The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-06-18 00:00:00

E.IST INDIeI HOUSE, Juits

A Quarterly General Court of Proprietors of East
India Stock was this day held at the Compiny's
House, in Leadenhall-street, for the unmet:two
of a variety of business.
lIIALF.YEART DIVIDEND.
The Millet*s of the last Court haviog been
read—

The Citallama (John Pattison, E•q.) proposed,
that a Resolution of the Court of Directores,' of the
precediwg day. recommending that ■ dividend of
31 per cent, on the Company'. capital stock. fur
the half-year commencing the sth of January last,
and ending on the sth of July next, should be
agreed to by the Proprietors.
The motion was carried in the affirmative. after
a few words from Mr. /lynx. who complained,
that, in conformity with the By-Low.. there ought,
annually, to be laid before the Proprietors aro
account of the net profits of the Company, which
had not been doue—and, in the absence of such an
account, it was impossible for him to my. whether
the proposed firvidend was as just one or soot.

COMMITTEE OP BY-LAWS.
Mr. CUMMING presented the Report of the
Committee of By-Laws, whose functions expired
this dry. The Report expressed the satisfaction of
the Committee at not discovering. through the put
year, any violation of the Company's Laws.
The gentlemen who served on the Committee of
By-Laws were then re-elected, with the exception
of Mr. Whitshed Keene and Mr. Alexander Bating,
in whose places Messrs. J. Darby and J. H. Tritton
were elected.

SHIPPING ACT.
The Ceatax,►x stated, ihat the Bill for amend-
ing and consolidating into one the several Acts re-
lative to the hiring of the Company's skips, had
passed into • law.
Mr. R. JACKSON took that opportunity of stat-
ing his hostility to the measure. In his opinion, the
whole of the shipping system ithould undergo a re-
vision.

Mr. Flumc reiterated the objections to the Bill.
which ha had advanced on former occasions. The
Hon. Proprietor the• proceeded to offer some re-
marks on certain papers that had been presented to
Parliament. Care, he observed, ought to be taken
that the regulations of the different Presidencies.
which were. in fact, the Acts of Parliament by
which their East India territories were
should be sent to this country as speedily as possi-
ble. They had a right to expect, that. in the year
1818, • greater body of regulations than those
drawn up in 1815 and part of 1816, should have
been sent home. Some system ought also to be
adopted to ensure the speedy transmission of me-
morials from their officers abroad, to the Court of
Directors.

The CHAIRMAN said, that the regulations, though
not presented to Parliament, had been received up
to the end of 1817. Orders were about to be trans-
mitted from the Court of Directors, which would,
in future, prevent any unnecessary delay—and
with respect to memorials, orders would also be
given, that no delay should take place in their
transmission.
IT. HELENA.
Mr. Hums observed, that from the papers laid
before Parliament, it appeared, that the expenses
incurred in keeping up an establishment at St.
Helena, had greatly increased. For the year
May, 1815, it was 79,0001.—f0r 1816, it
amounted to 106,0001.—f0r 1817, to 147,0001. E
for 1818, /73.0001. He wished to know, were the
Company to make pod this expense—or was part
of it payable by the Government
The Cftttttt,►u said, the East India Company
were not liable to pay any pert of the expense
beyond what St. Helena had usually coat them.
The surplus was debited and charged to his Ma-
jesty's Government.

COLLEGE PENSIONS.

Mr. Huns now called the attention of the Court
to the College Pensions, which, he conceived, were
not properly granted. There was a pension of
2001. to Edward Christian, Esq. late professor of
civil law, who was, at present, as well able to per..
form the duties of the profesimoihip as ever he was.
He also observed a pension of 1201. to a French
master—and not more was granted to Dr. Gil-
christ, one of the ablest Oriental scholars that e►er
existed.

The CHAIRMAN strongly deprecated observations
of this kind, which could be made with no other
view but to lower the Executive Body in the eyes
of the Proprietors.
Mr. Gaswr looked upon the proceeding of the
Hon. Proprietor, as extremely unconstitutional. If
he chose to bring forward any specific motion, the
Directors would meet it manfully, but it was quite
impossible to answer those desultory attacks.
Mr, R. J AMON contended that his Hon. Friend
had • right to animadvert on papers regularly
brought before the Proprietors.

MR. HUDLESTON AND COLONEL WILES.
Mr. fiIIiDIASTON said, he was desirous to lay
before the Proprietors a Report which he had
drawn up and submitted to the Court of Directory,
on the 30th ult. It related to the accusation made
against him in Colonel Willis's History of the
South If India. He hoped it would be found to
be a complete refutation of that statement. But,
►hould he be disappointed in that hope. it would
be his duty, as he had already intimated, to retire
from the Direction without a murmur. He then
movrd—

" Tbat the letter writtao on the 3051, ult. to the C.ourt of
Directors by Juba Iludlesloa, E.q. be ouw real—.sad that
copies of it should afterwards be left open et that House fur
the perusal of the Proprietors."
The letter, which was exceedingly long, went
into a history of the peace of Mangalore, to 'sego.
cute which with Tippoo, in 17e4, Mr. Sadlier,
Sir G. Staunton, and Mr. Iludleaton, were appoint-
ed Commissioners—and denied, in the most decid-
ed terms (she denial being supported by a chain of
argument, drawn from circumstances, and strength-
ened by documents), the accusation made in Colour!
Wilhs's book, aroma Mr. liutileatun and Sir G.
Staunton, on the authority of a malt e menial ser-
vant, that, fearful of personal violence, they
had planned their escape to a ship in Mangalore-
road,', and Intended to leave Mr. Smellier mud their
ritesidants to their fate.

The document Wring been rend—
Sir 11. Russ, i.i. wul. when he considered the
way in which Mr. Iludkstou had hven ac-elcch.d,

not a sinOe scratch having barn placed mg
liars% he could not. fur II moment, doubt but that
the Proprietors were perfectly satisfied of his i 111 l
eerier. With this feeling, it would be as well if an
extinguisher were now put ou the busiaess
Mr. FlunLarrom said, he had giveu a pledge to
the Proprietors.--that pledge he had redermed—it
resneined for them to act as they pleased—auk',
with their permission, he would withdraw.
Ur. flume, who introduced the question origi-
nally to the Court. defended himself from the im-
putation of having m ode an attack on the Honour-
able Director. He hail, in fact. brought the
subject forward to enable the Hun. Director to
rebut the charge. if possible.
Mr. K. JACILSOX Wild • very high compliment
to the character of Mr. Horlleaton—but expressed
his opinion that the subject could not rest herr.
It would be necessary for the Court to come to u
vote upon it.
The letter was theu ordered to lie on the table—
land, ou the motion of Mr. HUME. I 110CU_
metal'. connected with the subject, were ordered to
be produced for the perusal of the Proprietors.
The Court then adjourned.