The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-06-23 00:00:00

f R f I '. I P; ' I, i 0 '., . ~t~- 'read at length ew not. The Diredort neither aimed at, or intended, any concealment. They would be governed entirely by the will of the Court ; but the only mode of ascertaining what their will \vas, would be to move a question, that the paper • he read at length, and let the majority decide it. . Mr. IMPLY said, be differed from tha lion.. Chairman both as to the principle and the general pra.ffice of the proceeding, which he had stated. Every Honourable Proprietotr had- an undoubted tight to have the particulars ,of any , paper read, *which they required, and it was, he believed, never Ilefore heard of in anti' assembly, either legislative or • "t i smvigh , that the Chairman or President refused it 44b be read, or endeavoured to throw difficulties in the way of its being read. , Mr. CHARLES GRAFT (a Direltor) rose to explain Vie nature of the proceeding, as he conceived it to be; and thought that the only proper way of deciding ueon it was, by taking the sense of the Court, whether the paper should be read at length or not ? A Proprietor said, if it was true, as hat been contended for, that every Proprietor could call for any voluminous paper to be read at length that lie pleated, it would be in the power of any individual Proprietor, as often as he thought proper, to harrass die General Cour , and keep it sitting whole days, listening to the re dine of papers that no•other Member of the Ci urt desire I to hear read. The good sense of the matter he thought lay in die mode ear proceeding suggested by the lionoura'nle Chair . tneu, which would be to settle the matter in a short Wa y at once. Mr. JOHNSTONE said, the question was a question between the l)ireetors behind the bar and the Proprietors, whether the paper should be read or not ? As to any Proprietor starting a vexatious proceeding, and trying to harress and mispend the . time of the Court, lay calling fur long papers • uselessly to be read, he had no idea that such a praCtice was likelrto be adopted, as the General Court were always masters of their own proceedings, and had it in their power to prevent ally proceeding of which they did not approve; but it certainly was unusual to refuse any Proprietor the satiataition of hearing any material paper read. - Mr, Roe it said, he did not mean to give un necessary tioulde ; he would be satisfied with the Chairman's declaring what the sum total of the debt was. Mr. Roasters (a Direetor) said, dint the Hondur •sible Gentleman (Mr. Henchman) was mistaken, as to any idea thet the affairs of the Compnny were less prosperous than the former accounts stated them to be. From all that he knew, and from the dispatches and papers which had been received from India since the former accounts were presented, he was confirmed in believing that those accounts were correa. Mr. Twinitin said, that it was impossible for any, Gentleman to co It et from a single paper what was the real amount, either of the Indian Debt, or any other matter connefted with India. It must depend upon an examination of - nil du relative papers, that a correct opinion could be formed; and therefore he thought the Hon. Proprietor below him could.neither satisfy his own object, or procure any useful infor mation, if the single paper he had called for, were read. Mr. Twining said more time was lost in disputing about the order of the proceeding, than would he occupied in reading the longest paper in thewbole collection. • The CHAIRMAN said, the General Court had better hear the opinion of the Learned Gentleman their Learned Adviser, Mr. Adam. • Mr. ADAM said, that the usual mode of taking the advice of Gentlemen of his profession was, to state a case and desire his advice. In t'c present case be had no difficulty in stating wha: Ole mode. of preeeeding in the Legislative Asserr.baes was and be could not better illustrate it thane referring to the present instance. Papers, under the direetiert of ar. repress Act of Parliament, were direCted to be laid before the General Court. Their titles were read in manifestation of the Aft of Parliament hav ieg Seen complied with ; and, as a proef of their re cetp:, that was the sole vbjeft of their being read sheet : bat those pipers might be fully discussed in a meeting constituted for that purpose. He con , ceived that the General Court then sitting, was not constituted for the purpose of