The Sun.
London, England, 1824-03-04 00:00:00

THE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.

Yesterday a special General Court of Proprie-
tors was held at the East India House, for the purpose of tak-
ing into their consideration the services of the late Governor-
General the Marquis of Hastings.
After the minutes of the last Court were read,
The CHAIRMAN announced the specific purpose for which
the present Court had been convened.
Mr. Done LAS KIN NAI lID said, that the necessity of dis-
cussing the subject which had just been announced, rendered it
unnecessary for. him to offer any apology for the course which
Se was about to take. As he :had to advert to matters of re-
cord.. die. best course he could pursue was at once to proceed iii
es‘Uids res, and state the b-aSes upon which he meant to .found
startlains .3f the Marquis of Hastings to the gratitude 'and- re=
%tank of the East India Company, and the applause of his counJ
try. Ile would atatethe services of that Noble Marquis while
.o.lvernor-General of India from the records of Parliament, as'
as of that Court. The first he should read was the Reso-
fution. of the Court of Directors, for his conduct in the Nepaul
sae:: it was as follows : • .
" At a Court of Directors, held on 'Wednesday, the
..20th of
Istesainth'er, Itilfi, it was, on several motions,
". Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this Court be
eivein to the Eerl of Moira, K.G., Governor-General and Corn-
..,a3iinder-in-Chief, for the prudence, energy, and ability; corn-;
'based with a judicious application of the resources of the Com-
.pasy, displayed by his Lordship in planning and directing the
Sperations of the late war against the Nepaufese, 'undertaken
in-consequence of a persevering system of eneroachthent and
insult on their part; and also for his wisdom and moderation,
in-availing himself of the successes obtained by the army, for
concluding a peace with the Ghoorka Powers, on terms both
.Honourable and advantageous."
This resolution was carried. unanimously by the Court
.of
Prjaietors as well as that of the Directors. When the same
iub3e.ct was discusSed befote the House of Peers, Lord Liver-
pool, in an allusion to a remark which had on a fomer evening
fallen from Lord Grey, said'-that he should not call for any
opinion " on the ju 3tice or necessity of that war," and he add-
ed these words—" In reference to what 'had been said by a
Nobfe Lord the other evening, as to difference of opinion e-
specting-the prosecution of the war, he must observe, that the
statement was founded in error. That Noble Lord was com-
pletely wrong in supposing that any protest had been made by
certain members of the Council in India against the war.—
With respect to the justice and necessity of commencing hos-
tili.ies, there certainly was no difference of opinion in India;
and it also had been the opinion of the Government of this
country, that in order to check the encroachments and aggres-
sions of the Nepaul power, no other remedy remained but an
appeal to the sword." He concluded by moving, "'That the
thanks of the House be given to. General the Marquis of Host-
ings for his judicious arrangements in the plan. and direction
of the military operationsagainst Nepaul, by which-the war was
brought to a successful issue, and peace established upon just
and honourable terms."
in the House of Commons, when Mr. Canning introduced on
the same occasion a similar vote, he complimented the sagacity
of Lord Hasting's policy, and said, " that such was the im-
pression made upon .the 'Government in this country by the
representations of the Bengal Government, respecting the ag-
gressions of Nepaul, that orders were framed for the- purpose
of directing that very course of conduct which had then already
been adopted by Lord Hastings. Before recourse was had to
hostilities, every mode of remonstrance and iiegociation had
been exhausted, and apparently with such success, that the
Bengal Government, more than once, thought that all disputes
and differences were at an end." He explained, too, that " the
chief purpose of the war was to detach ' from the Ghoorka

_
power its more recent conquests. But no addition to the terri-
tortes of the British empire was contemplated, except where
there were no means of restoring the former Governments.
The campaign ended by leaving no less than one-third of the
Ghoorka dominions in the power of the British, and by the rest
being restored to its former condition." He added that " the
result, of this war he believed to be a source of safety—cer-
tainly of honour and glory—to this country, but in its future
consequences of an importance . not easy to trace." Mr.
