The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-12 00:00:00

EAST IN 1)1N HOUSE.

upon the Hon. Proprietors for a judgment upon his.. character
Important as was the character of the Marquis of Hastings, there
were other parties besides him whose feelings were to be re-
garded, and whose honour was to be considered. Ire felt that
it was clue to bins, and the Court of Directors, that this Court
should take into consideration the dispatches that were made
by those Directors in consequence of the communications re-
ceived by them from their Governor-General relative to the
transactions with the House of Palmer and Co. He should
therefore beg leave to move as an amendment that all the words
in the original motion after the word " That" be struck out,
and that the following be inserted instead :—" That this Ho-
nourable Court having perused the papers laid before it rela-
tive to certain pecuniary transactions with the house of Messrs.
William Palmer and Co. of Hyderabad, is of opinion that
there is no ground for imputing corrupt motives to the Most
Noble the Marquis of Hastings, late Governor-General of
India, nor to any other Member of the Bengal Government;
but at the same time it feels itself called upon to express its
approval of the several dispatches to India, made by the Ho-
nourable Court of Directors, on the 24th May 1829, the 28t11
November 1821, 9th April 1822, and 21st Jan. 1824."
Sir GEo. Ronixsox seconded the -motion. He said, that
when these papers were called for, the object was expressed to
be, to enable the Court to judge of the propriety of making a
further remuneration to the late Governor-General of India,
for his services while Governor. This was the express object
for which the papers were laid before the Court, and he did not
think that the Court would do well unless the whole matter
was inqUired into regarding those rumours which had gone
abroad affecting the character of the Noble Marquis. No per-
son agreed more cordially with the Honourable Gentleman,
the mover of the original motion, than he (Sir G. Robinson)
did, that the Marquis of Hastings was quite clear of all corrupt
motive in the transactions with Messrs. Palmer and Company
at Hyderabad. No man alive held his Lordship's character
fir integrity higher than he did, but having been placed in
that situation which accidentally brought these matters to his
notice, he had prosecuted the inquiry into their nature with the
greatest assiduity, and he should be wanting to that character
which he felt it necessary to supptirt, If he did not distinctly
declare that he saw in these proceedings a departure from those
sound principles of government, and a departure from those
wise rules of policy of which he had always considered to be
essential to the true interests of the Company's possessions in
India, and he therefore thought that it required an opinion of
the Court of Proprietors upon the conduct, not only of the Mar-
quis of Hastings, but of the Court of Directors, in this transac-
tion during the last five years. It was upon this ground that he
seconded the amendment.

A Special Court of Proprietors of East India
Stock was held yesterday at the East India House' Leadenhall-
street, to take into consideration the Hyderabad Papers, which
had been laid before the Proprietors, as far as they respected
the conduct of the Most Noble the Marquis of Hastings, late
Governor-Geneial of India. _

A very numerous body of Proprietors were present, and the
minutes of the Court which was held on the 3d March, 1824,
when the Papers now to be considered were ordered to be printed,
and the usual. Papers and Orders having been read—
The Chairman ( W. A STE!. n, Esq.) rose and said, that he
had to inform the .Proprietora; that the present was a Special
Court, called at the request of nine Honourable Proprietors, to
consider the papers that had been laid before them in pursu-
ance of the order made for that purpose.at the Court of Pro-
prietors, held on the 3d day of March last, the minutes of which
Court had just been read to them. He would now desire the
requisition, calling this Court, to be read.—The Secretary then,
read the requisition.
A PROPRIETOR rose and said, he was sure the Court
would excuse him for putting a question to their Chairman,
which he thought would tend to materially facilitate the busi-
ness of the Court on • the subject to which the requisition re-
ferred. He understood that there were other papers, not
.now
before the Court, hut which—
t The Hon. DOUGLAS KINNA run spoke to order. He thousht
he Hon. Proprietor had better hear what it was he (Mr. kin-
naird) intended to move, before its addressed the Court upon
the subject of other papers r.ot before the Court.
