The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-30 00:00:00

EAST-INDIA HOUSE.

THANKS TO THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.

•
A special General Court of Proprietors of
East-India Stock was yesterday held at the
Company's House in Leadenhatl-street, for the
purpose of laying before the Proprietors a Re-
solution of .the Court of Directors, thanking the
Most Noble the Marquis of lI.tsTINGs for his
unwearied ,zeal for the interest of the Company
(luring his administration of their affairs in the
last nine years.—The resolution having been-
read, •
The CfrAIRSIAN said, that the subject which he meant to
submit to the consideration of ,the Court required but little in-
troduction. 'the services, both civil and military, of the Mar-
quis of Hastings were so generally known and acknowledged;
they were of so signal and.distinguished a character, as to re-
quire no comment from him. The object of the Court of Di-
rectors, in framing their resolution, was not to praise the Noble
Marquis for any one particular act, but to express their sense
generally of his meritorious services during the space of nine
years. On this account they now submitted to the Court of
Proprietors no particular documents or papers. He would
refer merely to two former occasions, when the Noble Mar-
quis received the thanks of the - Court for special services,
namely, the Napaulese and the Alahratta war ; and a third,
when a sum of 50001. a year was voted to him in consi-
deration •of those services. The present resolution met
with the unanimous concurrence of the Court of Directors,
and he hoped the General Court would express their sense
of the services of the Governor-General with equal una-
nimity. The happy result of his government was seen in the
general pacification of India, the improvement of the finances
of the Company, -and the absence of every circumstance which
.could lead to an apprehension that the peaceful prospect of af-
'fairs at present was likely to be disturbed. It was only that day
they received documents, from which it appeared that the ex-
cess of revenue 'over the expenditure amounted to nearly a
crore and a half of rupees. Thus had the Noble Marquis, by
his skilful operations, changed as it were, with the suddenness
of a magician, the aspect of their
.pecuniary affairs. He had
besides achieved a considerable saving of interest to the Com-
pany. By making tlT,interest of th debt payable in Eng-
iand4 the saving effecte4awas not less than between 150,0001.,
and :100,0001. But these were considerations of a mere pecu-
niary nature, and though not unimportant in themselves, were
trifling compared to the moral effects of his government.—
( Hear !)—lt was these considerations, to which he had but
shortly alluded, that induced the Court ofDirectors, in their Re-
, solution, to express unqualified regretat those domestic circum-
stances which led to the recal of the :Marquis Hastings. Ile
would not tro4ble the Court further. • He believed there was
an lion. Proprietor who would submit a resolution for their
consideration. _ _ _

Mr. It. Jacxsow moved, that two resolutions of December
1616, and the 3d February, 1019, voting the thanks of the Court
to the Noble Marquis for his conduct of the Napauleie and
Mahratta wars, and also a resolution of the 10th March, 1819,
voting to him the sum of 50001. a year for twenty years, should
be read.

