The Sun. — London, England, 1812-03-26 00:00:00

Evni,i - Hottag, yesterday a Quarterly Genera) Court was held at the East ludi.i licuse, mde spuci:d for the pnr.. Pose of lavi!ig before the' Proprietors the communi eations which have taken place between his Ala- Jesty's Govtrinnent and the Court of eaors, re sPeding the renewal ol,the Company's Charter. • 'A Ballot hat,'ing been fixed to d,-tertnine the una nitnous Resolution of tie lihe6torS, acquitting the totnrnaudet, Otficets, and o,vntrs of the Ceylon, froto all impination of nt-gls4:it or miscondua, in re spet to her capture, and the other loans concluded, The CHAIJAMANT (Mr. BOSANQUET), opened the bu-riness of the Chao er, by arluaiteing the -Pro- Ptietors, that in order -to prevent. their attention rrom beng,extrauee I Iry tae reading of too many lateerS, the Deputy Ch .3a ; l and himself had care fully selected those docarneets best calculated to embrace the substance of the negociation—theY had also anticipated - wh it they presumed would . be the Wish their cons ituents by or during the papers (now to. be read) to be - prieted, which papers would be ready for delivery in the course of the succeed ing day. The CHAIRMAN then observed, that a task had de volved upon him, which it W 35 Iris duty to attempt, however inadequate he aright feel his abilities to be for the performance of this duly. When he con --sidered the ~n eat ititereits, as well national as relating immediately to the Company , inch are concerned 'w the prese'nt instance, he retee be contideet indeed, if he did not feel this cli Fklen. e ; but he relied von 'that indulgence which he had often experienced for involunt'ary„errors and imperfeetions. The existenca of 1 the East India COmpany exhibited perhaps one of the Most extraordinary phehoinena which has appeared in _the world. That a Company of Private Merchants, - rising from small beginnings, should ultimately have raised themselves in such importance in the world, as not only to give la:a , to the greatest part of the penin sula of India, but to have completely conquered all the Dutch, French, and other European possessions, rn the large calla, se of country which extends from the Cape of Good Hope to the China Seas, and by these Coequeso deprived the enemies of this country of the resources they would have drawn from them— would, it the fail had riot been beforp our eyes, have bt•en consideredi to be almost impossible. But it Would have appeared a stilt more extraordinary cir turnserece, if a Company of Merchants, possessing only a v a ry limited capital, and enjoying no advantage over their fellow-subjeats except an exclusive trade, and even that in latter times opened to the public in a certain degree, should ,have performed these thicgs, out of, and without the smallest expense to that public, of which they form a pare. Ne let-tireless this had been alone by the East India camaany, and _when these - circumstances are Jolly . weighed and considered, he should think it hardly Possible, that the servants of the Company, civil and ' military, through whom these things have been dane, Should tail of receiving that tribute of thanks which they hare so justly acquired at the hands of a just ' 1 (1 generous public. When in the year 1793, the Charter of the East India Company was last renewed, the srate of the CoMpany's alThirs was, as he con , eeived,a's follaws : the Mtnister,who then conducted the affairs.of India, without solicitation, thought it list, a .d proposed that the old Proprietors of East Judi ; Stock should receive an increase of dividend of tau per cent. and a half per cent. was afterwards added to this dividend, not as an increase of in • terest out of the general funds of the Company, but payable out of a fund which the Minister admit • led that if they had chosen so to do, they would have been entitled to divide at once among themsalves. A sum of 500,0001. , per ann. was next set, apart for the grade +l l:quidation of the debts of the Company, and - if any surpiusarose after this, it was as far as 500,0n01. to go to the public. Bet it never was in the most distant manner in cnntemplation, that if war or other Casualties prevented the receipt of this surplus, that the Company were in any way to be accountable to the - public for it. He 'thought he might fairly appeal to the -recolleBion of those whom - he had the honour of addressing, what has been the state Of Arms in Europe and in India. Since that period, an almost uninterrupted state of war, and a con sequent pressure upon the finances of the country, and of • the East India Company, it would have been extraordinary indeed it some partial incon- Vemence: bad riot been occasioned to both ; and if, while entire kingdoms have almost been erased front the list of independent nations, the Company or the public should not even have suffered tempo rary embarrassment. It would only, perhaps be at pre sent wasting the time of the Court, were he to dwell Upon the various occurrences which have taken place 1114 since that period. The fall of Seringapa tali, the removal from the service of the Nizain of a boar of French troops, really to join the standard of the firs( invader of the country—the almost entire destrudion - ofScardia—of tire Raja of Berar and tiolkar's power—the successive conquests of Ceylon, of the French islands of Mauritius and .liourbon, of Java, and tine Molucca Islands.