Star. — London, England, 1806-07-09 00:00:00

I ever, Lord Cornwallis was recommended to fuper- Cede Sir George Barlow, the Court of Directors gave no oppolition, and he himfelf readily gave way to the appointment of the Noble Marquis. Sir George Barlow received Marquis Cornwallis with open arms, • becaufe he knew that his appointtnent was made merely on public grounds, and for the public good; but when it thould appear that an appointment was made from other motives, it cannot be expected that it would be acquieiced info cheerfolly. Sir George Barlow moR readily joined in all the plans introduced by Marquis Cornwallis, both for fecuring the tran quillity of India, and for the retrenchments that were to be made in the expenditure. Its (peaking on that (object, I beg that I may not be conflicted as giving any epinion on the condua of a Noble Marquis (Lord Wellefley) which is now the fubjta of conver lotion. If, upon the appointment of Sir George Bar low, there was much joy and exultation, th it joy was quite foppreffed, when, in tea little days after that ap pointment, Gavel 'intent intimated their with to have him recalled. If this were done capricioufly, and with out fufficielit reafon, Miniders were much to blame ; but, if it were done merely for the purpoie of feizing the patronage of India, it was much worfe—it was a i dicta violation of the fpirit and the meaning of the all of Parliament. I have heard it, however, furmifed, that in the original recommendation of Sir Gorge Barlow, the Government never deceived the Court of Directors, but that they told them at that time, that the appointment was merely temporary, and liable to be changed. This appointment, however, which failed but ten days, would not enable him to do' any good, while the luddennefs of his recal mull he felt by him as a mortification and difgrace. It would have been • a very different thing to have left him in a fobordinate fituation, from what it was to appoint him Governor General, and then recal him, after he had been only ten days appointed. It certainly appeared like feme difgrace, or as if, its the courfe of the ten days, Mini kes had found out fornething in his condua that rendered him unworthy of their confidence. The reafons would not be confined to the Cabinets of Downing-flreet or of Leadenhall-greet, but it would be reported through the metropolis, and the report would reach to India, that Sir George Barlow, in whom they had been accuflomed to repofe great confidence, was found unworthy to retain the Govern ment of India. I fhould therefore now wilh that the correfpondence on the fubjea between the Direaors and the Board of Controul fhould be laid before the Houle. It cannot be Paid to be a fecret ; not only the twenty-four Directors, but their children, their wives, their daughters, and their fervants, mutt all of them be acquainted with the nature of this correfpondence. —As I have no official documents to gn on, and am obliged to refl upon reports, I mull Rate, that it is alto reported, that the principal reafon for recalling Sir George_ Barlow is, that it is the fyltem of the prefentAdminiftration, that none but men of rank in this country thould ever be appointed to the titillatian of Governor General in India. I do not know hom this doctrine will be relifhed by the Gentlemen in India, who have fpcot the greater part of their lbw in the fervice of the Company in that country, but I think it never can be taken as a general rule of con- duel. It the Governor General thould die in India, it mull neceffarily follow, that he fhould be fucceeded in the Government by the Senior of the Supreme Council. This perfon mull, of courfe, exercile the office of Governor General, until time fhould elapfe fufficient to ttanimit the news of filch deceafe to this country, and until a fuccefror fbould be *dually appointed. It therefore appears, that on the death of a Governor General, it happens of neeeffity that the Se nior of the Supreme Council will have that fituation for a year. It will, however, be necefrary, that the Company's fet vantsin India may know to what extent his Majefly's Miniticrs think that confidence may be repofed in them. It would be right that they fhould know what fituations they might afpire to, and what fituations they thould be for ever debarred from. It &cold be to!cl them at once,that the whole career that was open to them was this,thatfrom writers they might get tobeFaiftors,and from that to be junior Merchants, Senior Merchants, and Colleftors of the Salt Duties, and art lye to all the other lucrative fituations of the country, but that