The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-28 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

ADJOURNED MEETING THIS DAY.

The fourth debate on Mr. Crawahay's resolution
relative to the proposed change in the future Govern-
ment of India, was resumed this morning. Mr. R.
Mangles, M.P., in the chair.
Dr. BRATTIIS opened the debate. He stated he had
had considerable experience in India, and complained
that the bible had not been made a class book in the
Indian schools as it ought to have been ; and the want of
encmragement of Christianity by the Company's ser-
vants. (Hear.) He, however, strongly deprecated the
proposed change. (Rear.) He approved of the present
mode of Government, and said that no patronage was
m)re fairly distributed than that of the East Indian
Cunpany, contrasting it with the recent Government
appointment of Lord G. Paget, Inspector of Cavalry.
(lien., hear,) He contended that the East India
Company's government had been advantageous to
tie people of India, and instanced the con•
.ruction of public works, the roads, canals,
lie hoped the petition would be adopted as that of the
whole proprietary body, &c. (Rear, hear.) He could
not too strongly denounce the proposition of change as
one fraught with the greatest possible danger to the
true interests of the natives of India. He should cor-
dially support the petition.

Mr. PRINSEP (director) denied that the East India
Company had discouraged the spread of Christianity
in India. Their reason for not having urged it more
forcibly was that they wished to extend to the natives
j the same religious toleration that was enjoyed by the
Christians, and also out of respect to their religious
prejudices. (Hear, hear.) On the day of humiliation
the sermons of all the preachers in this metropolis laid
the blame of the mutiny to the East India Company, in
consequence of circulars previously sent round to them
from the Church Missionary Society to that eloot—a
society that had been especially favoured by the
company in India, but he had reason to know the
contents of the circular did not meet with the concurrence
of the bishops in India, because they could not agree in
its assertions. Ho contended the company had done all
they could to develop the resources of India. The
omwas a responsible body, being responsible both
to Parliament
liament and the people through the medium of
the press. He concluded by defending the conduct of
Lord Auckland, relative to the Affghan war, and threw
the whole blame of it on her Majesty's Government.
Mr. WHITI, 11. P., took that opportunity, as a pro-
prietor of stock, of expressing his firm approval of Mr.
Crawshay's motion.