discussing the items sC the papers, but merely for the receipt- of them, and the-efore the reading them short, answered the only end to be considered as the business of the day, viz. the proof that they' were laid before the Court. Mr. Tepee said, be lied the highest• respell for the Learn e d Gentleman, 'and tle 'rule of Law and Order, that he had laid down ; but he must con tend, that this General Court, was a Court consti tuted for the purpose - of discussing the state of the Company's i affairs, and k was most monstrous and absurd to say, that if the papers were to be laid before them, it was fit to canvass and discuss their contents. To refuse it, was, he said, to oppose the undoubted right of the Proprietors, and to make them wholly dependent on the will and caprice of the leireekors. The CHAIRMAN said, it had been stated by an Hon. Proprietor, that it was a question between the Directors and the General Court, whether the paper should be read or not ? lie begged leave to say, it "Ott no such thing. It lee whoity with the Prom ie • tors to determine whether the paper should be mad or not ? It was perfectly indifferent to him, which eler way the Court decided ; but he would read two fi° the Bye-Laws, which, to his conviction, clearly proved, that the object of the Quarterly General Meeting in March, and that of the present Quarterly Meeting, were distinct and different. The Chairman reed the two Bye-Laws, and it appeared that there were a few a words, which followed the Bye-Laws, applied to the Quarterly Meeting in March, and which were nor to be found in that, relative to the Quarterly Meeting in June, and which might bear the construction, that the one was to be a Court of deliSeration upon the subject of meeting, and the latter not necessarily so. Captain Stet v said, if hetvas to have the honour of sitting in the Chair, he should put a' short issue to the ..Ltruour to have the' paper read, and say No. More vitiversation took place. Mr. ROE K said, he wanted merely to know the • weal melee& of the Indian Debt, and would not trouble the Court with asking to have the paper read at lerigrh, Mr. H I melt at AN said, he conceived that the mo tion we; waved. He rose, therefore, to assure the lien. Chaisitteit. that he had no keention to imp= to l.iiri, or 'any of dr. 1)Ire.101N a design to misre. present cheats:meet of the Company's iffeirs; but h. ro.o.ulleueol that he bad made *rowel eireerratishni Amami/ eniseiee . .. _. r ter: , . en Nett In Hon: Vroprietor eras eteittacitie that he had done en the papers produced in the G March last, which he then'thuught erroiltotts. in Mr. Tavern an Injury, and took this Mean . of inak having then expressed himself to that purpose, any ing him . a reparation , like the surgeon in c eap more than now, did he moan to impute tiny blame , who was reported . , It Lit h to are broken the heads the to the Diredots ? The very name 'of the papers passengers by his tesidence, merely for the satisfac was a sufficient apology for any inaccuracy which tion of giving totems plaistet. Sir Theophilus observations, and mielit be afterwards discovered. They `were called. added other }Achy and p ert i nent o • said he should make no motion, but having express estimates, and every body knew that an estimate was not to be regarded as an accurate statement, ed his sentiments,. leave i• to the Court to dispose of because it did found itself on data, capable of proof. the motion as the Court should think proper. In those estimates, in particular, the debt, if he re- A Profnietor said, he should certainly oppose the collected rightly, was there stated at about seven- motion, On the principles stated by the Hon. Barn teen millions, or seventeen and a half. Whereas, in. net who had just sat down, were it not, that it had the Papers laid before Parliament, it was stated at been declared by the Hon. Proprietor, who made upwards of twenty millions. He wished, therefore, the motion, that the private fortune of Mr. Tatem to put a question to the Honourable Chairman, and was imeeted to the furnishin c him with those corn that was, if by the advices received from India since • forts which he had been in the habits of enjoying, larch last, any information was received, which and which a man of his advanced years ought to induced him or the Diredors to think, that the state enjoy. He begged it to be understood, that on that of the affairs of the Company were in worse sitter- ground, and that alone, he should support the Lion now, than they appeared to them, from the ad- motion. vices received in March last ? Mr. IMPLY said, he must oppose the motion The CHAIRMAN said, most certainly he could not upon principle . . 