The Sun.
London, England, 1809-04-08 00:00:00

EdSTINDLI HOUSE.

t

Yesterdly a Gen,ral Costa of Preprictors was
held at the In&
After. the Proceedings of the last Court had been
read, the Chairman ststecithe present Court to be
called for the purpos of confirming the Resolutions
of the last Court,. for the appointment of a Military
Secretary, and two ASsistant Secretaries to the Exa-
miner's Offic e ; also the Resolution for esta-
blishing a Seminary for the Education of Cadets for
their Ariiliery and Engineer Corps. The Reports
recommending each et these measures were read—
oh the Chairinan pi'oposing that fur appointing a
Military Secretary—
Mr. Roca roe' to say., that atter deliberately con-
,sideriog the Measure, it could not _have his assent.
Mr. R. ebservede that nothing short of a degree of
necessity, which had by no.means been made out,
Could justify so considerable an additional expelice in
the present circernstanees of the Company ; but
even supposing for argement's sake, that such Officers
Were necessary,he thought they ought to be seleaed
frous their. present set vents, who were.on all bands
admitted to be able an meritorious men. Mr. R.
Gbierved, with considerable feeling, upon the pain-
ful sensations which must accompany a measure,
which he contended was, as to the present Officers
.of the House, one of indignity and supersession,
.and :not called for by the circumstances laid. before
them ; he should therefore Move that all the words
of the Re.olunon atier the word " That" be left
out, in order to substitute one, declarins in sub-
stace, Toat the Servants of the House. continued to
possess the esteem and confidence of that Court, &c.
Colonel SCOTT said, that although he partook of
all the SelitiinelltS which he had heard respeeting our
'old servants, he could not second the motion, as it
went to 'annul altogether the Resolution of the- Di-
reOlors, which would not be cousistent with the re-
epe('t I,r, bore towards that part of the Court.
Mr. LowNnes likewise felt for- the situation of
~the Officers of the House, although he was not Ore-
pared to ascribe to theirt so great a degree of merit
-as: Was comeyeT4 the proposed Amendment ; they
it'ight or might not pcisesss it ; but he would nut
Vrite such a fat to be true without the ineansof
Imowing it. He said, he felt rather disposed *to con-
,
cur us the Resolution of the Court of Diretfori
'tended as it was upon their Report; providesl souse
yords of memorandum could. be added,. which. should
pi:event she circumstance of taking atrangers imme-
dieely into their highest office's, front being chasm
into the precedent.
The Chairtnan.observeJ, that Mr. Rock's Amends
rent
not having berm seconded, there was no other
thanthe original question before the Court, which he.
sva's'eroceeding to put, when
'Mr. JActssost rose, and referring to the observa-
tions which he had made at the last Court, oport the
ilovelty and iniportence of the measure, not so much
with regard to 'expellee, as to the, danger of , the
l)recedent,'said be should propose some additional
:words by way of amendment, which he hoped would
meet cunflicting epiiiions, and secure themselves
from danger as swell as sooth the 'feelings and tran-
quilize the apprehensions of their Officers, while it
gave to the Company, in the present instaucc, the

: Icivattiage of the measure. He said, the question
batually resolved itself • into three coesiderations—
' "lamely, the necessity of such appointments—what
evils mittit possibly arise from the precedent—and
bOw they might be guarded. against : upon these
Mr, J. argued separately ; he admitted the necessity
to be imperative ; he Was coniiti&d, :he said, not
only from an attentive perusal of the Reports, but
' liom many tans which had been before him for pro-
Tessional advice, that a degree of delay had, very
. frequently, taken place in the office in question, so
COnsiderable in extent, and so cruel in operation, as
to afford in his mind a strong impeachment 01 the :
Company's Government 1 he hoped that this tins-
chief wnttld be cured by the proposed measure. The
evils to be apprehended, he said; were first as to the
Officers at the House, and next, as to thetitselves.
.t was impossible, but that the Gentlemen of: the
}louse should feel chagrin on the occasion, though
the Report was not disparaging to them, for it stated
they could not fill the offices in question, tvithout
being taken from • others where their abilities had
tendered their continuance absolutely necessary. The
fault, he thought, had been in not avoiding this ne-
,cessity of 'calling in foreign aid, by the due prepara-
tion of a sufficient number of young Gentlemen for
an office much ' resembling :that of the Secretary of
state for the Foreign Department ; this not having
'been done, the measure bad become necessary, but
'he thought the Court ought to guard against future •
supersession ; he described the trying situation of fa-
'rnilies, who, being received in society as gentle-
.folks, had much to struggle with to keep up appear
-
• anees ; their consolation, ' and that which enableil
• theta to pass with fortitude So great a proportion of .
`their lives upon such narrow stipend, was the moral
islotrance which they had a right to indulge in, froth
• • the atenost undeviating history of the Company for
near three centuries, that they should in time arrive
r•-.•: at, or near the top of their respective offices; a. well •
• --,
t.:-, grounded prospect of futore promotion operated
with such 'persons as present rank, and had consi-
-1 ,' derable influence in the introcludion of their children,
and the alliances which they formed; these prospects
i 'which, perhaps, might otherwise be thought to he
rendered doubtful by the Resolution proposed, he
thought the General Court should, by its declara-
.
, tion, strengthen and confirm, so that those who had
l'itherto looked ,forward to: become the heads of of-
."Ces might be encouraged to continue their arclumus:
i•,',
.?. and honourable conrottof service, without themselves
or their familieS having, to live in dread of eventual:
or ultimate supersession. With regard to themselves,,
he thought what they had to fear was, that having
thus 'node an opening to strangers; future GoVern-
, inents or future Directors would naturally think Of
introducing
. . i those who were allied to them in blood
or friendship, at the expence of the Servants of the
1-louse, with whom they were not likely to be in
habits of friendship, and whose situations precluded
them front that freedom of access necessary for the
representation of the hardship of their cases; he had
to fears of the kind from the *Sent DiredOrs•—.
poue from the present Government—and certainly
none from the amiable and unassuming President of
the Board of Controul; but feeling it. necessary to
guard the 'Company 'against the possibility of evil,
-;Is far as a Resoletien of that Court could. do it, he
I,hould move an adflition to the Resolution proposed
~,13Y the COuvt of Directors. '

