The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-19 00:00:00

THE lIRMSII PRESS.


Hie Lordship proceeded to say, " Perhaps a more distinct benefit
would attend the firm by the distoaraganent of all compesition
with it by any other British merchants. Now, after reading this,
wouki any man say that his Lordship did not contemplate, when he
was writing this letter, that it wee possible that other min would
come forward, and seek the same favour and guarantee which was
then about to be given to the house of Palmer and Co. ? His
Lordship then added, " The same sanction would not be granted
Iv any other rrson."—W by not be granted ?
Mr. D. Kt Kum:to—The nest line will tell ye*.
Mr. Calia ov fleas claimed the right of reading the letter, and
making his comments on It in the manner which appeared most
convenient to him. lie begged the Hon. Gentleman would not
interrupt him. True, the letter did go on to add, that "it was
on the ground of the services of the Nairn, and at the request of
the British Resident, that he (the Marquis) had granted the
licence"—that is to say, the licence which was dated in 1816. But
he would now look to the fact. In page I, the letter of the Resident
tppeared, which said, that the establishment of a house of business,
conducted by English merchants, at Hydrabad, would do benefit;
but did the Resident say, give Means. Palmer and Go. that pd.
vilege ? did he say, that if other persona were to come from Eng.
land, and commence business, that they were not to meet with es.
couragement ? No such thing was said oe intended. He now came
to the moat tatal paragraph of all—it was the last. His Lordship
observed, that "No new establishment would have such •
plea as that of Palmer and Co." Bet why would not any
other person who came and said. " I conic to offer • lair
and open competition with the House of Palmer and Co.'•
be entitled to the same protection and privileges which that homes
received ? He had now gone through the papers, as tar as they vs.
hated to the licence ; and he thought be had seen enough in dew
documents to justify him in saying, that his Lordship was MIA
unfortunate in bin preference to the houseof Palmer and CO. If
he (31r. C.) thought that he had fallen short to justify the verdict
which he should give, he could alluile to other evidence. The
Hon. Proprietor then commented upon his Lordship's conduct TO.
electing the voluntary affidavit which had been made by Sir Wm.
Rumbold sod Mr. Palmer, and said that he felt ashamed at seeing
such high rank and character concerned in such transactions. With
regard to the letter which had been read at the request of an Hon.
Director, he considered that it did not touch upon the question now
before the COWL The Hon. Proprietor, after alluding to the
arguments of Mr. Hume, and especially to his remarks upon
the conduct of Mr. Adam, which lie (Mr. Carruthers) ray
strongly condemned, concluded by entreating the Count to do
justice to the Court of Directors, and no:, by an unqualified vote,
cast by implication, an unmerited censure, upon those who had so
ably and so faithfully served them.
Sir Jolts/ DOYLE and Mr. Rresett. (the Company's late
Resident at Hydrabad) rose at the same time, but Sir John
Instantly gave way, observing, that ss he understood the Gentle-
man appeared to vindicate hin character, lie would not for a moment
bo the cause of his not being immediately heard.
Air. RUSSELL then said, that at the time the last meeting took
place, he was not a member of the Court, and that if it had not
been for certain observations wade at that meeting, which reflected
discredit on his diameter, he should not now have troubled them.
His complaint lay in certain matters introduced in the opinion
of the Attorney-General, which opinion was read as part of the
speech of the lion. Charirman. The facts in that opinion were
either assumed to have existed. or they were stated hypothetically,
to show what would be the law if they did exist. If they were
assorted to exist, the assertions were made without any proof; there
was not a particle of evidence to support them. If they were
hypothetically, put, they were then entitled to no more credit than
any other hypothetical subject, which was none at all. He tank
die opinion of Counsel to be taken upon certain statements laid
before hint, which statements may either be founded in fact or
otherwise, and upon which he gives his opinion, but not a
judgment ; an opinion to direct future proceedings if thought
advisable. Rut when Counsel has said that you cannot go into
