The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-01 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

'-- - ' TIE axactinrqr MARTINA&
'A /twig Court of Preenotou of Sala testis Stott wee held yea-
' ye to adjournment roes Friday bet, at the East India House.
lesedevhallarturet, for the 'parrots of tame into consideration the
Itlmiebail Papua, which had been laid before the Honourable
Neater, ta certeir. peisoniaty trauuctiona with the house
and Co., so her as they respected the conduct of the Mast
e Marquis of Hastings, late Goecreor.General of !edit.
Te Secretary having read the Ruolution ot the 3:t of .31asch,
'12.114 Veal motion, and the amendment moved thereon—
'Nest (William Audi, Esq.) informed the Court,
• epic 04 met to resume the Debate on the Hyderehad Papers,
Mlle he they effected the character of the Histiuts al:sidings.
I. Pat sneeze 0 said he rose to explain. /Gs public euty in
. •
‘• understood • i
place had prevented his attending at the last NI eetieg ; but
that the Gallant General (Sir John Doyle) had se-
t
to h'lm (Mr. freslifieel) as being the solicitor of Mr. Adam.
;Now although he should feel disposed to contend, that if that gen-
' .'art 'toed in need of a friend in this Court. he should not be the'
inclined to render him his (Mr. Freehand's) assistance here,
UMW he happened to be his (Mr. Adam's) solicitor. yet he
. =take it for granted that the Gallant General would hardly
it to him that he came to this Court as Mr.-Adam's solki.
tot. It win however lit that he (Mr. Preshfielits should state, both
•-th'jitetice to himself and to Mr. Adam, that he earl never seen that
gentleman once in his life, nor aid he know anythleg cf hint either
&reedy or ineirectly, but as being a son of a niece esteemed friend
of his (Mr. Freshfirld's), whose character he had for many years,
bt utifeetrwith a great unrnber of other gentlemen. much admired.
,544ang Waited the Papets DOW before the Court, and perused
&Welly. he cculd not see any thing that at all rcßected on
the character of Mr. Adam ; and as that Gentliman bad been made
the object of attack, be (Mr. Ereshfield) thought thet the Papers
r arid justify Moo ID defending that Gentionam-lf, therefore, he had
ound it net-matey to defend him, it was not his (Mr. Freshtiold's)
fault, bet 'the fault of these Hon. Proprietors who had made the
attack.
• Sir Jogs DOTLa begged to state, that what he complained of
was, that the friends ot Mr. Adam shetild have thought it necesenre
to some forward to vindicate that Gentleman's character when it
was cot under consideration. It certainly did appear to hint (Sir
J. Doyle) strange that Mr. Adam should be so warmly defended.
when no one had brought, or even thought of bringing a charge
admit him,
Mr. Imre v rose merely for the purpose of calling to the Gallant
'fiennal's recollection one fact, in order to show him that he was
is error when he said that Mr. Adam had not been mode an object
of attack. It would be remembered that an Honourable Pro-
prietor (Mr. Hume) had said, on the.tirst day of this debate, that if
the amendment were carried, or whether it were carried or not. he
(Mt. Hume) did not know but that the conduct of lie. Adam
would be made the subject of an impeaclunent. (Hear, bear. )
Captain elaxw eet observed, that as he was conscious that h.
"as the worst speaker in this Court, but most certainly should not
be the longest, be had risen first. He was not prepared with a act
a teitthbut he should endeavour to make sn intelligible one; and
he should bubble over the ground from want of training, he hoped
the Court would not attribute it to a want cf sincerity. If he
-should mistake amention for proof, information from hearsay fir
• •Zomliresed exidease., and deselemstion for argument—if he, tile a
'magyar irnone man, should enter upon a vindicat ion ofehe chars err
"elf these whose characters bad not been attacked, then he should
. " in his defence the practice of this Court, and contidmtly here
, its indulgence. The Marquis of Heating" had administered the
of the Company fora period of nine years; -his merits- had
. --, !receded and acknowledged by a gift of 60,0601. sterling.
