The Sun.
London, England, 1825-06-23 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, 1825.

ing of the Bill, which took place to-night in the House of Com-
mons, that it should receive the approbation of the Quarterly
General Court of Proprietors.
The CitAl rtmAis- said that was not necessary in the present
stage, pursuant to the by-law.
Mr. LOW NOES was desirous of offering a few observations
to the consideration of the Court ,- and lie would begin by ob-
serving, that knowledge, not wealth, constituted the true dis-
tinction and difference between men.--;A laugh.)
Mr. S. DIXON was sorry to interrupt the Hon. Proprietor.
He would feel happy to hear his observations, if they bore upon
tit,: question, but recommended him to confine himself more
closely to the subject before the Court.—(Hear, hear ! and a
Lush.
Mr. LOWNDES thought it hard to be interrupted in this
minuet. He had been accused of inconsistency, but he was
prepared to say again what he had said before—that it was
necessary to keep the press in India within proper bounds. It
was u;; possible to put it on the *tune footing as the press in
Englaud. Thee might as well carry the freedom of the press
to the West Indies as to India : the consequence would be, we
should be deprived of our Indian possessioto4_and withsegard
-so the West Indies, if the freetioni of the 'press were extended
to it, the consequence would be, we should not have a slave at
work in any of our Colonies in six months.
Mr. HUME—The freedom of the Press is extended to our
West Indian Colonies.
Mr. LowNDEs—Not to all the Colonies, or in the same de-
gree as in England.
Mr. HumE—Yes.

Mr. DARBY thought the Directors had paid every possible
attention to the Company's affairs, and that there existed no
deficiency in any department.
Sir C. FORBES thought it hard and unjust that a Bishop
should receive a lower salary than the lowest of the paiswe
judges, and did not see why he should be worse situated than
any other of the Company's functionaries. He deprecated the
apathy that at present existed in and out of Parliament on In-
dian affairs, and would take the opportunity of the question of
adjournment to direct the attention of the Court to what he
conceived a most important subject, as connected with Indian
affairs. The Hon. Member proceeded to make some observa-
tions on the subjects of Sincapore, and transportation from St.
Helena, when
Mr. S. DixoN said the Honourable Baronet had better re-
serve his observations on Sincapore, Prince of Wales' Island,
and Ceylon, for the House of Parliament, of which he was so
Honourable a Member. Such subjects, together with the
transportation of offenders, might, perhaps, meet more atten-
tion in that place. He wished to ask the Honourable Chair-
man whether a Judge was entitled to half his income after a
service of five years under the new Act, if he chose to retire
at the end of that period ?
The CHAIRMAN—Yes; on a medical certificate of bad
health being obtained.
Mr. S. DixoN was glad to hear of that provision, which he
thought a necessary one. He believed a Judge under the same
Bill was entitled, after seven years service, to two-thirds of his
salary.
Mr. GAHAGAN—Two-thirds of his retired pension.
The CHAIRMAN—Yes.
SIR C. METCALF.

