The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-03 00:00:00

BRIGHTON, Dtc. I.

Mrs. Coutts gave a dinner and evenin; pasty on Friday,
to the Duke of St. Alban's' the Ladies Bntuelerk, the Earl
of Burford, the Dowager Marchioness of Lansdowne and
her daughter, the Misses Gifford and Mellish, Lord and
Lady Say-and-S::!e, the lion. Mr. and Miss Twisleton, Sir
M. and Lady Tierney, Sir IL and Lady Wilmott, &c. &c.
There was also a musical party in the evening.
The Marchiontss of fiertibrd is at Hastings,
Lord Vis,munt Dudley is at 5, Cannan-place.
Lord Eirilliy, we regret to state, continues much indis-
pose
14re are happy to find that the health of the fluke of
Bedford is improved ; we observA his Grace ou Sunday
last taking exercise ou horselniek on the cliffs.
The Marine Betel, and d,rso houses, Nos. 2,3, and 4,
in Alanchester-street, were sold on Friday last at the Auc-
tion Man, Laudon, lay Messrs. IVinstanley and Sons, for
11,50 a

MESSRS. MARSH, STUACEr, AND CO.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Sir,—lt appears from your pap* of this day, that the
creditors of Mcssri. Stmery, and Graham hare
derived some dkn. tit from your communications. _ _

KW the information of sour correspondent, " A Grateful
Creditor," I will. through your medium, put him in pos-
session of a new fact, which I think will be worthy of his
attention.

a refer;nee to the books of the house in Berner,-
strca, it will be found, that over and above the immense
sums alreptly admitted to have been abstracted from its
fonds by Mr. Nlatsh. there will appear a further advance of
.1,300!. made to this very person, or, what will come to the
same thing, on the credit of this person, tea needy r,dation.
This sum was procured for the alleged purpose ot discharg-
ing a it ht ettional on behalf of the Crown by the Post-
master-General. _ _

The cretulors are aware that there is now in the house a
writ of extent, i:autil fur the recovery of a &Au of 4,000/.
claimul ii like manner Ly the roatioastcr-Cenral.

They will prooo'oly wish to ascertain whether the pre-
sent claim arises cut of the misapplication of the advance of
the 4,StntL or out of a fresh claim originating iu the same
transaction.

Aud haring sati►fied themselvru on this point, I will
rti:ture to hint to (11:111, that it may be important to in-
quire whether the adranca in question was made to Mr.
Marsh, in the sl.ape of r..sney on his own draft, or by a
e.t.a.'s upon the !untie of Nessrs. Martin and Stone; or
whether it was taken by him from Berner's-street, in the
shape of Prelavirr Bills; and if in the latter, whether
at that srcific time the bows! had one single Exchequer
!till in its poax.xiion, which liaJ been parc4a:ed on its
ow i account ? W.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS'S SUMMARY
OF HIS ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA.

This important document, transmitted by the Noble
Marquis from Gibraltar, in May, 1823, bas been printed
in conformity with the order of the General Court at the
India House, on the !nil of June last. It is much too
long to give entire. The following extracts will put our
readers in possession of its most material parts:—

