The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-06-03 00:00:00

EAST must

Yesterday a Geniral Conn of the East India
Company was held at their House iu Leadenhall-
evert, panatela to a requisition of uiae Proprie-
tors, to consider the Reeolutious entered into by
the Court of Directors, on the subject of the re-
cal of the writ.- n and cadets, whose appoinueents
were ,tried in the Report of the Select Commit-
tee of the House of Commons to have been ob-
tained be improper nacelle. The Court was crowded
in every pert.
After the proceedings of the last Court had been
rend, Mr. GRANT, the Chairman, directed the
Clerk to read the Requisition, which being dune,
he called upon •the Ceutlernen who signed it, to
state their reasons for b 0 doing, the Court of Di-
rtctors not having it in their power, as no corninu-
nlcatien had beau made to them upon the subject.
Seem s. replied, that he. WAS ofie who signed
Requisition, and although no one was more
vieeti to put an end to such owners, or wore
of the desire of the Court of Directors
• wt a stop to them, yet their having adopted the
tlaport of the Committee of the House of Coin..
mote. met his decided disapprobinion. lie then
moved, *I That the Residuum's of the Court of Di-
rectors of the 12th of Arley should be read."
The CllAle:%lAW,dio:liiiining any wish to take the
subject out of the hands of the Crialeiriati who
had just epokeir thought it would be well to read
the Rinolut on which these were fouinleil, and
to state the grounds upon which they had pro-
erected.
The Clerk then read the Resolutionoof the Could
of Directors, ul the corrupt appointment of
writers mei cadets, rEuin the 28,h of February,
17d;1, to the 12th May, 1809; the latter of which
resci..ded the aapoititnient of two writers add se-
veral cadets, as caatrary to the former Resolutions
of the Court.
the time these papers were reading, the
Celia became ao excessively crowded, that the
CilAtall4ll tetihrittli those Gentlemen who were
not Proprietor* would leave the Court, many Pro-
prietors being excluded ; and one of the Members
recommeieled, as perificatien was the order of the
day, that the windows should be opened to let out
the core:101dr:
The-01411111AM then Raid, that he trusted the
moltiplicity of the attain, of the Company would
obtain him tile nalulgence of the Court, if. in
making a statement upon this important subject,
he should he found any way inaccurate. He then
comm.-one-I on the necessity and importance of
maintaining purity in the Direction ; as, if private
advantages were to be allowed, the inte:ests rf the
Company conic' out to attended to with effect.
Avail times, there were many ekes upon them; and
it would be a cruel if their exertions were
untlermitied by want of cittimeter. If it should be
ever understood. that money ptireliaNed places in the
Ceinpany's serviee, the spirt of the service most
a. mercenaries would pay themselves. IteLiorts had
game `tamale dern,,,,eitory to the character of indivi-
'duals in the-dispreael of patronage, which he had no
doubt were greatly can-owed, el-hough not wholly
destitute of fonietation—arra when it had been dis-
*livered. the Director had been immediately com-
pelled to vacate his seat. 11';irat the Resolution
was carried, to dvelare plates. obtained through cor-
rupt means, null and von:, it was considered a
olsalesome negolotito,„ tleoueli nothing was disco-
vered to attach blame to any oh' alx parties. Adver-
tiseinet ts had appeared in re wrpapers, that hr
belieeed hail no other origin there 111 speculatioin
whichs if the isilvertiser foood arty one to answer,
set I • it biUrk ;0 dallellVCl. stenos I 0 obtain the ap-
pointment ; 0.,e of their cos, who had
been tfoe nerved off, onoig In that way, wan Lome-
diatilv disninard. When the *object was men-
tinuid is the Fluu.e of C.onitooo-, the Court of
Direct-I,n tkougnt it their duty tee t lac it op, and
freed their pattimage hail here greedy abused; as
the honour of the Coat, errs yew more deeply cote.
'serried then ever, they found it stemmy to up-
hold its purity..
Mr. SA NSOM raid it was not in his contemplation
to charge the Lbareetors with guy using derogatory
to tka character.
