The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-12 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

ILll3l' INDIA. ROUSE.
% Omin of litereleter—"nriCart- India stock, Ilia held
* at Ow gad Wier Mouse, Leadeahall-street. to take
816* site Ilsdeeehod Papers, which bad been laid be-
** thersomisessa, am fir stamp respected the eondlet of the Most
Maisht Oft ldeldpais of ' Mee Governor-General of India.
A wady insoonwee body osa were present, aid the
adnutee of Use COMA wile! on the 341 of March, 1624,
wire die Pairs, owe to beinseiderad were ordered to be printed,
aidtbri meal Paw sail _Orders, having been read—
Tee Chainsera . Amltt.i., Esq.) rote and said, that. he had
2trAmi imprietora, that the present was a Special Court,
tha rope* of nine Honourable Proprietors, to consider
ihe papers that bad been laid before them in pursuance of the
Ihrr mole far dom porposc at the Conn of Proprietors, held on the
is day of 211111►. kik the minutesof which Court had just bets read
ti them. He veohl now desire the requisition, call cg this Court,
lobe Mod.
Thllleesorry sirs read tisk aigaisitiou.
to riorresTos rose and laid, he was sure the Court would ex.
141111 him iht putting a gawk* to their Chairman, which he
tend to materially facilitate the business of the
=lll djs iii which the requiddou referred. Ile uncle.--
412414.7118 ewe fistids men not ow bete* the Court, but
• SIIMPIPLAII MIIIIIIAIItIf spoke to order. He thought
the nera- Thlfiltailf had brow hear what it was he (Mr. Kinnaird)
l * to haters koaddressed the Court upon the subject
entrollepsei net balm die Court.
• lib MONIPTTOS, maid, be only spoke from rumour, but he
bad hoard that there were other letters, which, though
the Court, were in the possession of the Hon. Court of
- sod obi& if produced would throw much light upon the
were maw about to consider ; and if these papers cinild
le be shaleitits it would be very (lei:treble. If, however,
air were possai oho swished to discuss the conduct of the MST-
it aloof Haatingedierinct from that of Mr. Adam, or of the trans.
aitions with the home pf Messrs. William Palmer and Co., then
Lashauld not poem the matter ; but he thought such a discussion
sorbet hid, and it was upon this grour.d that he would ask
es *Moho of Counsel had not been taker: by the Court of
open dm qmedas telating to the legality of those trans-
arias, sod whither it would not be more advisible to have that
oplok* laid before the Court previously to their entering upon the
elligpetepased in the requisition which had been read ?
liCretallair said, that having been called on by the Hon.
Ireeprietor to state whether the Court of Directors bad not taken an
00 on the question relating to the transactions between the
al Government and the house of William Palmer and Co.,
.Tgi
he te t no hesitation in answering that question in the affirmative.
Undoubtedly the Court of Directors had taken the opinion of
Carmel upon the question ; and it was not for him, but for the
Caere of Proprietors, to say whether those papers ahouhl or should
Let be produced.
Mr. RaeoLt Jeexsoar asked whether the papers alluded to
were those which had already been printed, or whether they
were ether papers, which had not been called for when the Hydera-
bad papers were ordered to be laid before the Court?
The rIOPRIET On who first spoke replied, that they were other
weer, and not included in those ordered to be printed.
Mr. Hume said, there seemed to be some difficulty in this case.
lie understood the gentleman who last addressed the Court, to
akin& to an opinion respecting the conduct of Mr. Adam ; now if
the conduct of that get:demi:tit was intended to be discussed, he
stien.should agree that that opinion, sod the papers connected with
it. ought to be produced ; but he understood :his present Court was
sailed SOW • requisition, which distinctly referred to the conduct
of the Marquis if Hastings alone, and that, therefore, the opinions
of which the Hon. Proprietor spoke could not be required.
The Cllalltatalt said, that the opinions were rut printed, nor
0 d they form part of the papers ordered to be laid before the Court,
arid therefore they need not be called for.
