LON 
rns.rqnls’s conduit, the houfe divided : for the motion, 31; 
for the previous queftion, 182.—Sir John Anftruther then 
moved, “That it appeared to that houfe, that the marquis 
of Wellefley, in his arrangements in the province of Oude, 
was actuated by an ardent zeal for the fervice of his coun¬ 
try, and an ardent defire to promote the fafety, interells, 
and profperity, of the Britifh empire in India.” On this 
motion the houfe divided: for the motion, 1S9; againft 
it 29. 
Notwithstanding this decifion of the houfe, the fame 
queftion was again brought forward, in another fhape, on 
the 3ill of March, by lord Archibald Hamilton, who 
moved a feries of refolutions; the purport of the la ft of 
which was, “That it appeared to the houfe, that the Bri¬ 
tilh government was bound in honour to reconfider and 
revife the treaty of 1801, with the nabob of Oude, with a 
view to an arrangement more favourable to the nabob.” 
A fliort debate enfued ; and, on a division, there appeared, 
for the refolution 20, againft it 80. 
A queftion of a fimilar nature was again brought before 
the houfe on the 17th of May.—Sir Thomas Turton moved 
his promifed refolutions, refpedting the depofition of the 
nabob of the Carnatic. He had every difpofition to think 
well of the politics of the marquis of Wellefley, who had 
been educated in the fame f'chool with Mr. Pitt, and had 
for fome time followed his Reps; but, at the lame time, 
he had no hefitation to declare, that, if he was guilty of 
the adds detailed in the papers before them, he was a molt 
improper mini Iter for this country. When fir Thomas 
came into parliament, he found the Carnatic-queftion (till 
floating; and did every thing in his power to induce fome 
other member to bring it forward, preferring to be the fe- 
ccnder rather than the mover. No choice, however, was 
left him. The gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) to whom he 
had particularly looked, had found himfelf, after the 
change of the miniftry, in circumftances that prevented his 
urging the queftion, as it might have greatly embarrafled 
thofe with whom he added. He had.no doubt, however, 
but that gentleman was convinced, that he had juft 
grounds for what he had done in the bufinefs. The ba¬ 
ronet then gave a brief hiftorical view of the progrefs of 
the company’s interference with the Carnatic, from the 
beginning of the war that ended in 1754, when they fup- 
"ported one candidate foijthe niufnud, in oppofition to an¬ 
other fupported by the French, down to the treaty of 
1796, with Omdut ul Omrah, by which the payment of a 
certain kift was fecured to the company. That treaty 
continued till the death of Omdut ul Omrah in 1801, 
when thofe difgraceful t ran faction s' commenced which the 
gentleman oppofite (Mr. Sheridan) had not coloured more 
ftrongly than they deferved. Sir Thomas, having alfo 
painted them in glowing colours, concluded with moving 
a feries of refolutions, containing a recital of facts rela¬ 
tive to the aflumption of the Carnatic, reprobating the 
depofition of the nabob, and declaring, that the Britilh 
parliament will never countenance an act of injuftice and 
oppreffion in India; and ftating the propriety of appoint¬ 
ing a committee, to inquire into the beft means of indem¬ 
nifying the family of Mahomed Ali, and of enfuring tlie 
fafety of our Indian polleflions. 
A very long debate enfued, which was continued by 
adjournment to the ift of June. The defence of lord 
Wellefley, made with great ability and eloquence by Co- 
Jonel Allan, Mr. Lufhington, and-Mr. Wallace, confifted 
chiefly of three points: That the nabob was not an inde¬ 
pendent prince, but our vaflal; that the government of 
the Carnatic was badly managed ; and that a treasonable 
correfpondence had been carried on by Wallajah and Om¬ 
dut ul Omrah, with our enemies. All the refolutions 
moved by fir Thomas Turton were negatived by vaft ma¬ 
jorities. The Iioufe having divided on the 4th refolu¬ 
tion, direffly criminating the conduct of the marquis of 
Wellefley, the numbers for the refolution were ayes 15, 
.iroes 124. 