they mull not, in any cafe, hope to attain to the honours of Governor General, to which tome, who had paffed their live; in the fervice of the Company, in the burning climate of India, might hope to afpire. I myfelf, my Lords, have often heard the private opinions of the Directors of the EaR India Company, upon the fubjea of appoint ing none but men of great family and high rank to the Government of India. They have always thought, that a perfon of this delciiption, who was really dip tinguithed for talents, and the qualities to be delired, would be of all men the moll proper, as he would ar. rive in India free from thole partialities in favour of particular fervants of the Company, which might in terfere with the right adminittration of the country. It would, however, appear very grange in the ears of Lord Teignmouth, Sir Charles Daly, and many other fervants of the Company, who had held the bigheß fituations in India, 'o tell them, that, by the modern fytlem, it was difcovered, that perfons of their defeription coght not to have been placed in the highell fituations, arid that, if they had beets in India in modern times, they could have no preten lions to filch dillinfii n. This would be, indeed, grange mufic to their cars. Upon all thefe grounds, I conceive, I am warranted in (toting, that prima facie, it is a inert extraordinary thing, that blinitters thould have conceived theniftives warranted in exercifing the power of rec.', which a claute in the Ad of Parliament yelled in his M.rjehy. I thould with to learn from the N, ble Secretor y (Lord Grenville), whether the Inßrument, under the Sign Manual, for recalling Sir George was ever fent to Irdia ? I apprehend, that from I: , e repeal of the Corn. million, there is now no exiiting Government in India; and] cannot conceive in w h at manner the Court of Dirceli.rs are to pri , ceed In Fla up tire vacancies in the Supreme Council in India. It the initrument of recat has remained for two months in the pocket of the Noble Secretary, how arc the Court of Directors to make out their warrant 1 It muff alto be con liderL d in what irritation the temporary Gorernment that fo!..titls in India if placed. Although the trea ties may be concluded, the negotiations and the con- Sequences of them may not yet beat an end. There were probably (Lill leniaining many things which acre molt important in the execution. By the tees. ties which Lord Cornwallis was on the point of tic* ,cogitating, the river Jstmnah was to be ..se wen.. boundary of the Britifh poll - awns in India. Lord Cornwallis had fent to General Lake jolts tiaions to fix that river as the boundary of that part of the conqu.....ed countries which the Company meant to retain. There was, however, a aloft extenfive dif trift of the conquered countries refpetling which the treaty, which was lately publifhed, was entirely filent. Whatever might be the chfpofition of them, H.lkar and Scindiah had no right to complain; but as Marquis Cornwallis had rcrviunced the occupation of them, it would be a matter of the molt ferious moment how they were to be difpofed of. They mull be referved for fume one of the native P. mines ; but, until it was afcertained to which of th:fe they were to be given, India could never be confidered in a fettled hate of tranquillity. Under thefe circum fiances, I declare molt folemnly, that if the perfon appointed to the Government of India were my bro ther, or my neareft and cleared friend, I fliould de precate his appointment at the prefent time. The Court of Diredors did not infill upon the appoint ment of Sir G. Barlow, in any other light than as a temporary meafure, in confideration of the circum. fiances of the prefent time. If therefore the perfon who fhould be appointed would confent to delay for fix months the gratification of his ambition, I make no doubt but he would meet with no oppolition from the Court of Direetors. If he fhould,however,ge out now, and raifehis rank upon theunmeritzd difgrace of Sir G. Barlow,he mull feel thathegoes out with the difrefped and ill will of the Court of Direaors, and he mull midi. der how be is likely to be received in India ? He mull confider what effect the do trine will produce there, that none but men of rank and title can ever hope to attain the highefl offices in India. I can venture to foretel that with the degradation of Sir George Bar low, a (*croon' who has their hearts and their confi dence, all the fervants of the Company of India will feel themfelves degraded. I repeat again, that if my brother or my nearefi friend were going to India un der thcfe cireumtlances,l