The Pnorn ETOR said 1-. e only spoke from rumour, but he
certainly had heard that there were other letters, which, though
not before the Court, were in the possession of the Hon. Court
of Directors, and which, if produced, would throw much light
upon the strjeet, they were now about to consider, and if these
papers could be obtaines„ he thought it would be very 'desir-
able. If, however, there,were pet sons who wished to discuss
the conduct of the Marquis of Hastings distinct from that of
Mr. Adam, or of the transactions with the house of Messrs.
William Palmer and Co., then he should not press the matter.
But he thought such a discussion could not be had, and it was
upon this ground that he would ask whether an opinion of
Counsel had not been taken by the Court of Directors upon the
questions relating to the legality of those transactions, and
whether it would not be more advisable to have that opinion
laid before the Court previously to their entering upon the
question proposed in the requisiti :n which had I. em read ?
The CHAIRMAN said, that having been called on by the
Hon. Proprietor to state whether the Court of Directors had
not taken an opinion on the question relating to the transactions
between the Bengal Government and the house of William
Palmer and Co., he felt no hesitation in answering that ques-
tion in the affirmative. Undoubtedly the Court of Directors
had taken the opinion of Counsel upon the question; and it
was not for him, but for the Court of Proprietors, to say
whether those papers should or should not be produced.
Mr. RANDLE JACKSON asked whether the papers alluded
to were those which had already been printed, or whether they
were other papers, which had not been called for when the
vderabad papers were ordered to be laid before the Court?
The PROPRIETOR who first spoke replied, that they were
other papers, and not included in tht'se ordered to he printed.
Mr. II u ME said, there seemed to be some difficulty in this
case. lie 'understood the Gentleman who last addressed the
Court, to allude to an opinion respecting the conduct of Mr.
Adam ; now if the conduct of that Gentleman was intended to
be discussed,- he then should egree that that opinion, and the
papers connected with it, ought to he produced ; but he under-
stood this present Court was called upon a requisition, which
distinctly referred to the conduct of the Marquis of Hastings
alone, and that, therefore, the opinions of which the ilon. Pro-
prietor spoke could not be required.
The Cita' n MAN said; that the opinions were not printed,
nor did they form part of the papers ordered to be laid before
the Court, and therefore they need not be called for.
The Hon. D. Kr NNAIIID then rose and said, that he was sure
no apology would be required by the gentleman opposite, if he
(Mr. Kinnaird) did not take any notice of the observations
which had fallen from him ; for he, in good faith and sincerity
of word, did not know what was meant by that
,gentleman nor
did he understand_ what were the documents he alluded to.
It was in the knowledge of this Court, that about eleven months
ago it was ordered that certain parth.s relating to transac-
tions which had taken place betwen" the Bengal Govern-
ment and the house of W illiam Palmer an Company, and of
the conduct of that firm, should be printed, to clear up certain
doubts in his and other proprietors' minds, with reference to
the administration of the Marquis of Hastings. On a further
amendment, other papers were called. for regarding that Noble
Marquis, and which were also ordered to be printed. Tha re-
quisition now before the Court regarded those transactions which
affected the conduct and character of the Marquis of Hastings
alone, and he (Mr. Kinnaird) would briefly state his reasons
why the, question should be confined and narrowed to that
natticular point rather than that the Court should go over
this whole extent of a long and arduous administration of be-
tween eight and nine years. Certain rumours had gone abroad
tending to impeach the character of that noble person, whose
administration embraced this' period ; his name had been con-
nected with transactions that were said to compromise his ho-
nour and dignity as Governor-General of India. It was to
contradict, if possible, these rumours, and to ascertain that the
confidence of the East India Company was not reposed in,
nor their bounty given away to a person who, by his con-
duct, had proved himself unworthy of both Feeling as he
