The other orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned at two o'clock to Monday se'nnight, HOUSE OF LORD S. MONDAY, APRIL 14. Lord Eldon and the Lord Chancellor gave their opinions at considerable length in the appeal of Lady Lincoln v. the Duke of Newcastle. The further consideration was put off until Thursday, to give the agent an opportunity of ascertaining his grace's age. Lord Grenville, pursuant to the notice he had given, moved that the committee appointed to search for precedents of impeachment, be instructed to enquire as to the mode of proceeding in the case of Viscount Melville. Ordered. Lord Auckland moved, that the American intercourse bill should be read a second time on Thursday. The Irish first fruits, Irish treasury bills bill, and several private bills were brought from the Commons, and read a first time.-Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, APRIL 14. A message from the Lords informed the House, that their lordships had agreed to several private bills. Mr. Calcraft presented an account of the sums of money remaining in the exchequer on the 1st of January 1805, from grants of the House made in 1804. On the motion of Mr. Calcraft, a new writ was ordered for the election of a member for Helstone, in the room of Mr. Davies Giddy, who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. NABOB OF ARCOT'S CREDITORS. Mr. Hobhouse moved the order of the day for the further consideration of the report from the committee, to whom the petition of the private creditors of the late nabob of the Carnatic was referred. This being agreed to, Mr. Hobhouse observed, that before he proceeded to move for leave to bring in a "bill for enabling the commissioners acting in execution of an agreement made be tween tween the East India Company and the private creditors of the late Nabob of the Carnatic, the better to carry the same into effect," the House would naturally expect from him some preliminary observations, tending to explain the grounds upon which this measure was introduced to the notice of Parliament. Indian subjects were usually deemed to be dry and complicated in their nature, and hence they did not generally receive the attention which their magnitude deserved. He was, therefore, obliged to an honourable gentleman (Mr. Francis) now absent, on account of a domestic misfortune which he (Mr. Hobhouse) sincerely lamented, for endeavouring to rouse the attention of the House to this measure which, he agreed with him, was of great importance. Unfortunately for him (Mr. Hobhouse) it was also a subject of great extent, so that he should be under the necessity of troubling the House at greater length than was agreeable to his inclinations. In order that the House might completely understand the whole transaction, he felt himself compelled to go back as far as the year 1784, when Parliament first took cognizance of the private debts of the Nabob of Arcot, and to describe several treaties with the princes of the Carnatic, subsequently to that time; he should speak of them, however, in a rapid and cursory manner, and be as brief as the nature of the subject would allow. If, notwithstanding the pains he had taken to be accurate, any error should have crept into his statement, he was happy in thinking that it might be rectified by some gentlemen now in the House, who were very conversant in the affairs of India. They could not do him a greater favour than in correcting any mistake, into which he might accidentally have fallen. In the year 1781, an act was passed, the 24th of the King, cap. 25, entitled, "An act for the better regulation and management of the affairs of the East India Company, and of the British possessions in India; and for establishing a court of judicature for the more speedy and effectual trial of persons accused of offences committed in the East Indies.". By the 37th section of that act, it was provided that "Whereas very large sums of money are claimed to be due to British subjects by the Nabob of Arcot, in the recovery whereof it is expedient that such assistance should be given them as shall be consistent with the rights of the Company, the security of the creditors, and the honour honour and dignity of the said Nabob; be it enacted, that the Court of Directors of the said Company shall, as soon as may be, take into consideration the origin and justice of the said demands, as far as the materials they are in possession of shall enable them to do; and that they shall give such orders to their presidencies and servants abroad, for completing the investigation thereof, as the nature of the case shall require, and for establishing in concert with the said Nabob, such fund for the discharge of those debts, which shall appear to be justly due, according to their respective claims of priority, as shall be consistent with the rights of the said united Company, the security of the creditors, and the honour and dignity of the said Ñabob.” The first question, said Mr. Hobhouse, which presented itself, was What was done in consequence of this legislative enactment? The statute was promulgatedat Madras in February 1785, and soon afterwards a treaty was concluded between Mr. Davidson, the acting governor of Madras, and the Nabob Wallak-Jah, by which it was stipulated that his Highness should annually pay four lac of pagodas as a military subsidy to the company, and set aside a fund every year of twelve lac, in liquidation of his debt to his private creditors, being British subjects, and of his debt to the company. The private creditors, according to the orders of the court of