General THORNTON wished to draw the attention of the •
Court to a subject which had not received the attention it de- '
served ; he meant the conduct of Sir C. Metcalf. If the griev-
ance complained of, and the improper treatment said to have
been experienced by some of the native Princes, were permitted
to continue unredressed, the worst consequences, were to be ap-
prehended to the British influence in India. Thesubject com-
plained of, and on which he intended to ground his motion, was
the withholding of certain dispatches sent to Sir C. Maitland by
a Native Prince, complaining orthe conduct of the Company's
Resident, anti intended to be forwarded to the seat of the Su-
preme Government. It *as to have been desired that the Court
had taken measures to prevent the existence of such grievances.
In the present instance, but for the exertions of the mer-
cantile house of Palmer and Co., which was in the service of
the Nizam, and communicated the circumstance to the Supreme
Government, it was possible it would never have been known.
In consequence of its interference on that occasion the House
had been ruined, and in a most extraordinary manner. He
understood a Bill was about to be brought into the House of
Lords on the subject on the subject by a Noble Marquis (the
marquis of Hastings), and he was -glad of it ; for although he
was not aware of the nature of the Noble Lord's Bill, be trusted
it might prevent the occurrence of similar circumstances in
future. It was true many oppressive circumstances had been
either entirely done away with, or materially checked; hut in
this case Sir C. Metcalf' had acted in direct defiance of his in-
structions, and in a manner the most unwarrantable. One 'of
the last acts of the Government of the Marquis of Hastings in
India, was to appoint Colonel Bryan First Assistant to Sir C.
Metcalf, thereby endeavouring to place a check upon hie con-
duct but that check was soon got rid of. He should have been
extremely glad if the Court of Dir._ ctors had taken the steps
that should have been adopted, to chew the world that no inter-
ruption would be permitted to interfere With the progress of
the complaints of the Native Princes, whether well or ill
founded, to the seat of Government in India. He would con-,
elude by moving, that as it appeared from the Hyderhad Papers
that the Rajah had transmitted to Lieutenant-Colonel Barnett,
the Assistant of Sir C. Metcalf, the Company's Resident, cer-
tain documents, containing complaints against Sir C. Metcalf,
and intended to be forwarded to the Supreme Government, and
farther, that the Supreme Government had not received these
papers, but had been kept in ignorance of their existence till
they were afterwards transmitted through another channel, it
was desirable to make a regulation to prevent in future the
suppression or interruption of complaints front the Native
Princes to the Supreme Government, in order that if just the
grievances might be redressed, or if unjust they might be in-
quired-into and explained.
Mr. LowarDE9—What were the grievances ?
The Cuarnara sr said, it would be better to permit the mu--
tion to be seconded before discussing it further. .
On the motion being put and seconded,
Mr. LOWN DES, when he considered the connexion between
this and the Hyderabad question, he wished the nature of the
charges to be ascertained and explained. For his part he did
not know what they were. What might appear to other Hon.
Proprietors exceedingly important, might seem to him too
trivial for grave discussion. He considered the Hyderabad
question as the most important one .that had come before the
Court in the twenty-seven years that he had been connected
with it as a Proprietor; and if due attention were not paid to
it, they would not be meeting there ten years hence to discuss
the affairs of India, for they would have no territories in India.
He meant to move as a future opportunity a Resolution on
the subject, and in regard to the agreement between the East
India Company and the Nizam —an agreement which, how-
ever, it might bind the present Potentate, could heae no
such effect upon his successor. When the present Nizam
died, his successor might say, " You have matte at, agreement
with my predecessor, not with ine—and ther?ene will not
agree to the bargain about the 70,000/. a year. 7 'Could not the
Native Prince then bring into the held an army against the
Company, and, what was more, he could rouse the other Native
Princes, and excite a war of opinion against then,, He (neap.
proved of a free press—it was not applicable to the situation of
India ; but he was desirous the inhabitants should be treated
with all humanity, and like the celebrated Sir William Jones,
he would in all cases rather lean to the Natives than otherwise.
Though it seemed he had
got into a scrape with the West In-
dies and a Free Press-0 laugh,)—he asked Hon. Proprietors
to observe the effects of a Free Press upon those-Colonies during
the last two or three years. In a word, although he was always
a liberal man, and a great patriot (loud laughter),—he held
the freedom of the Press to be highly dangerous to India.—(A
laugh.)

Sir J. Do Yr..}: called the Hon. Proprietor to order. lie re_
quested, if he felt disposed to address the Court, that he would
confine himself to the subject before them. The lion. Pro-
prietor appeared to be alternately in the clouds and on terra
firma ; hut, if he would. permit him, he (Sir J:Doyle) would
feel happy by and bye to give the Honourable Proprietor the
information he appeared to‘desire.
Mr. Low.);nrs did not sykli to branch out—(a laugh)—on-
reasonably from the subject before the Court; and if Ire appear-
ed disposed to do so on the subject of the liberty of the press,
he only followed the example set him by other Hon. Proprie-
tors, which he should do, notwithstanding the objections of the
Hon. Proprietor, whom he respected, as he. Wft,4 in the army,
wl
and from Ireland.—(Loud laughter.)—lie shed to have some-
thing of a inure positive
and substantial nature than these
charges afforded.
Sir' J. DoYLE said, if' the Hon. Proprietor. had Attended•
previous Courts more attentively, he might have heard the
subject of the charges discussed in seven or eight consecutive
Meetings of Proprietors. It was not the fault of the Court
. that the Honourable Proprietor was uninformed on the sub.