(Mr. Kinnaird) did, that the character of that noble indi-
vidual was of the highest kind, both for integrity and honour,
and so dear to us was it, even as men as well as proprietors,
that the truth or fidsehood of those rumours should be ascer-
tAned. that it was not, in his opinion, any misuse of the
time of the Court to enter into an inquiry for that purpose.—
' Eleven months had elapsed since these rumours had gone abroad,
but he did not out of any regard to that noble individual,
whose character was implicated, precipitate thiS inquiry, in
order that it should not be said that any vote had been taken
on the question by surprise ; he rather suffered the feelings
of the Noble Marquis to be kept on the'rack during that pro-
tracted period, than that it should be objected against him
(Mr. Kinnaird), and those who were anxious to vindicate that
Nobleman's character, that any precipitation had been used
to gain a decision of the Court before the fullest inquiry had
been made into the grounds of those rumours. He hoped it
would not be said that he and the- other gentlemen, who acted
with him, had hurried this matter. In making the motion which
he was about to do, he begged to say that he had no speech to
make, for he understood that the papers which had been print-
ed were fully sufficient to enable the Honourable Proprietors to
form their opinions as to the vote they should give, and he took
it for granted that those papers had been perused by all the gen-
tlemen who attended this Court; it would be needless, there-
fore. for him to occupy their time in urging reasons in support
of the Resolution he was about to submit to them. The Hon.
Gentleman then moved • a Resolution to the following effect :
" That this Honourable Court having perused the papers or-
dered to be printed and laid before it at a Court held on the 3d
of March last, relating to certain pecuniary transactions with
the house of Messrs. Wm. Palmer and Co., at H ydrabad, is of
opinion that there is nothing contained therein which tends to
affect, in the slightest degree, the personal honour and integrity
of the late Governor-General. of -India, the Most Noble the'
Marquis of Hastings." He thought the papers before the
Court bore out this proposition, and contained so full and dis-
tinct a confirmation of this truth, that there could not be but one
opinion entertained by the Court as to the propriety of this
motion tieing; unanimously adopted.
An Honourable Proprietor, whose name we could not learn,
seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN said that he begged to express his satisfac-
tion at the manner in which this motion had been brought for
ward ; and if lie could not -agree thereto, he hoped the Court
would give him credit for entertaining no feeling of disrespect
towards the Noble Marquiss, nor the slightest wish to' impute
to him conduct that would in any degree reflect upon his per-
sonal integrity and honour. But when he (the Chairman) con-
sidered the whole of the circumstances detailed in the volu-
minous papers laid befors the Court, he certainly could not go to
the extent of the Hon. Gentleman's motion. He thought that
the words of the motion were too large in regard to the conduct
of the Bengal Government with the house of Palmer and Co. at
Hyderabad, and he really thought that it could not be said that
the personal character of the Marquis was not implicated in those
transactions, regarding him as the servant of the East India Com
pany. He (the Chairman) thought that he had compromised
his character as Governor of Hyderabad;in those pecuniary trans-
actions, but he (the Chairman) would acquit the Noble Mar-
quit of all corrupt motive ; this was far from being his opinion,
and the amendment which he should, by the courtesy of
the Court, beg leave to move, would be expressive of his senti-
ment in that respect. The Court of Direstors had irksome,
a painful, and a laborious duty to perform; they had laboured
through many voluminous papers, and had sought with un-
wearied diligence to place these things before the Proprietors in
their true light. Was it to be supposed that the Directors
would
have done all this voluntarily, or that they had been ac-
tuated to do it from an unfriendly feeling towards the Noble
Marquis ? Certainly not. It was imposed upon them by their
situation ; they were called upon it by a sense of imperious
duty to the Company, whose-affitirs were entrused to them ;
nay, they owed it to themselves, for if the conduct of the Noble.
