§ Earl Bathurstmoved, that the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the East India Affairs, do, from time to time, report their proceedings to the House.—Ordered.
The Marquis of Lansdownsaid, he felt very great satisfaction at the motion which had just been made by the noble Earl. He was about to present three or four petitions on the subject of the East-India Company's Charter, the prayer of which was similar to the prayer of other petitions which he had already presented with reference to that question. He begged leave to take that opportunity of stating, that the Representatives of various bodies of individuals, in different parts of the country, who were sent to town to watch over the interests of many who were anxiously awaiting the result of this inquiry, had expressed to him, and, he believed, to other noble Lords, a wish to be made acquainted with the proceedings before the Committee, in such manner as might seem most proper to their Lordships, in order that they might be enabled to form an opinion on the evidence (the subject being one in which they felt a deep and important interest), and to judge how far it would be expedient for them to bring forward other evidence relating to this question. He felt, whatever the rules of their Lordships' House might be upon this point, that it was highly necessary and proper for those persons to be made fully acquainted with the proceedings of the Committee, and the subjects to which they directed their inquiry. Many of them understood the question perfectly well; and they possessed information which probably was not before the Committee, and which they were anxious to tender to their Lordships. He confessed that he was one of those who wished that course to be taken, although he was aware that some difficulties might arise in effecting the object to which he alluded, in consequence of the formation of their Lordships' Committees. He gave his full concurrence to any measure which was likely to give to those persons the satisfaction they desired; and therefore he heard with much pleasure the motion of the noble Lord, the President of the Council, who presided over the Committee. That motion arose out of a Resolution which the Committee had agreed to on that day, and which empowered it, from time to 1246 time, to order the publication of the evidence. He hoped that the proceedings would be reported as frequently as possible, by which course the parties would be put in possession of those facilities which they anxiously wished to attain: and they would thus have an opportunity, when they saw the proceedings, of suggesting whether it would be necessary to adduce other evidence. Hoping that their object would be fully attained, he would trouble their Lordships no further, but move "that the Petitions be brought up."
The Petitions were then read. They were from the merchants, bankers, manufacturers, and inhabitants of Glasgow, and Blackburne, and from the Dock Company of Hull, and prayed that the East India Company's Charter might not be renewed.