HL Deb 15 February 1813 vol 24 cc511-2
Viscount Melville

presented a Petition from the lord provost, magistrates, and town council of Edinburgh, against the continuance of the monopoly of the East India Company. His lordship also brought forward Petitions to the like effect from Montrose and Stirling.—The Duke of Norfolk presented a Petition of a similar tendency from Birmingham, signed by the high bailiff and principal magistrates in behalf of themselves and others the in habitants of Birmingham—Viscount Melville then presented a Petition signed by various members of the Church of Scotland, and seemed to set forth as the substance of the Report of a Committee specially appointed by the general assembly of the National Church of Scotland, on the 15th of March 1812, that a Petition should be laid before parliament, praying, that in whatever new arrangement might be made for the regulation and government of the British dominions in India, provisions should be made that the members of the said church, resident in those dominions, may be afforded an opportunity of having their national religion regularly dispensed to them, under such regulations as to the wisdom of the legislature should seem meet.—The Duke of Norfolk observed, he was never before aware of any thing existing in India to prevent the religious worship of any denomination. From the Petition now presented, it would appear to him that the Church of Scotland was not tolerated in that quarter.—Viscount Melville said, the fact was, that although the most perfect toleration prevailed in these parts of the British dominions, the individual members of the Church of Scotland, who found their way to India, found it, under the existing system, almost impossible to exercise their functions. Their lordships were aware that by law, no individual could proceed to India without licences from the Company; who, he observed, were not in the habit of granting them to such individuals, except they were of the established Church—The Duke of Norfolk said, it was the first time of his learning that the Directors of the East India Company were so zealously attached to the established Church as not to grant licences to any clergymen but of that persuasion.—The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table.