Brougham, who followed Mr. Canning, said, that " the dif-
ference of opinion as to the policy and conduct of the war to
which he alluded, existed in a quarter well known to that
hcuse and the India Board. Mr. Edmonstone and Mr.
Dowdeswell's names were familiar to all persons conversant
with Indian affairs." But Mr, Canning, inieply, declared'
" that it was totally a mistake to supposethat any difference
of opinion as to the policy oldie war. existed between the Mar-
quis of Hastings and his council." The next vote to which he
would call the attention of that Court was thet of the Court of
Directors, dated the 20th of January, 1819—" That the thanks
of this Court he presented to the Most Noble the Marquis of
Hastings Knight of the Garter, for the great and signal wis-
dom, skill, and energy, so eminently displayed by his Lordship,
in planning and conducting the late military operations against
tee pindarrees, of which the happy result has been the extincs
lien of a predatory power establishing itself in the heart of the
empire,- whose, existence experience had shown to he alike in
compatible with the security of the Company's possessions and
the general tranquillity of India.• Also, that this Court, while it
deeply reg,rets any circumstances leading to the extension of
the Company's territory, duly appreciates the foresight, promptis
tude, and vigour, by which the Most Noble the Marquis of Hast-
ings, by a great combination of political and military talent, dis-
persed the gathering elements of a hostile confederacy amongst
the Mahratta states against the British power in India."—
The Chairman, in expatiating upon the merits of the above
proposition, remarked, that the papers which had been laid be-
fore the proprietors afforded the most manifest proofs of the
ability, foresight, and wisdom with which the Noble Marquis
had met the exigencies .of the times. At the same period,
Lord Liverpool, in moving thanks to the Marquis of Hest-
ins, in the house of Lords, said, " that the late hostilities in
India originated in necessary measures of self-defence, adopted
by. the Government in India against the aggressions of the Pin-
darees." And lie afterwards added, that "he had shown that
the war had been one of self-defence, and it was not necessary
for him to endeavour to do this by remote inference of argu-
ment. The fact appeared directly from the papers on the
table. The warhad been undertaken on no grounds of doubt-
ful policy." Ile afterwards said, that "no General or troops
had ever more meritoriously distinguished themselves." The
Marquis' of Lansdown in the same debate had said, that
" whatever might be the character of the policy which had
been adopted with regard to India, the Governor-General had,
on this occasion, been placed in a situation which rendered
hostilities unavoidable, and that lie had displayed consummate
abilities on a field of operations more extensive than iehad ever
fallen to the lot of any one Commander to direct. Lord Eiol.
land, on the same occasion, said, that " he had a high gratifi-
cation in paying this tribute to the Governor-General of India,
because he remembered that he was the same Marquis of
Hastings whom he had often heard with satisfaction •in
that place, who was an ornament to the House by his elo-
quence and 'his virtues, whose voice was always 'raised
in defence of innocence and weakness. against oppression, •
and in maintaining the rights of the people as well as•those of
the Crown." Mr. Kinnaird then proceeded to 'quote similar
sentiments' which were delivered by Mr. Canning, when moving
the vote of thanks in the House of Commons on the same occa- •
sion,_ and dwelt with considerable force, on the eloquence with
which Mr. Canning had displayed the services of the Noble
Marquis in the Pindarree war. So that, both in the Nepaul
Pindarree campaigns, he had received the enthusiastic
thanks of both Houses of Parliament, and the two East India
Courts. It was in consideration of these eminent services that
it►the year .1819 they entered the following record of their re-
ward to the Noble Marquis :—" On Friday the sth of March,
the Chairman stated to the Court of Directors his intention of
submitting, on the Wednesday following, a Resolution, grant-
ing a certain sum of money to the Most Noble the• Marquis of
Hastings. On Wednesday the 10th of March, the Chairman,
with the consent of the Court of Directors, withdrew the motion
of which he had given notice, and moved, in lieu thereof, that
the sum of 60,0001. should be granted in trust to toe Right
Hon. Charles Hope, Lord President to the Court of Session,
the Right Hon. Cathcart, Lord Galloway, David Boyle,
Esq., and T. W. Adam, Esq., to be laid out in the piucbase
of estates in any part of the United Kingdom, for the use and
benefit of the Most Noble the Marquis of Hastings, his Marchi-
oness, and their issue." It was proposed to amend this motion
by leaving out all the words in the latter part of the Resolution
relative to placing in the hands of trustees -the sum or 60,0001.