The Hon. 3). Kix ISAIRD then rose and said, that he was sure
tae apology would be required by the gentleman opposite, if lie
I Mr. Kinnaird) did not take any notice of the observations which
hid fallen front him ; for he, io good faith and :sincerity of word,
did not know whet was meant by that gentleman, nor did he or..
Jerstand what were the documents he alluded to. It was in the
knowledge of this Court, that about eleven months ago it was or-
dered that certain papers relating to transactions which had taken
plate between the Bengal Government and the house cf William
Palmer and Co. and of the conduct of that firm, should be printed,
to clear up certain doubts in his and other proprietors' minds, with
rethrence to the administration of the Marquis of Hastings. On a
further amendment, other papers were called• for regarding that
Noble Marquis, and which were also ordered to be printed. The
relletsition now before the Court regarded those transactions which
effected the conduct and character of the Marquis of Hastings
alone, and he (Mr. Kisnaird) would briefly state his reasons why
the question should be confined and narrowed to that particular
point, rather than that the Court should go over the whole extent
of a long and arduous administration of between eight and Line
Yee* Certain rumours had gone abroad tending to impeach the
Lharieter of that noble person, whose administration embraced this
period ; his name had been connected with transactions that were
said to compromise his honour end dignity as Governor-General of
Itidia. It was to contradict, it possible' these rumours, and to
erertein that the confidence of the East India Company was nut
reposed in, nor their bounty given away to a person whe, by his
conduct, had proved himitelf unworthy of both. Feeling as he
(Mr. Kinnaird) did, that the character of that noble individual
was of the highest kind, both for integrity and honour, and so
dear to us-wasit, even as men as well as proprietors, that die truals
or falsehood of those rumours should be ascertained, that it was not
au his opinion any misuse of the time of the Court to enter into
mi.inquiry for that purpose. Eleven months had elapsed since those
rumours had gone abroad, bat be did not out of any regard to that
lords Ingtvidual, whose character was implicated, precipitate this
trier', in order that it should not be said that any vote had been
to on the question by surprise ; he rather suffered the feelings ,
cr the Noble Marquis to be kept on the rack during that protract.
eipariod, than that it should he objected against him (Mr. Kin.
hard),and those who were anxious olvindicate that Nobleman's cha-
racter, that any. precipitation had been used to gain a decision of the
LlCourt before the fullest inquiry had been made into the grounds of
those rumours. He hoped it would not be said that he and the
other gentlemen, who acted with him, had hurried this matter.
In making the motion which he was about to do, he begged to say
that be had no speech to make, for he understood that the papers
'bleb had been printed were fully sufficient to enable the lion.
Proprietors to form their opinions as to the vote they should give,
and he took it for granted that those papers had been perused by all
toe gendemen who attended this Court ; it would be needless,
three, for him to occupy their time in urging reasons in sup-
port of the Resolution he was about to submit to them. The lion.
Gentleman then moved a Resolution to the following effect : " That
the; Honourable Court having perused the papers ordered to be
printed and laid before it at a Court held on the 3d of March lot t,
/tiering to certain pecuniary transactions with the house of Messrs.
William Palmer and Co., at Hydrabact, is of opinion that there
tagcohing contained therein which tends to affect, in the slightest
degree, the personal honour and integrity of the late Governor-lien.
of 'lndia, the Most Noble the :Marquis or Hastings." Bethought
1.:-..e papers before the Court bore out this proposition, and contain-
ed so fall and distinct a confirmation of this truth, that there could
:2414.....G but one opinion entertained by the Court as to the propriety
el ,Lis motion being unanimously adopted."
An Honourable Proprietor, whose name we could not learn,
soccoded the motion.