Marquis was unimpeachable, then that of the Directors must.
have beenhowfroornmged the;and Court thech
of
araistierrecotforts were a
hosehonsoiumraptaborle
indi-
vi
nt to
the East India Company as that of the Marquis of Hastings
himself. He (the Chairman) had not been their servant for
a period of 25 years, without feeling that he had a right to call

Mr. Joux SMITH said he felt great embarrassment in op-
posing the amendment which had been moved by the lion.
Chairman, because there was nothing which came from that
Chair but a hat deserved the greatest respect; but, in fairness
and in candour he could not see how he could agree with the
amendment. He had laboured through the papers before the
Court, and he could not but feel that the character of the Mar-
quis of Hastings was fully exonerated from all imputation of
participating in the proceedings to which those papers related.
lle had always thought, and would still declare that the nego-
tiations carried on with the native Princes of India, was the
original sai of the Government in that country. But how did
the consideration of these matters affect the present question be-
fore the Court? Here was a Nobleman of the first military ta-
lents, aided by officers also of great talent and experience, who
had accomplished more for the interestsof this country than any
Governor-Gencral that had ever preceded him,endeavoured to be
connected with transactions that were said to have transpired with
the house of Palmer and Co. at Hyderabad, in which his dignity.
as Governor was said to be compromised ? But these were not
the facts which they were now to inquire into. The question
put to him (Mr. .1. Smith) was plainly and simply this :—was
this Noble Marquis a man of honour and integrity, or was he
not ? This was the question ; and he (Mr. ,1. Smith) must
answer it directly, and in a manner that would not admit of
doubt ; therefore, in agreeing with the amendment which went,
to other matters not relating to the Marquis of Hastings, it
would make an impression on the minds of the proprLtors that
there was something in the question, and in the mode of an-
swering it, which implied a doubt, and that there was some de-
gree of suspicion mingled with it. He (Mr. J. Smith) did not
mean to say, that there might not have been something in the
conduct of the Noble Marquis, which it could be wished had not
occurred ; he might regret a want of discretion on the part of
that noble person, but if the question were put to him, aye or
no, was the Marquis of Hastings a man of integrity and
honour ?—had he tainted that character for high and unsullied
reputation and pure principle for which he had ever been re-
gardAl ? Ile (31r. J. Solidi) would say, that he could see
nothing in the whole of the voluminous papers that were before
the Court, to enable him to say that the noble Marquis had
done any thing to justify such an opinion. Ile (Mr. Smith)
bitterly regretted that, bn this occasion, he could not do that
which he, on former occasions, though. not universally, was
happy to do—that of agreeing,with their. honourable Chairman,
but tor the reasons he had assigned, he felt himself callad upon
o support the original motion.
Mr. PoYNnEn rose to address the Court.

A Pitorit lETOR rose at the same time, and said, that if the
Court were to enter fully into the qoestion, it would, perhaps,
be painffil to the feelings of the Noble .Marquis, whose con-
duct was the subject of it. It seemed to be agreed on all hands,.
that there was nothing to impeach the character of the Noble
Marquis, or to impute to him any corrupt motive; the only
diffi !ulty appeared to be in expressing that opinion.
Mr. PorNnun. rose to order, and said he was in possession
of die Court. Ile perfectly agreed with the amendment, but
he should not do as the Hon. Gentleman had who brought the
mo ion forward, content himself with merely stating his assent,
but he would go further into the question, and give his reasons
for agreeing with the amendment that had been moved by their
Hon. Chairman. First, then, it should he remembered that
the Noble Marquis had already received from the East India
Co.npany-:-.(Order, order.)
Mr. TRENT rose to order, and said, the question was not
what the Marquis of Hastings had received from the Company,
but simply as to his character for integrity and honour in cer-
tai❑ transactions with the house of Palmer and Co., at Hy-
derabad.

Air. POYNDER resumed and repeated his former obser-
vation.

Mr. R. JACKSON rose to order, and said, that if either tl.t
original motion or the amendment had said one word of pecu-
niary matters, then the Hon. Proprietor's speech might be in
order, but as neither the one nor the other at all alluded to
pecuniary remuneration, he considered the Gentleman to be
quite out of order.

