Star.
London, England, 1813-01-22 00:00:00

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, -
afii INBTA COAfPANI 'a tafARTER. 1
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'esterday a most numerous Meeting was held at.
'gyptian-Hall, blinsion-House, to take into
(deration the Renewal of the East India Com-
Charter.—The Loan MAYOR in the Chair.
Lordship addressed the Meeting. I feel
and highly gratified to see in this place so nu-
is and respectable a body of the first commer-
iaracters the Metropolis can boast, assembled in
use of the City and Port of London, over which
the honour to preside. We are met to csnsi.
. the proper means of resisting the attempts
are making to divert from the Metropolis the
' course of the Imports from India and China,
i I humbly presume to think involve the corn-
lal interests of the City of London, and may
affect the . prosperity of the country at large.
'all first propose, that the advertisement under
we are now assembled be read. And then,
ie Committee, who have done me • the honour
me to this Chair, should bring forward the
Ling object of the Meeting—that of preserving
City and Port of London the Import Trade
[mho and China.
GERMAIN LAWS then read the advertisement.
SMITH addressed the Chair. He deprecated
jury which must be done to the vital interests
cormnerce of this city, by the discontinuance of
_impany's exclusive Charter. The East India
Company owed its first existence to the exertions of
a few individuals at the close of the 16th century.—
It continued in the form of a Company till the pro-
tectorate of Oliver Cromwell, who dissolved it and
opened the trade, induced by the clamours of the
mercantile . adventurers of that day. It remained
open from 1653 t 0.1657, during which► short period
the influx of goods was so great and disproportioned
to the demand for them, that it ruined those who
were engaged in the trade, and it/was found neces-1
sAry to restrict it once more to the India Company.
This was the - first experiment. Another had been
niade in the reign of King William, with the same
c Insequences and the same ruin to those who had
Leen most clamorous for it. The exclusive privi-
leges of the Company were then renewed, and had
remained in their hands ever since, with honour to
themselves, and equal advantage to the country at
large. Such were at present the connections and
establishments of the Company, that he believed,
from the best calculations, more than 30,000 indivi-
duals in this city alone were directly employed by
the Company. And if to these we add those who`
indirectly and collaterally owed a subsistence to the
same source. it would be found that not less than
100,000 persons would be thrown into poverty and
distress, by granting the Petition of the Out-ports,
from which they themselves could reap no probable
advantage. The present distressed state of com-
merce had arisen from the shutting up. of the North-
ern ports of Europe, and from the interruption of
our intercourse with America, and not irom the mo-
nopoly of the East India Trade. Mr. Smith then
went into some other topics, to shew the impolicy of
admitting an unrestrained into course with India,
and concluded by expressing his concurrence with
the sentiments of a popular writer, who had said,
that Parliament, when theAuestion was regularly
brought before them, would take a comprehensive
and deliberate view of the subject in all its beatings,
and would not suffer the Company to be deprived of
its property, the Crown of its revenue, and the coon•
try of its freedom.
The first Resolution was then moved by Mr. SMITH.
and seconded by Mr. BAssrrr, in a short speech.
MTAVAITHMAN rose to speak, and having mounted
the hustings, declared that he should not have offered
himself to the notice of the meeting if any other indivi-
dual had appeared desirous of expressing his sentiments
on a subject of so much intricacy, embracing such a
wide range both of arguments and facts, and of such
importance not only to the merchants of the city of
London, but to the whole of the community. On
such a question, he would rather have listened to the
arguments of others better acquainted with the sub-
ject, in the hope of obtaining information. From
the Advertisement in the Papers, he was at a loss,
indeed, to know the object of the Meeting, as it ap-
peared from the wording that it was only to pass cer-
tain Resolutions.

CHere Mr. Waithman was interrupted by Mr.
Twining, jun. who desired that the Advertisement
might be read; 'and the Lord Mayor having ex-
plained,]
Mr. WAITHMAN said that he found he was borne
out in the construction he had put upon the adver-
tisement, and he would insist that his Lordship bad
no right to grant the Hall for the .purpose of any
Meeting from which the Citizens of London were to
be excluded, or in which they were not at liberty to
express their free opinion.— (Great efitapprohation and
ale: of Question.)
The Loan MAYOR wished Mr. Waitbtnan to state
his opinions, but requested that he would do it as
concisely, and with as few digressions as possible.
Mr. WAITHMAN said, that the time for which he
should occupy the attention of the Hall, would' de-
pend entirely an the number of interruptions he
should meet with.--(Here there were repeated trice of
p and hieus.)
Mr. WArrinwAN declared he was not at all affect-
el by these marks of disapprobation, as they were
only a proof that those who uttered them were afraid
they could not answer his arguments.—( More hints,
wick considerable applaute.)
Mr. Twinino again came forward to request that
the first Resolution should be read, which was done.
Mr. WAITHMAN proceeded. He thought it rested
with the Lord Mayor to call him to order, if he de-
‘l,ited from it • but he hoped he would not suffer the
order of the Meeting to be interrupted by any indi-
°'‘ln4l who should feel disposed to dictate to the
"h'eLing what they should do (..wi/aute.) Mr. Twi-
T'''l,t did lint even know whether be meant to oppose
cr second the Resolutions.
Mr. Rowcuorx rose to order. —He conceived that
thi3 we not the proper place or time to enter into
tie wtneral question. That Mec:ing had been called,
and it had assembled, to express the serious sense en-
tertained by the individuals composing it of the clan-
yt•r to their known immediate practical interests to
4pprehended from the removal of the India jai,-
p .rt trAcle from the port of London. They did not
t,nrne there either qualified to represent the general
-:lhetal question ; e of the country, nor prepared to discuss the ge-
but they met for a confined, deter-
mdit2.l but important purpose—that of laying before

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