HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



chiefs had been reduced to submis- 

 sion, drew their attention to the 

 bther war, which broke out imme- 

 diately, or soon after, with another 

 Mahratta inferior chief, of the name 

 of Ilolkar. Though it was proba- 

 ble that this chief had before this 

 been reduced by the same force that 

 had subdued the greatest powers of 

 the Mahratta empire, yet, as he held 

 it to b(! of importance to the safety 

 <)f our possessions in India that a 

 faithful communication of all trans- 

 actions in India should be regularly 

 laid before parliament, and as this 

 inconsiderable chieftain Holkarhad, 

 in this pett}' war, surrounded AVith 

 his cavalry and cu£ to pieces a whole 

 detachment of ours, consisting of 

 two complete companies of scapoys, 

 some cannon, and fifty European 

 artillery men ; he should move that 

 there be laid before this house, co- 

 pies, or extracts, of all letters or 

 Correspondence, received from India 

 since the last session of parliiiment, 

 relative to hostilities between the 

 British government and a Mahratta 

 chief, called Jeswunt Rao Ilolkar, 

 and the causes thereof, as far as 

 may be consistent with the public 

 service, and with the ^ood {".lith due 

 to persons from whom secret intelli- 

 gence may have been received. The 

 motion vvas agreed to. 



The house of conimons on the 

 23d. of January, voted that 120,000 

 men, including 30,000 marines, be 

 granted for the service of the navy, 

 for the year 1805, and a suni not 

 exceeding 2.886,000/. for the pay of 

 ihc said men, at the rate of 1 /. i7«. 

 per man ; a: sum of 2,904,000/. for 

 tictualling, &:c. at the rate of 1/. 18$. 

 per man ; and 4,6"80 000/. for vveaY 

 *nd tear, &c. of shipping. In an- 

 swer to a cj[uestion from Mr. John- 



stone, on the same day, the number 

 of men now actually employed in the 

 Jiavy was stated to be about 107 

 or 108,000. 



For several days after this, the 

 business of the session proceeded ini 

 the ordinary course, without ^ny 

 debate of importance having takea 

 place. Several votes were passed 

 for supplies and public services, and 

 a variety of motions made fOr diifer- 

 cnt papers which were productive 

 of no more than conversations. On 

 the 24th of January the chartcellor 

 of the exchequer presented to the 

 house of commons, by bis majesty's 

 command, the papers relative to 

 the discussion with Spain, in 1803 

 and 1804, and also a paper entitled 

 " A declaration, dated Downing 

 " Street, the 24fh of January, 

 " 1805."* 



On the 4tlt of February, the Se- 

 cretary at War having moved ^he 

 army estimates of the year, being 

 12,395,490/. 7s. 6d. for 312,046 

 men, under the different heads of 

 service, r>Ir. Francis, observing that 

 there was a charge for 20,145 

 men in India, wished to know whe- 

 ther these were Europeans indepen- 

 dant of the company, and whether 

 the regiments composing the aggre- 

 gate number were really complete. 

 He did not think the number of 

 Europeans in India could be more 

 than 8 or 9000 men. The Secretary 

 at War replied, that the troops were 

 inde.pcndant of the company, and 

 the regiments, as well as he under- 

 stood, complete, and far above 

 the numbers stated by the honoura- 

 ble gentleman. 



Colonel Calcraffc objected to the 

 enormous charge for general oflicers, 

 amounting to 212 in number, un- 

 paralleled in the history of the 



B 4 country 



* Vide State Papers, p. 608. 