fhould endeavour to diffuade him from going. I fhould tell him, that even the flip pcntof the Board of Controul would not balance the difgna with which his appointment would be received by the Court of Direeors, and the fervants of the Company in general. I fhould therefore moll fin cerely recommend to whoever may be appointed, to defer for fix months the gratification of what may be a very laudable ambition t at the expiration of that time I have little doubt but that he may go to India with the pedal acquiefeence of the Court of Direc tors, and the good will of their fervent' in India. I have nothing more to add at prefent, and Hull coo elude with moving, t 11, For copies of all letters and difpatches from the Governor General of India to the Court of Dirdlors, rafpeffing the finances of the Company, and the retrenchments propotcd to be made ; and when that motion is difpofed of, I (hall move for copies of the correfpondence between the Board of Controul and the Court of Direflors, their Chaitman, and Deputy Chairman, refpeeing the recal of Sir George Barlow from his fituation as Go. tremor General. _ _ tociatuli he wetter* Lord GRENVILLE raid, it was nnneceffary for him to enter into any argument as to the impropriety of laying before the Houle confidential communica tions relative to the rtcent treaties and meafures in contemplation in India, when the only teafonalledged for their produCtion was, that, in the opinion of the perfon who urged it, there was Come reafon for alarm on account of the fituatitin of Wits ; that there was Come ground to apprehend danger. He trained their Lordfhips 'you'd not confider this a fufficient reafon for the produttion of fuch confidential communica tions. An the contraty, before fuch papers were or dered to be produced, Come parliamentary ground ought to be laid ; fame fpecial reafons, evidently well founded, ought to be urged. None fueh were to be found in the Noble Lord's fpeech, and it was only towards the eoncluflon that any praflical propofition was made : and this, after the Noble Vifcount had deprecated, in the firongeft terms, the continuance ' of a merely temporary Government in India, was nothing lefs than that this Government, from the* exilic= of which he had predifted fo much evil, fliould be Rill further continued for fix months. With refpeft to the motion relative to the correfpondence between the Board of Controul and the Court of Di reftors, he could not conceive for a moment, that their Lordthips would fanaion the produ6inn of con fidential correfpondence, which muft, from the na ture of the cafe, turn upon the perfunal charafter and fitnefs of individuals. If fuch a precedent was efiablifhed, it would be impufiible for the Govern ment of India to be carried on. Could it be en dured with refpeft to the Government of this coun try, that confidential communications relative to the fitnefs of individuals for any office or intereft fhoold be laid before Parliament. No Government could go on if loch were the cafe. The At of 1784, whe ther wifely or unwif:ly he would not now argue, had eflablilhed A fyllena of checks and controul with re lpeft to the adminiftration of the affairs of India, by which two bodies aged independently of each other, but each having a check upon the other. The right of appointment was veiled in the Court of Direftors, but the right of recalling the Governor General, or any of the Officers in India,was veiled in the Govern ment. Was it to be argued, that the right was vetted in Government without the means of judging of the expediency of exercifiug it, and yet the argument of the Noble ViCcount went to this died ? He relied himfelf upon the law, not according to the fanciful interpretation put upon it by the Noble Vifcounr, but according to the terms of the law itfelf, as clearly and plainly exprelfed, arid if it was not intended by that law to give to the Government the right of re calling the Governor General, or any of the Officers civil and military in India ; then the Legiflature who patted it had entrapped thole who had now aged under it, by a (pecks of fraud. Minifters had acted according to the terms of the law, and by the law they would be judged. The Noble Vifcount had ap pealed to him as to the intentions of thofe who framed that Aft, and he had a clear• and dillina recnlle&ion of the progrefs through Parliament of that Aft, pro ducing as it did an important era in his life, which had impreffed it on hi; memory. He dittinetly re membered that the chief ground of oppofition to the very claufe in queflion was, that it gave an unlimit ed right of