for the purchase of estates, and inserting instead of them, an
annuity of 5,0001., to issue out of the territorial revenues in
India, for 'the term of twenty years.' The question that the
words proposed to be left out, stand part of the Resolution,'
passed in the negative by the ballot ; and the words of the
amendment passed by the ballot in the affirmative." So far
every, thing was declaratory of the Noble Marquis's merit ; and
then came their last Resolution of. 1822, which closed their
notice of his brilliant career. It was as follows :

" Resolved unanimously, That this Court most cordially cOn
cut with the Court of Directors in their estimation of the un-
remitting zeal and eminent ability with which the Most Noble
tha Marquis of Hastings has, during aTeriod of nearly nine
years, administered the Government of British India with such
high credit to himself, and advantage to the interests of the
East India Company.

-74 That this douri, referring to the sentiments expressed by
themselves, and the Court of Directors, in December, 1816,
on returning
thanks to Lord Hastings for his skilful and suc-
cessful operations in the war against the Nepaulese; to their
resolution.of the 3d of February, 1819, recognizing the wisdom

and energy of those measures which extinguished a great pre-
datory power that had established itself in the heart of Hin-
doostan, whose existence experience had shown to be alike in-
compatible with the security of the Company's possessions, and
the general tranquillity of India, applauding at the same time
the foresight, promptitude, and vigour with which his Lord-
ship, by a combination of military with political talents; hiiil
anticipated and encountered the proceedings of an hostile exU-
federacy among the Mfttitta States, defeated their aimies;fe-
.duced them to sulipisslein, and materially lessened tlitt means
of future aggression ; referring also to the resolution' of thi
Court of Directors of the 10th of March, 1819, in which they
appeal, at the close of two glorious and successful wars, to the
recerds of the East India Company, for the great services which
his Lordship's unwearied assiduity and comprehensive know-
ledge of the Company's affairs had enabled him to render to
its most important interests ; this Court cannot but with the
highest satisfaction witness their executive authority again com-
ing forward at the termination of a career so Useful and-bril-
liant, to express and_promulgate their sense of his Lordship's
exalted merit, and their deep regret that domestic circumstances
should withdraw him from the Government of their Asiatic
territories. That this Court strongly participate in, that regret,
and reqiieit the Cotirt of Directors to convey to the Marquis of
Hastings; Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, their
expressions of their unfeigned admiration, gratitude, and
applause."
'From the time when this resolution was so unanimously
adopted, he challenged the Court of Directors :to say in what
Lord Hastings had, .failed. to. deserve a continuance of their
thanks and their gratitude. Hid any thing since come to light
to Shake their con-Hence-in his honour and integrity ? • If not,
why not proceed towards him in the ultimate reward, as in all
previous cases of meritorious Governors-General? He had
now shewn, froni authentic documents, the series of services
performed by t:..e Marquis of Hastings—and why, he repeated,
was the usual reward; withheld from such.a Nobleman ? The
Noble Marquis was not a man for half-measures ; and. he had
given a dignified proof of his high'sense of feeling in the cold
thanks he hatrreturned to Parliament, .for, the limited thanks
(always excluding the policy, although the Ministers admitted
it in their speeches) which theyhad conferred upon his measures.
