The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-21 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE.

A Quarterly General Court of Directors and Proprie •
tors or the East India Company was held yesterday at
the Company's House, Leadenhall-street. Major-
General Sir A. Galloway, chairman of the Court of
Directors, presided.
The minutes of the last court were read and confirmed.

CASE OF CAPTAIN PETER GORDON.

Captain GORDON said be had given notice of two mo-
tions, one of which had been duly advertised; he wished
to know why the other had not been duly published pur-
suant to the by-laws of the company.
The CHAIRMAN said it had not been advertised be-
cause the Court of Directors felt that the notice was of
that character that they could not be parties to it without
degrading themselves and the Government of India.
Mr. GORDON said he should feel it his duty if his mo-
tion was not complied with to publish all the papers con-
nected with his expulsion from the district of Madura.
The Hon. Gentleman then entered at some length into
a statement of the circumstances connected with his
case, observing that all he asked fir was investigation,
and trusted that there would be no objection to place the
documents for which he moved in the hands of the pro•
prietors. He concluded by submitting his motion.
Mr. LEWIN seconded the motion, observing that Cap-
tain Gordon had been sacrificed to the collector of tbo
district of Madura.

The CHAIRMAN said these !papers had been sent to
Parliament in August, 1834. No order was made by
Parliament to have them printed, and as they now lay
upon the table for the inspection of the proprietors, he
hoped the Court would not be induced to go to the ex-
pense of printing these papers, Parliament not having
thought fit to order them to be printed, and the case
having been already fully investigated.
Mr. MARRIOTT opposed the printing of the papers.
The court had been inundated with documents referring
to this case, and grossly insulting to the directors, and he
hoped the motion would be rejected.
Mr. GORDON replied, contending that no lapse of time
ought to bar him from having justice don”. The su-
preme authorities in India had referred him to that
Court. lie had now been 20 years seeking redt i!. The
lion. Get.tleman was proceeding to go into some further
details, when
Major OLIPIIAIIT rose to order, contending that the
Hon. Gentleman had been fully heard, and Lad no right
to go into any fresh master.

Mr. GORDON appealed to the Chairman as the organ
of the moss corrupt court that ever exibtod havo this
paper priutcd.—(Cries of " Order.')
The CHAIRMAN said h e should be reluctantly obliged
to stop the lion. Garleinin if he proceeded is such
line of argument.

The question was than put, and negatived by a
,arge majority, only ono hand being held up in its
-

avour.

Mr. LEwIN then moved, pursuant to notice, "That
the Court of Directors do lay before the Court of Pro-
prietors all the peprs connected with the dismissal of
M. Vencaytayroylo^, as notified in the Fort St. George
Gazette of date 25th January, 1848."

Mr. GORDON Seconded the motion, which was nega-
ived by a largo majority. _

Mr. Lzwisimoved " that the removal of the judges
of the Court of Sudder and Foujdarry Adawlut, by the
government of the Marquis of Tweeddale, was as uncoL-
constitutional as his Lordship's residence on the Neil-
gberry Hills, and performance of acts of government,
when separated from the Council of Government, was in
vioation of Act :39 and 40, George 111., cap. 79, sec. 12."
This motion was also negatived without any discussion.
Colonel DIcKENSoN then submitted his motion—" That
the Court of Proprietors, participating in those feelings
of regret, of which there have been such frequent mani-
festations on the part of the mercantile and manufactur-
ing communities, at the insignificant outlay which has
been incurred in Western 'cella for affording suitable
access to the cotton-growing and other more productive
portions of the British territory, and for the due de-
velopment thereby of its well-ascertained and most
valuahle resources, do most earnestly recommend to the
Court of Directors the immediate adoption of some com-
prehensive scheme of carriage -way communication
therewith from the nearest river and seaports, of which
the district populations generally might also reap a per-
manent benefit ; such a measure being not less called for
by considerations of humanity towards those most impo-
verished classes of our native subjects, the cultivators of
the soil, and those engaged in the very toilsome and
dangerous transport of its produce, than for the main-
tenance and improvement of the revenue, and whereby
alone the increasing demand in this country for cotton
wool can in ordinary, much less in seasons of scarcity
or suspended intercourse with America, be adequately
met." He complained of the lamentable disproportion
that existed between the amount of the funds expended
in providing facilities of communication, and the large
revenues derived by the company from India. He
pointed out the great expense and loss incurred by the
transport of cotton from the interior to the coast; and
the absence of all facilities for this purpose was a proof
of the little attention paid to the wants of the people, the
cultivation of cotton forming the main source of their
industry and profit. In the Bombay district there were
abundant materials for the construction of roads, and
although a report recommending their formation had
been made no less than forty years since, and although
the company were receiving from that district three
quarters of a million of revenue every year since that
period, little or nothing had yet been done. It was im-
portant that every possible encouragement should be
given to the growth and cultivation of cotton i❑ India,
and that could never be accomplished until the means of
communication were improved. He contrasted the
state of the public roads in Ceylon with those in Bom-
bay—in the former place, in the last four or five years,
not less than 1,200 miles of road had been made or re-
paired, the result of which had been to increase consi-
derably the value of land, and to enable the inhabitants
to obtain supplies of the necessaries of life at a reason-
able rate. The Hon. and Gallant Proprietor concluded
by quoting several authorities for the purpose of show-
ing that the safety and prosperity of their ledian
empire depended upon the more general cultivation of
Cotton.

