The Sun.
London, England, 1819-04-22 00:00:00

INVERNLI MING.

Mr. CRIPPS pest ii a petition from John
11I`1'41,elet; Ley. cOmpl:Uning of the undue return
of the ot. F.. XV. Primrose as a Member to
serve to Parli,oneut for the Inverkeithing district
of Borodghs.—Ordered to be taken into consider-
ation on the I lilt of May.
Alrlortwan Woop gave notice, that he should on
th, 27,h instant move for leave to bring in a Bill
for promoting the employment of the poor in the
fisheries in Ireland, by the encouragement of parts
nership undertakings.
Alderman WooD said, be held in his hand a
petition from a person named John Dutrene, late
of Leeds, in Yorkshire, and at present confined by
order of the Commissioners of Bankruptcy, pray-
ing that he might he allowed to give evidence at
the Bar Of the House on the subject of the Bank-
rupt Law generally, and more particularly with
refereoes to that part of it which relates to his
own case i and praying also that the House would
take into its consideration, whether, as the law
Dow stood, a reasonable ground for refusing to
answer questions put by the Commissioners ought
Inn to protect a bankrupt from their-arbitrary
power of imprisonment.--Ordered to lie on the
table, and to be pi kited
Mr. DowDESwFLL presented a petition from
the Borough of Tewkesbury, praying that 110
further indulgences should be extended to the
Roman Catholics."—Ordered to lie on the table-.
Lord LowTHER, seeing an Hon. Member (Mr.
Curwen) in his place, wished to ask him,
sihe-
tlier it was his intention- to tomtit arty motion on
the paper's now, produced, relwive to the accounts
of the Receivel-General of the County of Cum-
berland )

Mr. Cuawex replied, that having itispected
those papers, he had nu hesitation, in stating that
he was completely satisfied.
Lord LOWTHER complained of the statements
sr filch had been put in circulation respecting large
sums being unaccounted for.
Air. CURWEN observed, that such rumours
could not have arisen from any thing which had
fallen from him, having, studiously guarded him-
self from making observations that might be con-
strued to convey a personal reflection. He had
acted front no other motive tl►atr a desire to dis-
charge his public duty,
General MAtioN presented a petition front the
County of Roscommon, praying for the repeal of
the It kb Grand Jury Presentment Act.—Ordered
to lie on the table.

Lord FEANCIS Osaoatis presented a petition
from the Turn of Cambridge, playing for the
establishment of Courts for the Recovery of
Small Debts.—Ordered to lie on the table.
On the motion of Mr. BENNET, the new Chim-
ney sweepers' Regulation Ilia went through a
Com:ill:tee, and the Report ordered to be received
to - morto 'v.

Mi.. BEN NET moved, on the ground of a certifi-
cote of ill Lealch, that Sir F. Burdett have leave
cf absence tor a foftnight.—Ortlered.

LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

Mr. BENNET 'heti gave notice of his intention
to wove on the sth of May, for leave to bring in
n Biil For the better Regulation of the Licensing
Svst ern.

On the motion of Mr. LUSFIINGTON, the Life
Annuities Bill was read a first time.
An Hon. MEmnca, whose name could not be
ascertained, moved that IV, Corry, a prisoner con-
fined in llchester Gaol, should be brought up in
custinly of the Gaoler, in order to give evidence
belor'e the Election Comtnittee.—Ordered.
Mr. LUSiIINGTON then MOVed, that the HOLM
‘VYNN suggested the propriety of enforc-
Ing the order for calling over the names of Mem-
bers immediately after the appointment of the
ballot, for • admitting none subsequently, and for
allowing no business to intervene till the list
should be gone thrOugh.—Ordered.
Mr. IVILsoN presented a petition from-the pa-
rish of Sr. Bartholemew, in the Exchange., against
the Fire Act Clergy Bill, whiCh was ordered to
. lie on the table.--Adjourned.

