The Sun.
London, England, 1812-03-26 00:00:00

Evni,i-Hottag,

yesterday a Quarterly Genera) Court was held
at the East ludi.i licuse, mde spuci:d for the pnr..
Pose of lavi!ig before the' Proprietors the communi-
eations which have taken place between his Ala-
Jesty's Govtrinnent and the Court of eaors, re-
sPeding the renewal ol,the Company's Charter.
• 'A Ballot hat,'ing been fixed to d,-tertnine the una-
nitnous Resolution of tie lihe6torS, acquitting the
totnrnaudet, Otficets, and o,vntrs of the Ceylon,
froto all impination of nt-gls4:it or miscondua, in re-
spet to her capture, and the other loans concluded,

The CHAIJAMANT (Mr. BOSANQUET), opened the
bu-riness of the Chao er, by arluaiteing the -Pro-
Ptietors, that in order -to prevent. their attention
rrom beng,extrauee I Iry tae reading of too many
lateerS, the Deputy Ch .3a;l and himself had care-
fully selected those docarneets best calculated to
embrace the substance of the negociation—theY had
also anticipated- wh it they presumed would. be the
Wish their cons ituents by or during the papers
(now to. be read) to be-prieted, which papers would
be ready for delivery in the course of the succeed-
ing day.
The CHAIRMAN then observed, that a task had de-
volved upon him, which it W 35 Iris duty to attempt,
however inadequate he aright feel his abilities to be
for the performance of this duly. When he con-
--sidered the ~neat ititereits, as well national as relating
immediately to the Company , inch are concerned 'w
the prese'nt instance, he retee be contideet indeed, if
he did not feel this cli Fklen. e ; but he relied von
'that indulgence which he had often experienced for
involunt'ary„errors and imperfeetions. The existenca of 1
the East India COmpany exhibited perhaps one of the
Most extraordinary phehoinena which has appeared
in
_the world. That a Company of Private Merchants,
-rising from small beginnings, should ultimately have
raised themselves in such importance in the world, as
not only to give la:a, to the greatest part of the penin-
sula of India, but to have completely conquered all
the Dutch, French, and other European possessions,
rn the large calla, se of country which extends from
the Cape of Good Hope to the China Seas, and by
these Coequeso deprived the enemies of this country
of the resources they would have drawn from them—
would, it the fail had riot been beforp our eyes, have
bt•en consideredi to be almost impossible. But it
Would have appeared a stilt more extraordinary cir-
turnserece, if a Company of Merchants, possessing
only a vary limited capital, and enjoying no advantage
over their fellow-subjeats except an exclusive trade,
and even that in latter times opened to the public in
a certain degree, should
,have performed these
thicgs, out of, and without the smallest expense
to that public, of which they form a pare. Ne-
let-tireless this had been alone by the East India
camaany, and
_when these -circumstances are Jolly .
weighed and considered, he should think it hardly
Possible, that the servants of the Company, civil and '
military, through whom these things have been dane,
Should tail of receiving that tribute of thanks which
they hare so justly acquired at the hands of a just
'1(1 generous public. When in the year 1793, the
Charter of the East India Company was last renewed,
the srate of the CoMpany's alThirs was, as he con-
, eeived,a's follaws : the Mtnister,who then conducted
the affairs.of India, without solicitation, thought it
list, a .d proposed that the old Proprietors of East