General BRIGGS seconded the motion, and took occa-
sion to point out the vast importance of promoting the
growth of cotton in India. At the present moment they
cultivated a larger amount of cotton than was used in all
the manufaetoriei of England, although so little of it was
consumed here. It should be borne in mind that they
obtained from India the very finest descriptions f
cotton, and that it could be cultivated at a very small
expense. Notwithstanding the want of means of com-
munication, India corn had been brought to Liverpool,
landed, and all expenses of freight, paid, at 3d. per
lb., and that cotton had been immediately sold at 6c1.,
being cent. per cent. profit. What they wonted %us
that the manufacturers of England should Si nd cut
agents there to purchase and ship cotton for this country,
and to make advances for the purpose of extending its
cultivation. Much of the cotton grown in India was
unfit for the manufacturers of England; but let there be
only a market opened for it, and he was satisfietd that,
like indigo, it would soon become a large and profitable
article of export. He referred to the va,t public works
which were constructed in formr.r times by the native
governments and princes of India, which put to shame
the little that had been done by the East India Com-
pany. It was very remarkab!e that in tho.e districts in
which roads were constructed no famines had taken
place. He really thought that some annual permanent
fund should be appropriated for the purpose of improv-
ing the chief or trunk lines of communication.

lir. SULLIVAN supported the motion, complaining of
the little encouragement that had been given to the con-
struction of railways in India, and objected to the gua-
rantee that the company propescd to give to one of

these companies with regard to a project which would
never pay, although a million and a half was to be ex-
pan led in the construivion of the railway.
The CHAIRMAN observed that they bad a speech upon
roads, a speech upon cotton, and a speech upon railways;
but what seemed to him most extraordinary was, that
gentlemen who had been so long in India appeared to
know so little of what really had been done in that
_ _

j country. In one of the districts which produced the
largest amount and the best description of cotton, the
roads were in the most satisfactory state. The Hon.
Chairman read the reports of colletors of different dis-
tricts to the same effect, and observed that he did not
think any country could show more efficient means of
communication. In fact, in none of the cotton-growing
districts of Bombay did a want ( f means of transport
exist, except, perhaps, during the rainy season. No
doubt, it would be very advantageous to have large sums
of money expended for that purpose; but it should be
recollected that the money
they had ti expend was
collected from the people of India, and their in-
terests mast be coesidered. In the course of
nine years they had expended in roads, bridges,
canals, and embankments, no less a sum than
2,282,8941. On the embankment of the Ganges Canal
they had made assignments to the amount of 970,0004,
en another embankment 50 000/.; and as bacrteen stated
by the Hon. Proprietor, 1,500,000/. for railways, no
hoped gentlemen would then inquire before they mad.
these statements. With regard to cotton, be could as-
sure the proprietors that they had themselves beCome
the purchasers and shippers of cotton to England.
'There was one consignment of cotton, amounting to 300
bates, which they had sent to Manchester. The cost was
about 1,4001, and A had realised, after paying all ex-
penses, a profit of 690/.—(Hear, hear.) A single indi-
vidual in India had erected a large quantity of machinery
for the purpose of ginning, cleaning, and preparing cot-
ton for the English market. Another batch of cotton
sent to England, which cost 5,6701., was sold for 6.9614
leaving a profit of 1,291/. after paying all expenses. He
hoped these statements would satisfy the Hon. Gentle-
man who brought forward the motion. _
__ . . __

Colonel SYKsIiS also bore testimony to the great im-
provements that had taken place recently in the means
of int9rn4l communication, and reminded Hon. Proprie-
tors that the Company had been engaged in expensive
wars, which had teen forced upon them, and which had
very seriously crippled their resources.
Colonel DICKENSON, after the explanations that bad
been given, consented to withdraw his motion; and after
some further discussion, the Court adjourned.

GRAND ENTERTAINMENT TO