The Marquis of Hastings was permitted to retire with just half
the reward which the Marquis Wellesley had received, although
lie (Lord Hastings) had doubled their amount of stock, and
increased their rank and property throughout the whole of the
Indian empire. The Hon. Proprietor concluded by an elo-
quent appeal to the Court, to do justice to the integrity, and
honour, and services, of the Marquis of Hastings, and by
apologising to the Chairman for any warmth which an honest
and generous sense of. feeling had betrayed him into when he
last addressed the Court upon this subject. His motion
" Resolved, That this Court, recurring with undimished
pride and gratification to the repeated occasions on which the
distinguished services rendered to the East India Company by
the Most Noble the Marquis of Hastings have been under its
consideration, and more especially to the 20th day of Decem-
ber, 1816, and to the 3d day of February, 1819, when the una-
nimous thanks of this Court were successively voted to his
Lordship for the planning, conduct, and conclusion of the two
splendid military achievements ; and which were again more
especially acknowledged and rewarded by a grant of 60,0001.
unanimously voted to die Marquis of Hastings and his family,
on the sth of May, 1819 ; and further adverting to the unani-
mous expression on the 29th of May, 1822, of this Court's high
sense of the political and military talents displayed by the Go-
vernor-General during nine years' administration of the supreme
power in India, as well of its deep regret as having then learnt
his determination to return to Europe, is of opinion that the
time is at length arrived when the splendid and glorious results
of the Marquis of Ilastings's government, to the financial pro-
sperity, and to the permanent tranquillity of India, ought to
be adequately rewarded, as they are fully appreciated by the
proprietors at large, in common with their applauding country-
men, both in Europe and in Asia

" That it be therefore referred to the Court of Directors
forthwith to take into their consideration, and to report to this
Court, the means and the measure of such a pecuniary grant,
for the approval of this Court, as may be at once worthy of our
gratitude for the benefits received, and of the illustrious per-
sonage who has so mainly contributed to the reigning tran-
quillity of their. empire, and the financial prosperity of the
Company."
31r. RANDLE JACKSON seconded the motion.

On its being put from the Chair,
Mr. JOHN SMITH, M.P., said that he felt under consider-
able difficulty as to the course which he ought to pursue on the
present occasion. He admitted the high character of the Mar-
quis of Hastings, the great achievements he had performed,
and the gratitude he was entitled to for his. public services.
But how did this question come before Court?tpe‘vhatgrounds linrds y
as there
not some difficulty in the consideration
laid for its discussion ? With respect to the Noble 3larquis's
military career in India, he believed it was very glorious; but
he (Mr. Smith) was one of those who looked with a littlejea-
lousy upon wars in India.—(Hear!)—He knew, indeed, that
they were to be defended in a variety of ways; but the de-
fences set up were always those by which the extraordinary
man (Napoleon) who had lately ceased to figure in the world,
had sought to justify his military conquests. He was free
to confess, that whatever opinion had been formerly enter-
tained of British policy in India, of late it became manifest
that the wants and comforts of the native population were
always considered by the British authorities, and their con-
dition under the government of the East India Company
uniformly approved.—(Hear, hear !)—But in the reward of
their public servants, the constitution of that Court reposed
in the Court of Directors the responsible task of selecting
and apportioning that reward. 'What reason was there to
doubt their decision in this particular case—had the Directors
forfeited their confidence? Before this question were enter-
tained, he thought it essential that some papers or documents,
for the purpose of giving the necessary information upon the
subject, should be called for and given to the Court of Pro-
prietors, many of whom were doubtless as ignorant as him-
self upon the real merits of the case.—(Hear, hear !) He
believed that the conduct of the Marquis of Hastings would
stand the fullest investigation. When he said this, he knew
that some unfavourable, and he believed unfounded, reports
had gone abroad respecting some loan at Hydrabad. That
subject, for the sake of the Noble Marquis, ought to be inves-
tigated ; and if any blame were imputable—he repeated he
knew nothing of the real state of the circumstances—then they
could set off against it the distinguished merits of the noble
individual throughout his general Indian government. For
the purpose of obtaining some information upon which they
could ground their proceedings, and in justification to the
Noble Marquis, he would, if no other. Gentleman better quali-
fied undertook the task, more for the production of papers : he
was indiffirent as to the terms of the motion, and would move
for general papers touching the Marquis of Hastings's admini-
stration in. India. The Honourable Proprietor, after consult-
ing with some Gentlemen near him, said, that perhaps, for the
purpose of raising the question, he had better move a more
specific proposition, on which they might raise a larger ques-
tion. He should therefore conclude by moving, " That there
be laid before the Court all such papers or documents respect-
ing the loans made by Messrs. Palmer and Co. to his High-
ness the Nizam at Hydrabad, as will enable this Court to
decide upon the merits of the Marquis of Hastings, and upon
any claim he may have on the liberality of this Company."