The Haraamax said that he begged to express his satisfaction
at. matinee in which this motion had been brought forward ; and
it he could not agree thereto, he hoped the Court would give him
cre4it foe entertaining no feeling of disrespect towards the Noble
Marquis, nor the slightest wish to impute to hint conduct, that
enell in any degree regect upon his personal integrity and honour.
ifort When he (the Carman) considered the whole of the circum-
stances detailed in the voluminous papeni laid before the Court, he
certainly enuld not go to the extent of the Honourable Gentleman's
motion. He thought that the words of the motion were too large
to retard to the conduct of the Bengal Government with the house
of PAbller sad Co. at Hyderabad, and he really thought that it
Gould not be said that the personal character of the Marquis was
acsimpliotted in those transactions, regarding him as the servant
of the East India Company. lie (the Chairmaqthought that be
had oompromitted his character as Governor of Hyderabad, in those
Fernier,' transactions, but he 'the Chairman) would acquit the
Noble Marquis of all corrupt motive ; this was tar from being his
s.pininn, and die amendment which he should, by the courtesy of
use Court, beg leave to move, would be expressive of his sentiment
lo that respect. The Coon of Direr trs had had an irksome, a pain-
ful, and a laborimis dirty es pereem ; they bad laboured through
many voluminous papas, and had sought with unwearied di'li.
gene to place these things before :he Proprietors in their true
HAL W• 3 it to be supposed that the Directors would have done
ad this voluntarily, or that they bad been actuated to do it from
au smfriendly feeling towards the Noble Marquis ? Certainly not.
at was imposed upon them by their situation ; they were called
u non it by a sense of unperiotts duty to the Company, whose affairs
were entrusted to them : nay, they owed it to themselves, for if the
conduct of the Noble Marquis was unimpeachable, then that of
toe Directors n.usit have been wrong ; and the character of those
Looomalde individuals who thrilled the Court of Directors were as
important to the East India Company as that of the Marquis of
Beatings himself. He (the C airman) had not been their servant
to • period of 26 years, without feeling that he had a right to call
upon the Hem Pr the etare f its judgment upon his character. arc.
poison as was the character of the Marquis of Hastings, there
were other partici besides him whose feelings were to be regarded,
ant whose honour was to lie considered. He felt that it was due to
ham, end the Court of Directors, that this Court should take into
ea:riders ion the despatches that were made or those Directors in
tceatequence of t to commuoications received by them from their
Goremot-General. relative to the tramactions with the House of
Perm* and Co. He should therefore beg leave to move as an
soar:Omani that all the words io the original motion after the word
" That" b 3 struck out, and that the following be inserted in-
stead :—" That this Honourable Court having perused the, rapers
laid-imam it relative to certain pecuniary transactions with the
Loose of Maar& William Palmer and Go of Hyderobad, is of
merlon that them le no ground for imputing corrupt motives to
she-Ue4 Noble the Marquis of Hastings, late tinvernot.Generel
ot Intim, nor to any Otitl. Member of die Bengal Government;
but.se the Arne. time It feels itself called upon to express its Pp.
proud of .he sfveral despatches to India, made by the finnourabie
Colin of lorectors, on the kith May 11124. the Vitth November
jut, 9 h April 11112, and It st January let."
SO fisonos Roairsow seconded the motion. He said, that
wbeelhese papers ware citilad for, the object wax expressed to be,
to enable tsar ikourt to judge of the propriety of making a further
reeetureauon to the tab Governor General of ladta, for his ste-
rling...kir Ooreroar. This was akin exposes abject for which the

papers were laid before the Court, and he did not think that the
Court would do nen unless the whole matter was inquired into
regarding those rumours which had gone abroad affecting the cha-
racter of the Noble Marquis. No person 'agreed more cordially
with the Honourable Gentleman, the mover of the original motion,
than he (Sir George) did, that the Marquis of Hosting, was quite
.clear of all corrupt motive in the transactions with Messrs. Palmer
and Co. at Hyderabad. Nu wan alive held his Lordship's charac-
ter for integrity lonher than he did, but having been placed in
that situation which accidentally brought these matters to his
,notice, he had prosecuted the i. ouiry into their nature with the
greatest assiduite, sad he should he wanting to that character which
be felt it necessary to support, if he did not distinctly declare that he
• saw in these proseedings a departure foot these sound principles of
government, and a departure from those wise rules of policy which
he had always considered to be essential to the troll interests of the
Company's possessions in India, and he therefore thought that it
required an opinion of the Court of Proprietors upon the conduct,
not only of the alanotin of Battings, but of the Court Of Directors,
in this transastion during the last fire years. It was upon this
ground that he seconded the amendment.
