Star.
London, England, 1813-03-25 00:00:00

held at
«elm,
had been
bade 'special, for the purpose of laying before the
Proprietors the propositions of Lord Castlereagh, for
'renewing the Company's Charter. To the conciliatory
'oviduct of his Lordship in bringing them forward,
too much praise could not be. bestowed ; and it was
only to be lamented, that the P.ropohitious io general
did not contain that moderation which was so earnestly
to be wished for by those who bad a duoregard for
the Company's interests.
The Propositions having been read by the Clerk,.
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to animadvert on them,
and particularly objected to No. 3, which, if adopted,
would break down that system of Government which
his Lordship has so forcibly commended., After
commenting upon the various innovations proposed
by Administration, and observing, that it would be
necessary to be heard by Counsel at the Bar of both
Houses, as also that witnesses should be examined to
prove the dangers Which might arise from such inno-
vations, he concluded with moving—" That a Pe.
tition be presented to the House of Lords similar to
that which had .beeen addressed to the Commons ;"
which motion having been seconded by the Deputy
Chairman, was carried unanimously in the affirmative.
The CHAIRMAN also intimated an intention of
moving, that the Directors might be empowered,
without again convening a General Court,to affix the
Company'sseal to petitionsforexaminingwitnesses,&c.
• Mr. RANDLE Jacesoo, in a speech of very great
length, animadverted on the dangers which would
accrue to the Company, were the views of the Out-
ports ultimately successful. He contended, that the
very existence of the Proprietors was at stake, for a
mutilated existence was not worth eentending for ;
the crisis was awful, and the dangrafs attending it
Must be met with spirit t in short, the Company
roust fight it out even upon their stumps. '1 he China
trade, id not properly guarded, would be only a name,
since all the essential requisites for carrying it into
effect would be done away. The Government of
India, it was proverbial, depended upon opinion ;
and. it must I..ourally be expected that the abstrac-
tion of the commerce vo uld materially endanger that
opinion. A revenue to Government of four millions
fve+ undred thousand pounds, poured into the chests
of the public, without the expense or trouble of col-
lee4 log, was too great a stake to be put to the baz ,rd
of spt eulative adventure. He adverted, with a happy
vein Qf irony, to the different petitioners for an open
trade, which he distinguished as political and poetical
—the former Were a questionable shape, and might'
be open to reason=the latter were only asailable
throargh the medium of the keepers of St. Lukc's.
Supposing, for a moment, that all the Conq any's
efforts were ineffectual, and, that those of the Out-
ports were triumphant, it might be worth considera-
tion, whether an application should not be made to
Government for some remuneration----otne fair and'
reasonable impost upon all Indian commerce which
was independent of the Company : it might form a
guarantee fund ; a kind of sinking fund, to compen-
sate for losses, which should accumulate till it amount-
ed, to twelve millions, or 200 per cent. In the courst-
of his Address, Mr. Jackson objected to the proposed
expensive Episcopal Establishmeut.
Mr. HUME, in replying to his Le-trued Friend,
took a very copious review of past prvcectlin:4s en
this momentous question ; repeated all his forme*
arguments against the Company's widiing to retain
losing commerce; paid the highest compliments to
the Government of India, as well as to that of thi
Court of Directors; contended that the proposition,
were only presented for discussion and modification ;
expressed his disapprobation of the vessels of the out-
ports being permitted the range of the Eastern Islands,
and pointed out a mode which might rectify the evil.
tle heartily concurred with his Learned Friend in re-
probating the projected Episcopal Establishment ;
and, in order to prove that his object was coocilia-
*ion, would propose a motion for renewing, for that
purpose, the conference with Administration.
The Chairman (Sir HUGH INGLis) in the course of
W. Hume's address, with his accustomed suavity
, and good humour, had asked and obtained permis.
'ion to- quit the Chair, on urgent public business
not without, however, observing, that he felt the less
regret in so doing, leaving his friend, the Deputy
Chairman, to supply his place.
Mr. HUME then read his motion, the ground-work
of which was, to approve of the liberal views of his
Majesty's Ministers, and recommending the Execu-
tive Body to renew the negociation.
The Deputy Chairman (Mr. R. Tironsroe) ex-
plained, that in paint of order, the Chairman's mo-
tion for ailixing the Seal to Petitions (ef wh:cli he
bad given notice) must be first disposed of.
Mr. H. Rout was against the motion ; he could
not agree to resist the whole of the Propositions.
Mr. C. SMITH thought the propositions more mo-
derate, taken generally, than could havebeen expected.
The Rev. Mr. THIRLwALL defended the system
proposed by Government for an Episcopal Establish-
ment.
Mr. LowN DES professed himself not at all convinced
by Mr. Hume's argon ents, though he had been
'ouch pleased by his speeches, long.winded as they
were. He considered Messrs. Hume and Jackson, as
the. Demosthenes and Cicero of that Conn. He, for
one, could not agree with Lotd Castlereagh, in his
praise of the Executive Body : for they had permit-,
-tied the Americans to take them by surprise, while
-slumbering on their posts. As individuals, he respec-
ted them ; but as Directors they, like manure, when
-thrown into a heap, had corrupted each other :—he
disapproved their assent to the participation hincl,--L-
-that was a second kind of slumbering on duty. He
had been attacked for deserting his post—•" What !
you, who used to make so much noise—where live
you been ? What ! have you, too, been bought oirr,,
But the truth was, he had been rurakiring ; but
though one hundred miles ont.of towo, his mind had
been still in the various General Courts. He agreed
with his Learned Friend, Mr. R. Jackson, that Bishops
would be out of their element in India. -He did not
agree with •Mr. Mime, that Ministers and the Com-
pany should meet, like man and wire, half-way. fie
should be more inclined, to compfkre the parties to
father and son • the former thought he could never
give too little, le latter that he could never receive
to much. He would wish the Company to give

24?? INDIA 110USIL
%tett* Quarterly eTeneral Court was
lbe'Eastiml:a House. After the usual lore
The CITAIIIMANObserred, that the Court h.;