§ MR. COLLIERsaid, he would beg to ask the President of the Board of Control whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to refer the claims of Meer Tamer Ali Khan to the private property of the late Nawab of Surat to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. In explanation of his question he had to state that the East India Company having sequestered the property of the Nawab, had passed an Act legalizing that which they had done, and providing that there should be no appeal from the decision of their Commissioner, into whose hands the Nawab's affairs were put. On appeal being made to the Privy Council, that tribunal decided, on a somewhat technical ground, that they had no jurisdiction over the matter, as it had not been the subject of judicial decision. The President of the Council then gave the Nawab twelve months to endeavour to arrange his disputes, and as this arrangement had not 41 been come to, and the twelve months expired in August last, he had put his question to the noble Lord.
LORD STANLEYI do not think the House is very much inclined to go into the affairs of the Nawab of Surat. At any rate I will only say now that as there is, as the hon. and learned Gentleman very well knows, a considerable legal difficulty in the way of adopting the course which he recommends the Government to take, it is my intention to consult the law advisers of the Crown, and until I have received their Report I cannot state what course we shall be prepared to take.