-- tut the Court would feel at once, that it was - impossible for the East - India Company to conqueia or even to hold when conquered, these various possessions, without a %cry considerable disburse ineirt, and, at 'the same time, to carry on a trade equal in outlay to the whole of their capital in stock and in bonds. Ica fact, a large debt was of neces sity created in India, and as the money ra as wanted in very critical moments, it was raised upon very • high fates crest, at six, at ten, some even as high as twelve per cent. He thought he might vevure to state with confidence, that had the rate of interest been moderate, say only from five to six per cent. -.llse difference paid by the Company be tween that and the interest actually - incurred, • would have lett their Treasury with a very inconsi derable burthen of debt upon it, and would have enabled the Company to pour, even at this moment its dired contribution into tire Exchequer of the . State; but during wars, and rumours of wars, it was Impossible for the Company to avoid this ruinous • pressUre, occasioned by this heavy weight of interest upon their affairs. As soon as the moment of peace . a rived, and the periods for which the money was raised expired Lord Minto seized the circumstances that presented themselves with avidity, and having first provided thetreasuries with bullion amounting to more r hot 10,000,0001. sterling, his Lordship gave the • holders of these loans the opthin of having their loans discharged in India, transfern d, successively, to a loan at 8 per cant. interest, and then to 6 per cent. or of having the loans, conformably with their orlOtal . , lerrii fratiarerreA to Europe. Whet hermerliaps, t hese operations 'were not performed with a little too much celerity—whether, perhaps, one might not • have wished some circuoistances attendiag .the alteration different from what they' were, he apprehended it was not necessary to stop and inquire—but he thought there could be no doubt of the zeal of the undertaking, vs bile the. pecuniary advantages to the Company, from the alteration, might be fdrly stated not to fall . short of him five to 600,0001. per, an:. aunt. A sum of fourteen millions of these 'leans was however sent for payment to this country, which payment the hdiders of the loans might call far if they pleased, of which six millions had been discharged, and a sum of six millions, payable at. various ,periods, in the coarse of about two years, still remains undischarged.. .He would ask w hether it be too _much for the Company to expect, that embarked as they have been, and even in many cases contrary to their inclinations, in enterprizes so much beyond their strength, they should receive the assistance of. Government to raise these sums so transferred from the Indian to the European Trea sury upon the most economical terms ? In ordinary times, the Company, he imagined, would not have wanted even this assistance. The Company ask no contribution whatever from the State ; they are ready to take the most efficacious means for the dis 7 charge of that interest which .may become an an nual charge upon them, and appropriate any sum that may be requited to the gradual extension of the capital. Was this too much for them to ask from the State? when out- of their Indiau Treasury they have already disbursed sums which render tie pub lic debtors to them to a considerable amount, and can • shew that the whole of a King's European Establishment has been charged to their account, with which the Crown has executed all, its dispers ed and extensive conquests—and :Vas this too much for the Company to ask, at the hands of t hat public who have already dealt out.to the. Company sod) a scanty, measure of justice upon the hat demands which they have made against them ? He forbore , o enter into a discussion of those conditions winch have been held ,out to the Cornaamy as a consi deration for this assistance, aad for a renewal of their other exclusive privileges, which he imagined it is equally the interest of the Pubic as of the Company not to put to an unnecessary hazard by a change that might bring great loss and ioconve , venience, but could hardly be expected to. pro duce real advantage. He forbore to expatiate, upon that extension of the trade with India, because this point must become the Matter of full erbaie hereafter. He trusted only in the mean while, that upon that future-inquiry it would be found that the Direacns had been true to, their oust, and only given way when opposition might be, perceived to .be of no avail and be hoped that every treason he addressed, would see that, for the COurt to have attempted to recommend their Constituents to proceed -to tie Legislature without something like . an .understandiraa with his Majesty's Government, would' have been an as of the ex tretnest folly ; in the mean time he trusted the pro prietors would permit • him to make an unreserved • declaration, that the fiat object Of his heart, -Ind of his solicitude, was t preserve the Empire obtained. in India to she Parent state, and to preserve his faith inviolate