Mr. POYNDEii said, he should not be put down nor silenced
by Hoa. Proprietorsl4 that Court, when he felt that he was pur-
suing a most correct course. Ile would undertake, before he sat
down, to connect the present question with the one of pecuniary
remuneration to the Marquis' of Hastings, and if he did not
succeed in this, then let him be put down immediately. Tate
Gentleman then proceeded to comment on the papers that had
been printed. He remarked upon certain passages in the let-
ters of the Marquis of Hastings, while Governor-General of
lndi+, to the Court of Directors, and which, he contended,
showed, that although no corrupt motive existed on the part of
the Noble Marquis, there was a degree of favouritism evinced
by him towards his connections and friends, which amounted
to establishing a monopoly of the pecuniary transactions of the
Gov-rnment of Todia, with the house of Palmer and Company
at Hyderabad, to which firm Sir William Rumbold, who was
anti nately related. by marriage to the Noble Marquis, be-
long ‘d, although Sir William was at the time an officer of
the East India Company,:and therefore not at liberty to be con-
nee e 1 with a house of business of that description. The Hon.
I Pr( praetor also endeavoured to show, that the Marquis of Bast-
inl s, if not immediately concerned the negociations for the
loans which had been obtained from the house of Palmer and
Co. at the rate of 18 per cent., being 6 per cent. above thdtsgal
interest of that countr,y, he had not exerted himself sufficiently
to ascertain whether those loans could not have been procured
at a lower rate. It was also represented by the documents, that
the Marquis of Hastings had granted a licence to the house of
Palmer and Co. to negociate loans at a higher rate of interest
than the law allowed, and which the Government of India had
a power to do ; but that, although he thus acted, he did
not communicate this circumstance to the Court of Directors
at home for upwards of three years afterwards. Mr. Poynder
then went through the several dispatches of the Court of
Directors, made to the Noble Marquis in consequence of
his communications, and commented on those passages which
he considered to shew the sense of the Directors, as to the trans-
actions which had been carried on with the house of Palmer and
Co., under the sanction of the Noble Marquis, as Governor-
General. He said that not only was the faith and credit of the
Government used in setting up Messrs. Palmer and Co., but
he would undertake that it was also used to bolster up that con-
cern. He then read extracts from others of the documents,
printed by order of the Court.--(In the course of the reading of
these extracts, the Hon. Proprietor was frequently interrupted
by other Hon. Proprietors, who said that the Gentleman was
entering upon matters which had no relation to the Marquis of
Hastinga.)
The CIIAIA MAN said, he considered that the Hon. Proprie-
tor was not out of order.
Mr. POYNDER continued.—His reason for entering thus
into detail was, because the motion of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr.
Kinnaird) did not merely relate to the Marquis of Hastings ; if
it had, he should have supported it. But it was intended and
calculated to cast odium on others—it threw dirt upon other ser-
vants of that Court, who had gone before the Noble Marquis.
Mr. KINNAIItD requested that his motion might be read,
which was read accordingly.
The CIIAIRIVIAN then directed the amendment to be read.
111 r. POYNDEII—He put it to the Court whether, in oppos-
ing the motion and supporting the amendment, it was not com-

petent for him licence was granted to the house to do that which could not
to go into these details. After reading varione
other extracts from the printed documents, tho Hon. Proprietor be done witnout the consent of the Indian Government, viz. to
said he considered, that although no corrupt motive could be take interest at a higher rate than allowed by the law, and was
assigned to the Noble Marquis, yet there was in these transac- dated 23d July, 1816, and signed by Lord Hastings, Sir Wm.