meal to Government ; fo clearly was it afcertained at the time, that fuch was the intent and operation of the claufe. It was not to be argued, that becaufe the right of appointment vetted in one body and the right of renal in another, that therefore Wy might a& in eonsiesiedipporition to each Piller. I This argument might equally be applied to the Con- Ritution of this country, where the Crown had the right of appointment to offices, and Parliament the right of addreiling the King to priy the removal of perfons fo appointed. It might equally be applied to the two Hordes of Parliament, and it might be Paid that if they refilled to a& in concert, boffin& could not go on, and yet the Conllitutiun of this country had gone on for many hundred years with out any of thefe obflacles arifing. The Noble Vii count had affitmed that which he (Lord Grenville). utterly ditclaimed, that Sir George Barlow had been recalled for the purpofe of forcing another Governor General on the Eall India Company. He admitted that to recal a Governor General with a view to any private purpofe would be a violation of the fpirit of the At I but he utterly difelaimed that any fuch motive had in the prefent inftance aUuated his Ma. Minillcrs. The right of Fecal relied with Go. vcrnment by the terms of the AU, and that right confequently became an important duty to be exer cifed by Minitlers in their advice to his Moiety us. der great refponfibility. In the ezercife of that duty many important confideratione muff come under re view, and it mull not be forgotten bow important • part of the Britifh empire our pareffion in India. formed. How nearly their profperity was conncUed with that of this couutry, and how important it was that thefe poffeffions lbotild be governed wjth ability. • That a correfpondence thould take plate betwes Minillers and the Court of Directors relpeaing the fitnefs and unfitnefs of individual, was a perfectly na tural refult from their refpedlive fituatioas and their refpeitive duties ; and Purely from the Noble Lord, of all others, was lean to be expelled any objeflion to the praUice of recommending to the Court of Di reaors perfons judged fit to govern in India. From the time the A& paffed till the year t eica, no Gover. nor had been fent out to Bengal or to Madras who had not been recommended by the Noble Lord.— That praftice had been condoned to the prerent time, and furely would not be objefted to now. He did not mean to blame the Noble Lord for that praftice; if there was any blame he was ready to toke his (hare of it. The Noble Lord had fpoken of a de termination on the part of Minillers to fend out only men of rank from this country as Governor', to India. The advantages to be derived from fending out men of rank and talent from this country to India, who were free from any partialities which might be fuppofed to alloate the fervants of the Company, and who Goe additional weight and confidence to the Briiifh vernment in India, were obvious. This, however, was no new determination; on the contrary, it was one which had been repeatedly afted upon : thus, the Marquis Wellefley, the Earl of Buckingham &ire' the Marquis Cornwallis ' and other men of rank and ability bad been fent thither, all of whom had materially benefited the Britifb interefis in In dia. In the prefent cafe it was a matter of public notoriety, notvrithflanding the affurnption of the Noble Lord, that no attempt had been made to force a Governor General upon the Eall India Com pany ; but that the direa contrary was the cafe.— Two individnals had been recommended, both of whom were high In the confidence of Government both of whom were men of rank in this country, and of diflingnifbed ability and talent. They had however thefe difadvantages in the eyes of the Noble Lord, that they were not fervants of the Company, and that they were not recommended by that Nohle Lord himfelf. The Noble Lord had doubted that any in timation had been made to the Court of Direftors, at the time of recommending Sir George Barlow, that it wasnot intended to retain him in the fituation of Governor General; bqt the raft was, that fuch an intimation was made at that time. Sir Geotge Barlow was. in a fimilar fituation at the depar ture of the Marquis Weltefley, and until the arrival of the Marquis Cornwallis ; but then he had bees previoufly appointed provifionally Governor Gene ral, in the event of the death or departure of the Marquis Wellefley. By a culpable neglea, howe ver, on the part of the late Adminiftratico, no loch • provifion was made on fending to India the Marquis Cornwallis ; and though