anti
ject. Indeed the subject was one of peculiar irripur.ance,
he thought the steps which Sir C. M etcail had taken, and
committed to take, tended to disgrace the Government, and
shake our power in India to its foundations. %Whatever he had
said, whatever he should says respecting the conduct of Sir C.
Metcalf, should be supported and bore out by his own words ;
and it was not his intention to say any filing of that gentle-
man's character, but only of his conduct. Pursuing this line of
conduct, he would first refer to page 117 of the documents, and
there it appeared Chandoo Loll wrote to the Assistant of the
Company's Resident (Sir C. Metcalf) complaining of the con-
duct of Mr. Hislep (one of those beardless Pio-Consuls we sera:
out to govern India), in regard to setting aside the leases of the
Nizam his master. This letter of Chandoo 14011, die Nizatn's
Ministei, was intended to find its way to the Sepreine Govern-
ment, but it never did. In pa 152 was to be found a letter
of Sir C. Metcalf himself, in which he censures the conduct of
the European Resident of the district, in acting contrary to his
instructions, and taking the governmttnt out of the hands of the
native Prince. And immediately afterethis expression of his
sentiments., he does the very,same thing himself, arid the letter
complaining of his conduct 'is never perrnittati to reach its des-
tination. Chandoo Loll, smarting under tne imputation on his
Character, went, not as had been stated, to the house of Palmer,
but to a member of the house, Mr. William Palmer. He told.
him that he had tried the regular mode of transmitting his com-
plaint; he had applied to the Deputy Resident, but the
latter had riot conveyed his statement to the Supreme Go-
vernment. Consequently Mr. W. Palmer undertook to convey
a letter to the Governor-General, who manifested every, dispo-
sition to inquire into the subject, bat said, " transmit your
complaint in any way you can, if the Residentrefuse; but let
it be a public and open complaint." It was by no means his
wish to draw a comparison between individuals, especially as
we were at present in a state of total darkness as regarded the
state of India. If any confidence were to be placed irs the let-
ters that had of late been received from that country, our affairs
were in an extremely dangerous situation. But he should not
impute blame to any one till the arrival of the expected dis.
patches enabled him to ascertain the true posture of affairs. It
was, however, doubtful whether the six or seven millions accu-
mulated under a former Government was not now dissipating,
and our treasures daily decreasing. Supposing .a • Resident to
possess the power of keeping back any information from the Go-
vernor-General in any one instance, he,possessed it in all ; and
they might even imagine a case of high treason known to the
Resident or Deputy, and on the disclosure of which the safety
of our Indian Empire might depend. If in such a case-informa-
tion were to be held back, what might net be the conse-
quence of the concealment? It was the Governor-General,
and not the Company's Resident or Assistant, that was the
responsible person; but how could they blame him if informa-
tion were not communicated ? And lie would say, looking
to the peculiar situation of India, no man could adequately •
manage the Government there, or direct the army in ifs opera-
tions, if he did not only procure nil available information, but
seize on every information he could possibly get hold of. With
what practical view or purpose the Gallant General had pro-.
posed his motion he did not know, but felt much inclined t 6
support it. And he wished the Directors would issue such or.
ders as would restrain and prevent the possibility of concealing
any information from the Governor-General.
Mr. WEEnte:o thought the inferences against the conduct
of Sir C. Metcalf such as were not sustained or borne out by
the premises. Sir C. Metcalf did not think it necessary to lay
the communication of the Nizam before the Governor-General,
because the proposition for mortgage, to which it referred prin.
cipally, had been previously rejected. He did not mean to
say the Directors sanctioned withholding just complaints. But
it could not be expected, if a General in command- of- a division
were to be requested by a subaltern to forward to his superior
officer an accusation in which his fame and character were vi-
rulently attacked that he would comply, or could be expected
to comply. On the whole, he looked upon- .the proposition of
the Gallant General as a childish and inefficient one.

Sir J. DOYLE was surprised how Hon. Gentlemen felt dis-
posed to continue the debate, more particularly as it had been
admitted the Directors did not countenance withholding infor-
mation from the Supreme Government. tie would tell the
Hon. Proprietor who had referred to the supposed conduct of a
military officer, if accused by an inferior, that the officer was
bound, on pain of loss of rank and commission, to transmit the
complaint or accusation to the chief in command. He (Sir J.
Doyle) must be supposed to know something of these afraid
from his military experience, and he pledged himself to t'he tic,
curacy of his statement. The letter of Chandoo Loll prov-
ed he was any thing but satisfied with the conduct of the
British Resident, and he (Sir J. Doyle) preferred that evidence
to any after declaration, because he would not trust to rumour,
but the words of the parties themselves.
Mr. Low/nous rose, and said he chould move for the papers
relative to the agreement between the Nizam and the East India
Company, but was called to order by the Chairman.
Mr. Ii Uy E considered Sir C. Metcalf as wholly unworthy
the situation he held. The residents should not be permitted
to exercise the power of withholding complaints from the know-
ledge of the Supreme Government. fie did not see hew the
principle of the Gallant General's motion could be refused.