. .
leade
g his administration, however, the Noble elartpri 4 had sane-
the proceedings of the house of Palmer and Co. Those pro-
. • gs, and that sanction, he (Captain ititxwell) was ready to
i Admit deserved the disapprobation of the Court of Diree•ora.
Reinoue &ceased the Mullins of Hastings of dishonourable conduct
and partiality in that matter. He (Captain Maxwell) had bestowed
much time la perusing the great book that was before them ; and
r the policy which was made known by the documer.et contained lo
_tit, he was not going to defend ; but that book committed upwards of
190 documents, not more than one.fiftieth part of which were before
two Marquis of Hastings when he granted thatlicence ; said there-
.fare the Proprietors of this Court ought only to judge of that
, _Nobleman's conduct front the same documents as the Marquis had
• %afore bine. If the klarqui's had had the advantage which rho Court
. led, he (Captain Maxwell) did not think that Noble Lord would
%aye acted as he did. But it was not his (Captain Maxwell's) wish
'to lay that the,. velurninuus documents were laid before them for
the purpose ot heeildning. He had read the minutes of Mr.
Seem and Mr. Adam, as well as those of the Marquis of Has-
tier ; and although they were subsequent to the first ten deci-
mate, which were all that were iu existence when the Ma-remit
granted the licence, yet he was ready to admit teat both Mr. Stuart
end Mr. Adam, in their opposition in council to the Noble Mar-
inelli, had acted honestly and conscientiously ; and he• would say
that they deserved the thanks of this Coart, as well as his Lord.
ship himself. (Hear, hear.) But he had so doubt that that asp.
position precipitated the measure of Lord Hastings. With regard
to the Hyderabad amounts, he could not but declare that the ex..
planation of Mr. Russell, the late Resident there, on a former day
of this debate, appeared to him both clear and convincing. Rut'
when he (Captain M.) read the paper he must at the same time
acknowledge, that he did not go into the accounts, for he did think
that this Court was Lot the best place for such an investigation.
It appeered to hiaa.thet the most proper plum for going into those
accounts would be either Hyderabad cr Calcutta. at all events it'
Mu, not London. An Honourable Proprietor (Mr. Weeding) had
indeed said, that the whole of that was a fallacy ; he (Cape. else-
wail) would acknowledge that he could not ascertain whether the
accounts were false or true, but he was disposed to think they were
pufecily. tr..e. But at all events he thought the accounts quiche to
be examined into without any reference to this Court. With re-
/meet to the charge of high interest hiving been exacted from the
Nimen, he begged to say that 24 per cent. in India was not so ex-
traordinary as many lion. Proprietors mewed to conceive. He
bed himself lent money at 12 per cent., and by exchanging the
Ws, had obtained a discount which made it in the whole more
than 24 per cent. (Hear, hear.) He was at Calcutta at the time
the loan in question was made, and baring some unemployed
cash he sea recommended by a Gallant General to put it in the
.loan; he was first desirous of ascertaining what: sort of a
security it was that he was to receive from the Nizsm ;
but he confessed that with all the security of les Highness, and
tee guarantee of which the Honourable Proprietor (Mr. Stuart)
had spoken, he declined advancing one farthing on the loan.