ACCIDENT.-Yesterday morning a young wo-
man crossing Pall-Mall over to the Haymarket,
was knocked down and rode over by the Marchio-
icess of Huntley's carriage. She was taken into
a confectioner's shop in the neighbourhood, and.
there instantly bled, and attended by Alr: Petti-
grew, of: Spring-garden, Surgeon, who imme-
diately alighted from his carriage, which was
passing by..at the time, to render her assistance.
Werinderstand, that though her clothes were torn
to piecesc she was not very seriously injured.—
'rue Marchioness, who was im the carriage at the
time of the accident, was greatly terriCed, but or.
tiered 'every attention to be
.paid to the unfortu-
Date s off:Jet..

_ _

tAq

110I7St

COMPENSATION TO MR. WILKINSON.

Yesterday a General Court of Proprietors was'
held at the Cilitrpany'S'Hoirse Leadenhall-street,•
for the purpostof proceeding in the consideration
Of a motion, Maote.ou the 24th ult.- to approve a
resolution of the Conn of Directors, of the 17th
of FebruarY, 'gran:ink to 3AMES WILKINSON, Esq.
the sum of .75,000 sites rupees, at 2s. the current
rupee) with interest thereon, at 6 per cent. per
annum, from the llth of October, 1816, to the
day when the WhOle should be paid.
The circumstances of this case, the discussion
of which, and the reading of the documents con-
nected with it, occupied the Court seven hours
and a half, were briefly these :--
Mr. Wilkinson, who has been a resident tree
trader in India for the last twenty years, had in
the year 1811 entered into large contracts for salt-
petre for five years with
,several native proprietors.
At that titne the trade in this article was open,
and encouragement given to private speculators
in it. In 1812, however, the Government of
Bengal istisd a proelArn-pion prohibiting any
trade in sAltpetre except by the Company or its
agents ; and the consequence of this- order. Was,
that Mr. Wilkinson's extensive speculations were
rendered void, by which, from the nature of the
contracts he had made, .and the then'price of the
article, he lost the means of lealizing.a fair pro-
spective profit or a sum amounting to several
lays of rupees. In the interim between that
period and the beginning of 1814, Mr. Wilkin-
\son tried to bring matters so to bear, as
that he might continue his contraci ; but
nut succeeding, he presented a statement of
his case to the Governor in Council, claiming-
compersation for the loss he hail sustained by the
unexpected .order of the Government—a loss, of
which the Company had then. got into their
hands, the sole advantages, of a trade which his
previous exertions had rrndered unusually profit-
able. The matter was referred to the Board of
Trade, who after long. consideration circlet ed, that
Mr. Wilkinson had no legal claim to any com-
pensation ; but recommended, under all the cir-
cumstances,, that be should receive the sum of
75,000 sicca rupees. It was afterwards referred
for the opinion of a Special Committee, ap-
pointed by t he Governor in Council, who
were tumultuously of opinion, that Mr.
son was in equity entitled to a considerably greater
sum. The opinions of the Board and of the
Committee were afterwards referred to the Court
of Directors, who, On the .17th of February,
adopted the recommendation of the &lard of
Trade, granting the 75,000 sicca rupees, adding
the interest, at 6 per cent., from the time that
recommendation was made. Against this resolu-
tion of the Court, however., a protest was entered,
signed by nine Directors, which slated, at some
length, their reasons why no compensation at all
should be given,
The question before the Court yesterday was,
that the resolution of the Court of Directors be
agrted to.' To this an amendment was moved by
C. Forbes, Esq., M.P., and seconded by Sir C.
Cockerell, that instead of the sum of 75,000 sicca
rupees, at 2s. the current rupee, heating interest at
per cent., from October, 1816, there should he
in-
serted in the resolution the stun of 2z-03.800 sicca ru-
pees, at 2s. 6d. the current rupee, beat hug interest at
8 per cent, front the 20th of Aptil, 1817. Mr.
Forbes and Sir C. Cockerel', in urging this reso-
lution, and Mr. Srrettell, Mr. P.' Moore, Mr. Ga-
began, and Mr. It. Jackson, in seppOrtiug it,
contended, that in point of equity Mr. Wilkinsou
was fully entitled to it ; that he had suffered a
great loss, if not of a sum-immediately in his pos-
session, at least of a very large profit, upon
which he might have calculated with morarcer-
tainty, if his speculations had not been frustrated
by the act of the Government,, which he could
neither foresee nor controul ; that though the
sum which was demanded for him might be large,
yet it was the justice of granting it, and not
the amount, which should be considered ; and that,
in justice 4he Company were bound to make a
large compensation to a man whom they had in-
jured by a measure which had put immense pro 7
tits into their own pockets. It was also added,
that the constant practice of the British Legisla-
tore, as also of the Indian Government, in many
instances, was to give compensation to indivi-
, duals who Might suffer in their property by any
legal act, and that such compensation not only
extended to the immediate JOSS sustained in that
property, but also to a certain extent to a pro-
spective one on the prOfits of business, &c. It
was maintained on the other hand, by Mr. C.
Grant, sen., Mr. Plowden, Mr. Patison, Mr.
Bebb, and Mr. S. Dixon, that Ito claim could be
made by Mr. Wilkinson, in law or equity ; that,
as a free trader, be was equally bound with all
others by the rules of the Government ; that his
speculations were made like those of others, and
that if they did not succeed, he ought not to ex-
pect a remuneration from the Company. The pre-
cedent would be a dangerous one, for if Mr.
Wilkinson's claim were allowed, it would cpen a
door to a number of similar applications trom
others. The Company had the monopoly of salt-
petre originally, and though they might have re-
signed it for a time, they had not given it up al-
together, and could - resume it whenever they
pleased.
Mr. WILKINSON, who was present during the
discussion, addressed the Cow t, and in reply to
an observation of Mr. Patison's, who regretted
his attendance on such a delicate question, defend-
ed himself From tht implied charge of [indelicacy.
He had not, he' observed, come with 'a view- of
advocating his own cause ; that had been taktn
out of his hands by the Committee appointed by
the Marquess of Hastings, who quad already de-
cided in his favour. With three Members of that
Committee he had no acquaintance ; the two
others who composed it he knew, butt their high
characters placed thetas above the suspicion of be-
ing improperly-biassed in an affair where their
honour was concerned. He had not attended the
Court to aidt a favour ; he sought not the com-
miseration but the justice of the Court ; and it
they refused to grant him justice) he should re-
nounce their compassion. .
In his reply, Mr: Foaaas, to meet the wishes
of some Members, agreed to withdraw his amend-
ment, and substitute one which would reduce it

