HC Deb 04 March 1830 vol 22 cc1256-8
Mr. Ward

presented Evidence taken before the Committee upon the Charter of the East-India Company, and moved that it be printed.

Mr. Hume

said, this was evidence which had occupied the Committee a fortnight, and that it formed a great mass. He rose for the purpose of suggesting that, as soon as each witness had been examined and cross-examined, his evidence should be printed. This mode would enable Gentle- men to follow the evidence, which they could not be expected to do if it were to be presented in such large masses, and if the Committee always waited till they could present a whole fortnight's evidence at once.

Mr. Stewart

thought there could be no objection to so reasonable a proposal. Besides, it was of great importance that the evidence should go forth to the public, which it could not, unless it were given to the House in small quantities.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

knew that there had been some discussion on this point in the Committee, but thought it had been settled that the evidence should be presented every fortnight. At all events, this was a question for the Committee. He believed it was not the usual course of the House to interfere in a matter which had been left to the discretion of a Committee.

Lord Althorp

, though not a member of the Committee, said, he thought that if the Committee itself did not object, it would be very convenient to the House that the evidence should be reported in small parcels, so that it might be more speedily in the hands of Members.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer

said, that as it could not be known to what length the examination of a witness might extend, it would be better to have the evidence reported at fixed periods.

Mr. Ward

said, that he had not understood it to be the intention of the House that the Committee was to give the evidence in such very small parts. Neither had he expected that the hon. Member (Mr. Hume) would have called the attention of the House to this subject. He had understood it to have been the hon. Member's intention to confine himself to a remark upon the necessity of expediting the printing.

Mr. Spring Rice

had also understood that the reports of the Committee were to be at the end of six days of actual sitting, which would include a fortnight of time, as the Committee sat only on three days of the week. To report at shorter periods might be sending the evidence in a very unsatisfactory manner before the House. Sometimes it might be desirable to report at the end of four days, and sometimes not before the end of eight; but he thought it would be better to leave the matter, as it had been already left, to the discretion of the Committee.

Mr. Hume

did not wish that the House should interfere. His wish was, that when the evidence of one witness was complete it should be presented to the House.

The Report was ordered to be printed.