-Weer, hear.) But why was ioterest higher in India than in this
country ? The reason was obvious, though it was not generally
perceived. In -England, in a time of war, when the farmer wanted
money, he obtained it perhaps at the highest rate, being only 8
Per cent. ; the English farmer could nio but one crow from his
laid in a year, but in India the people could realise three or four
crops in the same space of time. (Hear, hear.) This being the
fact, he (Capteia Maxwell) could see no reason why interest should
tot be trebled in that country, when our mother earth was so merit '
more productive there than here. When the loan was tint granted,
it was mated at 80 lac/ of rupees, but subsequently it had reached
100 hues. Be thought this measure resulted from the House
lending money at. so easy a rate. (Hear, hear.) In adverting to
the amendment, which went to approie of the despatches of the
Giant of Directors in reference to the transactions at Hyderabad,
Carotin Mexweli observed, that the acts of the Court of Die:ries
were the acts of the Proprietors at large; the Directors were the ,
earotitifted Attorneys ot this Court, said Government had more-
41u R aepoimett a Board to ratify the acts of the Directcrs, and he
(Captain Maxwell) therefore thought that (lie Proprietors had t,o
right to espies an opinion with regard to those despatchea ; it
this practice were to be adopted, he r.l not know when the bud-
nem of the Court would end. (Hear.) He would new declare
that he did not conceive the charges against the Marquis of Met.
hags to be established. There were two letters of that Noble Lord
—end he regretted to ace such letters in that book ; bet they had
been wed as furnishing grounds of complaint against the Noble
Writer, but he (captain Maxwell) did most conscientiously. be.
they air:riled no evidence of favouritism on the part ot the
Magid' of Hastings. lie believed there rever was a time when
the Court of Proprietors had been called upon to give an opinion
is important to their future interests. As merchants, they were
*upon to introduce order, instead of that accursed system of
ion which had worked so dangerously to the inurees of
s and as trustees of a most extensive property, they were
bound to exert a watchful vigilance ever them %enacts. Their
Mutter would soar expire, and their I ibours could not be devoted
to a better service; and whatever might be the fate of that charter,
they had a field of exertion before them, where by their wisdom
they might raise to themselves &claim to the gratitude of millions,
std excite the admiration of the world. But towards Lord Hast-
ier let them act act the reverse of this—let them not deprive him
so that " which taught enriches them, but would leave hint poor
indent"' Ile (Camem Maxwell) was of opinion, that if the lion.
Chairman would withdraw his motive, one misfit be made that
mould meet all their wiehes. lie tied one in his pocket which he
lbooght route do, but if that &heti:it tot be approved, then there
was another course; a Committee might be appointed to in-
quire into the accounts, which he thought would have every good
purpose.
Me M. WASFILOUDIt said, that he fee the first time addressed
this Court, and he thought it necessary tootate why be had taken
this opportentiy to do so. He thought that 'the whole weight of
itiluence oat the part of the Goveruer.Oeneral had been exercised
in a manner not to the interests of India. He thought that the
quea'ion was not one of pounds, shillings, and pence, but one of
as high importasice to this Camas any that had occurred since
the imp anent of Warren Meetings. He did not mean meet
himself in opposition to the Hon. Proprieteni who were the friends
of did Noble Marquis, nor did be ask the Court to come into his
erateiun. He came not there to speak so much with a view to its
Dung a qutetion of party, as one involving the principle ot
our policy throughout the whole of India. But before he went
tato an elide:46on of his views of the traeuctions at Hy-
derabad; lie begged to be permitted to steely Linesef to some
obaervatione thut had been merle by Hot:our-bar Proper:ors in the
coterie of the present debate. He kses not whether he might be al-
lowed to mouton the name of the Gentieneu who 'Kee it, but
something had been said about nuthe g haring been thrown out
&eldest the character of Mr. Admin. Now, if lie (.11r. Weleheough)
had heard it said that, if the original motion failed, Mr. Adam
must be Impeached. he considered that th-s was an unfair pro.
tenting, when that Gentleman was not present to ddend himself.
The Honourable Proprietor then referred to the letter addressed by
the Marquis of Hastings to Messrs. Adam. Eendall. and Bayley,
Ilhasnempeuee of certain remarks of the Coen of Directors oat the
ofollttet at that Noblemare, In which ha requested them to answer
toe ftliftroil:isi erzteiconst—Whetber they had ever discovered in
am sr et apparent weLoatore to evade an order I