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of the court that the name of the person ought to be erased from the sheriff's book, or that such a material alteration should be made in the entry thereof in the said book, as would have excused the party from attending in obedience to the summons.

(18) The sheriff and clerk of the crown shall not be answerable for any casual errors; but for wilful omission, false insertion or description, or vexatious summoning, they shall be punishable as for a contempt.

PARLIAMENT.

On the 16th March Mr. Williams Wynn obtained leave to bring in a bill for the appointment of parties as writers to India, although they may not have passed four terms at the College, as required by the 53d Geo. III. cap. 155. The same was passed into an act on the 26th May, the provisions of which were to continue for the term of three years from that date. Vide WRITERS.

Permission was likewise given for the introduction of another bill, in order to remove doubts as to the payment of allowances of officers dying whilst absent from India. The same was passed into an act on the 26th May. Vide page 613 of the Analysis.

1826. Writers.

India.

In the same month Mr. Wynn also brought in the JURIES Juries in IN INDIA bill, which passed into a law on the 5th May. Vide Juries.

In the month of April another bill relating to the Company, viz. the East-India Naval Force bill, was brought in, to provide for the payment by the Company of any additional expense incurred on account of any naval force sent out to India on the requisition of the Court of Directors: it was passed into an act the 7th Geo. IV. cap. 52.

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ingham.

On the 9th May Lord John Russell presented a petition Mr. Buckfrom Mr. J. S. Buckingham, in which that gentleman detailed the circumstances of his case, and represented the hardships and sufferings which he had experienced. He stated that his appeals for redress had hitherto been ineffectual; and he therefore implored the House to take his case into consideration, and grant him such relief as they might see fit. Lord John Russell stated that his original intention was to have moved that the "petition be laid on the table, but in consequence of what had fallen in the course of the discussion, he moved to refer it to a Select Committee, which motion was carried by a majority of

forty

1826.

Mr. Buckingham.

Burmese
Treaty.

Notice of

Thanks to

forty-three to forty. On the 11th, when Lord John Russell moved that the Committee be empowered to send for persons, papers, and records, Mr. Williams Wynn said that with great propriety he might move that the order made on the 9th instant be rescinded, upon the ground that there had been no notice of the motion which the noble Lord had carried: he however abandoned the intention, because the case was one in which an individual complained of having suffered great hardship. After observations from several members as to the regularity and fairness of the course which had been adopted, the names of Mr. Abercromby and Sir Charles Forbes were added to the Committee on the motion of Lord John Russell; when Mr. Wynn moved that Mr. Stuart, Colonel Baillie, Mr. W. Peel, Sir E. H. East, Mr. Ross, Lord G. Somerset, Mr. Wellesley, and Col. Lushington, be added to the Committee. This proceeding called forth some observations from Lord John Russell, who contended that it was not fair to introduce the names of a number of persons who had either places under the crown, or who were connected with the East-India Company; and remarked, "that the right hon. gentleman's ancestor, Mr. Speaker Williams, did he preside in the chair, would be ashamed of a Committee thus partially selected."

Mr. PEEL observed, that Mr. Speaker Williams would rather be ashamed of the manner in which the Committee had been selected on Tuesday, than of the addition proposed to be made to it.

The names proposed by Mr. Williams Wynn were then added to the Committee. In pursuance of an order of the Committee a large collection of papers, comprising the whole of the proceedings which had taken place on Mr. Buckingham's case, were prepared, and forwarded from the IndiaHouse on the 18th May. Parliament was dissolved on the 31st of that month.

On the 4th November the treaty of peace with the Burmese government was presented to the house, and ordered to lie on the table.

On the 27th November Mr. Williams Wynn gave notice the Indian of his intention, after the holidays, to submit motions of thanks to the army in India, for their services in Ava and at Bhurtpore.

Army.

On

1827. Petition from the

of Bristol

On the 21st March a petition from the merchants of Bristol was presented, representing the distressed state of the several branches of the commercial and manufacturing interests, and Merchants praying that the house would consider the propriety of rendering the commercial intercourse between this country and its dian Trade. eastern dependencies as unrestricted as that which subsists with the most favoured of its colonies.

On the 22d March Mr. Hume moved that there be laid before the House a copy of the report from Sir Edward Paget, the commander-in-chief, to the Governor-General in Council at Calcutta, respecting the mutiny at Barrackpore, and the measures adopted to suppress it. The motion was negatived by 176 to 44.

as to In

Barrack

pore

Mutiny.

of the Revenue

On the 7th May 1827, accounts of the revenues and charges Accounts in India from 1822-3, also of the territorial debt owing by the Company, were presented to the House.

and

Charges.

On the 8th May the House of Commons voted thanks to the Thanks to forces employed against Bhurtpore and in Ava.

the Army.

India.

On the 10th May further revenue accounts were presented. On the 15th May Mr. Wolryche Whitmore, in pursuance Trade with of the notice given by him, moved for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the trade between Great Britain and India. Mr. Whitmore had incidentally entered upon the subject on a former occasion, when he introduced a proposition for an equalization of the rate of duty on East and West-India sugars. On the present occasion he entered into a comprehensive view of the general commercial advantages which he conceived was to be derived from an extension of the trade of this country with India. The motion was seconded by Mr. Slaney.

In the course of the discussion considerable stress was laid, by other members, upon the expediency of repealing the high duty on East-India sugar. Mr. Huskisson, in expressing his conviction that the objects contemplated by Mr. Whitmore would be best attained by abstaining at present from an inquiry, which would be more beneficial at a future period, admitted that it was the interest and duty of a commercial country like this, to endeavour to open new channels and to afford new increased facilities to those that were already open :

but

1827.

India.

but it was its duty likewise, in giving encouragement to indiviTrade with dual enterprize and to new commercial speculations, to be cautious not to sanction any measure which might endanger or destroy established interests and rising institutions, especially institutions of our own creation, connected with our interests and specially entitled to our protection. It would readily be allowed that all extensive changes were attended with great difficulty, and should be proceeded in with circumspection and a due regard to other general interests already widely established, and that therefore whatever new measures or new systems were introduced, they should be regulated in such a manner as that, in endeavouring to effect improvements for some, no sacrifice of essential import should be required from others. Mr. Williams Wynn hoped, that as measures had latterly been taken with relation to the subjects adverted to, the motion would be withdrawn. Under an assurance that the subject was one which would receive due consideration at the hands of the right hon. gentleman, Mr. Whitmore withdrew his motion. On the 15th, 21st, and 30th, various petitions were presented West-India to the House for equalizing the duties on East and West-India produce.

Duties on

East and

Produce.

Papers as to Suttees.

Revenue Accounts.

Appeals.

Motion to

prevent

Suttees.

Landed Property in

India.

On the 17th May, copies and extracts of various proceedings relative to the burning of widows on the funeral pile of their husbands were presented to the House, in pursuance of an order of the 21st February last.

On the 25th May the annual East-India revenue accounts were produced.

On the 2d June a return of all colonial or plantation and East-India appeals, and all appeals lodged between 1st January and 31st December in each year since 1814, disposed of and undisposed of, was laid before the House of Commons. Papers as to slavery were also presented to the House.

On the 4th June Mr. Fowell Buxton gave notice of a motion for the 18th, to prevent the immolation of Hindoo widows.

On the 21st June Mr. Fergusson submitted a motion regarding landed property in India, which owing to the late period of the session was withdrawn. It was brought forward in June 1828, and passed into a law on the 27th of that month. Vide REAL ESTATE.

On

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