Star.
London, England, 1817-12-18 00:00:00

MISSING

LAST INDIA HOUSE.

Yesterday a Special Court ►of Pr►•prietors was held
at the India House, for the nurpos! of confirming
several Resolutions of the Court of Directors. The
minutes of the last Court being read, the Chairman
in►imated that the D►vidend fur the last Quarter
was 5 per cent.
Oit the motion that the sum of a€6so, in terms of
a Resolution by the Court of Directors, so long ago
as the 3J of April, 1807, be granted to George
Dominica—

Mr. Hums rose, not to oppose the motion, but to
say a few words respecting the Fee Fund. In that
Fund there were several items which ought to be
attended to by_ the Court, particuhrly that relating
to the charge on persons set:ling accounts with the
Court. It would certainly be much bc:trr that such
a fee were abolished altogether. Anoti.er item, no
less important, and proper to be abolished, w4s, that
of persons settling accounts for ships a certain size
being obliged to pay £4O. Thus was encouragement
given to competition in ttade, which was highly inju-
rious to the re .1 interests of ' the country. For example,
Liverpool Was every year doubling its trade, solely
on account of the ttigh demands made in the shape.
of fees. _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN Said, the fees alluded to had exist-
ed ever since 1727. The trade of I..;verpool might
increase, but then it was owing to the ch ages at that
Port being much less than those ..:ensaf...led at the
Port of Loudon. Over the Port of London this
Court had n, comma, and it was impissible, there-
foie, to blame the Directors for what they had no
power to prevent.
The Resolution was then agreed to, as were also
seven,' Resolutions for granting seli!O a.yesr to Cap-
tain John Coggin, £6OO to John Holland, 8600 to
Peter Frost, £S(X) to Robert Perth, and the same
sums to William Martel-, John Mason and to Lady
Wintertou.
Mr. Hume, before the Court adjourned, wished
that the Court of Directors would pay some atten-
tion to the state of the army in India, which he had
every reason to believe was in a rather inferior aim.
tion from want of European Officers. He had heard
tbat there was only one European Officer over 500 men.
Mr. DIXON—" I rise to order, Sir. If such state.
rents are not founded on well. authenticated evidence,
why should they be made public ?"
The CHAIRMAN •••46 I am sure the good sense of
the Court-will lead them to see the impropriety of
entering into such a discussion at the present moment.
I can. safely say no attention is wanting to the milt.
tary
.establishmery, either by myself, colleagues, or
the Commissioners ; and I subinit that such a gene-
ral discussion of this topic w, old he doing harm.
Adjourned till Wednesday, 7th January.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
East India House, when the following Commanders
took leave of the Court previous to deiat king tor their
respe:iive destinations, viz.
Captain W. Patterson, Canning; Captain W. Majoribanks,
Thomas Coatis ; Captain
.Artbibald H. Campbell, Duke of
York; Captain 1. Jameson, Earl of Mak:arras • Captain D. Mac
I.eod, Marquis of Huntley; Captain F. Adams, Buckingham.
shire—fur Bombay and China.
Captain Taint was sworn into the, command of
the ship Northampton.
Some time since we announced an unpleasant affray
that had taken place at a village near St. Ostlers, be.
tween some British troops and tl:e inhabitants. The
particulars have never yet been folly stated. The
following letter gives some of the particolarst
" About the end of the last month, a very unpleasant affray
took place between some English soldiers of the Otl Dratmons,
and the inhabitants of a village, close to Ardres, near St.Onier's,
which arose from an alteret.tiou respecting the quarter. of a pri-
vate Dragoon. Notwithstanding that be had a billet from the
Mayor upon a house._ the owner wou.d trot take him In, upon
which a quarrel ensued, and in a little time the bill of the village
was run, and the whole o: the inhabitants of the neighbouring
villages belonging to the same commune assembled, with all
manner of weapons, and commenced a lire upon oar troops—
several ot whom, I am sorry to say, were wounded, one with a
musket ball through the body, and another with ore through the
leg. A aerjuant bad his bead dreadfully lacerated. About eleven
more were wounded in a less degree with small Shot. The
French haduo placed themselves as to form three parts ot a circle,
and not a man of them was wounded. Upon the investigation
of the subject, and after it had been fully and satisfactorily proved
that it was a premeditated thing, the Mayor ot this Commune,
iii vindication olthe French, wins it French vivacity. But. it
Cie French, by cencealMs themselves behind trees, tiring out of
doors and windows, a 1111111111 l together with bre arms charged
with all kind of things, and lu the most delibsr.te manner cow-
ntenctrg tho attack, can with any kind ot lace call Ibis givarite
fret:vile the CoMmander in Chief of the Army of Occupation
will doubtless not permit an occurrence of thrs aware 'o
without inflicting some correction upon the tingle:4re. At
present, matters are in a treat measure Mai.ing fur the result art
the poor innortunate boldter wounded through the boo Lls. tie
continues in a very precarious situation. I he others I ituderetand
1 are doing well. ',lke *lnning cf the disturbance "Paella flak."