The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-21 00:00:00

INDIA HOUSE.

A Quarterly General Court of Proprietors was held
yesterday, for the purpose of declaring a dividend, and the
Court was made special, for the purpose of laying before
the Proprietors, for their approbation, an unanimous Re-
solution of the Giurt of Directors, of the 28d ult., granting
to Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell, G.C.8., a pen-
aion of 1,0001. per annum, for his distinguished services in
India.

The Hon. Hut* LINDSAY in the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN declared a dividend of five and a quarter
per cent. on the capital stock of the Company, for the half
year ending the sth of July next.
The Report of the Committee on the by-laws was re-
ceived.

The Crta 'raw; said that the Court was made special
for the purpose of laying before the Proprietors a Resolu-
tion of the Directors, of the 23d of May, granting a pen-
sion of 1,000/. per annum to Sir Archibald Campbell, for
his distinguished services in India during the Burmese war,
the pension commencing from the date of the treaty of
Peace. He said it was unnecessary for him to say anything
relative to the distinguished services of Sir Archibald
Campbell. When he was within sight of the capital, and
might have entered it by force of arms, and have massacred
the inhabitants, he did not look to any personal advantage
to himself which might have resulted from following up
the campaign, but he prudently stopped the progress of
his gallant army, fur the benefit of the public service. He
moved that the Court approve of the Resolution, for the
grounds therein stated.
The DIYUTY-CHAIRMAN seconded the Resolution.

Mr. Horse: was happy to concur in the vote, and said it
was impolitic to make distinctions between the King's of-
ficers and the Company's servants. It was known that
great dissatisfaction prevailed in India on the subject.
There was too great a disposition in the Court to appoint
King's officers to situations in India which the Company's
officers were much better qualified to fill. He hoped the
Court would discourage a preference to King's officers in
future.

Sir Jour; DOYLE approved of the grant, and intended to
call the attention of the Court on a future occasion to a
proposition (In the subject, which he had now under con-
sideration.

Dr. GILCHRIST approved of the grant.
The CHAIRMAN denied that any improper selections had
been made of the King's Officers, to the prejudice of the
Company's servants.
The Resolution was then agreed to.

Captain MAXFIELD brought forward his motion for an
inquiry into the mode of examining the accounts of the
several Boards in India. He thought those Boards ought
to be abolished, and concluded by moving for a return of
several papers connected with the management of the Ma-
rine Board of Calcutta.
Colonel STANHOPE seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN could see no grounds for the production
of the papers in question, and should oppose the motion.
Dr. GILCHRIST supported the motion.
Mr. LARKING opposed the motion.
Mr. LOWNDES was no party man, but regretted to see
parties in the India House as well as in the House of Com-
mons.

-----.
Captain MATrirtmu replied at length, urging the same
objections be made use of before.
The question was then put, and negatived.

Dr. Cmcittusx brought forward his motion on the sub-
ject of the House Lists, and the mode in which the elec-
tions for Directors were carried on. He was afraid that

the Directors would not give up the House Lists, even if an
angel from heaven should come down for the purpose. By
an old by-law, any Proprietor was incapacitated from office
under the Company, or from sitting at the Board of Diree-
tors, in case any Proprietor should exercise any undue in-
fluence in the election of a Director. It was notorious that
this by-law was violated at every election for the Direc-
tion, when particular individuals were recommended by the
whole of the Directors in the public newspapers. The
twenty-four Directors exercised the whole power on these
occasions, and no individual had any chance of being
elected unless he came recommended by the Directors.—
_ _ _

He moved " That the breaches of the by-taws respecting
the House Lists be recommended to the consideration of the
Board of Directors."
Colonel STAVIIOPT seconded the motion.
Mr. RANDAL JACKSON supported the motion.

The CHAIRMAN said the House Lists, or whatever they

might be called, were not signed at a Board by the Direc-
tors on any occasicn, but were merely signed by them in
their individual capacities of Proprietors. It was usual
to recommend those persons as candidates who were most
eligible to fill the office of Directors. The practice of re
commending individuals to the Directory was now dis-

continued.
After some observations from Sir C. FOREIFS, Mr. R.
JACKSON, and Mr. Low}thas, Dr. GILCPIRIST withdrew
the motion.

Colonel STANHOPE brought forward his promised mo-
tion respecting the writerehips, cadetships, and all the °ther
patronage in the gift of the Directors ; and recommending
that in future these appointments should be publicly sold—
the proceeds to he applied to the reduction of the Com-

pany's debt. The patronage was worth half a million o'
money annually. The appointments in the gift of each
Director were worth 22,500/.—a coin greater by five times
than the salary of the President of America. The Gallant
Colonel said—
A Writership was estimated at £b,ooo

A Cadetship at

1,011

A Surgeon at l,oof
A Chaplain at l,OOO
Appointments made by the Court of Direetore in 1825,
were—

42 Writerships £210,000
403 Cadetships
44 Surgeons . 44,000
5 Chaplains

The total amount for five years . 2,710,000

And the average yearly value ..

542,000

The yearly value of patronage to each Director... 22,58$
Besides the appointment, of Bishops, Judges, Lawyers, At-
torneys, Professors, 2,500 appointments at the India House,
and contracts for ships, stores, &c. These facts, he said.
would make the Court of Directors wince, and particular])
the Hon. Chairman, who appeared not to relish the die
cussion of a subject so unpleasant as the patronage of tin
Honourable Body to which he belonged. The Gallarn
Colonel concluded by moving a resolution embodying th,
main feature of his speech.
Mr. LOWNDES seconded the motion, but objected to th,
sale of Bishoprics and Chaplaincies. The Hon. Proprieto]
said he was a young member of the Court (although abou
sixty years of age), and was anxious to deliver his seuti•
ments without reserve. The Learned Gentleman, allud-
ing to what had fallen from Colonel Stanhope, who, in hi
speech, read an extract from one of David Hume's " Es
says on the State of the Taxation of the Country," said i
seas a most able reply of the Hon. Member for Montrose
(Mr. Joseph Hume) to Mr. Cobbett on the state of th,
currency.

The Honourable Proprietor's blunder caused mucl,
laughter, for he confounded the writings of Mr. Josepl,
Hume with those of Mr. David Hume, the historian. Tor
Learned Gentleman (who, by-the-by, is a Scotchman:.
proceeded to address the Court at some length in a mos'
incoherent manner, and he was several times called t,
order ; and such was the impatience of the Court, he was,
after some time, obliged to sit down.
Colonel STANHOPE rose to explain, and was called t,
order; and the explanation between the Gallant Office
and the young Proprietor, from the opposite sides of th,
Gallery, was quite theatrical and amusing.
The CHAIRMAN called upon the Gallant Colonel (Stan-
hope) to explain what he meant by the word wincing.
as applied to him in the course of the Gallant Colonel':
speech.
Colonel STANHOPE explained, that he meant nothiw.
disrespectful to the Hon. Chairman in what had faller
from him.

The CHAIRMAN then put the question on Colonel Stan-
hope's resolution, and it was negatived without a division.
Doctor GILCHRIST, in the absence of Captain Maxfield•
put some questions to the Chairman respecting
state of the finances of the Company ; after which thu
Court adjourned at five o'clock. the present

The hay harvest has very generally
in this neighbourhood, and the crops, commence,
generally spealcin
are very goad,though ;.n some spots the grass comes dow
lighter than was expected.--M Amapa.