§ Mr. Francis called the attention of the house to the state of the communication between the different presidencies in India and the court of directors, or their secret committee, which is the only lawful medium for official communications between England and the company's settlements in India. As far as he knew at present, we had not any communication in existence. He understood, indeed, that there was not to he any budget this year; and according to lord Castlereagh, it was possible that the dispatches might have been intercepted by the French. It was also possible that they were not ever sent, because they might terrify those who were most deeply interested, and who now were unacquainted with the state of our affairs in the east. He asked if it was right that information should be withheld from parliament and the public, which was in the possession of the french? we were now in June 1805, and yet we had 645 not any statement of receipts or disbursements from India later than March 1803. One reason most probably was, that the debt in India was nearly doubled, by means of the system of aggrandisement upon which they seemed to act. However, it had been stated by the directors, that, notwithstanding the additional imposts which have been laid on their articles of merchandise, the trade of the company during the last war had flourished beyond example. But with such a flourishing trade on one side, and the vastly increased territorial revenue of from 10 to 15 millions on the other, they have not been able to make so inconsiderable a compensation to the public for the renewal of their charter for twenty years as half a million per annum. This general outline of the appearance of their finances may in some measure account for the want of present information, in the hope that something more favourable may happen which would change the aspect of their affairs. Such a line of conduct, however, in his opinion, ought not to be sanctioned by parliament, and he thought he should do his duty as an independant member of that house by endeavouring to obtain for the house and the public such information as appeared to him to be at present most immediately wanting. He therefore moved 'that there be laid before the house an account of the dates of the latest dispatches received from the government of Bengal, in the political or general department; and also an account of the dates of the latest dispatches reveived from the several presidencies in India, in the revenue department, and inclosing the annual accounts of the receipts and disbursements of the said presidencies respectively.'
§ Lord Castlereagh said the hon. member must be aware that it it was impossible that the expences of the one war (that with Holkar) to which he alluded, could have nearly doubled the debt of the company. The cause of the want of intelligence from India he could not positively explain; but as far as reasonable conjecture could lead him, be had stated on a former night, namely, the probability of those dispatches being on board the packet which had been taken in the gulf of Persia; this idea was strengthened by other dispatches from marquis Wellesley, making a reference to former dispatches which are known not to have been received. But the hon. gentlemen had entered more minutely into the discussion of the state of the company's affairs than he should think it necessary at present to follow or to answer. But he must observe that the company were 646 not bound by the act of 1793 to pay, unless net proceeds of their revenue, &c. should be something beyond the extent of half a million. And making allowance for the expence of near a million annually, which every European war brought on them it was to him rather a matter of surprise that so much had been already paid to the public by the hon. company. As the noble lord did not state any objection to the production of the papers moved for, the motion was immediately agreed to.