OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 3 July 1857)

§ MR. HADFIELD
said, he deeply regretted the position in which the Motion with regard to the growth of cotton in India had been placed. The House was aware that it would be impossible for the hon. and learned Member for Devonport (Sir E. Perry) to resume the adjourned debate upon that subject, because the whole of the future part of the Session was now in the hands of the Government. He did hope the noble Lord (Viscount Palmerston) would reconsider his decision. In the manufacturing districts much alarm was felt as to the supply of cotton, and it would be a great misfortune if the adjourned debate on the growth of cotton in India should not be resumed, and if the important communications expected from the President of the Board of Control should not be made. What would the country think when they saw the House spend the greater part of one night in a debate about the price of a 894 picture, and yet unable to find time for discussing the claims of India, and the great benefit that would result to our manufacturing districts from the cultivation of cotton in that country? He appealed to the noble Lord to afford them an opportunity for a full discussion of this important subject.

§ LORD ADOLPHUS VANE-TEMPEST
said, the noble Lord had added sarcasm to refusal this evening by telling hon. Members that they must find a day for themselves for the resumption of this debate. The noble Lord must have known that in the present state of the business of the House that was impossible. He now begged to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Control at what period he proposed to make his Indian statement to the House. That statement was usually made just before the festive season of the whitebait dinner at Greenwich, when a very small number of Members were present, and those very exhausted. Surely the Indian budget should be brought forward at a period of the Session when there was likely to be a fuller attendance.

§ SIR ERSKINE PERRY
repeated a suggestion he had formerly made, that, instead of submitting to the House his Indian statement at the end of the Session, in the first ten days of August, when, perhaps, not more than twenty hon. Members were present, the President of the Board of Control should make it in the first ten days of the Session, when no Government business was before the House, and when the House, being then in full possession of its faculties, would probably give its attention to what seemed a rather distasteful subject. The affairs of India just now were so extremely interesting that he trusted the noble Lord would listen to the appeal made to him, and give a day for the continuation of the cotton debate.

MR. VERNON SMITH
said, he was perfectly ready to introduce the statement respecting India on any day hon. Members wished, but the House itself would complain if measures of immediate urgency were retarded for a statement and a debate which, however important, would have no immediate consequence. The same might be said of the Motion of the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. J. B. Smith). He had not objected to the adjournment of the discussion the other night, because the hour was late, and he thought it right to 895 say something on the question, but he had never made any promise on the part of the Government that they would give up a night for the purpose. The noble Lord (Lord A. V. Tempest) complained that his noble Friend at the head of the Government had "added sarcasm to refusal" by telling hon. Members that they must find a night for themselves. It was, however, perfectly open to them to take either Tuesdays or Wednesdays for the resumption of the debate. His hon. and learned Friend the Member for Devonport (Sir E. Perry) now suggested that the Indian statement should be made at, the beginning, instead of at the end of the Session. The reason why this statement had hitherto been made at the latter period was that the Indian accounts were generally made up to April, and delay took place in order that they might be produced. He was ready, however, to submit his statement at any time, though, whether it was made at the beginning or the close of the Session, he feared he should be equally unsuccessful in securing a good attendance on the part of hon. Members. An instance of the apathy which prevailed on Indian subjects was given some nights ago, when the House was nearly counted out on the Motion of his hon. Friend the Member for Perth (Mr. Kinnaird); and there was also a very small attendance during the discussion introduced by the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. J. B. Smith), though that was a subject which interested many persons in this country. At present he could not name any day for the Indian Budget, and certainly not before the end of the month could he hope to introduce it. Before sitting down he could not help saying a few words upon what had fallen from the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Thomas Baring) as to the alleged disposition of the Indian Government to prohibit the exportation of coolies. Now, so far from entertaining such a disposition, the Indian Government were anxious by every possible means to assist the coolie emigration, but it was their duty to see that these persons embarked with a perfect knowledge of what they were about, and that the voyage was performed in good and sea worthy vessels. As to making any relaxation with regard to the return passage, a measure of this sort had been viewed with much jealousy by the Indian authorities, because that return passage was supposed to afford the greatest security which could be given for the independence 896 of the coolie. It was said, why not leave the coolie to make his own bargain? But it could not be maintained that he was a perfect match for the planter, or that the Government should not watch over the transactions between them. He had, however, with the concurrence of the Court of Directors, written a dispatch giving instructions that this subject should be properly considered in India; and if any means could be suggested by which the existing restrictions could be removed, while at the same time due precautions continued to be taken to secure the independence and fail treatment of the Coolie,—if, for example, a satisfactory method could be adopted of commuting his return passage for land, while it left him at perfect liberty to claim his return passage if he thought fit—he was certain there would be no indisposition on the part of the Indian Government to take these suggestions into consideration.

§ MR. KERSHAW
observed, that he could not quite agree with those who thought the House apathetic on the subject of India; but, whatever might be the feeling here, he could assure the House that the country was becoming more than ever interested in the affairs of India; and in the northern districts especially it was no wonder that this should be so. The short supply of cotton and the consequent want of employment were already telling, and in the borough with which he was connected he believed two-thirds of the mills had been working short time for at least a month past. Under these circumstances, he joined in the appeal to the noble Lord to fix a day for the renewal of the debate.

§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTON
said, that the numerous applications which had been made to the noble Lord for a day on which to resume the discussion did not show that there was that apathy on the subject which the right hon. Gentleman had stated to exist. It was true that when the hon. Member for Perth (Mr. Kinnaird) brought on the question there was a disinclination on the part of the House to entertain it; but he was informed that that arose from an impression that the hon. Member was in some degree forestalling the Motion of the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. J. B. Smith), and that to raise a discussion upon the state of India on the petition of the missionaries was hardly a fitting mode of introducing the question to the House. As the noble Lord at the head of the Government had informed the House that they 897 must find a day for themselves for renewing the debate, the noble Lord must not object if, availing themselves of the forms of the House, they should bring it on in a manner not quite so regular and formal as they could have wished.

MR. CAMPBELL
observed, that the disastrous intelligence recently received from India, the disaffection of a portion of the native regiments, and the insecurity of life and property which prevailed there would seem to render it desirable that a day should be appointed for concluding the debate.

§ MR. TURNER
said, he also wished to express his concurrence in this view, and assure the House that the question excited a great amount of interest out of doors. He regretted exceedingly that the noble Lord at the head of the Government had not made an effort to give them a night for the further discussion of the subject. The noble Lord had recently visited Manchester, where he had seen a vast population, well attired, and apparently in prosperous circumstances, assembled together to give a loyal reception to their Sovereign. If the noble Lord should visit Manchester towards the close of the year, he feared that he would see it under a different aspect. He would still find the factories closed, and see no smoke issuing from their chimneys; but the cause would be the stoppage of trade, and the consequent absence of employment arising from the scarcity of cotton.