Mr. Jonw said, he felt great embarrasement in oppos-
ing the amendment which had been moved by their Hon. Chair.
man, because there was nothing which came from that Chair but
what deserved tae greatest respect: but, in fairness and in candor,
he could not see how he could agree with the amendment. He had
Immured through the papers before the Court, and he could not
but feel that the character of the Marquis of Hastings was fully
exonerated from all imputation of participating in the proceedings
to which those papers related. lie had always thought, and would
%till declare that the negociations carried on with the native Princes
of India, was the original sin of the Government in that country.
But how did the consideration of these matters affect the present
question before the Court ? Here was a Nobleman of the first mi-
limey talents, aided by officers also of great talent and experience,
who had accomplished more tot the interests of this country than
any Governor-Genera) that had ever preceded him, endeavoured to
be connected with transactions that were said to have transpired
with the house of Palmer and Co., at Hyderabad, in which his dig-
nity as Governor was said to be compromised ? But these were not
the facts which they were now to inquire into. The question pat
to him (NIT. J. Smith) was plainly and simply this 5..-was this
noble Marquis a moo of honour and integrity, or was he not? Thus
was the question; and he (Mr. J. Smith) must answer it directly,
and in a manner that would not admit of doubt; therefore, in
agreeing with the amendment which went to tithes matters not
relating to the Marquis of Hastings, it would make an impression
on the minda of the proprietors that there was something in the
question, an 4 in the mode of answering it, which implied a doubt,
ail that there was some degree of suspicion mingled with it. He
(Mr. J. Smith) did not mean to say, that there might not have been
something in the conduct of the noble Marquis, which it could be
wished had not occurred; he might regret a want of discretion on
the part of that noble person, but if the question were put to him,
aye or no, was the Marquis of Hastings a man of integrity and
honour I—had he tainted that character. for high and unsullied
reputation and pure principle for which he had ever been regarded ?
he (Mr. J.Smith) would say, that he could see nothing in the
whole of the voluminous papers that were before the Court, to
enable him to say that the noble Marquis had done any thing to
justify such an opinion. He (Mr. Smith) bitterly !regretted that,
on this occasion, he could not do that which he, tn. tormer occa-
sions, though not universally, was happy to do—that of agreeing
with their honourable Chairman, hut for the reasons he had assign-
ed, he felt himself called upon to soppoet the original motion.
Mr. POYNDER rose to address the Court.
A PROPRIETOR rose at the tame time, and said, that if the
Court were to enter fully into the question, it would, perhaps, be
painful to the feblings of the Noble Marquis, whose conduct was
the subject of it: It seemed to be agreed on all hands, that there
was nothing io impiach the character of the Noble Marquis, or to
impure to him any corrupt motive: the only difficulty appeared to
be in expressing that opinion.
Mr. POYNDER roan to order, and said he was in possession of
the Court. He perfectly agreed with the amendment, but he
should not do as the Honourable Gentleman had who brought the
motion forward, content himself with merely stating his assent,
but he would go further into the question, and give his reasons for
agreeing with the amendment that had been moved by. their lion.
Chairman. First, then, it should be remembered that the Noble
31aremis had already received from the East India Company—
(Order, order.)
Mr. TRENT rose to order, and said, the question was not what
the Marquis of flutings had received front the Company, but
simply as to his character for integrity and honour in certain
transactions with the house of Palmer and Cu. at Hydarbad.
Mr. POYNDER resumed and repeated his former observation.
Mr. R. JACKSON ruse to order, and said, that if either the
original motion or the amendment had said one word of pecnniary
matters, then the Honourable Proprietor's speech might be in
order, but as neither the one nor the other at till alluded to pecuniary
remuneration, he considered the Gentleman to be .quite out of
order.
