The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-27 00:00:00

};AST INDIA HOUSE.

A Special General Coutt of Proprietors of East India Stock
was held yesterday.

LATE RA:AIi -OF TANJORE.

The CitAinmArr (W. Istell, Esq.) stated, that the Court
was made special for the purpose of laying before the Pro-
prietors the draught of a lilt now pending in Parliament, en.
titled " Bill for enabling the Commissioners acting in execu-
tion of an agreement male between the East India Company
and the private creditors W. his late Highness Ameer Sing, for-
merly Rajah of Tanjore, eceased, the better to carry the same
into effect.

The bill was then read awn.
The CHAIRMAN said, the next matter which he had to in-
troduce to the notice of tie Court was a question of money,
which would be explainel by the resolution of the Court of
Directors of the 28th of JiAllary last
The resolution was then reed. It set forth, that in the event
of the proposed arrangement between the creditors of the late
Rajah of Tanjore and the Company being carried into effect,
Sir Benjamin Hobhouse and other Carnatic Commissioners
should be apppinted Commibsioners to investigate the claims of
the creditors ; and it granted to the said Carnatic Commis-
sioners, so long as they should be employed in the double duty
of investigating claims upon the Carnatieand claims upon Tan-
jore, a special allowance of 3001. per annum each, from the
Company, in addition to the alhwance of 1,5001. per annum at
present enjoyed by them under the Carnatic deed; and fixed
their allowance from the period when either commission should
cease, at 1,5001. per annum, to continue so long as they might
be employed under the remaining commission, and to be paid,
should the remaining commission be the Carnatic Commission,
as at present ; and should it be the Tanjore Commission, from
the Comyany's cash.

The CHAIRMAN then moved, " That the Court approve of
the said resolution, subject to the confirmation of another Ge-
neral Court."