Time CN Aimee ma, that tic haviinj„,
that II!byeill'011er. he f•lt 111.110.'4r to bill/b.
taste them. The Court tel Dire.ocre feeling the
imminence of ehatorter lento-vied with the re-
newal of the Clnitter, mini? it imposiable for them
to pursue rue other coarse than that whirl, they
had taken. II td they listened to private fee:nags,
thar *mild hare lost their piehtic character; the
Reselntioas to which then did come, had Irmo es-
seutial to the interests of the Coinaany; and it was
impossible for any persons, c ivil or military. not
to know that a pecuniary consideration, or any
thing like it, for their appointments, was contrary
to the regulation* of the Company. With respect
to the hardship in the operation of the order, as
contrary to humanity, presuming pping persons
to be ignorant of the meaes by which their ap-
pointments had been obtained, it was tint to be
attributed to the Court of • Directore, who felt pain
in the execution of their duty, but to the parents
who had broom ht them into the predicament; it was
/awe who shireilel he cenrcured, and not the Court of
Directors. He thought that when the Ilonourable
Cent. teethed thee had had this subject under
consideration, from the beginning of May till the
seed of ♦ptil, be would no longer charge them
*with iwocipitaney, bat would allow that they had
been very deliberate. . Unleas this mode should be
adopted, there would he no security for the future.
It had bee'li recommended that a bold be
entered into; but such bond would net be +OW;
no valnahle consideration having betas rte, 'vial.
The Hon. Chairman concluded with holiday re-
questing •the Court to Le deliberate end careful in
what resolutions they came to, under the present
circunonlires.
Mr. SAblbubi said, he had listened with treiel, et-
tentioo and phonate to the most part of what had
fallen trout the Lion. Chairman, but Coo4'oll 0.11 he'
bad laboure.l under a misappreliesunou. Thu Re.
solution of 1799, after declaring tmoollitnient. will
and void, lidded, 'nodes* tie p before the
Court r!inulii make a fair mid candid disclosure."—
He wished to know whether they had heel, called
upori to make that disclosnie? if obey hail not,
then this &ambition had not Brea acted tipoo.—
The Court was not bound to art npno the Report
tit tbe House of Commons. The Cechy .iny wield

- —•""'"'"77 —7—.77"""'"""""--".""..-9"1"
r •
, derive more advantage four t' I...e.e.suree, than
bycarrying these wear.- ware • ' eeeciiihru, witieli
fell particularly hard upon ienoverit indisitfuel*,
and e ore a counide ld i.I ra—eegree of harehisee..
r though he entertained a heel' opinion of the Curt
of Director:, still there had Been iitilivi•lonls woo
did not act on they ought, of which the tleeieion of
the 12th of Aprd wee an tinequiviesel proof. A
great deal of good sense and Pewid rerun hare been
urg:d fr on the Chair.; but there had dleen a ne-
glect in the examieutions, winch wee highly culpa-
und,which,ifinterided to, would have prevented
the situation iii which the Court was then played.
He thought the bleine should fal mein the guilty,
and not upon innocent yomee men ; lie meant no
Impptation tin the body of the Court of Directors.
He regretted having taken up so much of the time
of the Court, and, thiliking it *mild he more cre-
ditable to comply with the revocation of the order
than to persevere in it, he would, without trespass-
ing further, move—
" That the Court had heard with great satisfaction the
Resointious adopted by Die Court of Directors, in April
last, in respect to the appointments of Wilier' and Cadets,
hat feeling the distressing situation its which It would place
many persons, who weir., out newt:aided with the corrupt
toract by lamb they hail been appu•nteJ, the Court were
of opinion it ...odd not be Metals snot aoh humanity and
'justice, as puoishuieut should only fall tot those who bail
been personally guilty, to recommend to the Court of Di-
rectors a revision of their war' upon the subject, fur the
purpose of auaulling the same."
Lustiieutom said, from the Repoit of the
Coaanisttee of the House of Cumulous, it appears
ed that there been HO instances of corrupt ap-
pointments. The Court of Directors did not ex-
tend their order to the whole of thew, opal the
ground of the law out having had eufficient pub-
licity till leo6, from which time it wee to begin to
operate. He hoped the Court would extend it to
1000 ; and concluded by set:putting the motion.
Mr. PLUSIER spoke to a point of order. lie
wished to kuow whether they ought to rescind the
Order of the Court of Director., or to apply to the
Court of Directors to do it ?
The CH.lllolitti replied, be hoped the Court
would nut go into a questiou of right. He thought.