'fire Hon e Gentleman had said, eolith any thing from the advices received from In- that 'he had taken pains e that if the motion die since March last, that induced him to imagine were agreed' to, it should form no precedent ; that the Company's affairs in India were in a less but it was not in the. power of the lion. Pro. prosperous condition than they appeared to be by aieter nor of the whole Court to prevent its este the advices received up to the Quarterly General blishing a precedent. He bad himself, Mr. Inipey Court in Mardi last. _ said, voted for two pensions, but they were for The Court then proceeded to the next object of rent, antient, and acknowledged services . One to their attention, the proceeding on the Letter of navenave tvi r. Hastings for having' rendered the Company the Proprietors, stating, that they l rneent to propose very important service of breaking one of the most A PENSION OF THREE HUNDRED A YEAR TO powerful confederacies of native and European (FORGE TATEM, ESQ. powers, that even was known to be in hostility The letter was read, and then against the Company's interests. The other pension Mr. TWINING rose and said, he should have oc- was to Lord Wellesley, for having destroyed the casiun to take up but little of the time of the Court, 1 bitterest, and most implacable foe that ever the Corn and he should divide what he had to , say into two i parry were opposed by in India. These were parts ; the one to apologize for having taken upon undeniably, •in both instances, great and important himself to call upon the generosity of the Court, on ' service.; a but:what was the case here ? The Hon. this. occasion ; and the other to urge some Arita- , Proprietor has not even stated the particulars of Mr. menus in justification of the motion with which he •Pittem's private fortuile, and he says, he forbears to should conclude. For his men part, he had felt ie .do that, because he would not wound the Hon. Es to be his duty, before he would consent to put his ' Dirt:aces private feelings. Are the feelings of name to the paper, which had been j ust read, to Mr. Tatem more delicate dein those of Mr. Hastings. make himself' perfeal y master of the fad, whether In his case the. whole of his fortune and his affairs Mr. 'Paten was deserving of the pension he meant were exposed to examination and comment I He to propose, and most of all, whether the granting • could not consistent with his duty, agree to establish a of that pension would fortis a precedent for future 'precedent, which teaches every Direetor, who lost his call upon t he liberality, and thence lead to_ a lavish , ei , , ection, to come -cryino• to the Proprietors for a expenditure of tire Company's property. In the . pension. It would also ;died the freedom of election, first place, he begged leave to state, that he had because Proptietors would say, " 1-must take care not the honour of a personal acquaintance with Mr. I -how I oppose such a- Diredor, for if he loses his Tatem, but after a full enquiry he learns, that .he vlectien, he -will come to the Company for a was a perfectly honorable and honest plan, and pensien." As to the-sum of three hundred pound s had ,been - for many years. a very • diugent and qt . year, . compared with the wealth of the East India faithful servant of the Company in his official :Companee, iowas a mere drop of watee in a bu c ket ; situation of one of their Direaors. Having but it w a s the . dangerous precedent which he should satisfied himself in these particulate, he. had feel himself bound to oppose. consented to bring the motion forward, and lie was the more inclined to do so, because he was • Mi-• Hcecitsren said, he must oppose the motion, fully satisfied, that if the pension were granted, it because ne specification had been given what the na could not be construed as a precedent. It now only tide of Me. latent's distress was. He had himself remained for him to say, thet Mr. Tatem eiaving endeavoured to remove Mr. Tatem, not from mo been for a great number of years in the Direction, tives of ill-will, but because he thought he was unfit having in April last lost his eleetion, found hie pri- for the situation, and that a enan of gre a ter abiliti es vete fortune insufficient to afford him those comforts should hive been in the Direction. Had he enjoyed which he had seen in the habit of enjoying all his •.bater health, he should have been able to exert him life, and that he actually stood in need-of the 'assist- self' still -more than he had done for that purpose. ante, which the pension in question would adminis- Mr. Henchman said, he wished to know from what ter. Mr. 