Mr. POYNDER said, lie should not be put down nor silenced
by Hon. Proprietors of that Court, when he felt that be was pur-
suing a most correct course. He would undertake before he sat
down, to connect the present question with the one of pecuniary re-
muneration to the Marquis of flaotings, and if he did not succeed
in this, then let him be put down immediately. The Gentleman
then proceeded to comment on the papers that had been printed.
He remasked upon certain passages in the letters of the Marquis
of Hastings. while Governor-General of India, to the Court of
Directors, and winch, he contended, showed, that although no coo.
:wept motive existed on the part of the Noble Marquis, there was a
degree of favouritism evinced by him towards his connections and
friends, which amounted to establishing a monopoly of the po.
cuniary transactions of the Government of India, with the house
of Paltuet and Company at Hyderabad, to which firm Sir Wm.
Rurnbold, who was intimately related by marriage to the Noble
Marquis, belonged, although Sir Wm. was at the time an officer of
the Last India Company, and therefore not at liberty to be connected
with a house of business of that description. The lion. Proprietor
also endeavoured to show, that the Marquis of HastMge., if not im-
mediately concerned in the negociations for the loans which had
been obtained from the house of Palmer and Co. at the rate of 18
per cent. being 6 per cent. above the legal interest of that country,
he had not exerted himself sufficiently to ascertain whether those
loans could not have been procured at a lower rate. It was also
represented by the documents, that the 31arquia of Hastings had
granted a licence to the house of Palmer and Co. to negotiate loans
at a higher rate of interest than the law allowed, and which the
Government of India had a power to do ; but that, although he
thus acted, he did not communicate this circumstance to the
Court of Directors at home for upwards of three years afterwards.
111 r. Poynder then went through the several dispatches of the
Court of Directors, male to the Noble Marquis in consequence
of his communications, and commented on those passages which
he considered to show the sense of the Directors, as to the trans-
actions which had bent carried on with the House of Palmer
and Co.' under the sanction of the Noble Marquis, as Governor-
General. He said that not only was the faith and credit of the
Government used in setting up Messrs. Palmer and Co., but he
he would undertake that it was also used to bolster up that con-
cern. He then reed extracts from others of the documents, printed
by order of the Court. (In the course of the reading of these
extract% the lion. Proprietor was frequently interrupted by other
Hon. Proprietors, who said that the Gentleman was entering upon
matters which had no relation to the Marquis of Hastings.)
The CHAIR maw said, he considered that the Hon. Proprietor
wet not out of order.
Mr. POYNDER continued. His reason tbr entering thus into
detail was, because the motion of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Kin.
naird) did not merely relate to the Marquis of Hastings ; if it
had, he should have supported it. But it was intended and
calculated to cast odium on others—it threw dirt upot other
servants of that Court, who had gone before the Noble Marquis.
Mr. KINNAIRD tequuted that his motion might be read, which
was read accordingly.
The CHAIRMAN then directed the amendment to be read.
Mr. POYNDER—IIe put it to the Court whether, in opposirg
the motion and supporting the amendment, it was not competeet
for him to go into these details. After reading various other ex.
tracts from the printed documents, the Hon. Proprietor said he
considered, that although no corrupt motive could be assigned to
the Noble Marquis, yet there was in these transactions sufficient
to show a very strong inclination to favour friends, and to use the
power of Government for that purpose. Neither the Noble Mar-
quis nor his friends had removed all suspicion front his character
respecting his conduct in these proceedings. But he (Mr. Powder)
would say, that it was not he or his friends who provoked this die-
cuesion ; he should have been content to let the Marquis alone on
the high pedestal on which his friends would place him, decorated
with Wawa &ad ribbons, end thin, and honours; it was they
who brought forward this question ; but If the Noble Marquis were
so perfect and unsullied in his character, what would become of
the Directors? for the Court must condemn them if they meant
to set up the Marquis as ids friends had called upon them to do.
