§ On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
The Earl of Lauderdaletook occasion to reprobate the manner in which, of late years, grants of money were brought before their lordships, and which went to deprive, their lordships of all power of inquiry into the causes of such grants. These grants were made part of the Appropriation act; and as their lordships could make no alteration in the act without disturbing the arrangement of the supplies for the public, they were therefore debarred from making any amendment at all in the present act. This act contained the grant to the college of Maynooth, and another of 1,500,000l. to the East India company. He thought these two grants ought to have been made the subject of two distinct bills, that they might be discussed on their respective merits. Above all, were their lordships prepared to concur in the grant of the latter sum, without a tittle of information before the house to shew the fairness and propriety of such a grant? Were their lordships' hands thus to be tied up respecting such important matters, they might as well close their doors, for surely that house would then have become useless, and as such, must utterly sink in the estimation of the country. His lordship could not suffer this item to be proceeded in without some information. He should therefore move, "That a message be sent to the commons, requesting the Report of the Select Committee on the affairs of the East India company."
The Earl of Suffolksaid, that it was a subject of great importance, and that the affairs of the East India company ought to be inquired into; for such was their management, that he believed it would be better for this country that the East India company should lose their possessions in that quarter of the globe altogether; and it might be desirable that such an event should happen soon, rather than increase our grants of large sums of the public money.
§ Lord Hawkesburycontended, that in respect to the grant made to Maynooth college, nothing had been done upon this occasion, but what the legislature had done with regard to former grants of this nature to the same college. When the last grant was voted by the house of com- 1086 mons, it was incorporated in the Appropriation act, and if there was no objection at that time, he did not perceive why it should have been included in a separate bill at this time. The principle of not including in such a bill such grants as might have a tendency to cause their lordships dissent to the bill altogether, was one which ought to be attended to, and had been considered in Mr. Palmer's case. The grant made to the East India company was in respect to what was due to them. He should not enter at large into the merits of the observations made by the noble earl, whether we had not better be deprived of these possessions altogether, but should not give his assent to the motion now before the house.
Lord Hollanddid not wish to protract the present discussion, but he must observe, that if the house were thus to be treated, if they were thus to proceed without necessary information, they had better shut their doors at once than be degraded in the public estimation.—The motion was then negatived without a division.