'I willing said, in order to, avoid distress- fund pensions to Dire fors were paid. They never ell; the feelings of the Hon. Ex-Direetor's ft lends, appeared in the accounts. •He recollected two pen es well as wouuding those of the Hon. gentlemen sions that had been granted to Diredors some years himself, he would refrain from going more into ago ; one to Sir George Colebrook, and another to detail upon that delicate pan of the subjud._ a relation of the Hon. Chairnian. He - knew not He thought the meritorious and faithful sew. from what fund those pensions were paid. He be vices of Mr. Tatem, as a gentleman, who had lieved from what was called the Poplar fund (It been many years in their service as a Director, ems laid from Wad the har .‘ only half of thrm,") a taken into consideration, together with the insuffi• fund to which he understood every Director gave his ciency of his income and his greatly advanced first year's income as a Director. years, would serve as an adequate apology for the Sir Teteopeieus •Mete•erz. rose to explain— motion he was about to make. ',eying in his iformerly it was usual for every*Direetor to give his - claim, thereftire, to speak again, if any thing should 'first year's salary to the Poplar fund, but that had fall item other Proprietors, which might render not fur some some years been generally followed. any explanation from him necessary, he would Neither was the contributions to that fund ever move, " that as annuity el 3001. be granted during meant as a fund to provide pensions for Directors. life, to George Tatem, Esq. to commence from the Mr. HENCHMAN resumed his speech. He repro. sth of April last." bated the pradice of the Dii eaors every year to re- A Proprietor rose and seconded the motion, de- elect themselves, by recommending the six Ex-Di daring, that he knew Mr. Tatem well ;he knew rectors to the Proprietors, who had gone out the pre him to be deserving the liberality of the General ceding year. They had recommended Mr. Tatem, Court, and could answer for the accuracy and truth though the Proprietors, it was clear from the event of of every syllable, which Mr. Twining had uttered. the election, differed in opinion from them. So epi- Mr. E. Kemal. x ruse also to state, that he was un- deistic and catching was the Directors influence, that trilling to give any countenance to such a motion, he saw a Gentleman facing him (Mr. Adair Jack till be was fully assured that Mr. Tatem was every son) who had professed the most independent prin via v .deserving the generosity of the Company. ciples while a Proprietor, who had not been in the Sir Toeopuit.us NI ETC AI. F (late a Director) rose Direction three days before his name appeared and said, that he felt himself obliged to oppose the with his brother Directors, at the bottom of the ad motioe, not from any doubt of Mr. Tatem being an vertisement, recommending Mr. Tatem as a fit honourable and holiest man ;he had lived in into- man to be a Director. (This raised a general' laugh -1 macy with him for upwards of fourteen years, and in the court.) Mr. Henchman made a variety of knew him to be a most honourable and honest man ; other strong observations in support of his opposi but private feelings, however painful the effort, tion to the motion, but rested his principal objection I must give way to a sense of duty. Were the on their not having brought forward any specifica- i subject to be confined to the narrowed view, tion of what Mr. Tatem's private fortune. was ; a tin which the worthy and respeetable Propric- thing unprecedented in that Court when a pension tor who made the motion, had placed it, viz. the was applied for. consideration of the number of Years,Mr. Tatem had Mr. TWINING rose to reply, but confined him been in the Diredion, and the insufficiency of his self chiefly to what had fallen from Sir Theophilus. privatefortnne to procure him those comforts, which Metcalfe. That lion. Ex-Director, he observed, a man so far advanced in years ought to enjoy— had said, he had been principally instrumental in no man living could object to it ; but the application excluding Mr. Tatem from the Diredion. He was must be considered in a more extensive li;lit ;it must not ashamed of the part he had taken, of seating a be recollected, that it would form a dangerous pre- Gentleman of great integrity and abilities in Mr. cedent—that it would affect the freedom of the Elec. Tatem's place. He had done so on principles of tin of the Direr ors, and naturally rouse the je..