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

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EAST INDIA HOUSE.
—...--- ,
THE MARQUIS OF HARTI:IOS.
estateral Court of Proprietors of East India Stork was held
y, by adtournment, at the East India House, rteLeaden-
iallameel, for the purpose of taking Into centideation the Hydra-
ad papers, so far as they respected the contime of the Most
Noldathe Marquis of Hastings, late Governerefemeeral of India.
The Quinetee (W. Astell, Esq. M. P.) said that he had to
loftiest the Court that they were now met by adjournment of a
SpOtial•Courn called at the request of nine tioneureble Proprietors,
to tt mide. the papers laid before them. in pursuance of the older
made foe that purpose at the Court of Proprietors, held on the 3d
..darsf March last.
. The SECR ET MI V then read the requisition. Ile also reed the
*4l=l gamier% made by the Honourable ilouelas liinnsird, viz.—
" That this Honotirable Court, having h.:en into consideration,
ordered to be printed. and laid before it, at a Court held on the 3d
of Much last, relating to certain pecuniary transaetiont with the
Imelda of Messrs. Williams, Palmer, and Co. at Hydrabad, is of
Opinion that there is nothing contained therein which tends to affect
in the slightest degree the peened character. inteerity, arid honour
tot the late Governor-General of India, the Mast Noble the Mar-
quis of Hastings."
The amendarent, reeved by the Chairman, and seconded by Sir
Ventage Robinson, was then read, •iz.—" That this lion. Court,
having taken into consideration the papers laid before it relative
to certain pecuniary transactions with the house of Messes. Palmer
and Co. at Hydrabid, is of opinion that there is no geoutid for
imputing corrupt motives to the Most Noble the Marquis of
Hastings, lite Govenot-General of India, nor to any other Mem.
bar of the Bengal Government; but at the same time it feels itself
celled upon to eeprees its approval of the several despatches; to
India, made by the Honourable Court of Directors, on the 24th of
May, 1810 o2Bth of Nov. 1821 ; 9th of April, 18224 and the 21st
of January, 1824."
Mr. PAT lISON said, that as he understood there was a copy of
a letter ih the musession of the Chairman, which had been ad-
dressed to the !Marquis of Hastings by the Court of Directors, he
wished that letter to be read.
illr. Feesmerzeo said, that if the Honourable Director had
that letter read, it must be considered as part of his speech, Red
that he would not be at liberty, at a subsequent stage of the pro-
ceedings of the Court, to address it again, as it would be med.
iogly informal for Honourable Proprietors to call for papers to be
mad which did not form pert of those now before the Court, and
then afterwards to be allowed to comment upon them.
Mr. Samuel Dixon, Mr. Rigby, and the Honourable Douglas
fiinniini, severally expiessed their opinions as to the propriety of
the letter being read. The latter Honourable Gentleman observed,
that their Honourable Chsionan had set the example, by engaging
two persons to rend for him, at the last meeting, a pile of documents,
as part of hiaspeech, and if that were a bad precedent, it was nut
the fault of the Honourable Director (Mr. Pattison).
Mr. PATS' ISON said he was anxious to give information to the
court ; and if it should be supposed that by having the letter in
question *.ad, he should be precluded from speaking afterwards,
be certainly should consider, that by having the letter read, be
Ilhould be rendering more assistance to the Court than if he were
to speak for two hours.
It was finally agreed that the letter should be read. It was dated
the 15th-of July 1324, and written by the Secretary of the Court et
Directors to the 3larquis of Unsung., in reply to certain lettere
from his Lordship ; in which letter the Directors said, that whilst '
they could not approve of the observations made by his Lordship,
in his letter to thee}, still less could they concur in the doctriae ex-
peeked by his Lordship, that where they entertained opinions of
disapprobation or suspicion against any of the Company's servants,
that it was ineumbent on them to institute preeeedings against
them.
Mr. CARRUTHERS rose and said that the question to be dis.
mimed was one of su painful and delicate a nature, that he regretted
It should have been persevered in. Ile had hoped that the discus-
lion which had already taken place would have led to a recon-
ciliation of feeling (he r, heat), by some friend of the party coming
forward, and so arranging it as that the subject might have been
most satisfactorily put an end to. He telt that as this had not been
done, it was found to be an impracticable step. It being therefore '
unavoidable that the Court should proceed, he trtsted that it would
proceed with the most temperate and cool determination to do
• ustice to all parties. Sorry should lie be to treat this sub-
iect in any other war ; rather would he imitate the Hon. Gentle-
Oran who 'brought torward the original tendon. and who, by his
temperate forbearance, had obtained the approbation of their Hon.
Chairman. He now presented himself before the Come determined
to gem his verdict from the evidence before thew, tree tram all pre-
mdice, passion, or party feeling. It was stated by an lion. Mem-
ber at the last Meeting, whom he did not now see in Court (Mr.
John Smith), that he considered the question to have been star-
towed into a very small compass; that it resolved itself, in fact,
into these two questions: did lie, or did he not, believe the Mar-
quis of Hastings to be an honourable man ? Now he (Mr. Car-
/others) would say with that Ilunoureble Proprietor, that the
Marquis of Hastings was an honourable man. But he must go
further ; be trust also ask himself, did he or did he not, after a
careful perusal of the papers DOW before the Court, and a candid
'eider-wee formed upon the statements contained tlfrrei:!--did he or
did he not (he would repeat) feel that the Marquis of !Issuing', out
sef a partiality entertained by him towards Sir Willem' Homeold,
who was a partner of the house of Palmer ane Co., foil into the
error of favouritism, and use the power and authority which be
possessed as Governor-General, in Furth ranee of that error ? He
( 31r. Carruthers) could not even stop here ; he felt obliged to carry
the question still further, and ask, whether he did or did nut be-
lie-.e the Honourable Court of Directors were honourable men?