Court, that there are no legal measures capable of being instituted
against the party to whom those statements refer, were such opi.
pions, then, to he made the vehicle of libel ? (Hear, hear.) Were
they to be made the instadnet ts of' the basest and foulest calum-
nies ? He was satisfied that it' the ground be stood upon was
English ground, he need do no more than state this conduct, to en-
title it to univemal abhorrence. The opinion of Counsel was not
to stand in the place of accusation, proof, conviction, and punish-
ment. If it were once permitted him to act upon that principle,
and to be allowed to state his case to Counsel, and to apply the
opinion which sheuld be given upon it as he liked, he would under-
take to say that lie would usurp the estate of any Nobleman in
England, and prostrate the character of any man, however high
he might stand, in the dirt. The papers which had been referred
to in that opinirm, had been ordered to be published, and had it
been permitted to him as an act of justice, and even front a con-
sideration of an old servant (hear, hear.) he should have sub-
mitted to the Court of Directors what would hare rendered much
that he had now done unnecessary, and lie should have been spared
the detail which he now felt compelled to enter into. He had read
the papers before the Court with great care arid diligence, and he
hoped he should not be accused of vanity when he stated that he
was prepared to vindicate all the transactions which had been re-
presented in those papers. Ile was not ilihresed to arraign the
opinions of the Counsel bernese the Counsel reasoned foam a
partial view of the subject. if he were not satisfied with the
fairness of those transactions, his voice should be the first and
the loudest in their execration. He should now proceed to give
the Court an explanation of the facts mentioned in the papers be-
fore the Proprietors. The first was as to the loan of 60 lees of
rupees from Palmer and Co. to his Highness the Nizam. This
loan was assumed to be fictitious, and made tip out of unsanc-
tioned balances due to Palmer and C'o. from the Nizam. Ile would
not only emit, but prove, that when that loan was proposed, there
did not stand on the books of Palmer and Co. one single rupee of
unsanctioned balance. Ile should occasionally refer to the !otter of
Sir William Itumboid to the Court of Directors ; but in doing so
he did not mean to take one single fact upon the credit of the
writ-r, but be stated them upon his own declaration. It had been
objected, that Palmer and Co. had three open accounts against the
Nixon% But this war agreeable to the custom of the country, and
indeed necessary. The first was the Mimi Sower account ; the
second, the Aurungabad Account ; and the third, the Hydrabad
Account. The Bern Suwar Account comprised the advances made
for the payment of 1609 out of 4000 horse, constituting the re-
formed horse in Berar. It was the great and crying evil under all
the native troops, that they wanted pay to fill their pockets, and
food to fill their bellies. These men having been regularly paid
by the assistance of Messrs. Palmer and Co., were made most ex-
cellent soldiers, and would stand and fall as gallantly, though
their faces were black, as the otlit•ers who led them, whose faces
were white. (Hear, hear.) Ile did not know whether there was
any Gentleman then in the Court, who had served in India with
these cavalry, but if 'there was, lie wool I appeal to him whether
be ever served with braver or more iuithful men.
Colonel FITTCLAIIENCE said, he hail served with them, and
would testify to their being most faithful and useful allies.
Mr. RUSSELL resumed. With respect to the Aurungabad
Account, it comprised the advances made fur the payment of the
Nizani's regular and reformed troops at Auruogahal. He had
already stated in his letter to the Court of Directors, that unless
the army were paid well, they would not tight well. Mr. Palmer
Wired to advance this money, not, ha said for his own benefit, but
by doing it he should be rendering service to the English Govern-
ment, by which be hoped he should be entitled to their future
favour. (Hear, hear.) There then remained the Hydrabad Ac-
count, in which were entered all advances and payments of every
description matte by Palmer mid Co., on account of the Minister at
Hydrabad; and which was, in fact. a miscellaneous account. He
hoped he had now explained what the nature of these three ac-
counts were. At the period of the loan, the balances due were—
At Hydrabad - 4.63.979 2
Auruneabad - 13,111.669 8
Beret SOWST . 20,57.219 7

