The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-25 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

A quarterly general court of proprietors was held
yesterday at the establishment in Leadenhall-street. Cap-
tain SHEPHERD having taken the chair,
The minutes of she former meeting were read.
The CHAIRMAN said that the papers which had been
presented to parliament this session were laid before the
proprietors, agreeably to the bye-laws.
Captain M'GREGOIt said he was compelled to adopt
the course he now did, in consequence of nut being able to
obtain the information be required from the chairman.
The hon, proprietor then moved for an account of the
whole expenditure on the part of the College of Addis-
eombe, the coat of each individual cadet, and the number
of cadets in the seminary within the period of three
years, stating how many were tho sons of Indian ser-
vants, and how many of private individuals. He
had made this movement in consequence of informs.
tion ho had received from en Indian officer, which
had been confirmed by others as to tho overcharge in that
establishment as compared with Sandhurst and other places,
which was a subject of great importance to the poorer
classes of officers, and expressing an opinion that the ex-
penses of such an education as was there adopted should
be reduced, The expense at Addiscombe might be rated
at 100/. a year, while that of Sandhurst might be rated at
half the amount, and in some cases a difference of 601.
occurred by the comparison. Another difficulty was, that
the cadets could not enter Addiscombe till after 16 years
of age.
The CHAIRMAN observed that 14 years was the com-
mencing term.
Capt. M'GREGOR was quite aware that they did not
enter till 16. What he wanted to obtain by his motion
was that the cadets should not be called upon to pay more
than was necessary in similar establishments elsewhere. Ho
found the number of students at Addiscombe was 150, and
taking the expenditure of caeh at about 1001. that would make
about 15,000!., which wee a proof, he thought, of the charge
being more than necessary, and he hoped it would lead to
en inquiry whether they could not reduce this charge
against the sons of those engaged in the company's service.
Some exception should be made between tbo sons of the
company's servants and those of private individuals.
The CHAIRMAN said the returns required by the hon.
proprietor were made every year. (Hear, hear.) When
the application was made individually by the hon. proprie-
tor it would have been contrary to precedent to furnish
information of such a nature. In respect to the admission
of sons of the company's servants not being in la
fair proportion to the rest, he begged to say that
out of the present number of 146 cadets at Ad-
discombe, fifty-seven were sons of the company's
servants either in India or on the retired list.. (Hear, hear.)
This would leave 89 for the eons of other parties. He
would ask if such were not a fair proportion. There was
a great difference betwixt Sandhurst and Addiscombe col-
leges, and hence the difference in the charges. Facilities
were also given to the students to effect an exchange, with
a view to meet their expenditure. The subject, he might
say, hod not escaped the attention of the directors; and as
to the expenditure of 1001. a year being too much, he
might say that no school giving such facilities could be
carried on for a less amount. He could not agree with the
hon. proprietor that very few appointments were given on
public grounds, nor when he stated that only one-eighth of
the whole was given to the sons of servants ; for the state-
ment he (the chairman) had just made, showed it was more
than ono-third. (Hear, hear.) The hon. proprietor should
have adopted the course of waiting for the information now
supplied, before he sent his circular round to the officers.
Colonel SYKES, a director, quoted some returns of the
appointments for several years, by which he contended that
leleven twentieths of all the appointments of the East
India Company were given for public service, and not In
the proportion ea stated, of one-sixth and one-eighth.
(Hear, hear.) He would ask whether that was not a fair
distribution of the patronage, and whether it proved any
neglect of the officers of the company.
Mr. CLARKE expressed hie satiafaetion of the manner
in which the Wrongs wet distributed.
Mr. LEWIN could cast see Met isythiog had been said
iby the hon. proprietor thipereglag le the directors, although
he was not much is the habit -ed 'peeking well of them
himself. (Laughter.) Their steheeent was so fee satis-
factory, that weassn. the Morns now alluded to
were correct.
General BRICXiII made mos observations which ware
inaudible.

The motion haying been lost.
lir. SULLIVAN &eked if any compensation would be
awarded to the Ameen of Sande. The whole of that un-
fortunate confiscation depended upon a single letter, which,
when sought for in England war said to be in India, and
when sought for in India was said to be in England. The
commission that was issuedieras forced upon them entirely.
If the Company had consulted its own interest, and that of
the people, it would have annexed that territory.
The CHAIRMAN signified that such modifications
would be made, and to such an extent, as would no doubt
be agreeable to the hon. proprietor.
The subject then dropped, and the wort adjourned.

CURSING" A MAGISTRATE BY A CLERGYMAN.—
• nest extraordinary, novel, and exciting scene was wit-
nessed at the rierdass Mathis, on Saturday evening. When
the I VANE train Ma Weetrich arrived there, the pwen
were Mush umbel at seeing the Rev. Mr.
the mete se the parish, steadiag in the pumas of the
statieurhemr, *need is his amanicals. It we:, however,
sees usilmateed that he was waiting there to curse " a
elesiettelle, who we. by the train,
wM gives him mem ellsam. When the
individual abided to was qq hie tidies to the station
mutes, the M. gentleman time sddremad him :—" I inflict
a mum ups this man. I saw you ; I muse your wife • I
mem yew ihalren ; I come ail kam—isay your
dna be hassebses and sad hog their bread,"
• tc. ; and thus he went ea until the " caned man "
drove of. We medieeleml that the matter has been laid
before the bishop; sad that the rev. gentleman, in default
of finding sureties to keep the peace, was committed on
Sunday night to the Castle, by Edward Howse, Esq.—
Norwich Mercury.

FREE TRADE MEETING AT PRESTON.—OR Tues-
day a crowded meeting took place at the theatre in Pres-
ton, the primary object of which was " to devise the best
means for preventing the re-imposition of the corn laws."
The borough members, Sir Geo. Strickland and Mr. Grea-
ten, availed themselves of this opportunity of meeting their
constituents; and Mr. R. It. R. Moore attended as a depu-
tation Prom the Anti-corn-law League. A gigantic loaf
and one of diminutiveyroportiens, were exhibited la frost
of the stage, labelled respectively "The Strickland and
Greaten loaf," and " The Derby and Disraeli loaf." The
members were received with enthu,iastic acclamations.
The Chairman (Mr. Goodair, manufacturer), opened the
proceedings. Sir George Strickland and Mr. Grenfell both
delivered addressee, and resolutions were unanimously
adopted recording the unaltered attachment of the meeting
to the principles of free trade, and their approval of the
sentiments expressed in reference to it by the borough
members.

LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Return of traffic for the week ending March 21, 1862 :
I'assengers, parcels, carriages. hones, and mails,
22,4111: 7s. 81.; merchandise, 17,8821. les. 11d.; cattle,
1,0611. 111. 6cl. Total, 41,186/. 17s. Id. Corresponding
week 1861, 40,4091. 16e. 10d. Corresponding week 18K,
40,4669/. Bs. 8
91. d.
6d ; A
86' te:81 18d6-468,108/. 91. Bd.; iB6l
—76,716 t. ,9771. 15s. 3d.