Lord Ellenboroughsaid, he rose to move for certain Returns, and he did so at that early period of the Session, because it would take some 128 time to prepare the documents he required. He wished to move for Returns respecting the Financial Affairs of India, and also for a Report of the Committee of the House of Commons of last Session, with a view to determine how far the commercial means of the East-India Company went to meet its expenditure, without calling upon the assistance of the mother country. He could not help taking advantage of that opportunity to say a few words with respect to the—as it appeared to him—extraordinary omission of all allusion to the affairs of our Indian possessions in the Speech from the Throne. He must infer from that omission, that it was not intended, during the present Session, to bring the question of the East-India Company's Charter before Parliament. He owned, that he was not surprised at this, when he considered that the parliamentary duties of the President of the Board of Control were so severe during the last Session, that it was physically impossible he could have discharged the ordinary duties of his office in an adequate and proper manner. He knew it might be said, that the Charter of the East-India Company did not expire until 1834; but he begged to remind their Lordships, that they were now at the commencement of the Session of 1832, and that, if they put off the consideration of this great question to the next year, they would defer it to the last moment, and be compelled to come to a hasty decision upon a question of the last importance to the community. Indeed he felt, that the opinions expressed by the noble Lords opposite, in 1813, when the question was brought forward at an advanced period of the year, were so strong, in condemnation of the postponement of the measure until the eleventh hour at that time, that he could not avoid entertaining great hopes that Government would now afford complete time for the discussion of the subject. Upon that occasion it was utterly impossible for their Lordships properly to consider the question. The bill for regulating the affairs of India was passed in the House of Commons on the 13th of July; it passed the Lords on the 16th, and received the Royal Assent on the 21st of the same month. He again said, that for these reasons he was quite satisfied that the noble Lords opposite would not fall into the course they had then so severely and properly condemned; but would now afford the amplest time to their Lordships for considering this great question in all its bearings. Since the period to which he had alluded, a Committee had 129 been appointed, at which the noble Marquis opposite (the Marquis of Lansdown) was a constant attendant; and certainly the papers which were issued by it could alone be justified by the fact, that there had been a full examination of all persons connected with the affairs of India, then in England. He thought it would be advisable, that this Committee should be renewed; for it should be observed, that persons were continually returning to this country from India, and that the best information was, of course, to be derived from the last comers. If, therefore, that Committee was not renewed in time to take advantage of such evidence, he gave notice, that he would submit a motion on the subject. Not only did he insist upon the re-appointment of the Committee on this account, but also because there was an urgent necessity that at no distant period there should be a full inquiry into the financial branch of the question, for, upon the view taken by Parliament of the financial affairs of India, would depend the question as to whether the commercial means were such as to enable the Company to carry on the government without any assistance, direct or indirect, from this country. The noble Lord concluded by moving for Returns connected with the financial branch of the East-India question—for the Reports of the House of Commons, and by giving notice of motion for a Committee.
§ Earl Greywas free to acknowledge, that the omission of any allusion to the affairs of India, in the Speech from the Throne, was, as the noble Baron had inferred, owing to the circumstance that Ministers did not intend to bring any question relating to the important subject of Indian affairs before Parliament during the present Session. He would also acknowledge, that the noble Baron was partly correct in his statement of the amount of the duties of the President of the Board of Control. He would admit, likewise, the correctness of the noble Baron's statement, that very little consideration had been bestowed upon the subject on the renewal of the Charter in 1813. On that occasion, as the noble Baron had remarked, many noble Lords, and he acknowledged that he had been one of them, loudly exclaimed against the conduct of the then Government, in calling for so important a measure as the renewal of the East-India Company's Charter, with so little preparation; but he pledged himself, that ample time should be given for its discussion in all its bearings on the next renewal. He con- 130 sidered,however, that a great part of the difficulty and responsibility attending the settlement of such an important question, in which so many interests were involved, had been obviated in consequence of the very comprehensive and diligent inquiries that had been carried on for some time past by means of Committees of both Houses of Parliament. In point of fact, nearly all the information that could be obtained, was at this moment before Parliament, embodied in the Reports of these Committees, and there was nothing to prevent both Houses coming to a decision as to the renewal of the Charter at a very short notice. For these reasons Ministers had not deemed it expedient, during the present Session, to bring forward any measure on the subject. With respect to the noble Baron's intended motion for the re-appointment of the Committee, all he could then say was, that Ministers would take the subject into early consideration, and that Parliament would find them most willing to cooperate, not only in bringing forward every information in their power, but also to assist in making inquiries in every other quarter from which additional information might be derived.
§ Motion agreed to.