Mr. CRAWFORD said that the Carnatic deed had been signed
.by a great number of creditors ; but the Tanjore deed of agree-
ment, on which this bill was founded,wat signed by no more than
five,creditors. He had no interest whatever in the matter ; but,
as the administrator of a deceased general officer, and actuated
by a sense of public-duty, he could not avoid expressing his dis-
approbation of the present deed. He had heard that the Tan-
jore,deed was to proceed, pari pessu, with the Carnatic deed.
But he had yesterday examined the latter, and he found that
those parts of the Tanjore deed which were most objectionable
were those which alterations had been made from the Car-
nide deed. The Hon. Proprietor then proceeded to' point out
the different alterations, which were, he contended,' of such a
nature as interposed very, considerable difficulties in the way of
parties who might endeavour to -prove their debt*. It was, in
. fact, a mockery of justice, and, as such he took that oppor-
tunity to state his opinion of it.
The Cita instaat said, the object of the Hon. Proprietor
seemed to be, to state his.reason for not signing this deed as
administrator to one of the creditors. 'Now the Hon. PrOprie-
,.tor must be aware that those who did not sign the deed would
not be in a worse situation after the Bill was passed, than they
they,*ere at present. It would be still open to him' and others
, who objected to the deed, to adopt any other mode of arrange-
, ment they niight Chink , fit. The Hon. Proprietor complain-
ed that the deed was signed by only five creditors; but that
was a fair proportion, acc the -European. creditors were no 'more
than 38. - • . - - • -
Mr. Lows-nEs expressed his surprise at the Carnatic Com.
mission ,being -still -kept up, Sir Benjamin Hobliouse having
demanded of the Directors, some years ago, through the me-
diem of a friend in that Court, when they meant to put an end
to it. One would think, from the manner in which the busi-
ness was protracted, that the Commissioners were'running a
race with the Court of- Chancery in slowness.--(A laugh.)—
lie objected to
.giving Commissioners such very large salaries.
It was the sure way of,causing business to be delayed.
Mr. RIGBY said, the difference between-the situation' of the
Carnatic and Tanjore creditors probably rendered necessary the
alterations in the deed of which the' Honourable Proprietor
complained. 'With respect to the addition which was about to
be made to the-: salary of ,the 'Commissioners, he wished to
know whether, their labours were as great in settlingthe debts
of the. Nabob of- the Carnatic as they formerly Were ? If
such were .the fact, it certainly was proper. when an additional
burden was unposed on them,
tional remuneration. that they should receive addi-
,
, .
Mr. T RANT defended the manner in which the agreement
,deed was drawn up. With W--.. respect to the salary of the Car.
optic Commissioners, it had been fixed by Act of Parliament,
and they could not be called on to perform an additional duty
.for'nothing. . ,
In answer to a question from i•
, OM Mr. .uOWNDES, =
, The Criaxitatms• said, the European creditors were 38; 'the
nativ.creditors„ 54. ,The principal demand On .the revenue of
Tanjore amounted to 370,0001. The gross sum which might
be awarded, including all demands, was about'l,ooo,ooo/. The
Carnatic Commissioners' bad been "employed most beneficially
for the public. The claims,made by the 'creditors of the Na-
bob amounted to 29,000,0001., of which the Commissioners had
' from peculiar circumstances, lasted for 18 or 19 year; but by
a 'summary process which had been adopted by Parliament,that
in a short-time.
steiosnohwitoiounldw7mlinate
8 Lien agreed to. •
Olr IdASTIN64.
The CHAIRMAN stated, that in conformity with the resolu
THE ai.sitguts
of March hit; -calling'for the pro-
duction of certain papers illustrative of the administration of
the Marquis of Hastings, the Cottit' of Directorsliad selected.
tCionTmiti:lef-litliiiat Court of the 3d -
and arranged all the documents which' appeared. to them tahe
- Those documents had been
the • was' now placed" in. the
Else
list
ft btti ifee. Lrn
Proprietors ; and if, 'on, look-
ing over that list, the mover or seconder of the original propo-
sition, or any of the friends of the Noble .Marquis, perceived
any ms any Paper was produced which was un-
neee°ssarig,i7ri or
dwtohia would
dstate the fact, the Court of Directors
would 'suggestion., and announce at the-
nextogeniveeradu
l& wuretigthhtoetdett hi:ion,
they had come to. The list,
was rather voluminous, as,the' parties referred- to a period of.
nine or tenears. They
were classed under the following heads :
y
.--1, The Nepaul and -Pindarree war. 2. The Illahratta war.
3. The transactions between the house of Palmer and Com-
pany, and the Nizam'of Hydrabad; and, 4. Respecting the.
Finance of India. To ,these were added; the proceedings
of the Directors of the 3d of 'July and 4th Of October last, re-,
lative tb a peoposition for granting:a pension' to the Marquis of
Hastings. Some papers relative to the Nepaul and hlahratta
wars had been laid before -the Pri?prietors', when thanks were
voted to the Marquis of Hastings in 1819, but these were con-
siderably enlarged by the -addition Of papert which had since
reached the Directors. - With.'resnect•to the proceedings be-
tween the Nizam of Hydrabad and 'the 'hoisse of Palmer and
Co., all the documents would, be forthcoming. That matter
the Directors considered as,-now, cloted;- the Government of
India having transmitted the papers repecting it-to this country.
No delay had taken place in arlauging the papers, which, as
he before observed, were very voluminous, amounting to no
less than 2,000 pages.' It 'would therefore require a good deal
of attention on the part of the Proprietors to make themselves
, masters of the subject.' At present, he coald „not say when
they would be laid before the Court.

•
OBTAINING A cobt1115510;/_ CORRUPTLY.
The .CIIAIRSIAN said, a trial had lattely taken place-in the
Court of Ring's-Bench; in -WhicHt.wo..persons of the names of
Taggart and.Bascombe were prosecuted for taking the sum of
100/. from an individual named Btmnett, on condition that they
would procure him a commission in 'the Company's forces.-L.
The Commission-was procured; and Bennet 'was now an ensign
on. the Bengal -establishment.
-On the facts being -examined,
Taggart was acquitted, and Baseombe-found guilty. The ap-
pointment, it appeared,' was conferred through the nomination
of.an /lon. Director, on whose conduct;! however, no imputa-
tion could be cast. lie was, : notwithstanding, incist anxious
that the matter should beinvestigated by the Proprietors. In
consequence of his wish, the trial would be laid before them,
and a motion would be made on the subject at the next General
Couit.
The resolution of the Court of Directors of the 2iith of May,
relative to the'tronsaction, was then read. The chiefpoint it
contained \Yak a declaration,
that, as Mr. Bennett, to whom the
commission had been given, was ignorant of the manner in
which it had been obtained, the order which subjected persons
procuring situations improperly to removal and prosecution,
should be suspended in his favour, he not being a fit subject
for penalties.—Adjourned.