The Sun.
London, England, 1801-01-21 00:00:00

E.IST-LVDIA-IN S E

•
A Court of Proprietors was held here ',ester_
day, at 'twelve o'clock; td take into eonsidera.-
tirin Mr. joNEs's Motion respecting the abuse of
Patronage imputed to the Court of piretlors.
Mr. INoits (upon taking the Chair), ordered
the minutes of the last meeting to be read ; whit'(
being done, he proceeded to state the nature and
tendency of the Motion that was now to occupy
the attention of the court, which having done
-

in a very clear and impartial manner, th—e Hon.
Chairman then called upon the Hon. Proprietor
(Mr. JoNes) who was to bring foratd the Mo.

tion

Mr. JONES moved, that a variety of Pap-ers be
read, which related to the suhjed he wished to

bring under discussion ; among these Was a Letter
from the Right Hon. H. DUNDAS, recommending
the Inquiry ; a Copy tif :the Declaration to be
signed by. the Direelors ; and it List of the ap,-
pointments made by them to Write rships in India,
together with the motives upon which they
grounded their nominations.
These Papers being read, after much opposition,
Mr. JoNEs rose, and said that he would not
now detain the Court with any observations on

the appointment of nieces, and grand.daughters,
and huntsmen, 'to writvrships (appointments of
this kind appeared to have been made, from the
papers' read to the Court) ; he would content him-
self with asserting that the statement now before
the Court was thoroughly incomplete. In or-
der to .obtaih better information for the Court,
he would now submit a resolution • to their consi-

deration, which,. ii' carried, must throw further
light on the mysterious bUsiness it was intended to
dtsclose—should this attempt prove abortive, lie
should nevertheless persevere in the prosecution
of his design, which, if it failed on this occasion,
he should, if his.other public avocations permitted
him, submit the matter to the lmpetial Parlia-
ment ; for the present, he should only move,
That it is the opinion of
.the Court, that the
Inquiry instituted into the alledged abuse of the
Patronage of the Court of Directors, should be
continued."

.Mr. DURAND seconded the Motion.--Ile wa►s
anxious the matter should be fully investigated ;
he only knew of the suspiciohs that had gone
abroad from a question put to him by a' friend,
who requested to he informed if a Writership
might not be obtained for his son by a douccur
of 3oocl. He only assured his friend .that • a
\Vritership on the Bengal 'Establislunent was esti-
mated at that value. Further he did not then in.

•a. aI;
same
open line of con du w he la ei -ser et.
at the time he had moved in the Court of I)irce-
tors to put an end to the CoraCnittee,
perceived that their in4Ciiry had degnKrated in is
useless discussion. If any tnan had any charg6
against the bireacits; let him speak oat at once;
and state what it was---hut he fritLit deelaici
that the Court of Proprietors would disgtitee
theinselves; if they put him; or ahy of theut
-upon their trial; without any ground Of ens-
picionfor doing so.

. ,
Sir Filaivets BARING said, that, at the trri.
the Committee in question. had been proposed,
there crag not a sini;le Director again,r- li ap-
pointment ; and ',luring the whole time Out
Cormuittee coati:vied to ra-,ttc it, inquiry, not A
single charge was in,le agabst any o, die -bi-
reCtors. The Court of DireoOrs 'did not
to impede 'an Inquiry; but it was impossible for:
them to proceed judicially to inake inquiry on oath.
He' was sure it would answer no purpose 'what-
ever to require affidavits from people receiving
appointments in India ; no one could foresee
what bribery it would lead to. Be could as=
sure tint Court, that since he
.hati the honour
of being a Director he had heard above a thou.
sand oaths taken in the next„ room; 101161 to

his certain knowledge were false.; acid he deh
tied any man to spew a single instance of one.
of these perjuries becoming thor subject of a pro-
secution. An attettipt like the present; to pat the
Court of Direftors on its trial, was putting every
individual of the twenty-four Clentloint'n Who
composed it, on their trial also. Coitld any thing
be more unjtist than that of making an indiscri.
minate charge agaitlst so many persons without
stating any ground for it,P But it any fart could
be brought Ibrward to.provoke this investigation
—if there was a ground for•charging any inclivi-
dual, he would, as warmly as any man, t.:pprt
the Motion for Inquiry. But instezd of that, the
whole of the twenty-four Direacrs were to be
held up to pulzlic odium, by a.g,ent.ral, vague and
unfounded accusation.

Mr. MOORE cow:ended that no Englishman
could endure the idea that had been thrown out ;

it WAS an. attempt to revive the infamous
Ch'arnher process.% The Courx were already dis-
gusted with *hat' they
,hAd heard;-al,l he would
endeavour to relieve them, by moving an
diate Adjournment.' '.•
Mr.. DAV ID SCOTT said Ile walla support rany
Motion for an InqUitY.. The Public Were taught
to believ that Patronage had been abiised, and
an investigation '*oulkl be the best way to cleat
the Court of biredors from imputation arid ca-
iunitlyr.• .

CORRESPONDENCE

Wiltt T
'FRENCH GOVERNMENT RELATIVE TO
PRISONERS Oi WAR. '

Cauthrvfd irons our Paler nf yesterday.)