to the East India ,Company. It Was his next desire, ,tiaa of the exclusive trade with India must be ternoveu froa, tae hands of the Eno India Company, that it might pass l o co the ha ads of British ships, of Bintsh seamen, and Bruiser inte rests ; and though he was perhaps addteksing many persons whose immediate interests might he of a different description, be trusted that he was still ad dressing himself to British hearts ; that if peace• should ever happily return, this metroaoliS4 ill not ' exhibit the miserable speetacle of black aad ChineSe sailors, (flagged from a clunate only appropriate to their frames and constitutions, the pialutes of me lancholy and disease, whilst the mardy British sea men shall be standing at every door, but that either in the service of the Company, or of private Mer chants, these necessary supporters of the national greatness my find an adequate asylum, till they shall once more be called upon to exert, in the set vice of: their country, the charaderistic energy al , British- . seamen, to conquer or to fall. The Chair man con-; eluded by lamenting that the cause of the Company had not fallen into abler hands, and concluded by • moving, " That. the further consideration of the business be.ad jotyned till Thursday the ad of April.',' . After a few words from Mr. GEORGE JOHNSTONE and Mr. LOWNDES, the Court, which was extremely • crowded, adjourned lid next Thursday. • The coirespondence real on the above occasion was very voluminous. It commenced about • the year Ma, and ended on the e4ill inst. The Dr reBors, with a view to ascertain the sentiments of Government, had applied to Mr: Dundas, as the bead of the . Board of Controul, respecting the re newal of their Charter, urging, in their correspon•t• deuce, that delay might to be avoided. In the an swers received from Lord Melville, no pledge was given that Government would renew the Charter of the Company, on the principle of exclusive (lade. On the contrary, it was lepresented that it would be necessary that the coma any should consent to the establishment of a free trade to India, and on the military question, allow that the native troops em - - ployed by the East India Company should be at the disposal of the King's Government, before the sub ject could be submitted to the investigation of Par liament. The documents, containing the answers •of the Court of area - tors to the propositions corning from the Government, described in strong terms, that the expeelatioos entertained respeCting a free trade, would not be realized. The staple commo dities of this country were represented as unfit for, the inhabitants of India. The Mitch, Portuguese, and Americans, ,had proved by experience that only 'a small portion of European goods could be exported between the extent. from Pondi-• chery to the Grecian Archipelago. In short, that the trade, as It existed, was fur the general advan tage of England. With respect to the military ques tion, Government at last conceded that point, but in all the correspondence insisted on an open trade, subjea to restrictions and regulations. A few nights since the house of Mr. Walker, is Jubilee-place, Chelsea, was broke open and rob bed of several articles of Plate, jewellery, table, linen, wearing apparel, and other property, to a con, sideralAe aulount. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF PEERS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. HEARING' OF APPEALS. The LORD CHANCELLOR, previously to the ordi nary business of the day being entered upon, ad verted to the consideration Of then being before their Lordships.several Appeals, chiefly from Sol land, in which the formalities prescribed by the Standing Orders of the House, were far from being duly attended to. He therefore gave notice of his intention, on an early clay after the recess, to move their Lordships to take the subje& into considera tion, with a view of his proposing certain further Orders, Id which he referred, for the better regula tion of these proceedings. THE ROYAL ASSENT Was given by Commission to the Six Million Annuity Bill, the Irish Sugar Bounty, and to the Annual Indemnity Bills, together with a few others, of a private or kcal description. The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chan cellor, Eml Bathurst, and Lord Walsingbarn. The 11lls upon the table, chiefly of a private or local description, were forwarded in their respetive stages. The Members Oaths Bill was brought up from the Commons by _Mr. C. W. Wynne; as were a few Private and Return Bills, by Sir-4=os Graham and - other Gentlemen. Tbuse were severally read a first time. • On the first reading of the Members Oaths Bill The Earl of RADNOR said a few words in a very kw tone, seemingly indicative of his opinion of its being a measure worthy of their Lordships' atten tion, and of his wish to deliver his sentiments in a future wage of the Bill.