it was evident to every one who knew that Noble Lord, how much his health was impaired previoua to his felting out ; and -though it was fcarcely fuppofed, from the enfeebled Hate of his conftitution, that he could live to arrive in India, .yet no provifional appointment was made of a Go vernor General to aft in cafe of that melan choly event happening, which was forefeen by every 'one. Thus it was, that within twenty four hours after Minillers had killed his Majefty's hand on receir iog their appointmentr„ they received two molt af (Ming pieces of intelligence ; the firfi, the death of the Marquis Cornwallis, and lhe other, that, through the negleCt of their predeceffors, then, was aftually no Governor General in India. Sir George Barlow fucceeded of comic, as the fecond in Council, but without thole powers which were fo neceffary to the Britith Government in India, and which could only veil in a Governor General. Thus fituated, not an hour was to be 101 l in appointing a Governor Gene ral, but to nominate one in whom they could place entire confidence, and on whole ability and talent they could rely, was a work of deliberation. Nothing elle, therefore, could be done at that moment, than to appoint S:r George Barlow Governor General pro tempore, and the appointment was difpatched with every panic expedition to India. The appoint ment, however, was not intended to be permanent. and it was fo intimated. He did not mean to ar raign the condufl of Sir George Barlow; that Gen tleman, on the contrary, had his etteem for the aaive co-operation which he afforded to the meafures of Lord Wellefley, during the brilliant and glorious Go vernment of that Nobleman. In his judgment, the Government of the Marquis Wellefl e y a dd e d ludre to the Britlfh name, and was molt advantageous to the Britifh interelis in India. Some perfnns had arraign. ed the rondo& of that Nobleman with great feverity; he did not mean to cenfure them for holding fuch an opinion, but, at the fame time, he claimed the right °I forming an opinion himfcit—that opinion he had exprefred, and to that he adhered. NVith reipee to the mai of Sir Geroge Berh.w, their Lordfhips might imagine reatims which would render fuch a meafure neceff try : Ile lhotild not fate the reafon, which induced it. The Noble Lord had contended in efFeet that no Governor Geoeral ought to be recal led, unlela for criminality in his own cunduft, but had contrntiieled this by his omn argument. The Noble Lord bad put Cuppclci c fcs ut the Court of - - . Directors in hoftility with Government appointing the Archbifhop of Canterbury, and afterwards the Chief fildice of England. Suppoling fuch cafes to exift, what motives would operate in the recal of thofe per. fonages, certainly not criminality in their conduft, but motives of policy and expediency. Such motives mud always operate in dictating the recal of a Go vernor General of India ; filch motives midi operate in the appointment of bis fuccefor, whilft Minifters executed the duty impofed upon them by the Ad, under the rerponfibility of their fituations. There were Come parts of the Noble Lord's fpeech, which, unintentionally no doubt, tended in died to weaken the cordial so.eperation which ought to rubfift be tween Government and the Court of Directors ; and other parts of his fpeech, which, doubtlefs without in tention on his part, tended to weaken the confidence of the native powers in India, in the Britifii Govern. runt. Upon there, however, ie (Could make no other comment. The Noble Lord had eftablinted no ground for granting the papers which he had moved for,nor could he conceive that their Lordltrips would trent to propofitions of loch a nature. That a confidential correfpoodence between Government and the Court of Directors, neceffarily involving . a difcuffion of the perfonal charaders and qualifications of individuals, fhould be made the fubjed of public difcuffion in that Houk, was a propofition to which he was convinced their Lordfhips would never agree, nor did it appear that the flighted benefit could be derived from any part of the public dikuffion which the Noble Lord urged to be necefary. With this view of the fubjeft, he mutt . f courfe decidedly objed to the produftion of the papers moved fer by the Noble Lord. Lord H-AWKESBURY fupported the motion of the Noble Vifcount. He did not fo, however, folely on the ground of the recal of Sir G. Barlow, but from the circumftance, that aot more than ten days had intervened between the time of his appointment and that of his recal. Lord MINTO Sheaved that no detriment to the affairs of the Company