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i

~, ~::

. itlr. Ifckson then moved an Amendtpelit,
after some suggestions' from the 'llePtity Chairman,
and Mr. Twining, stood as follows, viz.—.
That this Court, relying upon the representa-
tion of the Court of Ditee.tors, and fully sensible of
the weight of the observations contained in the Re-
ports now read, as to the necessity of appidintiog a
Military Secretary and two Assistant Secretaries to
the Examiner's Office, do agree to the same, but
this Court, 'whilst it can have no'doubt of the diS-
positiou of the'Executive Body • 'to eoutvenance and
"protect} the Servants brought up in thiS House, de-
si:es to express its awn anxiety to continue to them
the protthion of the East India' Company, and to
assure the Court of Diredors of its readinese, -at. all
times, to concur with them in rewarding long and
meritorious services. Anti this Court doth further
resolve, that should the DiredOrs'find it expedient_
to appoint to either of the said Offices of Military
Secretary or Assistant Secretaries to the EXaMitiers
Office, Gentlemen who have not been regularly bred
in this House, or in tile. service of the Company,
the said appointments-shall in no wise be drawn inlo
a precedent for:the appointment of (Abet' persons so
circumstanced."

Mr. Low N DES said, the Amendment so complete-
ly met• his ideas, and removed Ins objections, that he
begged leave so second it.

The amended. Resolution was then pUt, and pass-
ed unanimously. • ,
.• The CHAIRMAN next proposed the *Resolution for
establishing a Seminary for the education of the Ca-
dets for their Artillety and Engineer Corp:,
Mr. JACKSON said, :he, had great pleasure in sup-
.porting this proposition, and although he should it)
,this: case also. offer an Amendment, it would not
have for its object -to cheCk- or to restrain, but to
-encoerage and to extend the system. - Mr. J. after
adverting , to, the history of other nations who had
.obtaint,d- beilleMentS in India; :said, it was reserved
•ofor Great Britairi to have the rehoWn of rendering
civilization cornznensurate with. 6)nquest„' and' of
shewiug. as ardent :a desire to di)a.use the arts as to;
extend their'commetcei. above all, the glory was
reserved far the :-Englidi East India Company, of
giving.to their Servants 'an enlightened and iirtuous
education, b.:fore iusent them into situations of .au-
'.thority soekeensive.over their fellow-ereatures.
said, he could'not imagine a blessing so trabscen-
dam to the settlers in India, or to those millions
,whoin Providence had been pleased to place under
their authority, 33'a ViTHIOUS European community;
they had taken the only method to secure that
. blessing, by previously giving to their servants at\
education suited to the' stations which they would
have to fill; other countries had sant out•able men)
end breve:and successful men, but they had been
too often, turbulent, ambitious, and sanguinary ; Ito
trusted they should prove that.Ethpire was more se-
curely maintained by moderation, humanity, and
justice. Mr. Jackson expressed' a wish, that 'the
,Gentleman '(Colonel Mudge), who was to be the
.Public EXaminer, should be Made, in botne degree,
responsible for the proficiency of the student, or be
obliged, to report in writing the result of his examiz.
tuition of each individual, observing, that those who
had been drawn through Univerisiiies and other pith-
tic seminaries, must know the I.elaxatiot) which
frequently took place in the office-of
Mr. J. also expressed a wish, that frequent repfts
• should be made to the Proprietors of the sstate of
their seminaries ; he then moved, by way of addi.
:tion to the Resolution of the. DireCtors, aa follows,
viz.