They would do more ; they would brand the Board of Directors
with indelible disgrace, if they should allow this motion to succeed.
And did the Court think those gentlemen were nobody ? Was Mr.
' Canning nobody ?—Mr. Bathurst and Mr. Wynn nobody If
the Directors had been weak enough to have sent out such deeputches
as were included in the papers that had been printed, without good
grounds, it would have been the duty of Ministers to stop them.
But they did not, and he contended this gave an additional sanction
to those dispatches. But this was not all; the Court would go
much further; they would carry the torch into India, and was it
thus they would remunerate their faithful and long-tried servants ?
It did not appear to hint (Mr. Poyndcr) that the utattse could rest'
here; for if this mminn passed, they must grant an annuity to the
Noble Marquis; for these reasons he submittd that it became the
Court, in honour to itself, and in protection to their Directors, to
poo the esnevdment.
Air. flier c 'said, he should not detain the Court, but he could
not but ask them to look at the position in which they were placed.
Ile agreed with the Holiourable Proprietor who had just addressed
the Court, that there were questions connected with these papers
which reauired to be investigated* for he did not know, that if
Messrs. Palma and Cu. were to come before this Court to ask
protection from the injuries they had experienced, how far they
might not be able to make out a cue that should entitle them to it.
But the motion before the Court was quite distinct front that. A
motion was originally mode to grant a remuneration to the Marquis
of Has:lags, for his splendid service in ladle. On that ocesoon,
certain rumours were circulated that wade it necessary that his
friends should Inquire into them before they pressed the applies.
tied for a remuneration. His Honourable Friend (Mr. Kinnairtl)
accordingly, in the month of March last, moved, for the papers to
be laid before the Court relating to the transactions upon which
those maxims had been grounded. Thar motion was the mily way
to clear away the difficulties then before them. In justice to the
Marquis of Hastings, the pirectors were called upon to produce

the papers. If there man in this Court who could breath a was
single charge against the Noble Marquis, be (Mr. Hume) should
is
call upon the Coate honourably and properly to give an opinion
upon it • and if that charge was made out, or it those papers proved
any charge against Noble Individual, he (Mr. Hume), would join
his censure with that of the Covert, of the conduct of the Noble
Marquis. Now what had happened ? The papers were brought
forward, sod his Hoc. Friend had acted most fairly in allowing nearly
12 ponths to expire before he renewed or proceeded further wilt his
original motion, in order thnt every Propnetor might have an oppor-
tunity of forming his opinion anon them. The Hon. Ottitleman
then proceeded to comment on the course which hid been pursued
by Mr. Poynder, and said that the Marquis of Hastings had nothing
to do with the establishment of the house of Palmer and Co , and
that it was cruel to have thou matters mixed up with his case, which
was totally distinct from it. The Hon. Gent. then stated the origin
of his house, and showed that the Court of Directors had
I sanctioned the conduct of Lord Minto, under whose admi-
nistration that firm had been established. He then cow.
plained of the conduct of the Chairman in moving an
amendment. which was beyond the terms of the requisition. The
requisition did not embrace any other topic than that of the charge.
ter of the Marquis of Hastings. It was neither fair, just, nor
manly, in his having thus acted. If such conduct were to be MC-
tined, there would be no limit to their running wild t fur all were
needy enough to take a devious course. There was a want of
osesetesy on the part of the Chairman, which he had miser before
'Moused. He had taken the Court by surprise, an had shown
the doyen foot in this pmceeding. Ile (Mr. Hume) and his friends
bad been accused of seeking to oass by all discussion upon the
,induct of the Marquis of Hastings, and to get the motion assented
to without entering into farts. Dot what was the conduct of their
Honourable Chairman; the former part of his amendment was
couched in similar terms to the miginal motion: but here was the
trick—it lied in a few words. After declaring that nothing appeared
In these papers to impeach the integrity anti honour of the Marquis
of flamingo. it proceeded to say, " or colony member of the Dengal
government." Here was the point. It was *most despicable manner
of taking an opportunity thus to get an expression of an opinion
of men, whose conduct had not been before the Court. If be
were to speak his candid and honest opinion. he should say, that
the Directors who joined in these desnatehes were afraid that they
had gone too far ; they were afraid of the arguments contained in
the protest of an Ikon. Director, whom I.e had in his eye, which
he entered against some of those despatches. When the time came
he (Mr. Hume) should be prepared to give his opinion of those des..
