The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-24 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

The quartet-1y general court of directors washeld yes-
terday, in the East India House, Leadenhall-street, for
the purpose of transacting the routine business of the
Comeany; and also to take into consideration the mo-
tion of which an Hon. Proprietor (Mr. George Thomp-
-s°n) had given notice—namely, "To call the attention
of the proprietors to the conduct of the court of direc-
tors, and prefer certain charges against that body in
connexion with the case of the deposed Raja of Samara."
Sir James Hogg, Bart., took the chair, an ii on his
right and left were seated Henry St. Geo'.ge Tucker,
deputy-chairman, Major Urquhart, ac., &c.
The minutes of the previous court !raving been read,
Mr. Gortscier moved that the., mineites of the proceed-
ings of the last court be prireteil for the use of the pro-
Prtetors. It was surely not the intention of the directors
that their proceedings shot' Id be held secret; and, if not
Made public, how were the people of India to ascertain
What were the proceeditres of that court, and how they
were affected by them? The Hon. Member concluded
by proposing his motior, which, not being seconded, fell
to the ground.
The titles of certain returns were then read; also the
titles of certain par Jr; ordered by the court on the ith
of April and 6th of July last.
Mr. GORDON ae,ain proceeded to address the court,
but was interrar,,ed by the Chairman, who called on Mr.
George Then' pSon to proceed with his motion.
Mr. GE°P,GE THOMPSON understood that a notice of
'notioni.e hr.d been given by the Hon. Proprietor behind
ar d, with die sanction of the Court, he should
wish that that ',ion. Proprietor should precede him.
After a few words from the CHAIRMAN,
SULLVIAN proceeded to call the attention of the
`•;,errt to the, circumstances attending the seizure, for he
"mild not dignify it by the name of conquest of Sinde.
`l4l ear, from Mr. G. Thompson.) He did not wish to
,
pen that Court the whole history of the transac-
rns inthat country, but he felt that it was incumbent
lr'°o. him to refer to the latter occurrences in that
e
nn try. The Court would recollect the saying of the
n't-error-General, " that nothing but the clearest
evi deuce of the treason of the Ameers could justify him
,to proceeding to extremity against theme." These men
f el been proceeded against, and convicted, because they
as it was termed, been discovered writing treason-
Zde letters to the Raja of Lahore. The Hon. Proprietor
44 en proceeded to show that the alleged treasonable letters
Were fictitious. Lieut. Mill, in writing to Major Outram,
t "he was unable to produce documentary evidence"
to support of the charges against the Ameers, because,
tis he asserted, teusty messengers had been intrusted
with verbal ceenmunications. It would but require a
small degree of prcof indeed to satisfy Sir
Charles Napier, who when he went to Sinde
stated that he wanted but a pretext to coerce the
"!nreers. Did he ask the Princes of Sinde to disprove
"ur, treasonable letters? Did he show them those let-
4e''''s? No. When they were asked for, they were in-
lemed that they were in Calcutta; they went to
Calcutta, and were there informed that the letters
*ere in India. Was there any shadow of justice
In
this? Yet the historian of the victims in Sinde
Lind the audacity to declare that his brother (Sir
.41Tharlee Napier) had sifted these charges to the
isottom. He would read the extra ordinavy passage
Which avouched this glaring misrepresentation. The
11..°n• Proprietor did so, and then proceeded to read
rissages from the work of Major-General Napier, corn-
luenting upon them as he went on, and showing from
tje testimony of Major Oueram himself that many of
'e C. Napier's movemerecs were insane in a military
point of view, and mo9',, unworthy and ungenerous in a
%oral sense. When the Court some years before had voted
!heir thanks to Sir C. Napier for his services in India,
r (Mr. Sullivan was the only proprietor who dissented,
rr en intimate acquaintance with the Sinde papers had
Vreed upon him the conviction that Sir Charles Napier,
proceed
once entered upon hostilities, was determined to
Voceed until he had crushed them. It was then endea-
'toured by those who justified the vote of the Court to
!how that Sir Charles Napier was only an inferior ser-
L,,-"a°t, acting under the orders of a higher Court. He
-"141 endeavoured to show that he had acted diametrically
:(4PPosite to the orders received from the Governor-
Ineral, but prize money to the amount of 60,0001., a
eegctvernorship of lo,oqol. a year, the colonelcy of a regi-
rnt, the insignia of the Bath, and a peerage, were
7arful incentives to the perpetration of a monstrous
4."-niquity. And haw was the whole of this tragedy wound
? By the imprisonment of several of the Ameers,
.1) fter they had received the assurance of Sir C. Napier
ethatlt if they remained quiet no harm would come to them.