" That this Court cloth highly approve of the pro-
posed: Plan of a seminary for the more complete and'
economical education of Cadets ter their Artillery
and Engineer Corps, and desires, to express the sa-
tisfaEtion it will afford the Proprietors, whenever the
Direaors shall find that they can, consistently with
the general interests of the East India Company, ex-
lend the benefit of such an institution to the Cadets
at large. And this Court requests, that the Direc-
tors will lay before them, froM 'time to time, at
least once in each year, an account of their different
Seminaries in England,-particularly stating the num-
ber of pupils, the'expence occasioned thereby, and
their general state as to improvement in the various
branches Of learning."
Colonel. SCOTT seconded the Ainendment; but
expressed an anxious wish that the Officers to the
Seminary should be taken from the Company'S Ser.;
vants, -several of whom he mentioned an being
eminently qualified; he.seamed to think the Com-
pany forgot the old soldiers who.had fought their
battles.

• ,
The,GRAIRMAN defended the Court against this
latter imputation, and sheaved that Colonel Mudge
was not only the'fitteet person for the offiCebut,
situated as he was; nothing bat his zeal, and that of
the Master of the Ordnanse, • foi the mide.rtakieg,
could have induced his acceptance of it.

Mr. Lowe') Ks highly approved of the Amend-
ment, but feared that he should, appear, by hi, eh.
serrations, to be the echo of Mr. Jackson s HOWOV‘r,
it argued some' mind, he said, in choosing a person
so worthy of being followed. Mr. Lowndes then
expressed his fears respecting the relaxation of the
Professur, and told the Court an anecdote of the
Professor 'of Astronomy at Oxford, in a manner so
felicitous aS to keep the Court in a roar of laughter.
His great uucle, he said, had been foolish enough to
found the Prokssorship, but did not direet the
le6tures to be given, consequently there had never
been a single lecture. On finding this, he had ruler-
' ed himself for the Professorship, thinking that one
non-efficient man would do as well as another, es-
pecially as he was of the founder's INn, but be fpund
the appointment went according to Parliamentary
interest, and it was given.hi a Oentleman who lad
been very useful to Mr. Pitt at his &Mimi for Cam-
bridge. The question was then put, and the amend-
, ed Resolution passed unaniusqosly.
TH$ CHA IRMAN then moved that the Court do
adjourn.
Mr. ROCK begged,' befere the Coen broke up, to
put a question to theGernietnen on the other side of
the bar. It was stated'otu of doors, that they had
come to a Resolution, in conseqoenee of the Report
of the Select Committee, oft abeseS in the disposal
of Writerships and Culetiships itt the sett?iet et
Conipany; that all'the persons who had so.procured
their ,iod4i(ele should b a distnissed. He wished
to 'mow it his inforMation in this reape4 was
. correct
The C t i %I A N repeated the question of adjourn-
ment.
Colonel .SeoTT said he had come into the Coutt

lcida- fully impressed with the idea, that soma die-
„cu Sion would take place on..the.subjed of the Re-
port alltided
.to. He was satisfied that some notice
of that Report was called for,' and he had hoped
that a motion on the cubit:a .would have bepti
hrought forward by his Honourable Friend near him.
Jackson), who,was On all occasions so zealons
a friend for the interests of the. Couiptnv. He
thought it impossible' to read the Report , withoitt
being- struck with astonishment at:perceiving 'the
figure which an Ex-Dire: for of that Company, Mr.
Ibellusson, made in Who'could believe.it poss.-
sible that that Gentleman should, in the common
courie of things, have given :iw ay to 'one:person,
his tear relative, three Wfiterships in the course fof
two years,
.and that every one of these Nhonid have
been corruptly disposed of? Yet the:same Gentle-
man had been again recommended by' the Court of.
Directors to the: Prisprietors, to Come in. opoo the
present vacancy, and-he nederstood that. the•oppo-
sitioir against lain had :been waved, ThiS, 'he was
s.itistied, was not for the. interests of the Company,
nor was it Creditable to the charader or their Direc-
tors. By a law, he did not. know whether it was a
law of , the land or a bye-la wof the ,Company, the
period of intimation was limited to a certain nutnber
of days.—[The Chairman informed him -it was a
bye-law of the Company.]--Then the same autho-
rity which etratied the law had a right to alter it,
and he wished that the period should .be extended,
for the purpose of giving an opportunity to some
man of honour and independence to come forward.
Mr. rlll !NINO said he was satisti,2d it was not the
intention of the Court to allow the Report alluded
to, to pass withoUt a delibetate discussion upon it. ,
however, he presumed to think, wits not exl- •
attly ,the moment for such a discussion., The Court
had not yet had time to consider the Report with
such deliberation as to enable them to come to 'a
dispassionate decision upon it. He had bee'n one of
the most forward, some time ago, to endeavour to
deted abuses of the kind here developed. He was
\now come to that age, when he might be supposed
.to have retired from the bustle of business ; bat
still he conld not allow a question of-this nature to
rass over, in.silence, Illst it should be supposed that
he had grown cool and indifferent to the interests of
the Company, or that he bad changed his opirdon
on the subject. He assured the Court,, however,
that he should not allow the present Report to pass
unnoticed.

