The National Register.
London, England, 1809-10-01 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

Wednesday a Quarterly General Court was held at the East
India Manse, which wns respectfully attenied.
After the usual forms, the Chairman (Mr. Grant), submitted
a Itolutinn of the Court of Directors, re-appointing Mr. Tho-
mas Locke, one of the Cadets on the Madras Establishment, who
bail been disie issed in consequence of hiving corruptly obtained
their appointments in the service. He then moved, that the
said Resolution he confirmed, under the condition that he he
eartsidertd as having eetercd the service de novo : which motion
passed unanimously. •
Mr. Lowndes expressed his hope that the East-India Com-
pany, as a Corporate Body, would not pass over the fiftieth year
of his Alajesty's reign, without paying the due compliments to
14 (march, whose public patriotism and private virtues so justly
rendered t,irn c:tiinzlble to all ranks of his subjects.
The (Their:anti per ectiv concurred with the Honourable Pro-
prietor in eve cv sentiment of loyalty and affection to the Sove-
reign whic't he hail uttered ; hut he begged leave to observe,
tlite subject h::(1 out passed without due consideration from the
Ihremors, who h td been of epinion, that the ;lest mode of for
whrding the objest in view would he to concur with other Cm--
Bodies, in a•general testimonial of respect and loyalty.-
I:etv distinct measure might therefore tend to counteract
object in contemplation.
Layton prof,ssed himself perfectly satisfied with the ideas
of the E secutive Bady.
After a few words in explanation from Mr. Lowndee,
Herriott, adverting to the complaints w hick had been
oracle in a former General Court, asked if anv information had
been r rei ved by the Court elf, Directors, relative to the protec-
tion of the commerce in the Indian seas.

The Chairman ex pre4ed his obligations to the Hon. Pro•
prietar for culling attention to the subject. After what had
pa.sed at a preceding Court, it became perhaps the duty of the
Chair to take further notice of the subject. At that time the
anurt were totally uninformed ; they possessed no documents.
end only one side of the question was heard; a matter In be re-
gretted where the characters of public and professional men
were concerned. The subject bad not been brought under the
eagnizaore of the Directors hy either party ; but the complaints
having originated in the General Court, it was but fair it should
hear the defence also. Documents had been received since the
gees:ion was agitated, the substance of vshich was as follows,
" That Sir E. Pellew, previous to his knowledge of the
Memorial against him from the Bengal merchants to the Lords
of the Admiralty, had stated to the Bengal Government, that he
bad alwats been of opinion the only effectual protection of the
trade was the estahlishment of regular convoys: that he had
tearly stated this to the Bengal merchants, and ofPred to mr.ke
aft arrangement for regular convoys ; but they preferred. for the
rake of an earlq market, to run as single ships; anti for the
same reason, when under convoy, broke from their convoy.—
That in the months of August, September, (Moller, and No-
vember, 1807, when the Bengal merchants stated that their
trade was kit wholly without defence, and many of his Majesty's
ships Isirg idle in Madras roads, there sere fifteen sail of ships
etaiinned at different parts of the hay for the protection of the
trade, besides other ships continually intersecting the hay;
smite, on nersent of repairs and necessary services. could Out
he afrorded ; that the Bengal Government, in their letter to the
Court of Directors, express their entire conviction, that every
attention has been paid by Sir Edward Pellew to the protec-
tion of the Ray of Bengal, against 'the enemy's cruizers, con-
sistent with a due attention to the exigencies of the public ser-
vire ; that the memorial against the conduct of Sir Eduard
Pellew, by the Bengal merchants, was forwarded to those of
Bombay, for signatures, and there unanimously rejected ; that
the Bombay merchants solicited, and invariably received, re-
gular coavoy for their trade ; and the only iatance of ea ptura.
which occurred was, when ships had deserted convoy ; that,
had the Bengal merchants accepted a similar scheme of voice.
Non, their property Wotild have been equally secured ; a scheme
shish, however, they had finally adopted.'
The Chairman then represeate'd that tne Bombay consultations
of that period had not been riiiived, but he had seen Resolutions
of the Merchants of Bombav, with an Address to Sir Edward
Pellew, dated the l9th of May, 1808, with about 80 signature?,
11Zustraving in the strorgcst mama:: the anxious attention of -Bir
ildward to the security f the trade, and the complete success
« r toe measures adopted by him; also that Sir Edward Pelle*
'Scat sugzeged the s.)b;ein t)i- molar rowvivi, The hionemage of