from 265,500 sicca rupees to 180,000. ques-
tion was at ieugth put—that the words proposed to
he left out of the original resolution stand part of the
questiOd. Upon this, of►er several tittles counting
hands, and at length separating the ,yeas and nays
right and left, The:numbers were declared to he,
32 for, and 32 against. It was then deel;4ed that
the original question was negatived. The ques-
tion upon the amendment was then put, but by
some mistake, either on the part of the Chair-
man, or misapprehension on the part of the Court,
or probably trom both causes, the amendment
was also negatived by 33 to 31. Several proprietors
then came forward, and stated that they had voted
against the larger sum, with the idea that it was
put in contrast with the smaller one, which they
had by no means intended to oppose. A long,
desultory, and rather confused conversation then
ensued, in which a great number of proprietors
joined. It seemed to be agreed pretty generally,
that the last decision was the effect of mistake ;
but the great difficulty was, how the mistake
should he remedied. On one hand it was sug-
gested, that both the questions shook; be put
again ; and on the other this W 35 opposed : the
matter having already been recorded as deCided by
the Secretary. It was at length agreed on, that
the Court should adjourn, which they did accotd-
indy, with the nnderstandizig, as could he col-
lected, that the whole matter will be brought for-
ward de not'o. •

LAW INT OLLIG ENC

COURT OF CHANCERY, APRIL 2).