The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-07 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

(THIS DAY.)

A Special General Cour% of the Proprietors of thin
i"Vany was held to-day, at twelve o'clock, at the East
ndia
se at the desire of nine Proprietors of East
4ndla Stock, as expressed in the fel:owing letter :

" London, January 17, 1849.
" To the Chairman and Directors of the East Indit. Company.
"Honourable Sirs,
lif;_Yfe, the undersigned Proprietors of East India Stock, duly qua-
niZ b3' law, request that yen will convene, at your earliest conve-
takince, a Special General Court of Proprietors, for the purpose of
g Into consideration the accompanying' Resolutions, and that
-""Will be pleased to publish the same with this, our requisition.
" We have the honour to be,
" Honourable Sirs,
" Your obedient Servants,
"JOSEPH HUME.
"ARTHUR J. LEWIS.
"J. SULLIVAN.
"cnArtLEs FORBES.
"JOHN POYNDER.
"GEORGE FORBES.
"JOHN BRIGGS.
"CHARLES GRANT.
"J. W. GRAHAM."

„Thatk, by the treaty condoled between the East Ind a Company
se” 'llB late Highness Pertaub Singh, Raja of Sattara, on the 25th
tPhtrer, 1819; the territories of Sattara were secured to him and
tre heirs in perpeteal sovereignty. That by the supplemental
br at Y Or September, 1839, the said territories were confirmed to his
11" APPa Sahib, as the nest collateral heir and successor, and to
s 11.6.
ln on the same terms as specified in the treaty of September,

That this Court has heard with feelings of the deepest surprise
Zia alarm of the contemplated seizure, coring 3ation, and annexation,
~3' the East India Company, of the Sattara territories, in 'violation of
'"e rights of the lawful heir; believing, as this Court does, that such
seizure, confiscation, and annexation would be a most flagrant breach
!the said treaties so solemnly entered into and confirmed, would
a disgrace and stain upon the British character, and would se-
ll:4l,lY weaken 'the confidence hitherto reposed by the princes and
reaple of India in the justice and good faith of the East India COM-
kIY and of the British Government.
"That under, such circumstances this Court deems it to be their
imperative duty to declare their solemn conviction of the impolicy
teel danger, no less than of the injustice of such a proceeding, and to
express their earnest hope that the Court of Directors and the Board
tfControl will withhold their sanction from such a measure."
" JAMES C. MELVILL, Secretary.
The attendance of proprietors was very large.
Sir S. Lushington took the chair at the appointed
hour.