The CIiAIRMAN then addressed the Court at some
length, in the course of which he asked for a searching
inquiry on the pari; of the Government, before making
the proposed change. It was to be expected errors had
been committed, but when their administration had been
examined, and inquired into, he felt certain it would be
found, in the words of Mr. Mill, the Indian historian,
" that no Government had ever manifested more dis-
interested benevolence or an earnest desire to improve
the condition of its subjects than had the East India
Government, and the black spots to bo discovered
would be but few." (Hear, hear.) He directed atten-
tion to memorials received from several Rajahs: in
India, in favour of the present government, and expressed
an opinion that the proposed change had been ill.timed.
The hon, gentleman read documents received recently
from India. One of them was from Mr.iGrant, President
of Benares, denying that he had pardoned any one or
had committed the errors attributed to him. His object
in reading the letter wan in illustration of the state of
public feeling that could alone have led to the concoction
of many of the extraordinary stories that had been put forth
He bad always considered two points were necessary for
the Government of India, first, that absolute authority
should be in the hands of imperial authority ; and,
seceadly that by some means or other there should be
a body of advisers—a non-polit cal body—(bear)—an
independent body—to stand betvvien the Indian and the
direct action of the Home Government. It was
essential that it should be,* body independent of
Party change or party poleics, and he knew
none better than the Board of Directors. Referring to
the remarks that had been made by previous speakers,
hesnid that the Court of Directors c,,ncurred with the
Governmeht in the annexationof Oude, but he thought
that was not sufficient to diss4ve the company, seeing
the Government was a partieepaeritninis, bat he believed,
with Sir J. Lawrence, that thac, was not the cause of the
mutiny. It could not be laid down too clearly that, in
the Government of India in this country, proselytism
was not the business of the Government. He denied the
charges that had been brought
( with reference to patronage, mid enumerated many of
for the proprietors' suppgort
the illustrious men who had oeen conueated with the
and against the Company
Company's service, as a proof that that " nepotism,'
was not the general reseion of the public, from whose
Colonel Rex
rauks their army and officersP
were drawn. After some
further remarks the hon. ▪ aaman concluded by asking
concurrence in the
directors petition.
Alter a few remarks from Mr. Browne, relative to the
spread of Christianit
the rights and privileges of the East India Company,
that would be atfeated b the transfer of the power to
the Crown. Fr
directors. thought they surrendered their rights
issonzycfr asked▪ 'the chairman to explain
and privileges in 1833
Mr. MILLS—The right of reeetinz here and electing
territorial rights which important
possessed.
Mr. J. P. Wiradonous:yaLP , (director), signed the
Two most rights. There were also
petition, and concurred in'its
.prayer. As a nominee of
the Government he did not on becoming a director,
surrender his independence,and he should in parliament,
and at that Board, take
such
beneficial to the intere,t of India. He thought the time
taken for the proposed change would act as a premium
for mutiny in India, and if this measure be carried,
advantage would be taken of it as a sign of
a course as he considered
weakness. He approved of the policy that
had been pursued in India, especially with regard to
religion. He thought they had done right in giving
religious toleration, instead of forcing Christianity on
the natives. He read a letter he had received from the
Archbishop of Dublin, approving the course that had
been adopted by the Government of India with reference
to Christianity in India, and deprecated the charges that
had been brought against it on that head. He would
not then enter into the question of patronage
otherwise than to say than that it was honestly
exercised by the Board, and every widow and orphan's
claims were justly met. The Court here never inter-
fered with appointments in India, but left it to the local
government there, a course that would probably be
changed when the barrier of that house was withdrawn.
He denied that this was a national mutiny, but I pure y
a military one.

Mr. ,ORAWEIIIAT then replied. He considered the
predisposing cause of the mutiny was the Affghan war.
He entered at greatlengtla into the various Arguments that
had been used by the different speakers, and after
quoting at great length from documents in support of
his own views and the resolution he had proposed to the
meeting, and referred to the garbled despatches of Sir
A. Burnes by the Government as a pretext for the Aff-
ghan war, said they deserved punishment for the
ea
of
justice.friott s a cit
tas
wasm uncoh
lae se
eahnhy culpritofte
eee broughttheh f
ergteo the r
y.The bar
great blot on the Government of Lord Dalhousie was the
annexation of Oude, which he looked on as a crime, and
he felt certain that the English people also looked
upon it as a crime ; and it bad had a great share
in producing the danger with which they were sur-
rounded. Theisepoy principally came from Oude, and it
w,:a natural they ,tiou id be attached to the old dynasty.
The only inea,,s of escaping from their difficulties was
Lo do justice to Ouae, Caine as they had been obliged
to do to Affgbanisiau, A great auvantage to India
would result is their making that Court a Parliament
as it were for India, where Indian matters could be de-
cided on with authority, It would confer great benefit
to the people of England, and be the means of diffusing
information iu England of which the inhabitants and Oven

members of Parliament were ignorant. It only wanted
courage—the stout hearts of old as spoken of by Mr.
Mills. He called upon the board and proprietors to
resist the proposed Government change.
The resolution was then put and carried, two bands
only being held up against.
The CHAIRMAN then moved the adoption of the peti-
tion to be presented to Parliament.
Sir— COERCE (deputy-chairman) seconded the motion.
Mr. Sergeant GAZELIE said the petition ignored ad
mention of the proprietors, and suggested that the
directors and the proprietors should each have their
own petition the same as in Pitt's time.
Mr. JONES moved an additional clau.e to the petition
relative to the appointment of a council for India. He
also suggested some verbal alterations, but as he could
find no seconder, the amendment fell to the ground.
Mr. LEWIN proposed an amendment on the ground
that the petition was opposed to the facts. India had
been acquired at the cost of England's honour. He
denied that this was a military mutiny, and his pinion
was borne out by the facts that had come to the know-
ledge of the public. He then referred to the different
paragraphs in the petition to which he objected, and
entered into a consideration of them, with the assistance
of numerous documents, from which he read extracts.
His remarks bad reference more particularly to the
company's rule in India, which Lad not been so perfect
as stated in the petition. He moved an amendment that
the petition was contrary to fact, and ought not to be
adopted by the Court.
Mr. M`KENzia seconded the amendment.