- public duty, but he could not allow it to be said, lousy of the public, by giving them to think, that that he had made the present motion as a reparation the Directors were ready enough to consent to give for the injury he had done Mr. Tatem. If he had pensions to those who had been of their own body- d one any man a personal injury, he was willing and Honourable poverty ter t ainly was a disgrace to no able to atonelOr it, and -he begged the Court to un man ; and every individual, however aeltient at one es eerstand, that he was too proud to call upon them time of his life, Was liable to experience 'the reverses to cure any injury which he might have inflided on of fortune ; but it did not become a great Company, an individual. As to the motion, if it was agreed j like the East-India Company, prodigelly to lavish to, forming a precedent, he denied e but if a case pre their wealth on such applicattops as the present. It cisely the same with Mr. Tatem's, who was upwards was to be hoped, that their Diroislors were indepentle of SU years of age, were to occur, his opinion was eat men, because, from independence atone, could that the Court ought to 2a, as he now called upon independent principles be expeded. The Dire or ' them to ad respecting Mr. Tatem. who was not independent, might be unable to resist • The Ow RM AK said, before he put the question, the tett temptations that presented themselves. H e he wished to explain a matter to which the Hon. ne, ran', with the Apothecary in Romeo and :Juliet, Gentleman, who spoke last but one had referred, 4 , Iv v pove ray, and not my will, contents and it ~t r viz. with regard to the pensions that had been grant would-have a very awkWard apesearatiee, in the public ed to gir George C,olebrooke, and a relation of his, eye, if it appeared that a precedent was established, M r. Richard Bosauquet. Those pens i ons were that every Direetor, who lost his eleetion, was to granted long before be had any connexion with the expel a pension - adequate to the sum he received East India Company. One half them was paid ft . r his services, 'while in the Diroitinn: He Won- out of the Poplar fund, and considering that for dered not at the lion. Proprietor making such a nearly forty years, it bad been• the custom for every motion. Report said, that he had been chierly in- • Ditedor to contribute his first year's inconre as a stsumental in seating another Gt.:Om:lb la the Di- Direaiir to that fund, he thought there was no Teak*, in, the place of Adr...Tatgat. .I'oll4l 411 0 -ground for complaint. . . • . , • . • - . . .: • _ . • - I ~* .••. .. ' --• . 4..: . , ..;1 . ... -,.. ' .• -..• . .7..'.., ••: • ' 3< On the question being ptit, It was cirtled by a great maprity. A short conversacion took place respening a Bill on thi tuhjea of the Docks, in which the East In dia nit-Mors appeared to be concerned. Mr. H. thought the Bill ought to be laid before the Court; The CHAIRMAN said, the Direetors were only concerned in it as individuals and not as DireEtors. Adjourned at near Three o'clock. Last Night of the C,oinpany's Performing this Season. THEATRE-ROTAL, COVENT-GARDEN. Tills EVENING will be prevented (the Forty-eighth Time) a New Comely, in Five AC r is, called JOHN BULL; Or, an ENGLISIINIAN'i VIRE-SIDE. With New Dresses, &c. The Principal Characieri by Mr. Lewis, Mr. Sidilons, Mr. Fawcett, Mr Johnstone, Mr. 11. Johnston, Mr. Blanchard, Mr. Emery Mr. Waddy, Mr. Beverly, Mr. Tlionspe,mi Mr. Klanert. Waddy, Mrs. Davenport, and M. IL:Johnston. • - With a Lyrk-ai Epilog**, by Mr. Johmtone. Teo which will be added, the Far-e of THE LYING VALET. - - - Sharp, Mr. MuidLn; (;.iyless, Mr Claremont ; Justice Guttiu, Mr. Waddy. THEZFR.R,Rorza, H.ArmARKET. THIS EVENING will be presented a Comedy in Throe Ads, THE GUILD OF NATURE. Duke Murcia, Mr. Whaitou • Marquis Aluan za , M r , Archer • Count ‘'alantia, Mr. Dc damp. Marchiones s Merida, Mrs. GOodall ; Amanthis, Miss Grimaiii, (from the Theatre- Royal, Bath, being