—lt.was then'ordered to be printed. The LORD CHANCELLOR again addressed the House 'on the subject of the - Appeal' Cases before their Lordsh:p!; . , and movcd the Standing Order of (ha ; 3 ; 1 of March, 1697, be taken into consideration on the ,ccond day of the Rec , ss, with a view of pro s osing certain ulteriot regulations conneaed therewith, relative to the reception of, and proceed ings respeNing Appeal CanSeS. Eiii Gator intimated his intention of postponing the tnoiion which he adverted to yesterda•y, re peaing Bank of England notes, to an early day after the Recess, on account of the absence of a Noble Friend. • , Their Lordships then adjourned' (for the Easter Recess) until this day fortnight. HOUSE OF COMMONS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. The"Dcivy Usher of the Mack . Rod summoned the House to the Hoose of Peers, to hear the Royal Assent given, by CommiAion, to several Bills—tor which see Lords. Sir CHARLES PRICE presenter! . a Petition from the Conipany of Merchant TaylOrs, against the Clhiri tlL)le Donations' Bill.—Ordered to lie on the table till the third reading. Mr. HOUST6NN presented a Petition from the Lord Prov Magistrates and Common Council of ti , e City of Gias,ou., against the East India Mono poly.--Ordered lie on the Table. In tire ci - imtnittee on the Parish Register Bill, Mr. RosE stated the great inconvenience which resul , ed to the higher, the middle, and the lower ranks of s4,ciety, how 'ha irregularity w„h which toey had hitherto been kept. It was his objed by the present Bill, to, provide that in fu:ure they should be kept by the Cle , gymen of each parish, to whiun an allowance should be made for transcrib ing, &c. Atter a few words from Mr. Brown, who con curred ,warmly in the measure, the Report was agreed to, and on the House resuming, it was re ceived, and'ordered to be taken into further consi deration that day month. Lord Wellington's Annuity Bill, and the Woods and Forests Biil,-weie read a third time and.passed. MARGATE PIER BI LL. On the second reading of the Margate Pier Bill, Sit W. CURTIS objected to it as being a plan set on foot by certain individuals, to convert that work into a private property, on which account he moved to postpone it to that day six months. Mr. P..MOOltB said, that all the money granted for the completion of the Pier was gone from mis management,. and consequently the work was stop ped. There was. a' provision in the present; Bill for creating a joint stock company„ as tbe best means of conduaing it successfully ; • but as he,was hostile to such a provision, he would yOte for . the Hon. Bironet's Amendment if he pressed it to a division. Should the Atnendmeot be withdrawn, he would allow it to' go into CoMmittee for the - purpose of objedling theft: to the clause of which he com pia ned _ Mr. MARRIOTT said the Pier would be a great benefit to Margate, by enlarging the harbour, and. atfotding shelter to many .valuatile vessels. It was arso• neces-.dry to the protection of the town itself, and being much higher than the old one, was mit so li;,ble to be shook by the sca. The money,grant ed by Parliament was. not expended, for. it could not be raised, the terms on which they should bor row having been limited to five per cent. ton small a remuneration for money subject-msvich casualties. His objection, - therefore, was not io the principle of the Bill, btit to,the provision, which could be got rid of in the Committee, and he should ohjeet much as any man against any unfair advantage being taken of the inhabitants by a joint Stock Company. Sir E. KNATenouLL said they would have full power in the Committee to free the Bill from airy objectionable part. He wished to have. it discussed upon its real merits, and' did not pledge himself either to support or to oppose the clause alluded to. Sir W. CURTIS agreed to the second reading, with a view to oppose it in the Committee. The Bill was then read s second time. The Regent's Canal 13111 was read a third time, and pissed. Mr. PONSONBY moved for an account of the total value of Forged Notes preset - Iced tor payment irons' the Ist of January, 180 1, to the '2 Ist Of Decerritier, 181 I .—Ordered. He also moved for an account of the nrlmber of persops, prosecute,' for Forgery by the Bank of Eng bitti, fruit) 1110 litst sospQn4tott Qi cab paywcws an to the Ist of January, in tT4c; prosent Ordered. He also moved for an account of the persons pro. secuted for the same .erit - ne d ting the t 4 3 ears pre. ceding the su-pension, mid, on the suge:stion of Mr. i►anning, added a motion for an account of the titimber of persons proecti;ed for co , inteifeiting the current Coin and Bank toktns durin the same pe tiod.--,Ordered: In a Coromittw on the Pilots Bill, Mr. JAckSoN propos,ed 3 Clause, entprAverng the: Pilots w cruise withi , , et.riaiti exreat tri , rn Dover, WII , Ch was rtj , Hed divislort. Alter some fut:ller i;I::t 1 .1.5i6I1 1110 House resurn. ed. T', Report was rec.-!ived agre'-d to, anil the Bill was ordet:-d to be read a third time to,. morro‘9, BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.