I entered upon the management of affairs at Calcutta in October
1211 My first view of them was by no means pleasing. The
treatories of the three Presidencies were in so unfurnished a condi-
tion, that the insufficiency of funds in them to meet any unusual
charges (and many such menaced us) excited considerable uneasi-
ness. At that period, the low credit of the bonds which had at die*.
terent times been issued as the securities for monies borrowed. made
eventual recourse to a loan seriously discouraging in contemplation.
As twelve per cent. discount on the above securities was the regu-
larly computable rate in the market, when no immediate exigency
pressed upon its, the grievous terms to which we must have sub-
scribe/ for a new supply of that nature in an hour of alarm, could
not be disguised to any foresight. Under this embarrassment, an
attempt had been made by the preceding Government to provide,
In a partial degree, for the anticipated difficulties, by curtailing the
annual disbursement. so us to leave a surplus of receipt. What are
called the Charges Military, the provision for all warlike objects
offensive or defensive, had appeared the only head of expenditure in
which a saving of efficacious magnitude could br made. The par-
ing-knife was thence applied with rather an undiscriminating hand
to many article", of the military establishment, which had till that
time been deemed indispensable towards a tranquil tenure of the
country. As it was trintter of simple arithmetical measurement, the
contemplated surplus was produced; but it was ',omitted with cir-
' cumstances which Lad not been taken into the reckoning. Let it
not be supposed that I sin insinuating a censure on an expedient m
which Government was pressingly urged by financial difficulties.
The limit within width a reduction of disbursement in the military
branch would not entail mischief, was Indians not to be computed
without trial. As it was, experience showed that hazard had been
incurred in a degree quite unapprehended. The saving had prin-
cipally arisen from a great diminution of our armed force. The
operation of such a measure was not confined to the question
of sufficiency for eventual defence. Nothing would mislead
the judgment more than a parallel supposed between the em- I
ployment of the Indio) army and that of our military at home.
The native troops are, in fact, the police of India, the Buzkun.
dauzes, or armed attendants of the police of India, the Ituikuti-
dauzes, or arnied attendants of the itlagisontes. being totally in-
adequate, it nut supported by the regulars. Hence, the comnlica-
firm of duties resting upon the soldiery Is so great, as that it is rare
for even half of a battalion to be found at its head-quarters. ()amp,
inn of dependent stations, detachments with !treasure which is in
constant transit, escort of stores periodically despatched from Cal-
cutta to the several provinces, charge of convicts working on the
roads, custody of prisoners transmitted from different parts for
trial before the Court, of Circuit, and guards over jails, form a
mass of demand which our fullest military complement ran btirely
answer. A great number of those among whom such duties lied
been divided could not be dismissed, without causing the service to
be oppressive to the remainder. Hot there was a further conse.
quence which rendered the barthen intolerable to the native soldier.
This incompetence of strength involved nearly an extinction of
those leaves which it hail been the custom to grant annually. for a
proportion of the men in each regiment to visit their villages.
The privation of hope to see his connections occasionally was in.
superably irksome to the Bengal Sepoy, usually of high caste. In
consequence, very many in each corps solicited discharge from the
service. Unless when in the field, this indulgence had been uni-
formly conceded on application, as the individual received no
bounty on entrance. Of course, there was an awkwardness iu re-
fusing what had, from practice, assumed a colour of right, when
contest was only secretly anticipated by Gtnernment, from particu-
lars which it .shed nut to divulge. So many of those who thus
petitioned to quit the service were veterans approaching the period
of claim to the invalid pension (the great object of the native sol-
dier), that the sacrifice which those men desired to make, exhibited
unequivocally the deep discontent of the army. I therefore fouLd
Government convinced, that perseverance in the experiment was
too dangerous; and the re-adoption of those military provisions
which had been stricken off would have taken place, even had not
another consideration pressed its being done with eh:utmost speed.
The disgust of our native tromps was so loudly expressed in all
quarters, that the crusts of it were univeraully canvassed ; and as
such an extraordinory lessening of our mil;tary means wan ascribed
to uncontrollable necessity, tha same inferences of our debility
were drawn by all the surrounding States. As might have bre
expected, a tone and procedure altogether novel had been assumed
towards the British Government. l'here were 'made over to me,
when the reins were placed In pry hands, no less than six Lustily
discussions with Native Powers, each capable of entailing resort to
arms. It was thence obvious, that a beneficial alteration in our
pecuniary condition was not to be effected by parting with the
sinews of 0111 strength. but by striving to cultivate and render more
productive those sources of revenue which we possessed. In the
above-mentioned number of angry controversies, no advertence is
made to the rindarriea. Communication could not be held with
those excentbk 'Mika's: yet the atrocity of their character, though
it forbad the degrades of Uegoctatlng ikh thous,•oenki nos dis,
nonage their inherent force, so as to ;mesa my reip.rding
even at that juncture, as the most serious of the difficulties with
which I had to deal. Could the moral call for suppressing one of
the most dreatiful emerge% that ever afflicted hu.nsnity be put
aside, still the task of dispersing an association, whose existence was
ineconcileable to our ultimate security, as well as to our more im-
mediate interests, seemed to me not capable of being long post-
poned. At the sante time. I saw the intimacy of connexion be-
tween the Pindarries and the Mahe:teas so distinctly, as to be cer-
tain that an attempt to destroy the former must infallibly engage
us in war with the whole body of the latter. While the extreme
effort was delayed, which our entanglements in other quarters made
unavoidable, it was desirable to impose seine cheek on the plain-
derers. The year before my arrival they had ravaged part of our
territories, they had carries! off' an immense booty with intro.:icy,
and they were professedly meditating another invasion, every so-
litary man well comprehending that defensive frontier stations,
though heavily extfensive to the State, were ebsolutely nugatory
against a mounted enemy without hag age, following at will
through a vast expanse of country any lute which the information
of the moment might recommend- There was a chance that inti-
mations from livelier might cause the Pindarries to suspend their
inroad. It was inappreciable to us to stop, if possible, the pro-
jected devastation, while we were to be occupied elsewhere: on
which account, I proposed a remonstrance to that Court, on the
score of the Vint:artier being permit:Al to arrange within the
Maharajah's dottfmlons the preparztions for assailing the Honour-
able Company's provinces. The present unre,ermil soknowlejg.
ment of our supremacy thmughout India, wit: scarcely leave ci „.-
dible the then existence of a relative position, which could occasion
my being met in Council by a representation, that a remonstrance
of the: above nature might Iw offensive to Scholia, and that nothing
ought to be ventured which could give him umbrage. Such,
however,. was at that period, on either side, the estimate of British
power."
- - - - - -