could *rife from this circum- Ranee. the ope Government exiling whole and en tire till another was appointed in its place. Lord ELDON fupported the Motion, while he at the fame time admitted, that no comnaiffion or war rant in favour of any Governor or other Officer could begin to operate till it arrived in India. The Earl of BUCKINGHAMSHIRE recalled to ttherecolleftionof the NobleVifc3unt the period when, during his Adminiftration, the Noble Earl, then Lord Hobart, had been Governor of Madras. As fuch be might have been confidered as one of the Com pany's Servants, but .he prefumed to think, that though removed by the Noble Vitcount. he did con tinue, and would have continued to do his duty till a fuccefor was appointed to him. Lord MELVILLE juflified himfelf from the. charge made upon, him by the Noble Earl, and at ferted that in recommending perfons to the office of Governor General of India, he had always been in. &termed in cis choice by a regard for the interefts of the Company. He recommended fometimes from the Company's fetvants, fometimes from eminent perfons at home, according to his ideas of their ca pability of promoting the interells of the Company. Knitters might refute him the papers he required, but it was impollible the fublance of the correfpon dence between the Dircaors and the Board of Cori trout Ihuald always remain concealed ; it would tranfpire at Come time.. He bad his futpicions, and if any thing Should hereafter occur to jullify them. he would tike an opportunity of fubmitting them tp the Houle. He would conclude what he Fad to fa} by one plain queition. For what purpofe was the warran.t fox vacating the appointment of Governor General kept in the pocket of a Noble Lord, except to influence the Directors in their choice of a fue ceffiq ! Lntd ELLENBOROUGH maintained, that war. rants were not ordinarily given, for the purple of being immediately put in cremation. He ifluttrated this petition by referring to the commidlon under which he acted in a neighbouring country, and to the appointment of Lords Lieutenant of Ireland. The latter were often'accuttomed to receive their appoint ments, and to take the oaths of office many weeks before they,a6led uhds-- them. Lord REDESDALE confidered the Al which gave rife to the preterit debate, to be au improvident esercife of the power which is veiled is his Majelly's Minitlers. _ The LORD CHANCELLOR left the Woolink, and etpreffed his furprife at the violent Strain that had been adopted. The former objection was, that an interregnum stifled, the preterit okieetion lay againtt the Means that had been retorted to to prevent that igterregnuin. (Hear bear!) The conttru4lion put upon the flame by the Noble Lords who fup ported the motion, inßead of tending to the fecurity of oar diflant Government, teemed only to perplex men's minds, and was founded on a quibble. The King had unqueftionahly the power of recalling a Go vernor General ; but the appointment was vetted, for good purpofes, in the Great Corporation. The war rant of recal was to be communicated to the Court of Directors in eight days, and here was an interregnum without any objection being made to it. The Direc tors had two months to appoint another, a (pace of interregnum to which no objection was made ; and yet the Government in that cafe mull be contemplat. ing the event of the appointment of a fuccelTor. It was moll defirable that the Governor going out thould carry with him the order for the recal of the former one. He had encoded to the Noble Vifcount throughout, and tl•ought that he nibbled at the pre rogative given to his hlajetly by the Aft. 11t judg ing of the meaning of the Ad, it ought to be collected from its obvious import, and not by lubllituting quibbles for the fair corillrußiun of the Ad. (Hear, bear To underfland the Al, the Noble and Learned Lord Should confider the fpirit of it ; to look at the time when his Majelty got the prerogative, and at the time when he had it not ; to regard the Refo lutiun of the Houk of Commons upon which it was founded. It was rather too late to read Such leaures in that Houle—Otter, /,.2r !) His Majefly's advifers were undoubtedly retponlible for the curdle of this prerogative as well as every other. But it did not follow, becaufe they thought fit to advde his Mikity to remove any officer, fuppofe to take the feels from him, that they ought to lay the grounds upon which they ailed before that Houle, ur that the Houle could call for them. Many things had been Stared in the coarfe of the night of a dangerous tendency. In :drawing the character of Sir George Barlow, the