-ARREST OF MR. CAM On the motion of Mr. Er EN, Mr: Dann was callA to the b Ir, and examined by the Sp 4er. Mr. Dann starCd that be Was an Attorney, that in consequence of his orders; Hinson. the 'Sheriff's Officer, had been instruCled•to arr,-st ibl,. Carnp;)ell, that after the arrest, firtiesc!n cam:- to him with a. paper,, which he said, Campbell offered as his pro tettion from arrest ; that the paper sbewn to him by the clerk (the order of the ~Committee for Mr. Campbell's attendance as a witness) was that paper that he conceived it was a trick to facilitate escape ; that !leak) doubted, if iuthentic, whether it was an essential proteCtion, because Mr. Campbell was arrested, not in going to the Committee, but on his return hOme ; that the Committee was nor de scribed in the paper as a Committee of the House of Commons, and that the residence of Mr. Camp bell was not specified. The •witness Tathceeded at considerable length to state the motives upon which be had.aeled,' but he spoke in so low a tone of ,oice that we were unable to coned the tendency of his observations. Having withdrawn, Mr. EDEN said, that Mr. Dann's statement bad been so satisfadory, that he was sure the House would agree to his motion for discharging that .Gen dernan from any further attendance. Mr. Dann was accordingly discharged, as was also Hineson, the Sheriff's Officer. ARREST OF MR. PALMER. On the motion of Mr. EDEN, Mr. Palmer was called to the Bar, and examined by the Speaker. Mr. Palmer Mated that he wa4 ordered to attend " the Committee on Monday ; that he was arrested little after fOur in the afternoon of that dat, hav ing left the Colornittee a little before four ; that he lived a! Limehouse; that he was arrested in Black. friars . 11Pad, going to call on his bro.her-in-law, Mr. Campbell; that Grad, the Sheriff's Officer, arrest ed him ; that he showed Grace. the ()Tier for his attendance on the Committee; that Groee said he was obliged to take him, although he expressed no doubt of the authenticity of the order ; that he toll Grace he was goi ,, g back to the House of CQrnmons for a later &Om the Chairman .of the Committee ; that he had been instretted tfy.th , Committee to go to-Mr. Campbell, who was in custody in !he neigh bourhood of Blackfriats' Road, and to return to, t.he House, where he would find either the Chairman of the Committee or a note from him ; that while acting under these directions, and returning from Mr. Campbell, he was'arrested ; and that he had in vain stated all these circumstances to the officer. - The witness having hdrawn, - Mr. EDEN observed, that before he moved to call in (.4race, he would state to the - House the objett of the Committee, in sending Mr. Palmer to Mr. Campbell. During the examination of Mr. Palmet before the Committee, that Gentleman. recrived. formation, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Campbell, had been arrested on his way to attend the Commit. tee as a witness. They conceiving it to be their ditty, in maintenance of the privileges of Parliament, to bring the lad before the House, requested Mr. Palmer to go to Mr. Campbell, and to ptevent him from endeavouring to procure his discharge by . b;til. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, on this statement, was inclined to think that Mr. Pahnrq-, when arrested, could not be considered as a wit ness, -but as a Messenger, and doubted wi‘el her under - those circumstances he was entitled to pro te ion. Mr. EDEN argued by analogy, from - the praaice of Courts of Law, that Mr. Palmer was en ikd to proteEtion, and stated two cases in support of his ar gument. The one was of a person whose cause was put off early in the morning, but who, .nbt re turning home until evening, was on his set urn ar rested the other was of a woman whose cause was decided on a Friday, but who waiting until S atur d ay for a stage in which to return home, Was atrested in getting lot°, the stage. In both those cases the Courts decided that the individuals - were entitled to proteel ion. Mr. W 1 NNE said that this was a novel case ; but the inclination of his :mind was, that Mr. Paltocc ought to be prcteded. He had been otdeied by the Committee to do a particular at before, his re turn home, and was, therefore not released from his attendance at the time of his arrest. The CHANCELLoR of the EXCHEQUER , doubted, - in the first place, the power of a , Committee to ap point a Messenpr. If, however,_ they had that power, hisrprotedion ought to describe him as a N.l.ssenger, not as a Withrss. Otherwise a She.. riff's Qtlicer might be involved in oldies-. perplexi ties: - For suppose (seid he) that a She: 41's OfficA , met a man against whom he had a writ going to Hampstead,. and that man were to tell him, that he was'. sent on a measrige, by a Committee of the House of Commons, although the litter, which:he might shew as, his proteoion, wa, merely a stun. mons as a witness 6efore that Committee, it would be hard to itupo..e on the Sheriff's Offit.cr the ; ie . : cessny of believing 'such a stwernt•nt. - It might perhaps by expedient to postpone me fort i,er c• n,i s:deration of this case, in oiti.et so affOtti ti.t,e /fir deliberation. The , SPF,Auitt observed, that if the were to stand ON CT , it must be on the principle alone. Na new circuawant!es could , aPpear. 1:1 old times, even before the Revolution, it had 4 . 6;ays been held. to be,the up-donbk-d right 'Of the House el Com mons to Proted (torn arrest, wi - nesSts suinmontd either to jhe Horse; or to a Comiintfee,-itt coining, stayin<, and returning. In. his view of the ; ,reseng qu•!stion, tie cka.-i , ..let• of Mr. Palaier 'as a senger, seemed to be a secondary con,,ideration.— Tne House must tirSt dispose . of his quality as 4