patches, but this Court was not at present called to give an
opinion of them. Ile contended, therefore, that these two additions
made to the original motion by the amendment, which were unties.
stood not to be considered as the act of the Court, but of the
mover and seconder, were intended to take the Court by surprise.
He would call upon the Court not to give their opinion upon such
points as were not included in the requisition. The Hon. Gentle-
then spoke on the subject of illegal interest, alleged to have been
taken by the house of Palmer and Co. from the Bengal Govern.
went. He said, that monstrous as such a rate of interest as twelve
per cent. would appear to Englishmen, who were accustomed to
consider five per cent. as the full amount that the law would sanc-
tion to be taken, yet it should be remembered that interest was
altogether relative, and that what might be exorbitant in one
country would be very moderate in another. Now twelve per
cent. was the legal rate of interest in India ; but the fact was, that
the House of Palmer and Co. had taeen 18 per cent. upon a loan
to the Bengal Government; but this was to pay or old debt due
to the Government of his Highness the Nizam, for which no less
than 24 per cent. was paid. This was the conduct of Palmer and
Co., which hod been so mulish the subject of censure.—( Hear, hear,
hear.}—lt was quite painful to hear statements made hy men who
were ignorant of the custom of that country, by which impressions
would be made on the minds of persons who had no opportunities
of arriving at the knowledge cf them things. The Honourable
Gentleman then proceeded to srgue that this pecuniary negocistion
with Palmer and Co. was neeissary to relieve the Bengal Govern-
ment from the pressure of the interest on ter debt to his highness
the Nizam. He also said, that the advances made by tote house of
Palmer si d Co. were essential to the proper and regular paying of
the native troops. The Honourable Gentleman then adverted to
the pensions granted to the Painters, that had been so much com-
plained of. and said t'-tt they were granted by an independent
Prince, in consideration of the eminent services which the father of
Mr. William Palmer had rendered to him for a series of 23 years.
But all these pensions were given long previous to the establish-
ment of the house of Painter and Co. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded an able speech by observing it was not fair to mix up with
the simple proposition that was before the Court, matters wholly
unconneced with it ; and he exhorted the Hon. Proprietor to act
consistently, and not be induced to give an opinion upon the con-
duct of persons who were not alluded to in the requisition.
The CHAIRMAN said, he should not be doing Ida duty if
he remained silent under the imputation that had been cast
upon him, and that not for the first time, by the Gentleman
who had just addressed the Court. He had said, that he (the
Chairman) hail used trick, by taking the Court by surprise, aid
that he had shown the cloven foot. He would throw those
words back upon him (Mr. Hume), and say that he had given
hint grounds for saying that he had before this evinced a disposi-
tion to take the Court by surprise ; and he would instrnce that
Gentleman's conduct on the case of Mr. Adams. He hoped the
Court would stand up and protect their servant; and they must
excuse him if he said lie would not resume the chair until lie had
valved this riudg.aent upon his conduct. He stood here to m-
e ive etilitz their applause or their censure. (Applause.] Per-
taring, by their 'Maw, that he had not lost their confi-
dence, he wished, under more cool feelings, to address the
Court. He had been charged with having taken the Court by
surprise, by introducing the amendment. But, to show that
his conduct was nut influenced by any such motive, and also to
explain why the documents alluded to by the Hon. Proprietor (Mr.
Poynder) had not been printed, he would request the opinions
which the Court of Direcnws had given upon the subject of the
pecuniary transactions of Palmer and CO. with the Nizam, be
read, as part of his speech.