It might be more satisfactorily settled. The Late4a'.
of the Company, upon this oohs!, lie was not pre-
pared to go into, which could be more satisfactorily
explained by the Law Officers.
Mr. Arnim said he was pieced in a peculiar situ-
ation by this question—it leas one of very great ex-
tent, and considerable importance, and as it tinkl-
ed so great a mercantile body, he found it soterly
impossible to 1,-ire a legal opinion upon so short a
notice. if it were essential to the question, he
thought it would be beet to postpone the dechtion.
A Gentleman, whose mune we ceuhi
said it es. not naceosary to setter into the humanity
of the question, but the legality; and he would
put it to the Court, whether the proceedings of the
amuse of Commun.. were to be legal evidence upou
which they should act
Mr. P. Moogt did not conce.ve tt necessary to
go into legal opinions upon the question now, the)
should have been had before by the Court of Di-
rectors. He did not come to arraign their integri-
ty, but upon whatott. "4 could they come
Resolutionsto
gr
Ale Report of the Com-
mittee of the House of COW if/ .ILS. If they did
they must follow it up, and go i..to a consideration
of that Report, as was dune by the House of Com-
move. ; and in consequence of which a Minister of
Ow Crown had been arrtigned. The Conrt Amok!
beget, es they did tyke ups new law, and nretetit a
similar reciirrence. ft had been wild, that if they
listened to the plea of humanity, the same plea
would conic. arm ; that could not be—there would
be a law where there was none 1 edam. Hr hoped
the Court would hegiti anew. and double dimwit the
past leaf; it was reepossible the Court could have
assembled for any outer purpose. The lion. Gent.
then paid a tribute to the integrity of the Court of
Directors, and declared himself iu livour of the
motion.
Mr. LowNots wlshed to knoie, whether there
wae met, precedent for the Con— riopeoston. put-
dog aside vote of the Court of Ltirectore ?
Mr. Pl.l3tEit sail, he seemed to have been min
ntiderstood ; a hat lie wished to know was, whether
it would not be more proper that they should vote
for those who were distitiesed being restored, them
that the ;writtet moduli should be adopted ?
The CH*ll3l.4rt briefly explained the rules of
the Court fur teetotally de e:aided servants.
A Proprietor, whose name wecoul.l not learn, ap-
proved of the motion, as it was couched in such re-
•peciful terms; had it et all involved a question ile-
rogaitory to the privileges of the Court. of Directors,
he would have opposed it.
Mr. Lowehes was of opinion, that the Court of
Directors, as it body, had acted perfectly right ; and
it now remained for the Court of Proprietors
to dischmere their duty us a body likewise. The
appeal made 'was to their humanity, and the Di-
rectors having discharged their duty, in the hest
insteace, might, with perfect propriety.- now listen
to the voice of mercy ; iu doing which they would
prippoit their authority with infinitely inure etlact
than by adheihret pertinaciously to the dictates of
strict end rigid Justice. Indeed, a, there seemed to
Debut tie opinion ationigthe Proprietors, 411'146 no
one hod offered any arguinents against the motion,
he took it for graatteil it uould pan with ituatii-
wily. Indeed the situation Ribs Court of Direr-
tors appeared to him to be similar to that of
Corporal Trim with Mg rode Toby; who, heing
interrogated by the hatter, upuu bring sent by him
to visit the sick officer, whether he had made him
in on: r dT Isis house and his purse. ? replied hr had
not orders : urns winch My /Toile said, n thou,
hand scud very well as a corpora!, but vary badly
as a 11411116." in like manner the Celia el three-
tors had acted wry well as Director,, and he hoped
they mould now act equally well as men.
f Ire lecesort Belittle declared his opinion that
the Court of Directors should, as well on the pre-
rent um on every other oceatann, skew thrinstivt4 us
61111 any ruck ; oar deeeriptioe of pereime was not
to he twisted by more than another; our sAlltd he
support one beltioging to himself, if, by 14. ilinog,
he ihnught lie rhoold be actnig *Oust the interest
of the C 0111611./ 'lily at Liege.
Mr. Twix, no wished to avow the printtiples•no-
sin which his opinion was formed en the present
occasion. lie thought, that, if teeny could with
safety he extended to throb ti of the inquiry, it
should be shewn them i but if that alt. old be
found productile of itijary to the many, then it