Lions sufficient to show a very strong it clination to favour friends, .Rumbold having then become a partner. But this was a most
and to use the power of Government for that purpose. Neither extraordinary licence, being granted to Messrs. Palmer and.
the Noble Marquis nor his friends had removed all sus- Co., and not to the parties by name. But the dates were the
picion from his character respecting his conduct in these most material. This licence had not been communicated to
proceedings. But he (Mr. Poynder) would say, that it was the Directors for more than three years after it had been
not he or his friends who provoked this discussion ; he granted.
should have been content to let the Marquis alone on the high Mr. TWINING said, that when this question was brought
pedestal on which his friends would place him, decorated with forward, it was hoped that we should come to a speedy conclu-
his stars and ribbons, and titles and honours ; it was they who sion ;at the same time he thought as there were many persons
brought forward this question ; but if the Noble Marquis were concerned with the claim of the Marquis of Hastings, he thought
so perfect and unsullied in his character, what would become it would have been but fair that the claims of those persons who
were connected with him should be met. It was his intention
of the Directors? for the Court must condemn theoi if they.
meant to set up the Marquis as his friends had called upon tomove an amendment to-embrace those twoobjects. He thought
them to do. They would do more ; they would brand the the claims of the MarquiS of Hastings were great, and deserved
Board of Directors with indelible disgrace, if they should allow the peculiar notice of this Court. The longer they debated this'
this motion to succeed. And did the Court think those Gentle-
claim, the more they would be increasing matter to iiscuss, and
men were nobody ? 'Was Mr. Canning nobody ?—.Mr. Bathurst it was therefore desirable to avoid it. He then moved an amend-
and Mr. Wynn nobody? If the. Directors had been weak ment to that effect.
enough to have sent out such dispatches as were l• eluded in The CHAIRMAN said, that the Hon. Proprietor was so well
the papers that had been printed, without good grounds, i; acquainted with the forms of the Court, that tie did not require
would have been the duty of Ministers to stop them. But they to be told that it was irregular to move a second amends
did not, and he contended this gave an additional sanction to before the first was disposed of.
those dispatches. But this, was not all ; the Court would go Blr. S. DixON said that he thought there should be an ad-
much further; they would carry the torch into India, and was it journment, for this was a most important question, and deserved.
thus they would remunerate their faithful and long-tried sere every consideration. Before, however, he made the motion to
vents ? It did not appear to him (Mr. Poynder (that the matter that effect, he should say that all the papers that had been read,
could rest here ; for if this motion passed, they must grant an r had done good, for it would give the Honourable Proprietors
annuity to the Noble Marquis; for these reasons he submitted a clearer view of the question than what they had, perhaps,
that it became the Court, in honour to itself, and in protection when they came into this room. But he begged to say, that
totheir Directors, to support the amendment. unless a clearer case was made out against the Noble Marquis
Mr. Mein said, he should not detain the Court, but be than had been this day, he should, for one consider that Noble
could not but ask them to look at the position in which they Lord wholly untouched by those proceedings. He now begged.
were placed. He agreed with the Honourable Proprietor who to move that this Court do adjourn to a convenient day.
had just addressed the Court, that there were questions.con. Sir JOHN DoYLR seconded the motion.
nected with these papers which required to be investigated ; for The CHAIRMAN said, the question was that this' Court do
he did not know, that if Messrs. -Palmer and Co. were to come adjourn to this day week ?
before this Court to ask protection from the injuries they had After some desultary conversation the Court adjourned.
experienced,. how far they might not be able to make out a case
that should entitle them to it. But the motion before the Court
was quite distinct front that. A motion was originally made to
grant a remuneration to the Marquis of Hastings, for his splen-
did services in India. On that occasion certain rumours were
circulated that made it necessary that his friends shocild inquire
into them before they pressed the application for a remunera-
tion. His lion. Friend (Mr. Kinniard) accordingly, in the ,
month of 111-arch last, moved for the papers to be laid before the
Court relating to the transactions upon which those rumours
had been grounded. This motion was the only way to clear
away the difficulties then before them. In justice to the Mar-
quis of Hastings, the Directors were called upon to produce
the papers. If there was a man in this Court who could breath •
a single
_charge against the Noble Marquis, he (Mr. Hume)
should cell upon the Court honourably and properly to give an
, opinion upon it; and if that charge was made out, or if those
papers proved any charge against that Noble Individual, he
(Mr. Hume), would join his censure with that of the Court, of
the conduct of the Noble Marquis.. Now what had happened ?
