The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-12-19 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

Yesterday a Quarterly General Court of Proprietors was
biltiat the at India Howse.
Tbo
CHAIRMAN opened the business, by reading the
minutes of the proceedings of the last Quarter Court,.and
laying on the table the papers then ordered. Ho then pro-
corded to lay before the Court the Report of the Committee
appointed to Investigate the oireonsstatioes attending the
culture and growth ofsugar in India. The Report be said,
wasoltreasely short, but a groat body of isiormatino as the
subject was contained in a voluminous Apposite, which
would be laid on the table for the general inspection of the
Proprietors. 11. would merely cite ono or two particulars, in
order to show the vast general immortalise of this Ab-
ject. It would bearer' that in the last thirty years, the im-
portation of sager from India had greatly 'wrested. The
quantity Imported into England in the year 16st amosustod
to 14,000 tons, and during the resent year the import bad
bees 13,300 tons. The sums paid for duties engager imported
from India in the year rite, amounted to 191,0061. spd in
1031, to 134,0001. And it ought to be remembered thatikoss
the year 1799, East India sego. had base saint to a mad
greater proportionate charge for ditties thee it might, and
that it had been still further hardened by tits Asti or the Ist
and sd of this preseat King. He concluded by lariostboKs-
port upon the table.
Mr. !FORBIN) said it was of the utmost DOM* to the
laterals of the Proprietors genersily, that this s t should
aeries the Most eossideration before the mediae of Parlia-
ment, whets I. justko would be demo to est. It
•.- Tvw•mir dor t. rI.• ...
r, uelask iaterests, that they woos sot
sazioul to secure jostles to all thesewhous intarods k in mg
way concerned. With respect to the question of Reel India
Shipping, and the granting of additional facilities to British
Shipping in general, in refraining from observation ow the sub-
ject upon the prescn t occasion, he w ished to be understood not
as losing. sight of that important subject, but merely as post-
poning the observations which it might occur to him to make
thereon to a future opportunity. He should therefore content
himself for the present with moving, that the papers now pro-
duced be printed.
A PROPRIETOR, whose name we could not learn,said he
bad heard, with great satisfaction, that the subject of the
East India Sugars was still open for future consideration.
lie could assure the Court, that when properly looked into
that question would not be found such in its nature as it bad
so often been described to them. Ile wished to see it brought
back to the original footing on which it bad stood between
the Court of Directors and the GovernmeaL When the pro-
per time arrived fur rho discussion, he would sbew that the
real interests of India and of this country were not so much
considered as the comparative interests of East and West
India agents. For his part, he thought the concessions re-
specting the size of the shipping, and the coasting trade, mat-
ters of much greater importance.
Mr. It. JACKSON recommended the printing of the papers
as expeditiously as possible, for the purpose of hosier the
matter brought before Parliament at the earliest opportunity
after its meeting. He had, be said, derived the greatest sa-
tistaction from the speech of the Earl of Liverpool, at the
meaing of the Society of Shipowners, the other day. He
was extremely glad to tind the high sense which that Noble
Lord entertained of the advantages which this country had
derived from its Shipping and its Navigation Acts, and that
the Noble Lord bad gone on still further to say, that he hoped
the Navigation Act would be preserved iu all its pristine vi-
gour, and that it would never he sacrificed to any new and
Cinciful theories, however ingenious, end flowerer high the
respectability of the persons by whom they might be enter-
tained.
Mr. TRANT said, be felt hinasclfcalled upon to state that
lie bad considered the question in all its bearings with the at-
most attention which he had been able to bring to the subject,
and bad come to the conclusion that it was not in any sort a
party qnestion, but one. deeply affecting the interests of the
Company, and of the public at large.
The Report was then ordered to be printed.
lIAILEYBURY COLLEGE.

The CHAIRMAN was about to put the question of ad-
journment, when—
Mr. DOUGLAS KINNAIRD said, he would 'rail himself
of Uiat opportunity to ask, in courtesy, a question of the Hon.
Chairman. He had no doubt that the late transactions at the
East India College had deeply impressed themselves on the
minds of the Directors. Before ho took the libert)i with
some other Proprietors, of summoning a Court specialty for
the purpose of discussing that subject, he would ask whether
the Court of Directors had found it necessary to adopt any
measures calculated to obviate the insubordination which ap-
peared to prevail in that establishment, and which might give
some prospect of rendering the Institution an useful une in
in future?