Judi ; Stock should receive an increase of dividend of
tau per cent. and a half per cent. was afterwards
added to this dividend, not as an increase of in-
• terest out of the general funds of the Company,
but payable out of a fund which the Minister admit-
• led that if they had chosen so to do, they would have
been entitled to divide at once among themsalves. A
sum of 500,0001.,per ann. was next set, apart for the
grade +l l:quidation of the debts of the Company, and
- if any surpiusarose after this, it was as far as 500,0n01.
to go to the public. Bet it never was in the most
distant manner in cnntemplation, that if war or other
Casualties prevented the receipt of this surplus, that
the Company were in any way to be accountable
to the-public for it. He 'thought he might fairly
appeal to the -recolleBion of those whom- he had
the honour of addressing, what has been the state
Of Arms in Europe and in India. Since that period,
an almost uninterrupted state of war, and a con-
sequent pressure upon the finances of the country,
and of • the East India Company, it would have
been extraordinary indeed it some partial incon-
Vemence: bad riot been occasioned to both ; and
if, while entire kingdoms have almost been erased
front the list of independent nations, the Company
or the public should not even have suffered tempo-
rary embarrassment. It would only, perhaps be at pre-
sent wasting the time of the Court, were he to dwell
Upon the various occurrences which have taken place
1114 since that period. The fall of Seringapa-
tali, the removal from the service of the Nizain of
a boar of French troops, really to join the standard
of the firs( invader of the country—the almost
entire destrudion-ofScardia—of tire Raja of Berar
and tiolkar's power—the successive conquests of
Ceylon, of the French islands of Mauritius and
.liourbon, of Java, and tine Molucca
Islands.--
tut the Court would feel at once, that it was -
impossible for the East-India Company to conqueia
or even to hold when conquered, these various
possessions, without a %cry considerable disburse-
ineirt, and, at 'the same time, to carry on a trade
equal in outlay to the whole of their capital in stock
and in bonds. Ica fact, a large debt was of neces-
sity created in India, and as the money ra as wanted
in very critical moments, it was raised upon very
• high fates crest, at six, at ten, some even as
high as twelve per cent. He thought he might
vevure to state with confidence, that had the rate
of interest been moderate, say only from five to six
per cent. -.llse difference paid by the Company be-
tween that and the interest actually- incurred,
• would have lett their Treasury with a very inconsi-
derable burthen of debt upon it, and would have
enabled the Company to pour, even at this moment
its dired contribution into tire Exchequer of the
. State; but during wars, and rumours of wars, it was
Impossible for the Company to avoid this ruinous
• pressUre, occasioned by this heavy weight of interest
upon their affairs. As soon as the moment of peace.
a rived, and the periods for which the money was
raised expired Lord Minto seized the circumstances
that presented themselves with avidity, and having
first provided thetreasuries with bullion amounting to
more r hot 10,000,0001. sterling, his Lordship gave the
• holders of these loans the opthin of having their loans
discharged in India, transfern d, successively, to a
loan at 8 per cant. interest, and then to 6 per cent. or
of having the loans, conformably with their orlOtal