Did he or did he rot believe that they were fully and completely
"lustitled, by the facts that had been communicated to then, and
the dote:meets that were before them, in preparing and sending
out to India those four despatches which were referred to in the
amendment!' He would declare to these questiorN, that lie did;
that he not only believe.! the Court of Directors to be honourable
men, but that they were quite justified in preparing and sending
out those despatches. He should state to the Court the evidence
which led him to this conclusion, but he would endeavour not to
occupy much of the timei of the Court, because the same evidence
had already been goneinto by his friend (Mr. P.)in a manner alike.
creditable to his feelings and enviable to his taleo ts. H e found in page
6 of the printed papers, a letter signed by the Marquis of Hastings,in
which that Nabte Lord stated his reasons for granting the licence
dated 234 July, 1816, to Messrs. Palmer and Co. empowering them
to make a loan with his Highness the Nizam. Now, he t 51r. Car-
ruthers) found that that licence contravened the 13th of Geo. 111.,
which was passed to prevent British subjects from entering into
money transactions with the native subjects of India; and this
licence, it appeared, was granted for the benefit of his Highness of
Nizam. But it seemed that the illegality of this measure had so
strongly impressed itself on the minds of the Members of the
Coarmill of the Bengal Government, that constant opposition was
want to it. He next found, in page 45, a letter from the Noble
Marquis, dated 17th June, 1820, in which he said, that they who
impugned his conduct respecting the licence, must be in this alter-
native—teat tie evils of the Nizam of Hydrabad were of It's
impatience to the Government than the amount of the interest to
be paid, or that the money could be obtained at a less rate, which
was known to be impossible. In consequence of this letter,
Mr. Adam arch Mr. Stuart proposed two other modes for
raising the required loan : the one was, that the money necessary
for the Nizam should be furnished by the Bengal Government,
and that security should be taken from the Nizam. Now, when I
he (Mr. Carruthers) read this proposition. it appeared to him to be
erteed and a sound one; but it fell to the ground in consequence
of an opinion which had been obtained by the Marlow of Hastings, 1
from Mr. Spackle, as to whether it could be carried intoesecution.
He (Mr. C.) would not stop. to observe upon the matinee in which
tots opieion had been obtained, but would proceed to page 53 of
dhe printed papers, where he found that .Mr. Adam stated his con-
cern to learn that the plea was viewed with such repugnance by
the Governor-General. In consequence of this plan having been
ejected, the Council stated what course should be observed.
' ?sow, what was that course? 'Why, that the money should be
obtained by subscription from the British merchants in India, and
the great glut of money in the India market gave every fair ground
of believing that the loan would soon have been raised in that way,
and this mor.ey was to be raised for the benefit of the Nizatu.
Alf. Kite 14 AIIRD—In what year was that?
3lr. Ceanuednas--Itt was immaterial what yest ; it was
enough lot himto state the page. (Laughter, and cries of '• the date,
the date.") It was in the year 1520. He would now proceed with
bis argument the found that that proposition was made by Mr.
Stuart, and supperted by Mr. Adam. In looking at it, he (Mr.
Carrothes) must declare, this also seemed to him to be a very rea-
sonable proposition, and he was quite at a loss to know why the
Marquis of Hastings opposed it; but, on looking at page 2'2e'
of the printed papers, it would be seen that the Noble Mar-
quis was still eager to grant this hence, and still opposed to'
any other mode being adopted to raise the loan. There then
only remained one other mode which appeared to Mr. Stuart at
all feasible—which was to raise this money without a guarantee. '
The Marquis of Hastings said that he should not object to this,
provided it was understood that the subscribers were rot to look to
tile Government for support in case the Nizam should fail to dis- I
charge the loite. Now he (Mr. Carruthers) would ask why should
these British merchants be precluded from seeking from leovern- I
menu that ptotection which was granted to others ? Every man I
must be at a loss to understand why the Marquis of Hastings
should still persevere in refusing the samaprotecuon and the MVO
privileges to the British merchants in India as its hid granted tol
the house of Palmer and Co. His Lordship went on to say that
•• there must tie co speulation that Government would grant this
protection." Now he' Mr. Carruthers), as a British merchant—
-4" Hear, hear," from Mr. D. Kinnaird and Mr. Hume)—yes. he
would my, feeling as a British merchant, and he was proud of the
name, he could rot understand why lie was to be deprived of the
same protection from the Governor-General of India which was
extended to the house of Primer and Co., or any other commercial
hrose in that country. At last he had arrived at page 733. and he
tree found a letter from the Martmle of Hastings to Sir William
Rare:bold, dated the 4th January, 1815 ; now he could not help
remarking upon this letter, although he had been told that it was
a private Letter (" No, no," from the opposite benchea) This
letter, it would be remembered, was dated in 1815, and the licence',
greeted to the house of Palmer a: d Co. bore date in 1816. H.
Lordship raid to Sir %./illien in this letter, that the partners spa.
ealaied that he (Sir Willinm) being one of the firm, could do',
wawa to promote their ieterests ; and his Lordship wect on to sty,'
.....retest the was a fair and honest speculation." It was certainly re-
markable that the Noble Marquis should, on every occasion when
--Wel the house of Palmer and Co., evince such an aneioue
*bele welfare. lie (Mr. Carruthers) could not but °b-
`-et was very remarkable. But he now came to that
'eh bad bad very great wfitience on his mind,

epcakit>g of the house of
«own for their welfare
*erre that this faa Wl.l
psetof theiater Witch