The Hon. Gentleman observed, that he had heard the rumour
relative to the loan at Hydrabad, and he had also heard from
the highest authority that the statement which had been insi-
nuated respecting it was a delusion, and utterly unfounded.
Mr. Po YNDE a seconded the amendment, because he thought
an inquiry was called for, and was the only way of getting at
the real facts. They could not shut their eyes to the fact that
a great dissonance of opinion prevailed upon this subject within
the bar, and he really thought the Directors ought , to furnish
some ex_planation respecting what had taken place.—( Hear !)
The CHAIRMAN said, that in abstaining from replies to cer-
tain questions which had been propounded to him on the former
day, he had only acted in obedience to his sense of the official
duty which his station in that Court imposed upon him. He
was now glad to find that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Kinnaird)
had, with the feelings which became a Gentleman of his con-
sideration in society, disclaimed any intention, when he spoke
warmly, and was hurried away by his zeal, on the former day,
of aspersing the conduct or motives of others. He was sorry,
with referen?e to the past, that the gallant General (Sir John
Doyle) had, on the former day, refrained from the courtesy
usually shewn, of giving some private intimation beforehand
of the questions which he meant publicly to put. If he an-
swered in one case, he might be called upon to answer in
another ; and after the Court of Directors had declined, upon
the mere whisper of rumour, to answer the specific interroga-
tories submitted by letter to them from the gallant General's
honourable relative (Col. Doyle), it would have been unseemly
for him (the Chairman) to have given an answer verbally to
the same requisition when addressed to him in the public
Court. —( Hear !)
Mr. Huai said, that respecting the amendment which had
been moved by his Hon. Friend (Mr. J. Smith), he had a few
words to say, in the first instance; and he seriously called his
Hun. Friend's attention to the position in which, if he perse-
vered in his amendment, he would place their proceedings. In
the name of common sense, how could it be said that they had
no information before them on which they could ground their
proceedings ?—(Hear !)—Did not his Hon. Friend hear the dif-
ferent votes and resolutions, both of Parliament and the East
India Company, which had been that day read by his Hon.
Friend (Mr. Kinniard) ? Mr. Hume here repeated several of
the resolutions which had been already read by the mover, and
asked whether, up to the period of the last vote, when the Mar-
quis of Hastings retired from India, there was not the most
flattering and unequivocal testimonials of his transcendant
merit ? What, then, had occurred since? What had the Noble

Marquis done since to forfeit their confidence and esteem ?
There was a rumour that the Court of Directors had refused him
the retiring pension of 5,0001. a year; that was a mere rumour;
(A cry of" Mr. Pattison said so");—but still it wanted the
sanction of authority. Let them have all the papers shewing the
administration of the Noble Marquis, and then they could form
a just estimate upon the whole case. 'Why specific particular,
or isolated documents ?—(Hear, hear!)—With reference to the
affair at Hydrabad, either the Noble Marquis was to blame, or
he was not: if the former, why not make the charge boldly?