Mr. Lo WNDES said, he had been struck with snr.
prise on observing an intimation in the-publc ,prints,.'
by which it appeared that is Meeting of the Direa-
ors had been held, at which they had thought it ne-
cessary to pass a 4lesolution, exculpating Mr.'Thel-
lesson from all blame i 9 the transactions develOped"
in the Repot ti and recommending lrim as a fit per=
son for the choice of the Proprietors on the precen t
occasion. He saw, from the silence of his Honour-%
able ?nd Learned Friend (Mr. Jackson), as well as
Item the opinion he had heard from the respetiab:e
and experienced Proprietor who had just sat doWn,
that this was not the proper moment for discussing
the. Report in question, which, indeed, was only
printed yesterday. He could not, however, forbear
from thinking that the HOnourahle Gentlemen
in the Bar had fur the time forgotten their own si-
tuation, and, instead of regarding themselves as the
Zxecetive Body, had supposed themselves the Elea'.
ors. ' Either they must hare done 50,) or:they must
have allowed their feelings fur the moment to run
away with their judgment. This was by no means an
unusual case. We had seen De Lohne, Who, 'though
a foreigner, was the best writer On the C,)nsiitutiort
of. this Country who had ever existed, when he
self had a cause in Court, apply privately to the ,
Judge, as if he had. been one of the corrupt Judges
whom he had been accustomed to meet with in other
countries. Even Mr. Sheridan!' whose whole'pub
lic liter bespoke him a sincere friend to the Laws and
Constitution of the Country, had so tar taigotted
himself, as to write a private letter to the Lord Chan-,
Cellor on the, affairs of Drury-lane Theatre, then'
under his Lordship's consideration; On the impro,
priety of such caudal Reis Lordship remarked in
open Court. These instances, however, might serve
as proofs,- that where a person's feelings' were in-'
terested, he did not always act with twit propriety
which, were he himself unconcerned, 'he would
expect to discern an others. If the bright eyes of
Mr. Sheridan, who so ardently loved and admired
the Constitution, could he so fir blinded where he
himself was a party, it was not very remarkable
that the Court of Dire6tors should have deviated a
little from, the stri& rule of propriety. He protest-
ed, however, against the idea of. the Court or Pro,
prietors being supposed to he in -leading strings,
and that the Direttors should hold them.
Mr. JACKSON said, the Honourable Proprietor
near him (Colonel Scott), must:have completely
misunderstood what he said on-a former day, it he
supposed that it could be in his contemplation' to al-
low the Report in question to pass without notke.
So far was he from being sot this opinion, that he
had, on the v,:ry first day the Report was before the
Court, expressed his determination to found a 'mo-
tion upon it. He was still decidedly -of that Mind,
and was even satisfied that nothing but a very strong
Resolution of, the Court of Proprietors on 'the sub-
je.eueould'meet their own and the public feeling
this occasion. The present, he was convinced, *as
.not the proper moment for such discussioe. Ail' the
documents were not before ~the Ct.;urt; and uptil
they were so, _any, decision on their import Anust
be premature. He thought the Proptietoo.rnight
safely wait till a fit moment for discussing.rfiefoatter
arrived ;. satisfied, as they might be,. tffat they had
the means in theirown hands themselves
. justice, evert to the dismissal of auv lfirektlin• ' wh6
might he fbund guilty.

• 'Mr. ELPITINsTou bekged that the Court would not
separate under 'Buy that tb.c Dire .tors had
acted amiss, or .that huh' taistird the Report to be
'slurred over. Such was by no means their inten-
tion. On the .contrary, it was ti,e objeCl of the
Direetors themselves to call the attention a the Pro.
prietors to the purport of the Report. "They had
no wish, its,the Resolution ,they had come to,' to
influence ;-the ^ feeliegs of the Proprietors ; but
situply,tby wdeetarat ion o 1 their own 104,4, to en•
deavottr to do away any improper preittd:t.e which
iritght haves been created.,
'The Gnat then adjourned.'

Saturday so'nuight, Colonel Rattray,' of Arthur.:
stone. Curn6etland, was thrown trorn bil horse,
and lolled on the si.ot.