three hundred
thousand pounds, a sum which had been afterwards
liquidated to £300,000 ; but between the year 1805
to the year 1808, this balance of 0300,000 had, (by
what means he knew not) been increased to one mil-
lion five hundred thousand pounds. He complained
of the Company's reviving a claim antecedent in
point of time to the report of the Committee in 1808,
When an Honourable Friend of his upon the floor,
(Mr. Whitbread) had put a question to thy Gentle-
man opposite respecting the state of those accounts.
Ile was told in answer, that they hadheen closed,and
a balance struck ; but now it appeared that the Corn-'
Tony were reviving a claim which they were justified
to supposing had then been settled. He stated fur-
ther, that there had not been an Indian budget for
four years, a circumstance not calculated to rase the
-declining confidence of the public in the solvency of
the Company. The Company; in 1807 borrowed
two inillions--in 1808 a balance of £150,000 was
said to te due to them from the public, and in 1609,
in their petition to the House, they stated that their
income met their expenditure. And now, in 1810,
they come flown to the House and ask fora further
loan of two millions. He could look upon this in no
other light than that of a desperate attempt.
• Mr. GRANT !indicated the justice of the claims
'of the Company, and thought that Gentlemen might
defer their opposition till they had before them the re-
on of the Committee. It had been a maxim in that
liousithat theft doors should be opened wide to pe-
titions-(Hear, from the Opposition)—the maxim
ought to hold in the present case.
Lord AIi.CHIBALD HAMILTON was of opi7
stioti that. sib Money should be "granted to the East
India frfaxm"--- 11l they had laid before the public
1 their affairs.
tithe EXCHEQUER said
im altedged to be revived
Come within the province
iffointed to investig ate

Judi! COMParly t4l they ha
• •a ful; avid.cleas exposition of
• • aIteCIIIANCEL4OR of
tja!K with respect to tbc.‘l,6l
. • to Comp w. it did pot
pathe Committee diva a
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