Lord Castlereaghpursuant to notice, moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act of the 33d of the king, which prescribes the powers to be given to the India company in the appointment of a commander in chief of the forces in India, and regulates the duties of the governor general in council at Bengal. In making this motion, 133 however, he must inform the house, that it was not his intention either to make any material alteration in the forms or add considerably to the expence of the establishment. But, in the event of an exalted military character taking the chief command of the forces in the field, he thought that it would be of essential benefit to the service, and would tend to the further security of our possessions in that quarter, if the person who was to have the chief direction and management of our armies in the field should have an opportunity of sitting in the council and giving his advice or communicating his information on matters that were intimately connected with their welfare. He should therefore propose, that the commander chief should have a place in the council at Fort William. When that illustrious personage that noble and gallant officer, the marquis Cornwallis, was formerly in India, as the office of governor general and that of commander in chief are both united, and as he was a military man of great experience, and possessing the utmost ability, he had the direction of the councils and the management of the armies in the field at the same time, but for the latter duty he had no emolument, notwithstanding his bravery and success are known so well to have deserved the utmost compensation. By his exploits and from circumstances which have since happened, our territories in the East have considerably increased since the time of that noble and gallant officer having first taken the field, and gentlemen need not be told that the duties of the civil govt. of our possessions in the East must consequently have become more numerous, and that it must require more time and a greater degree of attention to direct the civil affairs of the company in the East than it did at the distant period to which he alluded. And, in the event of the person whom he had already mentioned going to India, it would be of the utmost importance that the council at Fort William should have his experience and ability added to that of which it is already possessed. He therefore moved, that leave be given to amend the act which he had mentioned on introducing the subject to the house.
§ Mr. Francisthen rose and said; sir, I am not aware of any objection to the provisions of this bill. The cases stated, though I hope not likely to happen, ought to be provided for. The supposition cannot be made without some painful reflec- 134 tions: that lord Cornwallis, on his arrival in Bengal, which cannot be computed at less than six months from this period, will find India still involved in war, and that he may be obliged to take the field in person. If that be well founded, it gives us but a melancholy prospect of the state of our affairs in that quarter. I do not perceive that the bill gives lord Cornwallis any new or extraordinary powers; and, if it did, I should not be inclined to oppose it, for two reasons; first, because I should think it not at all unlikely that the exigency of the case might require such powers; and then, because I know of no person among those who have acted in great stations in my time, whom I should be more ready to trust with great power, than my lord Cornwallis. Judging of him by all his public conduct, I am convinced that power may be safely trusted in his hands, and that he will never use it but for the benefit of the public service. If my voice could contribute to his honour, he should have it without reserve, for the spirit that prompts him to undertake such a task, as I know it to be, and at such a time; and if it were possible to give him support in the execution of it by any effort of mine, he might be sure of it. I am convinced that his great object will be to compose the disorders of India, and to restore peace and tranquillity to the unfortunate inhabitants of that country.—Leave was then given to bring in the bill, which was brought up and read a first time.