Mr. Sergeant GAZELER interrupted (4 o'clock), and
said be had an amendment to move. It would take him
a considerable time to move it, and he asked for an ad-
journment of the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN said it was of the utmost importance
to India that the meeting should be brought to a close
that night. He and the directors were willing to sit on
till that was accomplished. .

Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE moved the adjournment of the
debate, but as no proprietor seconded the motion, it fell
to the ground.
Mr. APKENEE then proceeded to address the meet-
ing, opening up the whole of the question, and referring
to, and repeating most of the arguments used in discus-
sing Mr. Crawsbay's resolution. He entered fully into
the question of patronage, giving instances condemna-
tory of the Board of Directors. Referring to the
Board of Control he said Indian affairs oould not
be entrusted to a worse president than the one now at
the head of the Board of Control, whose qualifications for
the office was his being the best dressed man in London.
At a quarter to 5 o'clock Mr Sergeant GAISALEE
moved an adjournment, which, on a show of hands,. was
lost.

Mr. Sergeant GAAELL/EZ then rose to address the
Court, informing them he should occupy their time a
considerable period ; and proceeded to state his objec-
tions to the petition, first observing that it was not
properly before the meeting, no notice having been given
!or its consideration. He moved that the petition be
referred back to the Court of Directors for re-considera-
tion.

The CIIAIIIKAN then put the question, and the peti-
tion was adopted, both amendments being negatived.
The meeting shortly after separated.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH

COAST RAILWAY.

HALF•YEARLY MEETING-THIS DAY.

