The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-15 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

A Special General Court of Proprietnes of East India Stock was
held yastertlav at the Company's house in Leadenhall street, for
I the purpose of considering the draft of a Bill now before Parlia-
ment, for transferring to the East India Company certain posses-
*ions newly acquired in the East Indies, under the late treaty wilh
the King of the Netherlands.

SI'GAR DUTIES.
The minutes of the last Court having been read,
The Cu AIaMA N (W. Astell. I:sq.) begged to duke a fete ob-
servations with respect to the 11111 consiik-red b the last General
Courts for continuing the existing duties on East India sugar. Ile
had then stated that the object of the Bill was to continue for one
year more the Acts at present in force, exciting only as to sugar
the growth of the 31auritius. on which the duty would be reduced.
An Honourable Proprietor (Mr. S. Iliion) whom he did not tee :n
his place, seemed to consider his information to be incorrect. He
had, therefore, made Inquiry as to the pmvisions of the Bill, and
* found that the wools relating to the alterattin of duty on the
Mauritius sugar had been taken out on the report. The Ibll was
reported on an unusual day (Saturday), and it had therctire es.
caped his attention. Iletrus•ed that no blame would att.uili to the
curative body or himself, for the nairstatepient male, and which
he was desirous of correcting on the first opportunity that had since
occurred.. The words, he Laderstowl, had been struck Mot of the
Bill because Government at that time thought it expedient to
legislate fur the Mauritius in a separate Bill, but that intention
hc.a. had . since abandoned. The fact was, therefore, that the tame
duty would be continued for another year on all sugar, the wittiest'
of the Hatt Indies.
Mr. It. JACKSON said he understood, from what the Chairman
now rioted. that sugar the growth of the Mauritius would remabs
subject td the same duty as other East India solar.
The Cuktaarstr stated that the duty on sugar Blom the Maui-
this would continue the same as on sugar from t:te continent of
India. All sugar grown within the limits of are Company'a char-
ter was subject to a dory of forty shillings per wit. It was origi-
nally inter.ded by the Bilinow before Parliament to have reduced
that duty on Mauritius sugar to twenty-seven shillings per cent.,
but for une_year longer it would remain at forty shillings.
- I
General Timm NTON asked whether the intention of introawring,
a separate ISill for the reduction of the duty on Mauritius sugar
was abandoned for this session ?,

The CUAIRMAN replied that it VII.
EAST INDIA POSSESSIONS BILL.
The CHAIIIMAN then calla' the attention of the Court to the
purpose for which it had been made specter, that of considering a
Bill for carrying into effect certain exchanges of territory in the
East Indies. The Bill had arisen out of A negodation which hnd
been rending some years, and was concluderl by a treaty signed on
the l,th of March last, in London, by the Plenipotentiaries of his
Majesty, and those of the King of the Netherlands, The object of
the treaty was to make certain mutual cessions of the possasions of
the two countries in the East. 'l'he Island of Sincapore, of great
importance in the Eastern Archipelago, was retained in full
sovereignty by the Crown of Great Britain. On the other hand,
Bencoolen was transfered to the Dutch. Inasmuch as the Com,
pany had rights in the possession of Bencoolen which conld not
be given away without their consent ; a communication had been
made to them in 1820, respecting the negociation which was then
commenced, and at the request of Mr. Canning, then President of
the Board of Control, the Court, of Directors had deputed several
gentlemen as a Secret Committee to consider how far it would be
expedient to make the proposed alterations in the territories of die
Company. After a considerable delay, arising from the nature of
their duty, the Secret Committee closed their report in February
last. The matters on which their judgment was founded were
obviously of too delicate a character to be discussed even by the
general body of the executive, and the Court of Directors had
therefore sanctioned the report on the general statement made by
the Secret t'oinniittee. The Bill now before Parliament was to
live effect to such part of the recent treaty as affected the East
ndia Company. Sincapore, which was ceded to them Britain,
was by his Majesty given to the Company, in consequence of
Bencoolen being ceded to the Dutch. After this statesnent, he
did not consider it necessary to make any observations to induce
the Court to agree to the Bill, but he trusted they would confirm
the motion submitted to them. lie moved that *the Bill be ap-
proved.
The DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN (C. Marjoribauks, Esq.) seconded
the motion.

Mr. R. JACKSON wished to know whether the Court of Di-
rectors were apprised of the intended emsions in an early stage of
the uegociation before the English and Dutch governments had
agreed upon them ; whether, in fact, Government had in any de-
gree committed the interests or territory of the Company before the
Court of Diree:ors were consulted ?
The CHATINAN--quite the contrary ; they consulted us be-
fore they took a step in the negotiation. The Governor-General
wrote to the Court of Directors, that, in his opinion, the exchange
was desirable ; and, on a comprehensive view of the Company's
interests, at the suggestion of Mr. Canning, the Court of Directors
appointed the Secret Committee to consider the subject. No step
was taken without the concurrence and full consent of the Court
of Directors.