The Resolutions having been read,
Mr..lacxsow said, this was now the fourth time they had
met on a similar occasion, to express their sense of the eminent
services of the Marquis4k Hastings. The expectations they
formed of him were not disappointed. Never, he believed, was
there any Governor General of India, who, from the moment
his:destination became known, tool; more pains to fit himself
for the arduous duties he had to perform. The Nepaul war
was the first thing to which he should call the attention of the
Court. In the conduct of it the Noble Marquis displayed in an
eminent degree the abilities both of the soldier and the states-
man. • The results were alike honourable to their arms and to
the British character. In the ceded provinces the effects of his
government were seen by a progressive amelioration. If any
person was disposed to arraign his government in those pro-
vinces, now was -the time to do it; but he was confident no
charge could be even insinuated against it. No circumstance
could prove more fully the disposition of the Noble Marquis to
do all inn his power- ftif
.the happiness of those ~provinces, than
the apPointment of Governor Elphinstone and Sir.,John Mark-
ham to consider the best mode of governing them. The conse-
quence of his measures was, that peace now prevailed through-
out India, and that the best informed on the subject were of
opinion that peace could not be interrupted unless through
some fault of their own. The Hon. Gentleman concluded a
long speech by moving a resolution of thanks to the Marquis of
Hastings.
The Resolution having been seconded, and put from the
Chair,
Mr. DOUGLAS KINNAIRD condemned the tardiness with
which the Court of Directors acted, in not bringing for-
Ward' this subject. sooner. It was the more strange, when
coupled with the wish expressed in the Resolutions, that
they might reach the Marquis of Hastings before he left
the Indian shore. He called upon the Directors before to
express their sense of that great man's services. This was
the first time allusion had been in their Resolutions to his civil
services. Ile would ask, what documents had they upon this
subject ? No allusion was made to them in the vote, of
thanks, which ho should not oppose, though he. thought it in-
adequately and tardily expressed. His regret was, that they
did not intreat the Noble Marquis to continue in his govern-
mehtewhen first he intimated a wish to return ; but the good
.effects of that government would not, he hoped, • end with
his recal, but operate as an example with future Govern
nors General. There could be no better test of the merits of
the Marquis of Hastings, than an appeal to the present state of
their Indian Empire, and the universal opinion that prevailed
on the subject of his government. He must condemn the Court
of Directors for giving countenance in their votes to that sort of
hypocritical cant, against the extension of their Indian posses.
sions which was too often employed as the mere tool of party.
In the affair of the Pindarrec war, the thanks of the Direc-
tors were given, not to the Governor-General, but to the
Commander-in-Chief, though it was more a war of political than
of military talent. This sort of language was echoed in the
House of Commons by Mr. Canning, who, though he admitted
the justice of the war, did not record that sentiment in the vote
he proposed, -lie (Mr. K.) now called for those documents on
which the Court of DirectorA came to the conclusion that the
war was a just one, and determined at length to vote thanks to
the Marquis of Hastings for the justice and wisdom of his civil
government.
Colonel STA3THOPE said, the great object to which the go-
vernment of the Marquis of Hastings had been directed was,
the happiness of the people. His efforts had been productive
not merely of moral and financial, but also of great military
improvement. lie prevented the plundering of village Sand the
impressment of the peasants. As an instance of military im-
provement, he (Colonel Stanhope) might mention one native
regiment of Madras Cavalry, under Colonel Lushineton, which
after a pursuit of 70 miles, overtook and beat the Pindarrees,
to whom they were opposed. Though an enemy to standing
armies, as dangerous to civil liberty, for his support of which
he lost rank both in Ireland and India, still lie would main-
tain them when necessary to the protection of life and industry.
In alluding to the civil administration of the Governor-Gene-
ral, he would begin with Hydrabad, where a most happy re-
form had been effected under the judicious management of
Mr. Metcalf. By the difference of education and the freedom
to the Press, the Marquis of Hastings- laid the foundation of
permanent good government. Before these he had little doubt
that the superstitions of the Ilindoos would soon vanish ; their
.18,060 Prophets,. their 3,300,000 Gods, their system of casts,
the burning of widows, and all the other enormities of that
systerti, which the •Mahorattift-conquerors, and the Portuguese,
with all their efforts, were unable to eradicate. It was a free
press that beaerdowh Pagan Christianity, and brought about
the ReforMation. The same effects, he had no doubt, it would
produce on the religion of the.Hintloos. Ile would not attempt
An excuse the threats held out by the Governor-General towards
Mr. Buckingham, by alluding to the indiscretions of that
Gentleman; but he was accused for bringing a criminal infor-
mation against him. Was not the press here, and every indi-
vidual in the empire liable, to the same sort of proceeding? The
lion. Gentleman concluded by proposing two additional Re-
solutions expressive of the Thanks of the Court for the efforts
of the Governor-General to diffuse education througn India,
and for his abolishing the censorship.
The Resolution's not having been seconded were not put to
the vote. '

Mr. Hu DIE did not think the Resolutions proposed by the
Honourable Gentleman who spoke last were well timed. The
attention of the Court was thus taken up to no purpose.—
The reason, he believed, why Mr. Canning, upon the oc-
casion mentioned by his Honourable Friend (Mr. Kinnaird)
did not allude, in his motion, to the civil policy of the Marquis
of Hastings, was, that at the time he was not in possession
of sufficient documents on the subject. Being desirous that
the vote might be carried unanimously, he confined it to
the military services of the Noble Marquis, knowing that
there was a party in the House who questioned the policy of
extending their Indian possessions. He (Mr. Hume) should
be better pleased if his Honourable Friend (Mr. Jackson) had
confined his motion to a mere approval of the Resolution of
the Court of Directors, as they had no documents to direct their
opinion with respect to the civil government of the Marquis of
Hastings. The Noble Marquis was worthy, he knew, of the
highest praise ; but it was not fair to call on the Court of Pro-
prietors for a general opinion, until they had the necessary do-
cuments before them. Allusion had been made to the improve-
.ments of the revenue. He found, however, .that in the year.