Wound up by the imputations of the most shameful
'-"nracter being thrown upon them. And who were the
ten who were thus treated? Were they the enemies of
togland? No; they were her benefectors. They were
the very men who assisted General N ott and General Pol-
lock in their Caubul expedition. H e would cite the highest
authority in the empire to proev this fact. (The Hon.
roprietor quoted from the woek of Mountstuart Elphin-
atone, in corroboration.) Ii- could conceive how this
111°1)1e-hearted and noble-rnie ded man must have wept as
.e contemplated the fentaseic tricks which were played
n that country- in that country which he bad so much
assisted to consoli:late by his wisdom, his integrity, and
moderation.—(Haar, b ear.) He had felt it his duty to
attachlila. to Sir 'Charles Napier, but he believed
his soul fleet the originator of all these
sasters and all this outrage was Major Outram.
no.) But it was not yet too late to do an act of
Anlttee• It was not yet too late to restore Sinde to the
etrs• The conquest of that country was an act of
iti'7 on'.y exceeded, if possible, by the attempt to
ainiee te. If any person would take the trouble to exa-
that ;:ue limp of ndia, he would see to demonstration
eitli„ '4' Was not a further extension of empire they re-
-1),7e0, but the assistance of a friencly power, who would
7,4° fleture times united with them in the bonds of amity.
OM friendly power they had once in Sinde ; that
Tee dly power he affirmed they might have again. The
40 re Proprietor concluded by moving—" That in the
of pinion of this Court the restoration of Sinde to the
Arueers is a measure called for by considerations of jus-
:tiee, of sound policy, and economy, and that the Court
'°f Directors be iustructed to take such steps as they
ittaY think expedient for the furtherance of this object."
.4 Captain McKee/sole seconded, and Captain EASTWOOD
'4Pported the mot;ion.
11thDIRECTOR, whose name we could not ascertain, de-
-4 ,el Colonel Outram, and defied any one to show a
Ing..le instance in which that distinguished officer had
11°P, desired to avoid the shedding of blood.
4, The CHAIRMAN said that he trusted the object of
'lgn Honourable Proprietor had been gained by the state-
Inent which had been made before the Court, but it
might be expected that he, as the organ of the Court
..2f Directors, should shortly state what steps the Court
bed taken in t'ae matter of Sinde. The Court of Di-
rectors had weitten to the Governor-General in India, re-
;letic6ting hi.m to investigate the subject, and to favour
Coure with his opinions upon the policy which
%h
at
'been adopted towards the Ameers of
country. When that reply was received
tr, Directors would not lose a moment in
f37'-,r(Et the communication before the proprietors.
4,_ern aps the Hon. Proprietor would, under such circum-
e7:ces, see the necessity of not pressing his motion to a
‘nrasion.
Mr. 6ueravaer, on the assurance that the subject
'oulde have the earliest consideration from the Court of
Directors, would withdraw his motion.
4_ Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON did not see why the manifes-
tation of their feelings should ho endeavoured to be con-
'tied on that day. The question with regard to Sinde
W),,tts not a mere matter of speculation ; they dealt with
'''sLPrical facts.
lvlr. MARRIOTT rose to order.
The CHAIRMAN said the Hon. Proprietor was strictly
1 order.
Mr. GEORGE THO3IPSON was aware that he was so,
but the Hon. Proprietor opposite, like his (Mr. Thomp-
-8"es) evil genius, ever rose when he attempted to ad-
dress the Court. The Hon. Proprietor then proceeded
t° substantiate the allegations of Mr. Sullivan with re-
gard to the incapacity, civil and military, of Sir Charles
4Narier in Sinde.
The motion was ultimately, after some desultory dis-
elusion, withdrawn.
The Court, after the transaction of some formal busi.
mss, broke up.