The Noble Marquis challenged investigation ; and even eup:.-
posing that an error of judgment could he discovered in that
Nobleman, was that alone to rivet and absorb their attention,
and "turn aside their contemplation frOiri the brilliant career of
his services in India? They would neither perform their duty
to that Court, nor justice to themselves, if they stopped short
at receipt of the information comprehended in the amend-
Meiit, and did not include the larger inquiry.
Sir Jortar DOYLE said, that he had to apologize to them for
intruding this day upon their attentiez. He had come prepared
to take a comprehensive view of the whole question of the Mar-
quis of Hastings' government in India • but the new and un-
expected turn which the subject had taken in consequence of
the amendment, rendered it necessary that he should entirely
abandon the ground which he previously meant to occupy.
With respect to the want of courtesy with which he had been
charged by the Chairman, he really confessed, that of all his
faults, that was the last he expected to have had to answer for:
nothing was farther from his intention than to have evinced a
want of courtesy to the Chairman ; indeed, he thought the
mode he had adopted was exactly that which would have
been deemed the most courteous, under circumstances in which
they were placed. He had first asked the Chairman, in his
capacity as a Director, to answer him the question he had put
on a former day; but there official etiquette interposed, and
no answer was to be had. He (Sir John) turned round a
second time, and thought he could at once hit the Chairman—
(a laugh)—not by asking him a question officially, but by
putting one to him as an honest man. That was, he thought,
the plain and ingenuous course; and before the public, he had
expected to receive a plain, a candid, and a fair answer. All
he asked in behalf of his Noble Friend the Marquis of Hastings,
was full and open discussion—no whispering, no insinuations,
nothing but plain dealing.--(Hear, hear !),--With these feel-
ings and these expectations, he was astonished at the course
which had been taken this day. Nothing coming from so de-
servedly honourable a man surprised him so much as the
amendment ; for if ever a friend, meaning, and honestly mean-
ing, to promote inquiry, had, by his proceeding, rivetted and
dovetailed, and fastened in a calumny, to affect a great public
character, that was done this day by his Hon. Friend in shap-
ing his amendment. Indeed, he deprecated the qualified way
in which the general question of the Marquis of Hastings's
services had been taken off. He wanted no reservation—
let his character be alike estimated, and his claims rewarded, as
a statesman and a soldier. Let his policy and his achievements
be considered together. He (Sir John Doyle) was at once pre-
pared to justify the military system of his Noble Friend in India.
His wars were not wars of aggression, but for the resistance of
attack—for the very existence and salvation of the British em-
pire in India.—(Hear, hear !)—Passing by the question of these
Just and necessary wars, he would ask them, whether, in this age
of miracles, they could, in the greatest credulity of their dreams,
have anticipated, the almost miraculous success which had at-
tended the extirpation of the Pindarre freebooters ? There
were of these, 40,000 regularly mounted banditti, well equipped
as regular troops for the field, carrying, rape, fire, and destruc-
tion wherever they advanced. Flying and protecting themselves
in mountains deemed inaccessable—they were unincumbered
'with either baggage and stores, for they helped themselves
wherever they appeared from the defenceless hamlets. The
Noble Marquis with peculiar sagacity saw the dangers to be appre-
hended from the fixed organization of this hellish band of depree
dators, and determined upon their extinction. No course was
left but to annihilate these depredators, or to abandon the
peaceable inhabitants of immense districts to their rapacious
apoliations. The Marquis of Hastings accomplished his object
with unparalleled success, and peace and comfort reigned where
desolation and misery had been previously
felt--(Hear ! )
How was it, then, that his Hon. Friend confined his amend-
ment to the false calumny in a contemptible newspaper about
the Hydrabad loan ? lie was afraid that his Hon. Friend had
heard from one Director this Hydrabad story, and that some
mean imposition had been attempted to be played off upon him
in this business. He objected to any garbled papers ; as the
friend of the Marquis of Hastings, he demanded the production
of all the papers connected with his whole administration—he
challenged inquiry from first to last, anti scorned any set-off or
compromise.—(Loud cries of" Ilear!")—What he wanted was
Idiscussionftheysupipnofsaeid,
rowpielnendahye,oabniedetnedot
to
on
this amendment,
lloseconclave that(He harie)
wanted to have „ingle paper kept back, they were egregiously
p
whatmista
jkleenw—anhteedwwanatsed all
; in the simple and expressive phrase,
the truth, ,
g
M rthe whole truth and nothing
but the truth."—(llear, hear !)