Having narrated his military successes, achieved without
putting the East lndia Company to the expense of a
single shilling; the Noble Marquis thus sums up the results
of his Indian Government :

" Whatsoever sulk:ration the atrairs of the lion. Company may
hare experienced, such efforts of mine as contributed towards it
were no more than simply my duty. The tenor of my engagement
Implied, in my construction, my plighted honour, to use my un-
remitting exertions for the advantage of those who plated their reli-
ance upon me ' • and the critical nature of any unforeseen objects
towards which three exertions could become demanded, be the risk
of my decision what it might, :savor calm within our mutual un-
demanding. I have, tlterefmt., no merit to claim, beerind the
consciousness of having indefatigably videavmsred to fulfil that to
which • I felt myssif pledFeaL At the same time, 1 may be per-
mitted to avtivorny exultecon, at haying been able to conciliate,
with the strictest diacbsrge of my trust, the bettered condition of an
ituniame population : a eircutaatanco in which I regard the cha-
racter and inter* of ou: country to have gained mink I believe
it an honest bosth. to have been even such an humble instrument PY
I was in the eliettlestion of that end. Still, the vanity of eon.
teibuting towordess proud a purpose, milzht seduce me tipsy less
attention titan WM due to my inure immediate obligation. Thence,
I will beg leave to Ten:nit:date the points of beaetit for the lion.
Company which I consider as established, that if I hare been any
where deficient, the particular neglect may at mute be seized.
" Ist. The overweening insolence and hostility of Nepaul, a
power dangerous from its position along an extensive and open
frontier of ours, has been an completely chastened, as to make that
people sensible they can only rmain their independence as a State
through the moderation of the Bridal' Government.

..271. The Pindarry emaciation, a dreadful scourge to every
neighbouring community, and pcculisrly alfi,ethe to the lion.
Company's subjects, has been annihilated ; end the fruitless annual
expense of protective tneartires against thou depredators, together
with frequent henry loss oi revenue, is henceforth precluded.
" 3d. A confedentry. aiming at no he. than the total extirpation
of the British from ineis, has bceo so thoroughly subverted, that
not a germ is left for its
" 4th. Throughout the term of an cdininintration, during which
such unprecedented demands for services on the :lon were to be
toes, the Hon. Court has received. on an average, annual supplies
from India (beyond the amount of sopplks from Coglar.d to
Indio, nearly trebling the rate of supplies furnished to it on the
average of twenty year preceding. For the years of my admini.
atration which demanded most extriontimry effort in latlia„ the
supplies nearly quintupled the fom er example.
' Wt. The yearly Indian revenue of the Hon. Company from
oermarent sources, ninplayall at the clove of the last offiesal year
an incresse of fire millions one hundred and seventy-five thousand
pound= sterling, by actual receipt. I,or reason* ansignal. that in-
crease is expected to amount, in the present year 18.28-23, to six
millions. 'I here is no probability that it should hereafter sink
below that rate, but there is every just ground to reckon upon its
prJgresnive augnientation.
6.11. The clear Indian surplus to be henceforth exhibited is
estimated by me at four millions sterling yearly. It will probobli
Ise more ample.
" 7th. The lion. Court has been, with a material saving, de-
livered from an embarrassing provision of the conditions of lormor
hetes ; while the justice of the operation wan so distinctly reeng.
nixed, that the credit of the lino. Company's Indian securities has
risen to a pitch which no speralcion could ever have presumed.
•• Bth. In the year 1813-14, the independent powers of India
were no num4rnun arid strong as to conceive themselves equal to
rxpel the ; at pros:::; 6.7 Native State in tat oast rrgicm