. ,
lerrii fratiarerreA to Europe. Whet hermerliaps, these
operations 'were not performed with a little too much
celerity—whether, perhaps, one might not • have
wished some circuoistances attendiag .the alteration
different from what they' were, he apprehended it
was not necessary to stop and inquire—but he
thought there could be no doubt of the zeal of the
undertaking, vs bile the. pecuniary advantages to the
Company, from the alteration, might be fdrly stated
not to fall
.short of him five to 600,0001. per, an:.
aunt. A sum of fourteen millions of these 'leans
was however sent for payment to this country,
which payment the hdiders of the loans might call
far if they pleased, of which six millions had been
discharged, and a sum of six millions, payable at.
various ,periods, in the coarse of about two years,
still remains undischarged.. .He would ask whether
it be too
_much for the Company to expect, that
embarked as they have been, and even in many
cases contrary to their inclinations, in enterprizes
so much beyond their strength, they should receive
the assistance of. Government to raise these sums so
transferred from the Indian to the European Trea-
sury upon the most economical terms ? In ordinary
times, the Company, he imagined, would not have
wanted even this assistance. The Company ask no
contribution whatever from the State ; they are
ready to take the most efficacious means for the dis 7
charge of that interest which .may become an an-
nual charge upon them, and appropriate any sum
that may be requited to the gradual extension of the
capital. Was this too much for them to ask from
the State? when out- of their Indiau Treasury they
have already disbursed sums which render tie pub-
lic debtors to them to a considerable amount, and
can • shew that the whole of a King's European
Establishment has been charged to their account,
with which the Crown has executed all, its dispers-
ed and extensive conquests—and :Vas this too much
for the Company to ask, at the hands of t hat public
who have already dealt out.to the. Company sod) a
scanty, measure of justice upon the hat demands
which they have made against them ? He forbore ,o
enter into a discussion of those conditions winch
have been held ,out to the Cornaamy as a consi-
deration for this assistance, aad for a renewal of
their other exclusive privileges, which he imagined
it is equally the interest of the Pubic as of the
Company not to put to an unnecessary hazard by
a change that might bring great loss and ioconve,
venience, but could hardly be expected to. pro-
duce real advantage. He forbore to expatiate, upon
that extension of the trade with India, because
this point must become the Matter of full erbaie
hereafter. He trusted only in the mean while,
that upon that future-inquiry it would be found
that the Direacns had been true to, their oust,
and only given way when opposition might be,
perceived to .be of no avail and be hoped that
every treason he addressed, would see that, for
the COurt to have attempted to recommend their
Constituents to proceed -to tie Legislature without
something like.an .understandiraa with his Majesty's
Government, would' have been an as of the ex-
tretnest folly ; in the mean time he trusted the pro-
prietors would permit • him to make an unreserved •
declaration, that the fiat object Of his heart, -Ind of
his solicitude, was t preserve the Empire obtained.
in India to she Parent state, and to preserve his
faith inviolate to the East India ,Company. It Was
his next desire, ,tiaa of the exclusive trade with
India must be ternoveu froa, tae hands of the Eno
India Company, that it might pass loco the ha ads of
British ships, of Bintsh seamen, and Bruiser inte-
rests ; and though he was perhaps addteksing many
persons whose immediate interests might he of a
different description, be trusted that he was still ad-
dressing himself to British hearts ; that if peace•
should ever happily return, this metroaoliS4 ill not '
exhibit the miserable speetacle of black aad ChineSe
sailors, (flagged from a clunate only appropriate to
their frames and constitutions, the pialutes of me-
lancholy and disease, whilst the mardy British sea-
men shall be standing at every door, but that either
in the service of the Company, or of private Mer-
chants, these necessary supporters of the national
greatness my find an adequate asylum, till they shall
once more be called upon to exert, in the set vice of:
their country, the charaderistic energy al, British-.
seamen, to conquer or to fall. The Chair man con-;
eluded by lamenting that the cause of the Company
had not fallen into abler hands, and concluded by
• moving,
" That. the further consideration of the business be.ad-
jotyned till Thursday the ad of April.','
. After a few words from Mr. GEORGE JOHNSTONE
and Mr. LOWNDES, the Court, which was extremely
• crowded, adjourned lid next Thursday.
• The coirespondence real on the above occasion
was very voluminous. It commenced about • the
year Ma, and ended on the e4ill inst. The Dr-
reBors, with a view to ascertain the sentiments of
Government, had applied to Mr: Dundas, as the
bead of the. Board of Controul, respecting the re-
newal of their Charter, urging, in their correspon•t•
deuce, that delay might to be avoided. In the an-
swers received from Lord Melville, no pledge was
given that Government would renew the Charter of
the Company, on the principle of exclusive (lade.
On the contrary, it was lepresented that it would be
necessary that the coma any should consent to the
establishment of a free trade to India, and on the
military question, allow that the native troops em--
ployed by the East India Company should be at the
disposal of the King's Government, before the sub-
ject could be submitted to the investigation of Par-
liament. The documents, containing the answers
•of the Court of area-tors to the propositions corning
from the Government, described in strong terms,
that the expeelatioos entertained respeCting a free
trade, would not be realized. The staple commo-
dities of this country were represented as unfit for,
the inhabitants of India. The Mitch, Portuguese,
and Americans, ,had proved by experience that
only 'a small portion of European goods could
be exported between the extent. from Pondi-•
chery to the Grecian Archipelago. In short, that
the trade, as It existed, was fur the general advan-
tage of England. With respect to the military ques-
tion, Government at last conceded that point, but
in all the correspondence insisted on an open trade,
subjea to restrictions and regulations.

A few nights since the house of Mr. Walker, is
Jubilee-place, Chelsea, was broke open and rob-
bed of several articles of Plate, jewellery, table,
linen, wearing apparel, and other property, to a con,
sideralAe aulount.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF PEERS,

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25.

HEARING' OF APPEALS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR, previously to the ordi-
nary business of the day being entered upon, ad-
verted to the consideration Of then being before
their Lordships.several Appeals, chiefly from Sol-
land, in which the formalities prescribed by the
Standing Orders of the House, were far from being
duly attended to. He therefore gave notice of his
intention, on an early clay after the recess, to move
their Lordships to take the subje& into considera-
tion, with a view of his proposing certain further
Orders, Id which he referred, for the better regula-
tion of these proceedings.