House of Commons
Monday, May 7 1804
Minutes
The report of the committee on the British and Irish Loan bills, were severally brought up, and the bills ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.—On the motion of Mr. C. Dundas, the second reading of the Misdemeanor Prosecution bill, was postponed till to-morrow.—Mr. Sec. York presented, an abstract account of the several Yeomanry and Volunteer Corps who have offered to go upon permanent pay and duty; and also an account of the additional regiments of Irish militia who have offered an extension of their services in this country. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.—The report upon the Excise Duty bill was brought up, and the bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.—The house went into a committee on the Custom Duty bill. The report was ordered to be received to-morrow,
War in India
said, that in order that the house should be in possession of as complete information as possible respecting the state of our affairs in India, and every thing that was connected with that subject, he felt it incumbent on him to submit the following motions to the house. The hon. gent. then moved, "That there be laid before the house, copies or extracts of all dispatches received from the Governor-Gen. of Bengal, or from the Presidencies of Fort St. George and Bombay, and of their correspondence with their respective agents or ministers, or with the military officers commanding in the field, as far as such dispatches or correspondence relate to, or account for hostilities now or lately subsisting between the said governments and any of the Mahratta princes or states, with the dates of the receipt of such dispatches;" also, "Copies of all treaties or correspondence between the said governments and any of the Mahrattma princes or states, relative to the said hostilities, or to the causes thereof;" also "Copies of all treaties, engagements, and correspondence between the said governments, and any of the surviving Mahometan princes or states in the upper part of India, particularly with the titular king, or Mogul at Delhi, or his ministers; also, "Copies or extracts of all orders or instructions sent to India by the Court of Directors, or by any committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, on the same subject."—All these motions were severally agreed to, except the last, which was objected to by
; who said, that it was his disposition to grant to the house every information upon the subject in his power, or which was consistent with propriety. The last motion of the hon. gent. appeared to him contrary to the policy or propriety on which peace with those states might be obtained; owing to the disclosure which would thereby take place. Unless, therefore, a case of very urgent necessity was made out, he thought that the secret committee ought not to be called upon by parliament to disclose that information upon diplomatic subjects, which they may have judged prudent to send abroad. The hon. gent. would, himself, become sensible of the impropriety of such a measure, after he was once in possession of all the other papers he had moved for; and, therefore, he wished him to withdraw it till he had considered the matter more maturely.
said, he could not perceive any strong grounds for such secrecy, and, therefore, wished the sense of the house to be taken on the subject.—On the question being put from the chair, the motion was negative.
Aylesbury Election Bill
brought up the report of the committee on the Aylesbury election bill. The amendments were read and agreed to. On the motion that the bill be engrossed, and read a 3d time,
rose, and stated some objections, which could not be distinctly heard. His lordship concluded with declaring, that it was his intention to take the sense of the house upon the bill in its present stage. Upon the division there appeared,
Change of Ministry
Previous to the re-admission of strangers into the gallery, Mr. Fox, after a few preliminary observations, consented further to postpone his promised motion relative to the Hanoverian troops, till Wednesday next.—After which,
addressed the house as follows: I am authorized to say, that a member of this house (Mr. Pitt), has personally received his Majesty's commands to lay before his Majesty a plan for a new administration for his Majesty's consideration.
added, that he would bring forward his motion on Wednesday next, whoever might then be the persons composing his Majesty's administration.