§ MR. G. THOMPSONinquired whether there had been received at the Board of Control any official account of the death of his Highness the ex-Rajah of Sattara? If any such information had been received, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Affairs of India, 700 in conjunction with the Court of Directors, to send by the present mail any order or instructions to the Government or Governments of India, having reference to a provision for the members of the family of the ex-Rajah, now deceased, and those numerous dependants, amounting, he believed, to 700, who had hitherto been entirely dependent for their subsistence upon the allowance made to the now deceased Rajah? This was a most important question, and he was moved to put it in consequence of having received a most urgent letter from the members of the family, stating that they were now in circumstances of extreme destitution, not having had, without borrowing, the means of defraying the funeral expenses of the deceased person. He was anxious to know whether it were the intention of Her Majesty's Ministers to take any immediate steps for securing to them, he would not say the means of upholding their dignities, but the means of existence?
§ MR. C. LEWIS, in answer to the question, begged to state that official intelligence had been received on Saturday last from the Bombay Government of the death of the ex-Rajah of Sattara. He had not himself seen the despatch; it was forwarded to the President, Sir John Hobhouse. He believed the despatch was confined simply to a statement of the death of the ex-Rajah, and contained no information as to the state of his family, or as to any measures having been taken for the continuance of the pension to the members of his family. He would, however, make inquiry into the subject. The hon. Gentleman had given no notice of putting the question, and therefore he was not prepared to answer it.