The papers were brought forward, and his Hon. Friend had
acted most fairly in, allowing nearly 12 months to expire before
he renewed or proceeded ihrther with his original motion, in
order that every Proprietor might have an opportunity of form-
ing his Opinion open them. The Hon. Gentleman then pro-
ceeded to comment on the course which had been pursued by
Mr. Poynder, and said that the Marquis of Hastings had no-
thing to do with the establishment of the house of Palmer and
Co., and that it was cruel to have those matters mixed up with
his case,
_which was totally distinct from it. The lion.
Gentleman then stated the origin of this house, and
showed that the Court of Directors had sanctioned the
conduct of Lord. • .pinto, under whose administration that
firm had been established. He then complained of
the conduct of the Chairman in moving an amend-
ment, which was beyond the terms of the requisition.—
The requisition did not embrace any other topic than that of
the character of the Marquis of Hastings. It was neither fair,
just, nor manly, in his having thus acted. If such condaet
were to be sanctioned, there would be no limit to their running
wild ; for all were ready enough to take a devious course.
There was a want of courtesy on the part of the Chairman,
which he had never before witnessed. He had taken- the Court
by surprise, and had shewn the cloven foot in this proceeding.
He (Mr. flume) and his friends had been accused of seeking to
pass by all discussion upon the conduct of the Marquis of llast-
ings, and to get the motion assented to without entering int)
fac.s But what was the conduct of their lion. Chairman ; the
former part of his amendment was couched in similar terms to
the original motion ; but here was the trick—it lay in a few
words. After declaring that nothing appeared in these papers to
impeach the intt gr.ty and honour of the Marquis of Hastings, it
, proceeded to say, " or of any member of the Bengal Govern-
ment." Here was the point. It. was a most despicable manner of
taking an opportunity thus to get an expression of an opinion
of men, whose conduct had not been before the Court. 1f he
were to speak his candid and honest opinion, heshould say,
that the Directors who joined in these despatches were afraid
that they had gone too far ; they were afraid of the argumt nts
contained in tile protest of an Hon. Director, whom he had in
his eye, which lie entered against some of those despatches.
When the time came he (Mr. Hume) should be prepared to
give his opinion.of those dispatches, but this Court wits not at
present called to give an opinion of them. He contended,
therefore, that these two addilons made to the original motion•
by the amendment, which were understood not to be considered
as the act of the Court, but o'the n over and seconder, were
intended to take the Court by slurp-i.e. He would callf upon
the Court not to give their opi don i p m such points as were
not included in the requisition. The Hon. Gentlemen spoke
on the subject of illegal inte a t, alleged to have beer. tak n
by the house of Painter and Co. from the Bengal Govern-
ment. lie said, that monstroas as hutch a rate of interest as
twelve per cent. would appear to Englishmen, who were ac-
customed to consider five pa cent. as the full amount that the
law would sanction to be taken, yet it should be remembered
that interest was altogether relative, and that what might be
exorbitant in one country would be very moderate in another.—
Now twelve per cent. was the legal rate of interest in India;
but the fact was, that the House of Paln.er and CO. had
taken la per cent. upon a loan to. the Bengal Government;
but this was to pay an old debt due to the Government cf
his Ilighnees the Nizam, for which no less than 24 per cent.
was paid. This was the conduct of Palmer and Co., which
had been so much the subject of censure.—(llear, hear !)