Mr. R. JAeamow then entered upon a general review of the his-
[dry of the English and Dutch possessions in the EastentAnhl-
pelago. He expatiated at great length on there/tie and import-
ance of Sincapore to the Company. The object of the treaty was
to do justice, and lay the foundation of permanent peace between,
both the countries. In the opinion of the late Governor-General'
(the Marquis of Hastings), the possessions acquired by this treaty
it would have been wise to babe purchased, even at a great price.
Bencoolen, which the Company had lust, was companitively of lit-
tle value to them. It had been taken by a single frigate ; and the
appearance of a pirate would at all times throw it into a state of
alarm and confusion. l'nder the present treaty, the likelihood of
future disagreements between the Dutch and English Was greatly
diminished. All their settlements now lay on one aide of the
Straits of Malacca, and ours on the other, whilst, whoever pos.
,messed Sincapore, might put a padlock on those straits. Way-,
ing, therefore, the constitutiOnel point, that the General Court
ought to have been consulted before the Company's territories were
finally ceded away, the Honourable and Learned Proprietor termi-
nated his speech with giving his cordial assent to the Bill, and his
thanks to the King's Government, and to the Court of Directors
and their predecessors, during this negotiation. A riot debt of
Public gratitude was due to them, and to that servant of the Com-
pany (die Marquis of Hastings), who had pointed out to them the
inestimable advantages of the acquisitions they had now so happily
accomplished.
31r. WEEDING asked whether, by this treaty, the Company
would be relieved from the annual payment made under a former
treaty, to buy off the competition of the Dutch in opium ? By
the 11th article of the present treaty, he perceived that the King of
the Netherlands renounced an rights, privileges, and exemptions
to him belonging by virtue of those possessions.
The CHAIRMAN said, that, undoubtedly, under the words of
the treaty, every payment or pretension arising from the possession
of the ceded territory. would be virtually abolished by its surren-
der. All rights and privileges whatsoever belonging to the Dutch,
in consequence of the possession of the forts mid factories ceded
by this treaty, were expressly renounced.
31r. IVES:DINO was satisfied with the explanation he had
received.
Mr. It. JACKSON begged to ask, whether a counterpart to the
supplementary pipet delivered by the English Plenipmentinzies
had been received from the Dutch Plenipotentiaries?
The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative. Ile said it was
highly gratifying to did that the conduct of the Coin of Directors
with regard to this negociation had met with 50 much approbation.
There was one objection, however, rather hinted than stated, by
the I lonourable and Learned Proprietor (Mr. R. Jackson) on which Proprietor
seemed would touch lightly. The Honourable and Learned
seemed to consider the Court of Directors somewhat deficient in
their duty, in not taking the opinion of the General Court at an
earlier stage in the negotiation. The extreme delicacy of the ques-
tion had alone prevented them front applying to the General Court
before the conclusion of the treaty. '1 he Iluneurable and Learned
Proprietor had in fact admitted, that the result might have been
endangered by a premature discussion by the General Court. The
executive body had acted under advice in taking the course they
had followed. By the statute of King William the Court of Di-
rectors was authorised to make acquisitions and exchanges of ter-
ritory. It could hardly be contended that this Act was obsolete :
certainly it had not been repealed. The by-laws of the Company
required bills of this description to be laid before the General Court,
and this had not been delayed a moment. On Wednesday last,
the President of the Board of Control had intimated to him that
it was intended to bring in a Bill for tarrying the treaty inter effect.
Ile had requested a copy, which was immediately forwarded to
them. On Friday last the Bill was brought in, and on the day
previous, the General Court was summoned. This was, he believed,
the first instance of a Court of Proprietors being held on a Trinity
Monday.
Mr. GAIIAGAN said, there could be no doubt as to the right of
the Crown to make any cession of the C'ompany's territories, even
Bengal itself. In their Charter the King reserved to himself the
right of sovereignty over India, which, of course, included the
right of cession. In exercising that right, however, not future pros.
pats alone should be considered, but the present rights of indivi-
duals; and he was apprehensive that many of thoec now about to be
transferred to the Dutch, would suffer materially by the change
There had been former instances of similar neglect with respect to
individuals. Ile thought it not enough merely to give them six
years to pack up their property and make their departure.
rile. TRANT hoped, that, on the principle of this treaty, arrange.
ments would be made with the other European Powers, the Danes,
the French, end the Portugpese, for the cession of their settlements
on the Continent of India, so that England might remain in the
exclusive possession of those vast regions.
The motion was then carried unanimously, and the Court
adjourned.