amendment,
and expressed
surprise that his Hon. Friend should have
confined his view of the inquiry to a statement which he, at
the same instant, itJACKSON
his entirely disc proved of the
declared he believed to be untrue—thus, as
it were, sanctioning
within doors a polluted paragraph which
some calumniator had circulated without. He strongly de;
precated such a course of
proceeding, as tending to shut out
the general consideration of the merits of the Marquis of
Hastings in the
theyeve ryhwenaeyntebdu thiyn the non
career whole
sy
stem of Indian government. In
more than in a pecuniary way, had
this to he his final treatment ? The Hon. and Learned Gen-
tlemane
of the Noble Marquis, and was
improved state of their finances
administration of the Marquis of Hastings._
durhig tool:t a review of' the
In 1013, when. the Noble Lord went out to India, so low
was their credit, that their bonds were at a discount of 12
_
per cent. When he left
and 16 per cent. (Hear: hearlndia they bore a premium of 14
e—ln 1814, (30th of April), in
their treasury they had six millions. In 1822, when the Mar-
quis left India, they 1
'ad 12 millions—exactly doublee-
hear, hear)—an additional sum which would have covered the
whole expences of his Indian administration.—( Hear, hear!)
The average of the 20 Years' investments before the Noble
Marquis went to India was 450,0001.: on his return it was
1,300,0001. In the revenue, the excess was now six millions ;
and obtained, not by grinding taxation, for the Marquis of
Hastings did not lay on a single impost, but by encouraging
anti protecting the industry of the inhabitants.—(Hear !)—For
the part which Sir David Oehterlony had had in the Pindaree
campaign, they voted him a pension of 1,0001. a year : that
gallant officer was afterwards deputed to visit and survey the
districts from which the Pindarrees were effectually expelled,
and he had reported, that he had found throughout, except
on the spot where Scindiah's near relatives resided, nothing
but peace and plenty, happiness and comfort—every tongue
eloquent in praise of British rule, and grateful for British pro-
tection.—(Hear !)—The sante description was also given of the
same regions by Sir John Malcolm. He had watched the foot-
steps of the Marquis of Hastings throughout the whole of his
Indian career, and was proud to do homage to the wisdom and
Statesman-like sagacity of his plans, and consummate skill
with which he had always Carried them into execution. He
disclaimed the argument of set off.—(Hear !) If any man
meant to impeach particle of the Noble Marquis's conduct,
let him come forward openly, and put his charge in a tangible
shape.—(Hear !)-_He hoped
the amendment would be with-
drawn.

Mr. J. Surru ustified the course he had taken, and dis-
claimed any desireof countenancing any calumny against the
Noble Marquis. If it were his own brother, lie would have
taken a similar cotrse. He positively declared that he had not
received a particle of information from any Director in this
business—he had leard of the rejection of the vote of 5,000/.
a year merely as a common topic of conversation. He re-
peated, that his qole object was to promote inquiry, not to
limit it. When he one subject was introduced, the wider
question could be Irgued. He never heard before this day that
the Marquis of 3astiny,s had been rewarded upon a smaller
scale than any previous Governor; let that be explained.
Mr. DouGLASKIXNAIRD said, that 'in 1803 the Marquis
Wellesley had received a settlement of 5,000/. a-year, which
was antedated t years,---thus at once putting 30,000/. into his
pocket; the 5,000/. a-year was settled upon him until the expira-
tion of their charter ; and when that expired, the same income
was settled upon him for life,—not so in the Marquis of Hast-
ings's case. _

'he CHAIRMAN' said, that the Hon. Proprietor was mis-
taken. It way in 1800 the first pension was settled on the
Marquis Welbsley, and it was only antedated two years (to
1798.)