is in either seknow:edgetl or euential subjugation to our Govan-
merit.

" Lastly. These advantages are not counterbalanced by any
bunhens contracted in the acquiring them ; because there is, at this
invent, an accumulation of cash in the treasuries beyond what I an
out with, more than sufficient to wipe off the additional debt in.
rutted during my adminisuation, were it wise so to employ the
money.
fhe credit sought foe this flourishing condition of the finnecce
might be fallacious. The exposition is delusive and unworthy, if
the plenitude of the coffers be owing to the produce of novel and
grinding taxes, or to Government's having kept hack from the
c. entry those issues of money, which every community is entitled
to expect shall be applied by its rules in furtherance of public
convenience. As to the first, it suffices to say that not a single new
impost took place during my administration, while several teasing
demands were abuliehtxl, as well in the old provinces as in the ac-
quired territories. Regarding the second, I have reason to hope
that I cannot be charged with having neglected those facilitations
to commercial intercourse, and those encouragements to agricul-
tural activity, which I knew would be consonant to the just and
libet el spirit of the Honourable Company. Readiness of comma.
nieation is. in every cottetry, the chief spur to industry. Roads,
of which ineny approach to completion. are in progress, under the
superintendelice of the Quarter-Slaster-General's Department; and
as I do not recollect any of the branches to be of much less event
than two hundred miles, with numerous bridges over terrains here-
tofore often impassable for long terms through the casual swelling
of the waters, the degree of accommodation to be thus afforded to
the inhabitants would be thought important in any part of the
world. It is peculiarly so in Central India, where the prevalence
of clayey soil makes the tracks which the natives denominate roads
frequently impracticable, for even their light carriages, during the
rainy season. The treneportation of goods has been further pro-
moted by attention to canals; though in the latter, an utility has
been consulted, far beyond the despatch of articles to a distant
market. The canal of Ali 3funllitm, after being devoid of water,
and its banks every where prostrated fur above thecescore years,
has been perfectly restored. The city of Delhi, although situated
on the banks of the Jumna, was destitute of wholesome eater.
The river, in thoseaherations common to all the greater streams in•
their course through the wide plain of Northern India, had come
into contact with such vast bees of natron, that its water became
powerfully impregnated with the salt, and consequently nauseous.
To remedy the distress. All eniliun conceived the grand design
of forming a canal, which should receive a large portion of the
stream of the Jumna where it issues pure from the mountains into
the plain, and .Mould convey it to the Mogul capital. This was
achieved. The extensive tract through which it passed had been
chiefly unfilled, because in most parts the wells Runk in it fur.
nished only water so saturated with natron, as to be unfit to drink
and adverse to vegetation. The facility of irrigating the land with
the water of the canal soon collected settlers and produced cultiva.
fion, so that a large expanse, till then desert, displayed the most
luxuriant fertility. The gratitude of the inhabitants bestowed on
the canal the expreesive title of • Sea of Plenty.' The feelings of
the people of Delhi. on the restoration of this canal, may be judged,
front the fact that, on the day fixed for removing the last inter.
cepting mound, and suffering the water to proceed to the city. the
whole of them went forth to hail the boon, A
by throning garlands
and sweetmeats into the advancing current. long branch from
this most useful work had formerly, under the name of Feroze
Shah's Canal, been pushed into the province of Uurreeana. Its
supply was lost in the tiendetion of the magnificent source whence
it hail been kit, and its course remained but partially traceable.
At the time of my Ih:torture felon India, this canal was nearly re.
established; every mile of its progress being attended with revived
teeming cultivation, in a reglon which had been abandoned. A third
canal, which runs Inneitodir,ally through the ISoab, and had been
constructed in ancient times to accommodate a country where
streams were scarce, was also in proems of restoration wheal sailed.