Directors, were to consist of three classes only, the other debts of the Nabob not having at that time fallen under their notice. The three classes consisted of 1. The debt distinguished by the name of the consolidated debt of 1767, amounting to 2. The old cavalry debt Pagodas. Fanams. Cash. 7,96,445: 23: 29 6,90,624 : 21 : 10 3. The consolidated debt of 1777 - 54,98,500 00 00 : 69,85,570 : 2 : 39 These private creditors were called upon to inscribe their names in a register, and hence these three classes of debts were denominated the registered debts of the Nabob of Arcot. He (Mr. Hobhouse) mentioned this circumstance, that gentlemen, when he spoke of the registered debts, might understand his meaning without further explanation, and comprehend what debts were included under that. denomination. He could specify the regulations by which the court of directors fixed the proportion of the twelve lac of pagodas, which was to be employed in liquidation of the claims of the private creditors, and the part which was to be appropriated to the discharge of the debt to the Company; but he was fearful of being led too much into detail, and of occupying too much of the time of the House. It was sufficient to say that he possessed a copy of these regulations, and should be ready to produce them if any gentleman should wish to hear the statement. In February, 1787, a new treaty was entered into between the Nabob Wallak Jah and Sir Archibald Campbell, then governor of Madras, by which it was agreed that the military subsidy, to be in future paid by his Highness in time of peace, should be nine lac of pagodas, and that four fifths of the revenues of the Carnatic should be appropriated to the use of the Company in case either of the parties should be at war, for the treaty was both offensive and defensive. Twelve lac of pagodas, as by Mr. Davidson's treaty, were to be annually contributed for the discharge both of the private and public debts of the Nabob, subject to the Company's regulations, to which he had before alluded. A few years afterwards it was found, so dilatory had the Nabob been in his payments, that an arrear of about nineteen lac, had accrued under the two before-mentioned treaties. At the close of the year 1789, Tippoo Sultaun, the King of Mysore, made an attack upon the ally of the Company, the Travancore Rajah. The late Marquis Cornwallis, then governor-general, went to the assistance of the Rajah, and demanded from the Nabob of the Carnatic, the contribution stipulated by his treaty with Sir A. Campbell. The four-fifths of the revenues were, however, so irregularly paid, that a considerable arrear was soon found to exist; the supplies of grain and cattle were so tardily provided by the Nabob's servants, that the service suffered considerable detriment. On these two grounds, the Marquis Cornwallis found himself under the necessity of assuming pro tempore the civil in addition to the military government of the Carnatic, and the entire management of the revenues: At the close of this war which was brought to a glorious termination, in the year 1792, the Marquis Cornwallis returned the country country into the hands of the Nabob, and formed a new treaty with his Highness, by which it was stipulated that nine lac of pagodas should in future be paid to the Company, annually, as a military subsidy; and a new arrangement was made respecting the sum to be appropriated each year to the discharge of the Naboh's debts. The Marquis being convinced by the representation of the Nabob that his revenues were not adequate to so large an annual payment as twelve lac, in liquidation of debts, and being desirous of manifesting a spirit of forbearance, and an example of moderation, consented that only 6,21,105 pagodas should be annually applied in satisfaction of the claims of the private creditors only; the debt to the Company not being expunged, but left to future investigation, and to the arbitration and decision of the Marquis Cornwallis himself: this reference was occasioned by some disputes in the accounts, which were not easy of adjustment. The next treaty which he (Mr. Hobhouse) should have occasion to mention, was concluded in July, 1801, between Azeem ul Dowlah, the present Nabob of the Carnatic, and Lord Clive, now Earl Powis, then governor of Madras. By this treaty it was provided that the civil and military government of the Carnatic, and the full and exclusive administration of the revenues, (with the reserve of a portion to be appropriated to the maintenance of the Nabob, and for the support of his dignity), should be vested in the hands of the East India Company; and that the 6,21,105 pagodas, as by Marquis Cornwallis's treaty should be annually applied to the discharge of the regis tered debts. This treaty with Azeem ul Dowlah, though last in order of time, was first in point of importance, because it was the foundation of the arrangement in July 1805, between the Company and the creditors of the late Nabobs. What effect, said Mr. H. has been produced by the enactment of the statute of 1784, and the several treaties which grew out of it, and which he had here described ? With respect to the debt of the Nabob to the Company, he was not called upon to enter into the subject, as his bill related only to the private creditors; nor was the question at the present moment very interesting; for whatever the debt might be, it must, in consequence of the superior productiveness of the Carnatic revenues under British management, be in a daily state of diminution, and at no very distant day be entirely annihilated. As to the effect upon |