Mr. RUNE, M.P., rose and said—Mr. Chairman, as
one of those who have been instrumental in calling
together this Court, and as the proprietors will
40 doubt expect some explanations as to the grounds on
Which they have been called together, and the object
hich the requisitionists have in view, I will proceed
at
°ace briefly to state them. It will be remembered,
that in December a Court was summoned. I was
-tie of those who signed the requisition; but,
being absent from town, I was unable to attend.
the .
Le object of that meeting. was to ascertain
Iv:ether the Court of Directors contemplated the
;:B,P,°hsion of the treaty made with the late Raja of
I,Z`ara, and thus to deprive his heirs of the property
l'tch appeared legitimately to belong to them by right.
e°hfeas I was among those who believed that no such
Pro •
kate.eechngs could take place without some further infor-
,,_ ion
however
glee", they
the Directors were not then,
prase" L°eY may be now, possessed of. Had I been
the nt at that meeting I should have
the an-
40.. adjournment of the Court, on th
uncetaent of the Chairman that the whole
matter ems
under the consideration of the Court, oge-
se°,l; with the papers which had just then arrived frdoml
iieislia•—(Hear, hear.) Such was my impression, an
iteusequently took an opportunity of stating that was my
adtas6ion to some of the Directors whom I now see
theeind thet bar. I regretted much that any discussion
coevi' have taken place at that meeting, as I am
aeeenetn that any discussion, without the documents
to e`v.:jar,Y to form a sound opinion, must inevitably lead
shoal at a conclusion opposite to that which we
tesied arrive at if we had nad an opportunity of pe-,
tech ghs the requisite documents. The possessioa of
come lELha of judging are necessary before we can
epee "° a sound conclusion upon all the questions which
is such the attention
of the Court, but more especially
pilieh a course necessary when we have to decide upon
is otle.questions of great importance; and this question
!ions° Hie which are involved the most momentous cond a
ls' in
4f, Sir, I am correctly informed, after Mr.
state the absence of Mr. Sullivan, had made his
the tai
-,lt and submitted his motion, upon which
the "putt Chairman rose up and proposed
the adiournaaent of the Court, you said that
ee thMotion for the adjournment was submitted
tlidcr...ground. that the question was receiving the con-
the :Loon or
the directors, that is was sub judice before
ti"o"oo.trectors
' who would bring to it the best considera•
that they were enabled to do. You went on to state,
pie__es the papers which had recently arrived from India
be 7, under the consideration of the directors, it would
timer.taetter to adjourn the Court, in order to afford
r their Production and perusal by the proprietors.
40‘ecestatement would have induced me to advise my
theru urable and Learned Friend to postpone any fur-
had remarks until the directors and the proprietors had
54,14° °PPortunity of considering the papers. Now,
Prietc, wPPrebend that what was stated then led the pro-
nely -rs to imagine that the papers contained something
--80roething which hid not up to that time been
t
broughthesc before us in this Court. It is quite possible that
tagy tPaPers may be of a very important I.la.turew, d
hiv-end in a great measure to &ter thehis oipeinliieknely,hich
but
Whyte formed. I do not know thatt
tot
myself may be
trge`wi: hare stated with respect
The production of all
Ners tith regard to others.
tire „ absolutely necessary before the proprietors can
40,1'41 honest opinion, and come to an equitable decision
fore them; and it would be
at the matters broughht
e 1'.3t.14 fair, I think, to
tteebeewhele of the proprietors for
decision with respect to a
th„.,",irectors to come
th:s."011 which has been so long before the public, until
fullest information has been affrded them. Now,
th Court ajourned to give the directors an opportu-
eit,„ e
.
tem producing these papers. lam sorry to see the
re,noian shake his head.—(Laughter.) I would
se,TY observe that a conventional feeling guides' the
se,„"„uct of gentlemen in every station, and in every
t0,,,,hy which a fair opportunity is afforded to every
piaMi candidly expressing his opinion before a deter-
en. is arrived at.—(Hear, hear.) lam sure every
i
tveetea the Court as well as myself, had I been present,
its it have concurred in the adjournment, and concurred
e,heirn the belief that the Court of Directors wished for
alietd time to consider as to the course which they
that 'fl,adopt.—(llear, hear.) I understood, in fact,
hthe e`u° 34 day of January had been fixed as
•cror,";a3' on which they were to meet the
etkiTeters, and to explain what they intended to do,
•,(4 id take their opinion as to its policy and justice.
the hag' hear.) I say every man present, and every one
be read the remarks made. on that occasion, must
ware t• 7 tlansressed with the belief that the documents
Posssl oe produced, and that the adjournment was pr.o-
lonlktectin order that they might bo printed and cir-
4„ilt,elvise among the Proprietors, and that they
„s' eee,-; 'night be, enabled to have an opportunity
""nt oat to a decision before any orders were
es.(oh t to India with respect to the territory of Sattara.
cera.) Now it is quite possible that men in
411, stations play 1111, %slept y resort toexpadie.nts to. deceive, they
last
ee_. coarse inconsistent with tam dealing, but
!h4 atty 4:9 such conduct will not answer with the public.
ike, ettin, therefore, that the fair interpretation. of the
e 413 eft
of the Chdirman at the last meeting was what
els - Rated
befor --,that the Proprietors were to have
be' ore
*IN, the, the hem; and having had these papers be ore
"deh • Y were then to take the whole question-
-640n is
°fle of th
c;h
an,
_o e greatest importanceTinto. consider-
titertir6l","4lrry to find, from the intimation of the.
atiee w at he denies that any such in-
tle4 been ;is gircla Your intention, then, seems to
0, nate ~,,oessain time. It was stated by an Hon. Gen
,:ttiljee-r"Le last meeting who objected to the question
MPere 'l(tent, that they might again meet without the
Young been produced, and that they might be
',see are tee
htte—the question has been decided
41;44t. You hdavitee no longer any right to interfere.d.
thett,uLat the
tors Nee, would take
ers would so act was repudiate
half was distinctly denied,such an advantage of the proprhie-
Now,
tine °f the Rae
th„' the
..la, that we Sir, I complain on be-
that been deceived-
-I,ot the krOnll9o held. and the pledge given,
lea
eoelluteeUourt was to adjourn, in order that
have bredtena......ts from India should be published, have
to e tint (Rear.) I complain that the Directors
vet: deeparioodeueed these papers, and they have come
Nellas "It, to 'seize. conjunction with the God-
es th-a have e the Sattara territory, an
With 6 whole _eeen sent out for the appropriation
of out ot the territory of Sattara to the Company
cl, the ,;eherence
to any provision for the heirs
easeo eased Raja. Now, Sir, if that is
tioa ' have On niote lr to say that at, transd-
pt*.teore
~.cti.screditable, more dishonourable, an
elestle.raied:isktelY to have a deep effect upon the
terrtene has never in my long life been my lot to
{ss: e Brio he charge I thus make against the Direc-
Vllie, s one, and must be investigated, I corn.
_Oll that you have stolen a march
tl,,s; -ro proerietors, to use a common phrase.
411310.a.es
meoMplaia that you have stolen a march
v°h" Unfairly, most improperly, and I ask you,
14,Y yellF it w_aa.right that you should have acted thus, and
Aurd, rezUsed to afford the Proprietors an opportu-
sil'• rit? l'es6eusaing the question after the production of the
thUleh ,Yll what ground have you denied to us the right
1.0 possess of discussing all matters such as this,
to,s'lleeially one in which the honour of the company
~kt,rerned, the faith of treaties, and the
h
,1144 es,,,°F the English
.nation. is inyclved?—(ciese ao-f
bear.") For, Sir, if there is anything more
I;tt'at4ble than another, it is that the faith of sacred
No ,entered into between state and state should be
~suite el violated And, Sir, I feel this the more be-
iu. •
thi' ring the long period I have been a Proprietor,
ateteiesa
outytt,l;aoeeasione in selich I have attended
have 'repeatedly stated that the
Ikathe tr(11! the East India Company was not owing more
lqatailrnw,r of its arms than to.the good faith which it
to "I Sii•-"ained with native chiefs; and I have always
sad peietsilat the combinations of native chiefs for no
illith!ach „t ° Were broken asunder and rendered powerless,
the, bee rengthened in his relations with this corn.
Ittlbnire they had no confidence in each other, as
tuo—'°4 not be trusted, d that they put the most
ailltit6wr sefi6tihth iu this eon;pan"y`ena' account of the strict
uti •ot WhiCh • -
)1
all - it had kept, before the work', the
141 474, Toe flgtigettients into which it had entered;
eel enter are about to break agreements which
•
into with you in good faith—if you are