The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders in this
undertaking was held this day at the Bridge House
Hotel. Leo Schuster, Esq., occupied the chair.
The report, which has already appeared in The Sun,
having been taken as read,
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report.
said the proprietors would see by it that the capital
had nearly been exhausted in order that words that could
not be any longer delayed might be undertaken, and
they bad also had recourse to the suspense account, but
the shareholders might rest assured that the utmost,
economy would be still carried on. The Lewes
station was one of the causes that could not be
delayed, and in consequence of the growing traffic
at that point it was found that the alterations proposed
amounted to nearly an entire rebuilding of the station.
At the Lewes station trains arrived daily from London,
Brighton, Newhaven, and Hastings ; to each of those
places trains also left, and it was to accommodate
this great amount of traffic that the alterations had
become absolutely necessary. In a very short
time they would have at this station, in addition
to the traffic ho had mentioned, that arriving
at Uckfield, and he felt sure the shareholders would
agree with him that the improvements that
bad been executed were absolutely necessary. The mxt
point in the report that called for notice en hispert, and
it was a most agreeable one, was their debenture debt.
It was a well-known fact that during 1857, they had
gone through a crisis, and money was nut to be had
under 6/1 per cent., but at the present moment the rate
of interest paid by the company was only 4/. 35., and
it was also satisfactory to state that not a single mort•
gage bond had been renewed at auy increased rate. Tee
report did not show the usual increase in the revenue
account, but it was satisfactory to know that this was
not occasioned by auy actual falling off of the ordinary
traffic, but arose entirely from the cessation of the
great traffic which had been carried on during the Cri-
mean war, The goods traffic shows a deficiency ; but,
looking to all things, it was satisfactory to find that this
circumstance had not arisen from a falling off, but from
the stopping of building operations in their immediate
district. They had no large manufactories in their im-
mediate locality, and therefore they could not expect t
derive a very large revenue from such a source. (Hear,
hear.,i It is satisfactory to find that the expenditure had
not Increased, although they had largely increased the
number of trains, and reduced the amount of fares and
periodical tickets. The only item of increase was-and
ho was sorry to say it—in taa.ttion. The amount
actually paid ty the company in rates and income
tax, amounted to no less a sum than 78,0001. This
heavy payment took off considerably frJne the amount
divisible for dividend. To pay a dividend of Si per cent.
it took 180,0001., so the meeting might soon arrive at
tow much eaoti bad to pay for taxes. The company
would have to go again to Parliament to oppose the
scheme certain parties attempted to coerce them into
leasing ; it was a line commencing at Godalining and
terminating at Havant, and called the Portsmouth Rail-
way. He really didanot know why it was called the
Portsmouth Railway, but this he knew that they did not
feel called upon to lease the lime (Hear.) The company
called themselves an independent company, and he called
upon them to act independently. They had made the
line, why not work it themselves. (Hear, hear.)
Let them bring their traffic) to our lino and we
will carry it on on advantageous terms. (Hear, hear.)
He felt confident as to the result of the contest, for be
was sure that Parliament would never sanction such a
theft and inroad on the privileges of any company.
(Hear, hear.) He would next allude to an object of
vital importance to the shareholders. They had a very
excellent station at London-bridge, which accommodated
the City traffic, but they had no accommodati,n for the
traffic west of Temple-bar. The directors had constantly
been looking out for a west-end station, and we now
had an opportunity of crossing the Thames, and accord-
ingly, after mature deliberation, the directors had
accepted an offer which had been made to them by a
company for constructing a railway, commencing on the
south side of the river at Battersea, crossing the Thames
and terminating at the Grosvenor basin, situated at the
end of Victoria-street, Westminster. The proposed sta-
tion will be called the Victoria station, and it would be
situated in the centre of the western part of the metro-
polis, and the want of which had been so long telt by
the company would be accomplished. Looking at the
immense advantage to be derived from the possession
of a West-end terminus, the directors had no hesitation in
recommending the adoption of the scheme. The arrange.
ments made, subject to the sanction of the proprietors,
is, that the bridge over the Thames, the line of railway,
and the necessary site for the terminus, shall be vested
in this company, the promoters reserving the right of
way over the bridge for the purpose of constructing a
station on' such portion of the site as would not be
required by the Brighton Company. It was also further
agreed that the Brighton Company should not be called
upon to bear any of the preliminary or parliamentary
expenses. Compared with the advantages to be derived
from the possession of a West-end terminus at Pimlico,
he thought the cost was extremely small. After a few
other observations the hon. gentleman resumed his seat
by moving the adoption of the report.
Mr. SOOTT, deputy-chairman, second the motion.
Mr. ASHMORE said the report stated that it was the
intention of the directors to make a railway to connect
Steyning, Henfield, and West Grinstead, with Shore-
ham and Horsham. Now he thought that such a
line would be anything but remunerative, and he
therefore moved that that pert be omitted.
Mr. ADDISON seconded the amendment.
After a short discussion the amendment was put to
the meeting and negatived.
Mr. BELL asked whether the parties connected with
the Victoria-station and Pimlico Railway were substan-
tial parties I
The CHAIRMAN said the law officers had been in com-
municatiou with Mr. Kelk, a gentleman of the highest
respectability, and the other parties promoting the rail-
way. They had seen the agreement entered into with
the Marquis of Westminster, which fully proved that
the parties were empowered to go on with the works,
which it was considered would greatly improve the pro-
perty in the neighbouihood.
Atter a short discussion, the report was put to the
meeting and carried.
A formal resolution, empowering the directors to carry
out the works mentioned in the report, for the payment
of the dividend of 3i per cent. for the half-year, and. the
retiring directors having been re-elected, the proceedings
dcampgts.
terminated, after some opposition on the part o
Young, who moved a resolution for the discontinuance
rejected,
of the Sunday and excursion traffic, which was
with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.