It was quite painful to hear statements made by men who
were ignorant of the custom of that country, by which impres-
sions would be made on the minds of persons who had no op-
portunities of arriving at the knowledge of these things. The
Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to argue that this pecu-
niary negociation with Palmer and Co. eves necessary to relieve
the Bengal Government from the pressure of the interest on
the debt to his Highness the Nizam. He also said, that the
advances made by the House of Palmer and Co. were.essen-
tial to the proper and regular paying of the native troops.—
The Hon. Gentlemen then adverted to the pensions granted
to the Palmers, that had been so much complained of, and
said that they were granted by an independent Prince, in
consideration of the eminent services which the tailor of Mr.
W. Painter had rendered to him for a series of 23 years. But
all theie pensions were given long previous to the establish-
ment of the house of Palmer and Co. The lion. Gentleman
concluded an able speech by observing it was not fair to mix
up with the simple proposition that was before the Court, mat-
ters wholly unconnected with it; and he exhorted the Hon.
Proprietor to act consistently, and not be induced to give an
opinion upon the conduct of persons who were not alluded to
in the requisition.
The CHAIRMAN said, he should not be doing his duty if
he remained silent under the imputation 'that had been cast
upon him, and that not for the first time, by the Gentleman
who had just addressed the -Court. He had said, that he the
(Chairman) had used trick, by taking the Court by surprise, and
that he had shown the cloven foot. lie. would throw those
words back upon him (Mr. Hume). and say that he had given
him grounds for saying that he had before this evinced a dispo-
sition to take the Court by surprise ; and it would instruct as to
that Gentleman's conduct on the case of Mr. Adams. lie hoped
the Court would stand up and protect their servant; and they
must excuse him if he said he would not resume the chair until
he had received their judgment upon his conduct. He stood
here to receive either their applause or their censure.—(Ap-
plause.)—Perceiving, by their applause, that he had not lost
their confidence, he wished, under more cool feelings, to address
the Court. He had been charged with having► taken the Court
by surprise, by introducing the amendment. But, to show that
his conduct was not influenced by any such motive, and also to
explain why the documents alluded to by the Hon. Proprietor
(Mr. Poynder) had not been printed, he would request the opi-
nions which the Court of Directors had given upon the sub-
ject of the pecuniary transactions of Palmer and Co. with the
Nizam, be read, as part of his speech.
(Here two opinions of Mr. Serjeant Bosanquet, and one of
the Attorney-General, were read. These Learned Counsel were
of opinion that although they had no doubt the transactions re-
lating to the loans were fraudulent, yet they could not advise any
criminal proceedings against any of the parties, because those
acts which constituted the fraud appeared to have come to the
knowledge of the Government, which would be ari answer to -the
charge.) •
' The CHAIRMAN said that it must appear to the Court, that
while doubts existed as to there being any proceedings taken
against the parties, these documents could not be made public.
—He would just allude to the conduct of the Marquis of
Hastings, with regard to the licence granted by him to the
house of Palmer and Co., by which it would appear in what
manner that Noble Lord treated the Court of Directors. The

THE THEATRE.

DRURY.LANE.-The Merchant of Venice, last
night, brought forward Mr. KEAN' in the cha-
racter of Shylock, in which he first appeared on
the London boards. The moral hostility which
prevailed against him, for three or four nights of
his appearance this season, seems to have totally
subsided. Ile was received with much applause
at his entrance, which continued during his per-
formance. The house was very well attended. We
witnessed his first appearance in London, in this
part and attended his performance last night. The
same points which his admirers consider as
beauties, and the same fablts, marked his per-
formance last night, with hardly any variation.
But as we have often expressed our opinion of
his acting, we do not thick it necessary 'to ani-
madvert on his performance at present, except to
obserye that his original fault in the trial scene
was equally conspicuous, viz. standing aloof witl►
his back towards the Court, and remaining in
that attitude during the whole time that tl►e Duke
was addressing him personally. Can it be sup-
posed that in Venice, where the Jews were held
in contempt, scorn, and horror, such irreverence
towards the Court and the Supreme Head would
pass without censure and probable punishment ?
This gesture shows a want of due reflection ou
the part of the Actor, and certainly brings his
judgment into question.