Mr. C. Grant,in moving the re-appointment of the Committee, nominated last year to inquire into the state of the Trade with India and China, said, he should not at that late hour, and on a subject with which Members were already sufficiently familiar, trouble the House with many observations. The Committee of last Session had, it would be recollected, sat many months, but although they had given the subject before them the most unwearied attention, and laboured with the utmost diligence, they found it impossible to render their labours complete, and it was the opinion of those acquainted with the subject, that there were several important branches of it which yet required examination. In compliance, therefore, with this opinion, and in pursuance of a notice given by the former Government, he had now to move the re-appointment of the Committee. It was his wish, that it should include as many members of the late Committee as possibly could, under the change of circumstances, be procured; but he found, that some had retired from the House some were anxious to be excused, some had been called to the more onerous duties of Office, and one, the most distinguished, had been snatched from life by a most painful and calamitous accident. He was, therefore, compelled to make a selection of several new Members; and although he felt, that the Committee was before inconveniently numerous, he had not been able to comprise all whose services were desirable, even with some extension of the number. The right hon. Gentleman then read the names of those Members who were to be added to those of the former Committee: they were, General Gascoyne, Lord Morpeth, Sir H. Parnell, Lord Acheson, Mr. Wrightson. Mr. Labouchere, Mr. John Wood, Lord Sandon, Mr. Callaghan, Sir C. Forbes, Sir George Staunton, Sir James Macdonald, Mr. Fazakerly, and Mr. Marshall.
§ Mr. W. Whitmoreapproved of the re-appointment of the Committee; but, as he thought the House already possessed sufficient information, from the evidence before it, to form a judgment on the propriety of laying open the trade with China, he should, on an early day, submit certain Resolutions on that subject.
Mr. Cutlar Fergusonwas of opinion, that the evidence relative to the China trade was not so conclusive as the hon. Member imagined.
Mr. Humewas of a direct contrary opinion, and hoped that the question of the China trade, which had nothing to do with the political power of the Company in India, would be speedily discussed, so that one monopoly, at least, might, as soon as possible, he got rid of.
§ Mr. Astellhad attended closely to the whole investigation, and he had formed a different opinion from that expressed by the hon. members for Middlesex and Bridgenorth. He hoped that the House would read the whole evidence, and not allow itself to be led away by partial extracts.
§ Committee accordingly re-appointed.