Mr. WEEDING explained.
The CHAIRMAN Wished to submit to the Hon. and Gallant
General the propriety of withdrawing his motion. The practice
sought to be recommended by it was already in use, and the
minor authorities in India were always required to forward all
complaints to the Supreme Government. Under such circum-
stances he would feel sorry to be obliged to resist the Gallant
General's motion, which he must do if it were persisted in ;
but he submitted to the Hon. Proprietor whether it would not,
all things considered, be better to withdraw the motion.
Mr. THANT attempted to make an observation, but was
called to order by Sir J. Doyle and Mr. Dixon.
General THORNTON said he felt disposed, in accordance
with what had fallen from the Chairman, to withdraw his motion
After an observation from Mr. Low:tins, Mr. S. Dixon,
and Mr. TRANT,

Sir C. ROBINSON said he was desirous to communicate the
most complete and thorough information on the state of the
Company's affairs abroad that was possible; and he should be
always ready to convey every knowledge of the subject posses-
sed by himself to other Hon. Proprietors. His objections to
the motion were, that the management of the whole affair was
vested in the Board of Controul. Under these circumstances,
it would be inconvenient to deviate from the ordinary practice.
—He would not permit the Court to separate without assuring
them that no person could be more anxious than hiniself that
they should be fully informed on the subject of the condition
of their affairs in India.
The motion was then withdrawn.
LORD AMHERST.

The CHAIRMAN moved that the Court do how adjourn.
Mr. HUME said it had been his intention to move the Court
that they resolve on the recal of Lord Amhurst from the Chief G-
overnorship of India. He would now ask- whether documents
had been vxcivecl by the Court of Directors explanatory of the
causes of the Burmese war, and also if any further details of
the inquiry into the massacre at Barrackpore had reached this
country ? On the answer he might receive to those questions
would depend the course he should feel disposed to adopt.
The CriArnmAN said the papers on the one subject had been
already before Parliament. With respect to the inquiry into
the circumstances at Barrackpore no account had yet been re-
ceived.

Ir. Hu All, been informed Lord Amherst had written
private letters on the subject, in which he explained the objects
of the war. Ile thought no small share cf culpability rested
tai the Government of Bengal. The Court should pass a vote
of censure on the Government, if not on the Governor himself,
for their conduct in relation to the war. The war was not only
unnecessary in its nature, origin, and objects, but the Com-
pany's forces had been placed in a most unusual situation, and
under circumstances very disadvantageous. The island of
Charporee, which was the cause of the war, had been allowed
not to be worth a single farthing. He would conclude by
moving a vote of censure on Lord Amherst, for neglecting to
send to this country the requisite information on the subject of
the origin and progress of the Burmese war.
The thiAiumAN said all dispatches, in the usual course,
came before Parliament, and every necessary portion of them
was published. In the beginning of our Indian wars they were
generally unsuccessful in the first instance, but the fortune of
their conclusion had commonly changed. Ile was sure the
Hon. Proprietor was not disposed to adopt any course that
would silage the confidence of the army ; and he would recom-
mend him to withdraw his motion.

' ' would not press the matter farther at present.
Sir C. FORBES felt considerable surprise at his Hon. Friend's
consenting to withdraw Ins ion
consenting was evident Lord Am-
herst was totally unlit tor the situation he filled. Indeed, his
promotion had been attributed to the effect of private influ-
ence. Ile spoke of him now as a public man ; he knew nothing
abuut his
private character ; it might be very amiable ; but

