§ Mr. R. Dundasrose, agreeably to notice 129 to more for leave to bring in a Bill connected with the Salaries of the Board of Controul and other Officers and Clerks in this department of the East India Company's affairs. From the papers already before the House, they would see that the sum appointed for the salaries of the Commissioners of the Board of Controul, at the original establishment of that Board was 5,000l, a year, and the sum for the salaries of the clerks was limited to 11,000l. a year. If these sums were esteemed no more than adequate compensations in 1793, the House would readily believe that they were by no means adequate at the present period. The 11,000l. to the clerks was at first more than sufficient, and a balance arising on this head had accumulated for some years. This sum so accumulated, however, was exhausted, and unless an augmentation was immediately given, the number of clerks now employed must be reduced; This was a thing by no means desirable, and he intended to propose an increase of 1,400l. or 1,500l. a year on this head, which, with the sum formerly allowed to accumulate, would amount to about 3,000l. a year. There was one increase to which he, with reluctance, called the attention of the House, being a proposed increase to the salary of the office which he himself held. It was for the House to determine on this point. He should not have brought it before them, had he not been compelled to bring forward the claims of others which were far more urgent than this claim of increase to the salary of the President of the Board was. There was another thing to which he meant this Bill to extend, namely, to allow the company, with the advice of the Board of Controul, the power of replacing officers who might be dismissed by sentence of court martial, there being a doubt whether the prohibition at present in force was confined to civil offences, or extended to sentences of courts martial also. The only other point to which the Bill was meant to go, was to give the Company the power of taking up ships by private contract in case of emergency only, and that for a single voyage. He concluded by moving, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill for making further provision for the payment of salaries and other charges in the office of the Commissioners for the affairs of India, and for enabling the East India Company to restore to the service of the said company military officers removed therefrom by 130 sentences of courts martial, and to authorize the said company, in cases of unforeseen emergency, to take up ships by private contract."
§ Mr. Creeveyhighly approved of an increase being made to the salary of the president of the board of controul. He did the whole of the business. During the fourteen months that he was connected with that Board, he never heard that they had once met. If the president had 4,000l. out of the 5,000l. or even the whole sum, be though it would not be too much.
After a few words from lord Morpeth and lord Castlereagh, leave was given to bring in the Bill.