%Ir. JouN 3miTH repeated his desire merely to be for in-
formation, and he could add, that he had the highest respect
for the Noble'Marquis, and the most anxious desire that he
should he played in that situation which his merits and services
entitled him o hold.

Mr. ELPIINSTONE strongly objected to the amendment,
and declared hat if nobody else voted for the production of the
general paper, he should feel it his duty to do so. They met
there as merctants; and he would pledge himself in the result
of the cash acount, to show that the Marquis of Hastings had
placed to ther credit half a million at one side, while they had
heard of onlythe Hydrabad shilling at the other—(a laugh) ;
which lie pledged himself, should not remain one
minute there the moment the inquiry commenced.—(Loud
cries of " Hut !")
Mr. DOUCLAS KINNAIRD said that he meant his inquiry to
comprehend he minutest points.
Mr. him insisted that the Marquis of Hastings had not
been ungraciusly treated by that Court; on the contrary, he
thought thaDoth among them, and within the bar, he would
find some of iis warmest friends. As a proof of this, he refer.
red, serially, (in the terms in which they had been already
quoted), to Se votes which had always attended the Noble

Marquis's exploits, and the pecuniary grant which had been ap.
plied to his use. He was strongly of opinion that the whole of
the papers, and not a portion for a specific object, should be
furnished. On the subject of the Hydrabad Loan, the report
was, and it was merely a report, that the Government of
Bengal had sanctioned a.loan to a native Prince, contrary to an
express law.
Mr. PETER MOORE said that he really could not see the
object of this debate in the way in which it was now carried on—
it was a most clumsy piece of business, and he could not make
head or tail of it.—(A laugh.)—Let them produce all the pa-
pers—all or none was his demand.—(Hear !)—When all caine,
then they had 19,000 volumes of praise for the Marquis of Has-
tings. Why was a whisper from a blackguard paper, in John
Bull's slanderous style, to be taken as authority against such a
man, or whispers from two Gentlemen in a hackney-coach ?
bet the whole come out, and then the light and glory of the
Marquis of Hastings would be seen. The Honourable Pro-
proprietor-then repeated the praises which had been bestowed
upon the Indian Government for' the Mahratta and Pindaree
wars, and said, that before Lord Moira went to India, he (Mr.
Moore) had read to him a speech of his which he delivered in
that Court, pointing talthe necessity of extinguishing that
Mahratta confederacle was, therefore, upon that point
particularly, proud of the Noble Marquis's ultimate and tri-
umphant success.—(Hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. '!'RANT also enforced the necessity of a full inquiry,
but could not permit the merits of the Marquis of Hastings,
however high, to supersede or cast iuto the shade those of his
predecessors whose career had been equally brilliant. He re-
membered when he first went out-to India, the Marquis Wel-
lesley was engaged in a brilliant military career, and his Hon-
Friend near him (Sir David Baird) was then acquiring re-
nown at the storming of Seringapatam. He would vote for
theproduction of the general papers.
A long conversation then arose respecting the wording of the
motion for papers, in which Mr. Kinnaird, Mr. Hume, Mr.
Weeding, and Mr. Pattison took a part, when—
The CHAIRMAN suggested the following substitute of Mr.
John Smith's amendment :—" That there be laid before the
Court, all correspondence and other documents to be found in
the public records of this house, which regard the administra-
tion of the Marquis
_ of Hastings, and which may enable the
Court to judge of the propriety of entertaining the question of
any farther grant to the Noble Marquis.:'
Mr. DOUGLAS KTNNAIRD replied, and the question was
put upon the amendment last propounded by the Chairman. 1
which was carried by a large majority, and the papers ordered
to be printed for the use of the Court.
The Court, which was exclusively crowded, did not adjou
until five o'clock.