The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-07
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 10.

iSdt.
On the motion of Earl Rofslyn, the third rea-
ding of the Archbilhop of Dublin's eitate bill
was potponed until this day fix months.
Motion for papers relating 10 boEilisies IN India.
The Earl of Carlille ltated, that as the fate of
the country, as connected with the conduct OF
Miniiters, mutt, at no very diiiant day, be
brought under their Lordlhp's coniide ration,
he would not at preient tfefpais on their time
by any obfervations on that fubje6. He rofe
merely to make motion for certain papers, TO
the production of which he did not apprehend
miniiters could oppoie any reafonable object
ons. He ihould therefore move, without any
further preface,
" That an humble addrefs be preishted to his
majefty, praying that he may give orders that
the dates of all dispatches tr,nmitted, either by
land or tea, by Government to India, previous
to bis maieify's mefiage of the 10th of March
1908, be laid on the table for the information of
their Lordlhips; and the dates alto when they
were received by the perfons tc whom they were
fcverally addrefed.''
"That the dates of the dispatches tranfmitted
between that period and The commencement of
hoftilties, together with the dates Of the receipt
ffuch in India, be ALTO laid on the table,
Lord Hawekibury thought il his duty to refift
the motion of the noble Earl, not that there
could be any great objection TO grant the infor-
nation he ieemed anxious 10 obtain, but that it
was contrary TO all precedent, and the conitant
practice of the executive government. He
would not deny but many occafions may arife,
on which it would be incumbent OH minifters 70
accede to proportions for the production OF
public documents. On all queftions relating to
the public revenue, to the application of the ex-
Penditure OF that revenue, or to the magnitude
and diipoial of the public force, there it was
competent for any noble lord to move for fuch
papers as tended to explain them, and it would
be indecorous in minifters to oppofe the protluc-
non OF them. But where no ground of accufa-
ton had been laid down, and where the motives
Tor producing them were only to be difcovered
In vague and uncertain rumour, he thought it
neither parliamentary nor prudent to trouble his
majeity with an addrefs for fuch purpofes he
would therefore give his dfient to the motion of
the noble Earl.
The Earl of Carlfe could not agree with the
Noble Secretary of State as to the principle
which he had laid out, that miniiters were to
communicate Oh withhold information, at their
ditcretion, on all public occalionS, except fuch
as aroie out of matters that were fairly before
Parliament. They, the hereditary council of
his maJeity, had right to demand information,
whenever the interefs of either the fovereign or
the ftate were concerned and it was the duty OF
hunters TO communicate it, except the publici-
ty OF 1T might operate to the disadvantage of the
Hl,ln
petition to the noble lord, that public rumour
may be fometimes good ground for requiring
information. He afked, was it not notorious
that IN all the circles from the highet to the
ioweft in this country, 1t was circulated, and &C.
morally believed, that Minifers had beeen ex-
tremely remifS in conveying Intelligence to India
of approaching hofilities. 1t was eaiily to be
aicertaned, 70 negligent had they been in this
refpecf, that information had been received from
ETfr and hxy
fsen days before the dispatches of government
arrived there. To what but this negligence, on
the part of government, was the efcape of the
French fquadron at Pondicherry owing Admit
raj LIMOS, with an inferior force, was at anchor
within the Britih feet under the command of
Admiral Rainier, and from fome information he
had received, he had cat his cables, and was,
perhaps, at this very moment. engaged in active
and fuccetsful hoitity againt fome OF the mott
valuable OF our fettlcments in that part of the
world. Surely if the Englifh Admiral had been
apPriied OF the probability, much leis the actual
commencement ola war, he would, as it would
have been his duty to have done, detained the
whole OF the French fquadron. The public had
right to be fatiSied on this point, and there
fore, unlefs Miniiters produced fome better ar
gunento againit his motion, he mutt pertevere
in it.
Lord Eawkeibury mutt Fill perfift in oppo-
iiAOLiOHS hOHEhSib ilGCl no lSItdtlOn
in faying, that, pending the negotiation, and pre-
vious TO his Maiefy's Meilage, dispatches had
been fent TO India with all poiIible CELEBRITY, and
D. every means OF communication, to appriZe
our naval and military commanders there, of the
fate oft, and the probable resumption of hofti-
litics. His majefy's government, at leaf that
department of it, had alto, in fubfequent Pc
Rod of the negotiation, made fimar conmuni-
cations, and when hoftilitiesa6tually commenced
they tranfmitted intelligence of it, by all means
In their power, to India.
Lord Spencer exprened much furprze at the
determination of MnterS to oppofe the motion
OF his noble friend. They had, if he was well in
formed, and he drew bis information from
fource, which though not Official, was, notwith-
Handing, in his opinion, too autheutic to be
GIeftionsd, been guilty Of objectionable neglett
in not conveying the carlieit intelligence of the
war to Our fettements in India. The official
dispatches were tranfmitted by a frigate who
had TO Zee convoy, which was put under her
protection, fate into Liibon by which means
an unavoidable delay Of at leaf IS or Is days
was produced. If he would credit authority he
had no reafon to doubt, Admiral Rainier was
not apprized, on the 18th of AuguR, Of what
had taken place in Europe OH the 10th OF
March, foil FIVE months before.-Suppoie the
circumstances Of the two fleets had been differ
ent, and that Admiral Rainier, with an inferior