The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-20 00:00:00

EAST INDIA COMPANY•

MEETING THIS DAY.

The adjourned meeting of the proprietors for the con-
sideration of the resolution discussed last week, was
held this morning. The meeting was also made special
to consider the communication irom Government and
the Directors reply relating to the future government of
India. Mr. Mangles, the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, before proceeding with the debate,
said the court had received an answer from her Majesty's
Government.,to their communication, referred to at the
last meeting, and with the permission of the court he
directed the correspondence that had passed between
her Majesty's Government and the Court of Directors,
on the proposed change of Indian Government, to be
read. (Hear, hear.)
The CLERK then read the documents. The first was
a letter from the Court of Directors to Lord Palmerston,
dated Dec. 31st, 1857. They informed his lordship that
they had been prepared to hear that an inquiry would
be instituted into the causes of the revolt, and had them-
selves appointed a commission with a view to ascertain
whether any blame was attributable to the Company.
They were surprised, however, to hear that the
Government proposed to transfer the authority of
the East India Company to the Crown. They repre.
rented that the Director& were ready to take into con.
sideration any reforms that might be needed, and
that they believed the control of India could
never be satisfactorily entrusted to a single individual,
and subject to the check of Parliament. Lord Palmer-
ston's reply was dated 18th Jan., 1858. His lordship
stated, that the observations and opinions expressed by
tke Court of Directors should be fully considered by her
Majesty's Government, but he refrained from entering
into any discussion oe them, because any correspondence
with him would be better carried on through the Board
of Control ; and, secondly; that he considered the inten-
tions of the Government could be best explained when
the measure was submitted for the consideration of
Parliament.
The CHAIRMAN then said that the Court of Directors
had prepared a petition to Parliament, which he re
quested the Clerk also to read.

The CLERK then read the petition, a voluminous
document entering at full length into the present state
of India, defending the administration of the Company,
and objecting entirely to any change that would place it
in the hands of the Government. The petition contained
various suggestions for the future constitution of the
board, and prayed that Parliament would continue the
existing authority of the Court of Directors, and that
no change would take place during the present dis-
turbed state of India.

Mr. JONES resumed the debate, observing that many
of his arguments and opinions had been anticipated by
the petition just read. (Hear, hear.) A. mis-
apprehension very generally prevailed that the
dividends of the East India proprietors were in.
creased by conquests, but were they to double
the revenue of tbat country the proprietors would not
get [a farthing of increase of dividend, and East India
proprietors had no interest in the aggrandisement of
India. (Hear, bear.) He denied that the eompany bad
discouraged Christianity in India, and referred to many
facts and circumstances in support of his statement. The
obstruction to religion had not sprung from the lathes of
the East India Company, but from the bloody unwarrant-
able and wholesale murder of the people in the unjust
aggression of territory made at the instance of the Board
of Control. (Hear.) It had been urged against the
Company that the people of India were reduced to such
a state of poverty, that it was a crime against humanity
that the present system should continue ; and he
denied the statement that had been put forth, that
there were eighteen millions of people living in
Madras at the rate of one penny per bead per day.
India was in an advancihg position was shown by the
progress of the relative holdings of Europeans and
natives of the public debt. In 1834 Europeans held
20,439,8701., and natives 7,225,365/. ; in 1847, by the
last returns, Europeans held 21,981,0001., and natives
12,000,0001. (Hear, bear.) He then referred to the
public works that had been carried out in India since
the establishment of the East India Company, and urged
that, if the Company was to be abolished to-morrows
the public would have no more power over the
Government of India than they have now. (Hear
hear, hear.) Questions relative to India were
freely and properly considered in that Court and he
defied them to find a larger amount of Indian experience
in any part of the world, save in India than was to be
found at that board, and he had heard that in the pro-
posed change those wen were to be called upon to force
the Indian Board. (Hear, hear.) He was of opinion
that they would discover the antagonism of Eng-
land if they gave to the holders of 1001. stock
the privileges of voting that were possessed exclusively
by the holders of 1,0001. stock. Be extolled the
administration of the Councils which had produced
the moat brilliant warriors and admirable statesmen.
When they bad revolt in Canada, the Cape, Ceylon, and
other places, the Government bad selected the civil
officers of the Company to restore order and get the
Government out of their difficulties ; and in the late
Eastern war it was the Company's officer, Lieutenant
Buil r, that turned back the Russians ; and, at Bars,
there was Colonel Lake and Captain Thompson, the
Company's officers, who were the means of saving the
garrison when they were neglected by the home
Government, (Hear, hear.) He contrasted such
men with Colonel Anson, who was appointed to the
command of the Indian army, through the influence of
Prince Albert, an appointment that was an insult to the
people of this country. (Hear.) He had no objection
to Prince Albert generally. In his own department he
did his duty well—(laughter)—but he objected to his
using his power to influence the Government in appoint-
ing incompetent Commanders-in-Chief. (Hear,
hear.)
He then criticised Lord Palmerston's conduct,
with reference to India, during the time he
had been in power His appointment of Governors
General had been most unfortunate, and his whole aim
had been annexation. He appeared to entertain with
regard to India a similar notion to that of Napoleon I.
for bringing the whole of Europe under one rule. (Hear,
hear.) In conclusion, he reviewed the government of the
East India Company,
which, as a whole, had been
advantageous to the people of India. (Hear, hear.) In
affirming the resolution he thought all would go home
with the conviction that each man had done his duty.
Hear, hear.)

Sir LAWRENCE PEEL (director) said that he had no
hostility to the Government or any other leading party.
The coestion before the Court was one of great import-
ance. It affected the interest of 100,000,000 of the people
of India, the whole people of England, and the Court of
Proprietors. He denied that the East India Company
were a selfish body ; and those short-sighted men who
language of folly. (Hear.)
made such charges s
We shall give the conclusion in our last edition.
poke without reason, and in the

DEATH OF ARCHDEACON VENABLES. —The Archdea•
conry of Carmarthen has become vacant by the death of
the Venerable Richard Venables, D.D. The appoint-
ment, to which is attached a prebendal stall in the
cathedral church of the diocese, is in the gift of the
Blshop of St. David's. By the death of Dr. Venables
the Vicarage of Nantmel, Radnorshire, also becomes
vacant. It is worth about 400/.
gift of the Bishop of St. David's. a year, and is in the
Archdeacon Venables
died in his 84th year.
Count Valentin Esterhazy, Austrian Minister at the
cogb,
sServoloetoonpsp,
hositeiticians, 39,
Court of St. Petersburg, has arrivad in that city, and
resumed hi functions.
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