33,39,868 1 lj
Deduct Assignments given In 1319, and
realised iu 11121 - 10,56,711 6

Rupees - 28,83,146 H 0 +
Palmer & Co. knowing what discussions were going on at Calcutta
rrapectnig these balances, wished to submit to Government the
whole of their becks- Ile we• so satisfied with the propriety of
their conduct, and that it had benefited the Government, that he
was /visions to have the fullest investigation. The lion. Proprie-
tor then entemil into a vny minute detail of accounts explanatory
of tile maimcr by which the loan was paid to the Ninon. in con-
truversion et the charge that it wis a fictitious loan. Ile repre-
merited the statements of Sir Charles Metcalfe to be quite erroneous,
and argued that if such errors were committed as he had shown,
the Court ought to be very cautions in giving credit to such
person's objections. In explanation of the item of jewels stated
stated in Painter and Co.'s account, he begged to state that jewels
in that country were bought for public purposes ; and that the
number of presents made by the Nizam, to those who presented to
him, marked the consequence of the individuals. In England
it was said that such an one was presented to his Majesty, and was
most graciously received in India ; it was observed that such an
one bad been introduced, and had so many presents made to him.
I The Hun. Proprietor then citcred into a full explanation respecting
the charges made for interest, and contended, that at the time the
rate of 24 per cent. was taken by Palmer and Co. money could not
be procured by the Nium at a less rate of interest, that even
Palmey and Co. were themselves were obliged to pay at that rate
for part of the money burrowed by them of the Soucars, or native
bunkers, to order to help to pay this very loan ; and that as to
whether it was legal or illegal to take more than 12 per cent. was
then, end still was, a moot point in India; for although some
very eminent Counsel is this country bad said that it was illegal, yet
the highest authorities in India were of a contrary °pluton.—
And even Mr. Canunig, at the time he was about to be appointed
to the Governor-Generalship of India, considered this point so
unsettled, that in his phice in the House of Commons be
expressed a wish that the Right Honourable the President of the
Board of. Control would bring in a Kill declaratory of the law
upon that very subject. Under these circumstances, then, it was
too much to say that Messrs. Painter and Co. were acting illegally
in taking openly, and under the sanction of the Council, the usual
rate of 24 pc: cent. The Honourable Proprietor then adverted to
the charge made against Palmer and Co. for taking &bonus of 8 lace
upon 82 iacs; sad vindicated it upon the ground that it 1131 a part
of the interest. But, in ten, not a farthing of this bonus had yet
been receiveti. The Honourable Proprietor observed. that u to
the question before the Court, he had rot the honour to be known
to the Marquis of Hastings. nor had ever seen him. AU his com-
munications with that nobleman were in his (Mr. Russell's) public
chatactar as Resident; and whether the Court should deem it
proper or not to remunerate thit Noble Lord in a pecuniary
way for the brilliant services lie had fel:dewed them, be
could sot deckle, bin, ise fat as resulted the hvhoor pad in.

tevity of that vest man's character, his (Mr. Russell's) voles
should neva be silent while it was necasisty to roils it in sup-
poet and vindication of both against may attack oe inelnatia
that might be made upon amidst ebesniathem proceed haat what
quartet tome they might. IMO PaaraMMl sat down
rt
loud cheers from ell parts of ate
Mr. FRISIITIRLD cudmuch which the Hen.
Proprietor had said did not apply to the question before the Court,
and might have been spared -them. He contended that the docu-
ments which had been printed clearly justified the opinion that the
loan of sixty, lace wan a fictitious one. He was of opinion that the
Marquis of Hastings could not be exonerated from all blame, and
that all that could be done for him was to acquit hie of corrupt
motives. The amendment was entitled to the vote of the Hon.
Members, as it asked only, that while the friends of the Marquis of
Hastings were preitunig his Lordship, they 'Muhl not throw
unjust imputations on the characters of other men. If the Court
refused its approbation no the despatches mentioned in the amend-
ment, then he would say there would be no encoursgernent to other
Governors to do their duty.
Sir JouM Dorsi spoke in the highest terns of his Noble
Friend the Marquis of Hastings, and entered into a vindication of
all the measures sanctioned by him while (loeernor-General in
India. lie did not mean to say that the Marquis of Hastings
was infallible; nor did he intend to vindicate every little petty
act during a nine years' administration ; because his Lordship was
but a man, and therefore liable to error ; but what he wanted was the
integrity of his Lordship established, and then, if they did d—n his
politics, he could not help It. But it had been said, that though the
Marquis himself was pure, yes he had suffered Sir W. Rumbold
and Palmer and Co.'s house to be very impure. But he (Sir
J. Do)le) would not accept the compromise ; he should think it
very disingenuous for him to get his Noble Friend clear off at the
expense of others. The lion. Baronet then proceeded to read some
documents in explanation of the operations of the army in India.
The Hon. Baronet appearing to be much exhausted,many of
the members called la an adjournment—others called " Question."
The CHAIRMAN said it rested with the Honourable Baronet,
and if he wished an adjournment, he (the Chairman) was sure
there was no proprietor in Court would object.
S:r Joitx DONLI; expressed his thanks, and said lie crrtninly
did feel much exhausted, and as he had much more to adt:ress to
the Court, he should be glad if they were to adjourn.
It was then finally agreed to adjourn to Friday next, at twelve
o'clocii,lSir John Doyle being in possession of the Court.