Calcutta was, rutturally,not overlooked by ine. The causes of the in-
salubrity of the city had been carefully invettigated and ascertained.
Contagious distempers were unavoidably generated, by the d-
ecline,' closeueee with which the houses of the natives were
huddled togalter in the heart of the city, and the numerous
small pools of stagnant water concealed among those hovels.
Large aunts having been advanced to the f'ouintittee of Improve.
meet. a well-considered plan was adopted for correcting both the tan.
healthiness and the inconveniences. The main remedy lay in piercing
Culeuea through the centre, in its longest diameter, with a street
sixty feet wide. The ventilation of the city, as well as the com-
fort of the inhabitants, was further promoted, by making several
squares, with a tank or spacious reservoir& water in the middle of
each, to be surrounded by planted walks for the recreation of the
better classes. These improvements, however, still, as to orna-
ment and convenience, fall short in comparison with the quay,
mike the Strand, destined to extend upon the river bank along
the city between two and three mile.. :',lnch of it is already
finished, to a height of about forty feet above low-water-mark, with
many pots, Of broad flights of stairs, for the accommodation of
the natives In the bathing prescribed by their religion, as well as
far the landing of goods. Being sixty feet clear at the top, this
quay will afford great facilitation for the carriage of articles from
the 'shipping to ell parts of the city. There is another work, which,
though not actually begun, i. fitting to be noticed here. Dangerous
shoals between the mouth of the Ilveghly and Calcutta prevent all
ships of considerable size from coming up to the city ; and met.
thaw yessels, of but woutoote bulk, are ax;posell to w 4; risk in
the attempt: At thesowefivrie. the 'einem squalls, and the More
to which the llooghly is liable, render the despatch of cargoes
bock and fieward by the river strops tardy and hazardous. As a
remedy for this difficulty, it has been proposed to form front Cal-
cutta to the new anchorage,. where the great ships ordinarily moor,
a canal competent toile navigated by tham sloops. A survey hay.
lag been amide by my direction, the plan appeared severely and
speedily feasible ; pertly by cuts, partly by swelling ourselves of
favourable reaches in different small rivers. The length would be
about ninety miles. As the tells would furnish a large interest for
the money expended, I left upon reowel my opinion, that the
undertaking should be earnesdy recommended to the tien.Court of
Dirceteri. Conviction may be felt from this statement, that the
fostering attention which the lion. Compeny would desire should
be paid to the immense population over which it presides, has not
been sacriliceed to selfish interests. Ido not particularize the dis.
semination of instruction among the natives, because any impulse
which 1 could lend to its promotion was nothing, in measurement
by the standard of those most meritorious and consecutive codes.
your. of other., whence visible and increasing Impression has been
widely made in the country. The point is meneoned wily lest I
should leave myself open to the impression of not having adverted
to a duty of such deep concern."
- - - -

The Noble Marquis conclude; his summary in the foi-
ling terms:—
As tomyself, I can reedily imagine that may not have ade-
quately improved openirgs which fortune presented ; that I may
not have achieved all the salivary purposes which the devoted
gallantry of the troops at my disposal would have enabled me to
secure ; that I may lint have attained ends profitable for the
pourable Conittany, with as little hazard or • xpendinive as would
have attended their acquirement in hands more skilfuL [tut it is
not a claim of ability that I am maintaining t my. engagement was
to defend and promote, to the best of my capacity, the conctyna
with which I was intrusted. I have sought tosbow, that in &crisis
of onparelled complication, extent, and difficulty, the exertion in
which the fulfilment of my obligation consisted was not forborne.
The issue will bear out my pretension ; for the settlement of such
a violently disturbed Inn's will never be referred to chance, but
will be attributed to effifes which, howsoever they might be deft.
dent in judiciousness, must have been aexittway pondered, con.
sistent, and indefatigable. (Signal) HASTINGS.
.Aboard his Majesty's Ship, Glasgow,
Bth April 18M."-