§ Mr. Hiley Addingtonseeing his hon. friend (Mr. R. Dundas) in his place, wished to know whether it was his intention to bring forward the accounts of the East India Company this session. If so, he trusted that he would bring them forward on as early a day as possible.
§ Mr. R. Dundasreplied that it was certainly his intention to bring forward the accounts of the East India Company this session, and that no time should be unnecessarily lost. At the same time he begged to remind the right hon. gent. that for some years back, these accounts had been one year in arrears. It was his intention to endeavour to bring up that arrear in the present session, and the right hon. gent. must be aware that this would require some time.
Lord Howickobserved, that from the papers then upon the table it appeared, that, upon a comparison of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Company in India, there was a deficit in the latter of above two millions and a half. This was a state of things, in which any one might see that it was impossible for the company to go on, without some adequate provision to make good this deficit. It was the more necessary, as the public had been led to expect than there would be a considerable participation, derived from the East India Company's funds, in aid of the national resources. He wished to know whether the hon. gent. meant to 663 bring forward any proposition upon that subject.
§ Mr. R. Dundasinformed the noble lord, that it was his intention, at an early day, to propose some regulations respecting the affairs of India, which would include the point to which the noble lord had adverted. He was afraid, however, that he should not be able to bring forward the annual accounts at so early a day, as only a few of the ships had yet arrived, and it would be desirable to have the accounts stated in the most correct manner that was possible.