PRICE SIIVP,NPItI/4:Ct

he looked at him as a -Governor-General, and could not
appeove of him in that capacity. Atter 18 anonuis war,
.vuere were we ? Where we set out? No I he wished to:God
we were ; but we were much worse. If relilulce was to be
ulaced on the information of private letters, our three of 144,014
men had dwindled to 1,390, and two regiments were diminis!l,
ed to less than 100 each. The troops had been sent on an ex-
pedition, which was in fact sending them to their graveti„ when
the situation of the country and the season of the year were ecin.
sidered. They had been uispatched to the marshes of Rangoon,
than which there no more unhealthy spot to be found. What
had been done at Rangoon or Chittagong ? literally nothi.rig.
The troops, after having passed over the mountains, rowed
themselves opposed by the sea, and a bridge of pontoons had
to be sent for to enable the army to pass from one island to an-
other. Where was Sir A. Campbell's force at this froment ?
He understood, *thin six weeks of the date of the last advice»,
the rains were expected to set in in the month of March, al.]
then nothing but a disastrous termination to the War wa* to
expected. He thought Lord Amherst should certainly be re=
ailed as unfit for his situation.
Mr. TwiNfsrct appealed to the good sense of the Honourable
Baronet, whether it was right to introduce a subject so ira
p atant as the present to the consideration of the Court in its
present empty state.
Sit C. FoanEs—lt was not his fatilt if the Court was thin;
he had mentioned his intention three hours ago. He under-
stood it was now the intention of the Goi*:ertior to recruit the
army ; the- new tegitnents would arrive just in time to share
the advantages of the climate. He had heard several instances
of Lord Amherst's defective financial arrangements. tz was
extraordinary no information had been received on the subject
of the affair at lsarrackpdre !him the month of November td
June. He understood the Report of the Committee of Liquiry.
was highly favourable to those unfortunate men whose hived
were sacrificed at Barrackpore. On account of that transaction
alone, Lord Amherst deserved a vote of censure. lfe wished
his Hon. Friend had persevered in his intended motion for
recalid Lord Amherst, which was calculated to meet the ap
probation of the country. It would attbrd great satisfaction Jr
the Marquis of Hastings were reinstated in the Goverronent
of India. Such an act would inspire confidence, and be the
most likely means to remedy the blow our power had received
in India.
Mr. LOWNOES said the war would be as unsuccestfo sr:d
interminable as the American war.

Sir C. RoatrtsoN confessed his surprise and astonislitnevt
that the Hon. Proprietor had not concluded wick sonic proposi
tion in accordance with the nature of his speech. There was
now no question before the Court. The Hon. Proprietor 1:12.1
indulged in a lung string of invectives, which he thought not
very becoming. He was desirous of knowing.if the Pro-
prietor intended to conclude with any specific !notion on
subject.

bir C. FORBES—it was not necessary for him to conclude
with a specific motion. It was competent to a Member ;o dis-
cuss general topics at a Quarterly Cditrt on the question of ad-
journment. But he was perfectly ready to hear what the. dioo.
Bart. had to say in defence of the Governor-General. - •
Sir C. ROB tNS01•1 would not defend Lord Amherst except
upon public grounds, and as a public officer. A string of
invectives not becoming that place had been pronoducet!,
and it all rested dh `• lam told"—it was mere .hearsay
private correspondence from India. He put it to the can-
dour and fairness of the Court, whether affairs WerelikLiy tei
be well conducted in India while such attacks were per:lnit-
ted and made in this country, which must necessarily go. out •
to India through the medium of the Press. It would have
been better if the nonottrable Baronet 4ad tonclutied With ati
open manly motion of censure, howeVer ill timed, than with an
attack such as. he had indulged in. He would admit with the
Hon. Proprietor, that the appearance of Military proceedings in
India were unfavourable ; the war was as unyromising at pre-
sent as it could well be ; but he was not prepared with the
same Gentleman to prOpbecy a disastrous termination to it. At
the first commencement of that most glorious war (the Nepaut,
all was failure, and the disasters that oecured raised a cry not orily“ --
in that Court, but throughout the country. stisrs werehable-
to these disasters at some period, but.he trusted they would not
continue in time present instance,. Ile also trusted the Hon.
Bart. would .prove a mistaken prophet as to the event of
present war, and he telt assured no man would rejoice Imre in.
the failure of his predictions than the lion. Bart. hitnselt:
had thought it his duty to prevent the Governor-General from
being attacked as he. had been that day. He trusted they ivbuld
conic to no rash conclusion, but treat him with that considera,
tion, liberality. and fairness, which a man in his diffictilt'situa;,
tion was entitled to. •
The Court then adjourned. ..