her First Appearance on this Stage.) After which, the Musical Entertaintailit of THE FLITCH OF BACON. Major Benbow, Mr. Hatton ; Justice Benbow, Mr. Chap. man. Eliza, Mrs. Atkins. To which will 'he added, the I.ast New Farce of THE SIXTY-THIRD LETTER. Sir Wilful Positive, Mr. Wharton ; Sidney, Mr. De Camp. Miss Metaphor, Mrs. Ward ; Lydia, Mrs. Atkins. THE BRITISH PRESS. LON DON, THURSDAY, JUNE 23. The menace of invasion has been hitherto treated too lightly. We arc happy to find that the public at length consider it an object of serious considera tion. Confidence is an unfortunate quality, and dan ger is never so formidable as when it is despised. An invasion would no doubt produce a very great shock ; bUt admitting every disadvantage short of its complete success, we shall not regret the attempt uhenever.it comes, We speak thus confidently be cause we believe that Government have long ex peeled it, and have prepared accordingly. The Troops now stationed in the county of Kent amount to 26,060 men ; arid yet these only include Regiments of the Line and Militia. The Yea manry of the county, as reviewed last year by his MAJESTY, amounted to 5,000, of whom only 1,60cr are now embodied. The residue, however, are still in existence ; an efficient disciplined force in - - case of necessity. The army now in Kent may, there fore, be estimated at 30,000 men. The county of Essex, being considered a more likely point of at tack, is still more effedually provided for. ..,. Yesterday, about 12 o'clock, her MAJESTY and the PRINCESSES arrived at the Queen's House from NVindsor.,. where they met His Royal Highness the DUKE of GLOUCESTER, who had been waiting the arrival of her MAJC6TY. His Royal. Highness re.. mained some time with her MAJESTY. About three o'clock her MAJEcTY and the Pim crs.ms left the Queen's,.Hotte for Kew. Lord IlcrcitiNsoN is appointed irceqd in com mand to Sir JAM es Pc LTEXEY. The attempt upoa Fermi takes precedence of the conquest of Egypt. The three Regiments-Of Foot Guards will be re viewed by the Field Marshal His Rola' Highness the Duke of YORK, this day in,Hyde Park. The remaining part of Lord Wrivrwoirr a's suite at Paris, being fourteen in number, of his domestics, all arrived yesterday morning, with a great part of his baggage, at Dorset-house, Whitehall. The report of the safe return to Brest and Roche fort of five sail of the line of the French West India fleet deserves little credit. Such an escape would be one of the most splendid triumphs of the French fleet, and the Pa: is papers of the 18th take no notice of it. An attack is apprehended upon the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, or at least upon the latter, in consequence of which five frigates sailed on Tues day from Portsmouth for that station, and several more ships of war are under orders. It was re ported yesterday, that an 'attack had been adually made ; but the rumour was generally considered destitute of foundation. A French national brig, of .20 guns, from Marti.. nique, has been sent into Plymouth, by his Majesty's ships Dragon and Endymion. Lord Kevin, Admirals RowLsy and THORN BOROUGH, now at Sheerness, by their tonciliating conduct, strong exertions and example, are calling forth the adive energies of all descriptions of per sons, and in the most happy and effedual manner are rousing them to a due sense of the danger with ..which the country is threatened. The following Proprietors were yesterday appoint , ed at the East India House, a Committee to inspect the Bye Laws.—.l. J. ANGERSTEIN, WM. DREIII, HALFORD, ROBERT HUNTER, GEORGE WIL••• SON, GEORGE SAMUEL WEOG, Esqrs. and Sir Ittli.• RY STRACHEV, Bart. . It appears that the amount of the Poor Rates for the Parish of St James's is 21,000). per annum ; and yet the number of paupers is only between boo and 700, at a weekly allowance for each of 3s. tid. The . Gentlemen intending to contras for the Lot. tery waited on the Minister yesterday morning pup-. suant to appointment. The Lottery Office Keepers,: the Stock Exchange, and the Bankers had all agreed to bid the same pnce,Atirre pee n& and eiyhtisence per ticket, which was Accepted. They said, that in the present state of affairs, the risk was considered too great to admit of its being taken by a part of their , Interests, and that on that account they had • deter. minted to take it'betwcen them. Mr. Appse/on professed himself perfectly satisfied with the offer. • • . • • •• rta' V 9k;