(Here two opinions of Mr. Sergeant Bosanquet, and one of the
the Attorney-General, were read. Thew Learned Counsel were
of opinion that although they had no doubt the transactions re-
lating to the loans were fraudulent, yet they could not advise any
criminal proceedings against any of the parties, because those acts
which constituted the fraud appeared to have come to the knowledge
of the Goverrment, which would be an answer to the charge.)
The CHAIRMAN said that it must appeal to the Court, that while
doubts existed as to there being any proceedings taken *lotion the
parties, these documents could not be made public. lie would
just allude to the conduct of the Marquis of Hastings, with regard
to the licence granted by him to the house of Palmer and Co., by I
which it would appear is what manner that Noble Lord treated the
Court of Directors. The licence was granted to the house to do
that which could not be done without the consent of the Indian
Government, viz, take interest at a higher rate than allowed by the
law, and was dated 23d July, 11116, and signed by Lord Hastings,
Sir Wm. Rumbokl having then become a partner. But this was a
most extraordinary licence, being granted to Messrs. Palmer and
Co., and not to the parties by name. But the dates were the most
material. This licence hail not been communicated to the Directors
for more than three year, after it had been granted.
Mr. TWINING said, that when this question was brought for.
ward, It was hoped that we should come to a speedy conclusion ;
at the same time he thought there were many other persons con.
eerned with the claim of the Marquis of Hastings, he thought it
would have been but fair that the claims of those persons who
were connected with hint. should be met. It was his intention to
move an amendment to embrace those two objects. He thought
the claims of the Marquis of Hastings were great, and deserved
the peculiar notice of this Court. The longer they debated this
claim, the more they would be increasing matter to discuss, and•
it was therefore desirable to avoid it. He then moved an amend;
went to that effect. •
The CHAIRMAN said, that the Honourable Proprietor was se
well acquainted with the forms of the Court, that he did not require
to be told that it was irregular to move a second amendment before
the first wax disposed of.
Mr. S. Dixon said that he thought there should be an adjourn-
ment, for this was a moat important question, and deserved every
consideration. Before, however, he made the motion to that effect,
he should say that all the papers that had been read had
done good, for it would give the Ilonourable Proprietors a clearer
view of the question than what they had, perhaps, when the came
into this room. But he begged to say, that unless a clearer case
was made out against the Noble Marquis than had been this day,
he should, for one, consider that Noble Lord wholly untouched by
those proceedings. Ile now begged to move that this Court do ad-
journ to a convenient Joy.
Sir Jou N DOYLE seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN said, the question was that this Court do ad.
jouro to this day week?
After some desultory conversation the Court adjourned.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Si i—This afternoon, about four o'clock, a gentleman of the name
of Owens, an eminent violin player, went into Mr. Betts's music
shop at the back of the Royal Exchange, and asked leave to go up
stairs, when lie immediately put a period to his existence by shoot.
ing himself with a pistol.
In consequence ot the music.room being over my office, a report
immediately spread that lie was a large speculator in Shares ; I
b.g therefore to state, through the medium of your paper, that the
untortonate gentleman was a total Winger to me.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant.
North Piazza. nerd Exchage, GEO. PALMER.
Feb. 11, 182*.
P.S —I have sines learned that Mr. Owens hid been previously
sub,;ect to derangement.

COAL MARKET, FEL IL
Ships at Market. Yaps Said. Price.
:+9 Newca+tie • . 22i - 22$ Od to 17s 3d
7} Sunderland - 6i - 218 Od to 39s Od

We are eorry to observe that the superstitious belief in
sorcery, and the reality of magical art, is not wholly extin-
guished even at this late period of the world. A certain
mechanic in this town labours under the strong delusionl
that he is acted upon by the potent influence of the Evil
Spirit, through the
agency of a poor old woman, the sight
of whom always throws hjtn into a shivering fit of terror,
and from whose presence, whenever she happens to meet
him, he always diet with the same precipitation as if he
weie pursued by all the Neils of Tartarus,—Dorset County
CArtmief:.