Mr. Wallace faid, that, after the complete defeat which 
V ol . XIII. No. 808. 
DOR 175 
the caufe of the honourable baronet had fuftained, he 
might well forbear movingany refolution of approbation} 
for what approbation could be ftronger, than that tefti- 
fied by the majorities with which the refolutions had been 
rejected ? but he would read the refolution with which he 
intended to clofe the bufinefs. “Refolved, that it is the 
opinion of this houfe, that the marquis of Wellefley and 
lord Clive, in their conduit relative to the Carnatic, were 
influenced folely by an anxious zeal and folicitude to pro¬ 
mote the permanent fecurity, welfare, and profperity, of 
the Britifh poflefiions in India.” Which refolution was, 
of courfe, agreed to. 
The following article will fhow how much original 
MSS and records are valued in this country. The Lanf- 
down library of manuferipts was purchafed by parliament 
for the Britifh Mufeum, at an average of the valuation 
made by three parties, being 4925I. Mr. Pianta, the prin¬ 
cipal librarian of the Mufeum,.ellimated their value in 
the following manner: 
Burleigh and Cecil papers, 120 lots, at 10I. per lot £izo © 
Sir Julius Ccefar’s papers, 50 vols. at col. per vol. 500 
27 volumes of original Regilters of Abbeys, at 10I. 270 
150 volumes, at 5I. - - - - 7 5® 
985 ditto, at 2I. - - 1970 
40 Numbers of Royal Letters, at 5I. - 200 
Eight volumes of Chinefe Drawings, at 10I. - 8© 
=£497® 
Our merchants having been fo unfuccefsful in their fpe- 
culationsof trade to Buenos Ayres and the Brafils, (fee p. 
164, 170.) and the ports of Europe being nearly all fhut 
againft us, Mr. Perceval thought fit to hold out a lure t® 
moneyed men, to employ a part of their funded ftock in 
the way of life-annuities, the principal to go towards pay¬ 
ing the national debt as the lives fliould fall. Mr. Perceval 
opened his plan in a committee of the whole houfe on 
the 12th of May. He began by obferving, that the ope¬ 
ration of the finking fund had recently very much increafed. 
the price of flocks. There was every reafon to believe, 
that, by the continuance of that operation, they would 
Hill further increale in price. It was not to be doubted, 
that, if the meafure were confiftent with public faith, it 
would be extremely defirable to give the nation an oppor¬ 
tunity of difeharging the whole of the national debt at the 
prefent price of the flocks, becaufe that would preclude the 
effect which any future advance in the price mull have 
in retarding the operation of the finking fund. There 
were two objects which the finking fund had in view : the 
one to provide for the final redemption of the national 
debt; the other to keep up the price of Hocks in the mar¬ 
ket, fo as to enable government, whenever the exigencies 
of the ftate might require it, to make an advantageous 
loan for the public. Thefe objects, however, were in 
fome degree inconfiftent. In fome degree they counter¬ 
acted each other. Whatever meafure railed the funds, 
and thus enabled government to borrow on the beft terms, 
prevented the commiflioners for the reduction of the na~ 
tional debt from reducing that debt on the beft terms. 
Now the meafure propofed would combine both thefe ob¬ 
jects. It would tend to increale the price of flocks, and 
it would at the fame time fecure the redemption, at a low 
price, of fo much ftock as might be transferred antece¬ 
dently to the rife produced. Every perfon who transfer¬ 
red his ltock to the commiflioners would be entitled to 
fuch an annuity as would be equivalent to the value of 
the flock and of his life; the calculation proceeding ora 
the principle that the fum which he would otherwife 
have received as interefl, the additional fum granted as 
an annuity, and the compound interefl on the whole, would 
redeem the fum originally transferred, within the period 
to which his life will be calculated as likely to extend. 
A great deal of converlation enfued about the principle 
aiui mode of calculating the value of lives, and the pro¬ 
bable rife or fall of flocks; and apprehenfions were enter¬ 
tained by fome of the members, that the price of the funds* 
Y y inftead 