The CHAIRMAN said, the Court of Directors were fully
alive to the subject to which the question of the lion. Pro-
prietor referred. They perfectly saw the importance of it,
and they had taken it into their serious consideration. But
it ass of such a nature that they hail not yet arrived at any
definite view which they could state to the Proprietors.
Mr. D. KINNAIRD disclaimed all feelings of hostility to
the establishment; be had acted solely from a sense of public
duty in asking the question. Ile gave the Court of Directors
full credit for good sense and good feeling on the subject, and
lie doubted not their readiness hereafter, if errors should be
pointed out in the establishment itself, manfully and fairly to
confess them. The Court of Directors must themselves see
that the establishment laboured, at present. under considera-
ble obloquy. If be could collect the public opinion on this
subject rightly, there was a growing conviction that great
errors prevailed in its foundation ; so much so, that he could
not look to any light palliatives or temporary expedients fur
rendering it really useful.
Mr. HUM'S said, that he had on many former occasions
made observations on this Seminary, and therefore he would
not say much at present. Ile %smiled, however, clearly to
understand what the Court of Directors proposed to doon this
question. If it had not bccu fur the question which bast born
proposed by his llonourable Friend, it was his intention to
have called en the Court of Directors to state the cause of the
present disturbances, and to lay !mitre that Court a clear'
detail of the facts of the case. She could nut believe that the
facts which were already before the public were entirely and
altogether true, although perhaps many might be au. The
therefore owed it to themselves and to the public to demand
of the Court of Directors whether they meant to bring the
business plainly and clearly before that Court. His opinions
respecting the College were well known, and his original
impressions were fortified from year to year ; and though ha
did not feet opposed to any individual in the College, yet he
could not help thinking that though the young men might
profit by the instructions which they received in the sciences,
still, being entirely removed from society while they were at
the College, they were ultimately scut out to laJia :is a sort

The CHAIRMAN said, it would be exceedingly ,neon.
Testiest to propdse inch a motion. The students themselves
had a right to appeal for two smooths, tad it was therefore
quite uolit for the Court to interfere, until they had decided
upon their own coarse of proceeding.
After some further observations from Mr. hirer' Mr.
Hems, and Mr. IL JACKSON, the conversation dropped.

GRANT TO CAPTAIN PELLY.
Mr. HUME, referring to • vote of i run of money hy that
Court, last year, as a compensates' to Captain J. H. Pell ,v
for loss sustained by him in fullitlieg a contract which he
had entered into with the Cnotpaby, said, that some obser-
vations made by him, in his speech on that occasion,
having been conceived by Mr. W. A. Morley, the Com-
emu's solicitor in India, to redeet upon his (official con-
duct; and a letter having been addressed to him by that
gentian/thin answer, he felt himself bound in honour to make
some esplaaation. In the inemoriel of Mr.../. H. Polly, it was
staled, tie one of the grounds for inducing the Court to comply
with the pant, that be was not booed, by any penalty, to the
fulitioest of his contract. When the memorial was read in
that Court, he had felt it his duty to observe, that in that
case the Company's officer by whom the costract was drawn
(Mr. Morley, their solicitor) had been guilty of a great ne-
glect of bit duty, and ought to be made responsible for the
omission. Now it tuned out, that so amount of penalty was
berried to the contract in question, but it was the opinion
of high legal authorities who had been cossetted on the sub-
ject, that the contract was nevertheless valid and binding on
the party. It appeared that it was set the practice to insert
the pesalty in the contracts with the Compaity,that being af.
lemmas 'Meted by the bond entered into when the contract
was Rey amassed. And he now held in his bead a copy of
a hand-signed by Mr. J. H. Polly and two others, for the
dap of the contritett in etieslieu as
sr a
at
lialt"—r ""tat , a d
• 7rif t
tr-7--r—cad proved IM I. wholly
free from blame. The consequence, however, was, that Mr.
Polly had made an assertion which was not correct; the
Court of Directors had acted on it as if it were well-fouuded,
and a saw of money bad beet' voted. under the impression
that Do bond for the performance of the (*street, under
penalty, etisted.