HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
question being called for the ad- 
dress, it was carried without any 
amendment, by two hundred against 
eighty-five. 
The discussion of Indian affairs, 
which had employed much of the 
House’sattention on that first day of 
the session, wasresumed onthe third 
of February, by several gentlemen 
of the opposition; who contended 
that some papers ought to be pro- 
duced, that would throw a better 
light upon the subject: but this 
was firmly resisted by ministry, on 
the ground of their inutility to for- 
ward any real service, and as tend- 
ing rather to embroil than to faci- 
litate any desirable purpose. - 
Six days after, these papers were 
again required by Major Maitland, 
who accompanied his demand with 
a retrospect of Indian affairs, and 
of the former mode of administer- 
ing them. ‘This, he observed, was 
founded on pacific principles, as be- 
ing more safe and advantageous in 
their issue than those that had since 
been adopted; and which had 
plunged our settlements in perpe- 
tual brails and dangers. He re- 
resented the present war there as 
eading to all manner of difficul- 
ties. He condemned that war as 
ill-founded and aggressive on our 
part, and resulting from a breach 
of the treaties made with Tippoo. 
He strongly reprobated the facility 
with which large subsidies had been 
advanced to the Mahrattas; who, 
after receiving them, acted with 
the most notorious negligence. In- 
to the hands of those predatory 
people, we had improvidently com- 
mitted ourselves, and were become 
the instruments of their desultory 
warfare: which consisted chiefly in 
plundering. Such were theallies who 
Vor. XXXIV. 
[129 
were to assist us against Tippoo ; 
who had in the mean time offered 
us terms of peace, which he now 
required; and which would, hesaid, 
fully elucidate all those matters. 
Mr. Francis entered copiously 
into this subject. He testified equal 
disapprobation and surprise at the 
denial of the papers necessary for 
the investigation of the Indian af- 
fairs, on the ground of leading to 
discussions. Without the papers, 
no real knowledge of the subject 
could be obtained; and without 
discussion, no proper judgment 
could be formed by the public, 
who had the clearest right to be 
informed of what was passing in 
India. The charges of the war in 
that country, and the conduct of 
the people in our alliance, were 
points of indispensable knowledge 
and investigation. To deny the 
papers relative to either of these, 
was to acknowledge that they 
would not bear investigation. 
Mr. Dundas, in reply to Mr. 
Francis, insisted that the producing 
of papers relative to India, must 
often be dangerous, from the sinis- 
ter interpretations which might be 
put on the discussions to which they 
gave rise, by the princes and chiefs 
in India, to whom, when reported, 
they might wear an appearance ve- 
ry different from their scope and 
meaning. He assented, however, 
to the demand of the papers. 
When the papers had been suffi- 
ciently examined by those who 
required them, Major Maitland, on 
the 15th of March following, mov- 
ed several resolutions on the Indian 
war, tending to reprobate it as 
unjustifiable, and as the result of a 
design planned, previously to any 
occasion for hostilities, for the utter 
{K] destruction 
