Star.
London, England, 1828-05-29 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH' WALES.

The advantages of transportation to this favourite
Colony have long since been duly estirtiate2l by the
lower orders of Society, of which the following anec-
dote is a singular instance:
The 46th Reginteort of Foot having been on duty a
Sydney, during the years 1818 and 1819, sailed in the
early part of 1820 for Madras. Shortly after their
' arrival, two of the privates were charged with the eerious
offence of coining, and being tried and eoniieted, were
sentenced to transportation, and sent nut as convicts to
-the colony from which they had so lately been removed.
A few weeks subsequently information was given to
'he police (by an anonymbns communication) that a
gang of eight or ten other privates of the same re-
giment were catrying on the like nefarious manu-
facture. They were accordingly taken into custody,
committed, tried, and convicted. Meanwhile it had
reached the ears of the Commanding °Zee,, that
the apparent criminality of so many of his men was
but a manoeuvre to procure their speedy return to the
favourite coloby in which they had so long been
;quartered. He forthwith made a representation of the
circumstances which had come to his knowledge to the
Governor in Council, accompanying such statement with
the assurance that if the convicted gang should be tran-
sported to Sydney. his regimint would shortly be re-
duced ma mere skeleton. The punishment was there•
fore changed to imprisonment and hard labour at Ma-
dras, and the virtue of the remaining privates of the 46th
•Itegtment was no longer terdpted with the alluring bait
of transportation to New South Wales. It is scarcely
necessary to observe that neither coining ntrr• forgery
are punishable as capital -teepees in our East Indian
territory.

By an Edict published at St. Petersburgh on the 4th
inst. it is forbidden to dye in dark green and black;
colours foreign woollen cloths, under a penalty of 100
roubles per piece.
According to the latest accounts from the southern
countries of Europe. where silk is a principal object of
'trade, all the silk worms are in a thriving condition,
and promise an abnindant crop. In Smyrna, Bronssa,
and other parts of Asia Minor, no fears are entertained
on this year's supply.
As a proof of the extreme rigour of the winter in
the North of Europe, it is mentioned that two Prussian
and three Lubeck •easels, which had sailed from
Bolder-Aa on -the 18th of April, laden with merchan-
dice of Russia* produce, were obliged to put back into
that port on the 21st, hissing met with a large quantity
of ice -near the Island of Rano. The number of vessels
which had arrived at Riga by the end of April was
160: 23 bad sailed.

Letters and Papers from Guayaquil and gogota,
which have been received by the list post. bring intel-
ligence that most important events lave taken plate is
Lim; in the beginning of Jantarr last. A Conspiracy
was disto•ertd there' and the celebrated VlDanana,
who was at the bead
of it, was immediately arrested,
and, together with four Colonels, and twenty other per-
sons of influence, thrown into prison. Their object, it
appears, was to overthrew the present GoVereines; of
Peru and toga bp Gaining SANTA Cabs. The same
letters mention also that serious disturbances have taken
plate in several pant of tipper Peru, slid, on the rude,
everything stems to portend It 4itg War.

Yesterday a General Spectal Court of Pioprietort
' took place in Leaderihall-street.
The CHAIRMAN (Was. Anna.. Esq.) informed the
Proprietors that the Court was Special, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the propriety of gr,antint it
pension of 2001. a year to Major George Cunningham,
such being the opinion of the Court of Directors, at
etipressed in a Resolution to that effect.
The &repletion of the Court of Directees having bees rea,
• The CHAIRMAN moved its confirmation by apt Pro.
prietors.
Captain MAIWZLL did not object to the, propiiety.
of the grant; but thought that if it was the iTeiltifin of.;
the Directors to put all officers that Oiine hQ.Mq
health en the retired list, such shttuldiie notified to If'
officers iu India, as it certainly was riot so utiderstood
at present: be did not Mein to say that invalids should
be altowed, after-returning. to go out again to =tied,
service in India; but it was certainly as well that those,
who were serving should understand as much.
M. TaAu approied of the greet' to Major Con.
ninghassi'and be was happy to embrace that opportu-
laity of stating how gratetel he was to the Major for
saving his lice, and indeed those of all the English re-
sit:lett id the place which he had so Ilienfelly defended,
and to which he (Mr. Trent) had no doubt that Liltijots
Cunningham's broken health was entirely twang. He,
for one, should have been most willing to have agreed
in a tatter grant, had suck been the opinion of the
Directors; and he could not bet hope that the time
Would still come when Major Cunningham would be
testoted to the service, as his health was daily returning
to its pristine strength.
Mr. RIGBY approved of the grant, as Major Cunning-
ham had behaved most meritoriously in the insucreCtion
where-he received his wound. He could not, however,
agree with Mr. Thant. that enengh had not been done
under the tircomstances, as with this additional.2ool.
the Gallant Officer would be receiving 5001. per anriuth.
Mr. GAHAGAN expressed his concurrence in the
grant. •
Lieutenant General Tnodurou asked whe•her there
was any likelihood of the Major's being again 'employed ? •
because, it strdh were the case, be should *Mae as. an •
ansebdthetit, that this grant be only continued so hang
as ths Gallant Major was out of employment.
The CHAIRMAN said that the grant was only given
on the understanding that the Major could not again be
tailed into active service, and he, therefore, thought that
they would only he taking away from the grace of the
grant, Without any ptospett of the annuity ever muse- ,
toe to the feeds of the Company.

'ae attestation was then carried mud piously.
then laid fiefort the Prdprietors'
the trial of Ctinstits Piescott, and
nth etk, itl the Court of king's Beliefs; by which it ap- .
peired that the Court of. Directors had resolved to recal ,
Coiner I#ayie from Madras, as it appeared that his
pointment took place under curt upt circumstances.
Capt#in Pas-scam begged that' the strictest investi-.
gation might be made into the case. He had been
'hinotrably acquitted by a Jury; but unless be was
also acquitted by thin Court, he would never shelter
himself behind his Directorship, but would instantly
retire from his office—thew, hear !)
The Hon. Mk. IL Lttiosat slid, that though • the
subjett was M him replete nith painful sensat#ohs; yet.
at it had been introduced by a worthy Proprietor, he
would take that opportunity of saying a few words upon
it. When the question had first presented itself in a
suspicious nature to the Court of Diiectori, he, fiats
the situation that he then held, thought it to be his duty
to make every possible investigation on the subject,
for ),e. certainly thought that it was of the first .
importance that it should not for a moment be sup-..
posed that the patronage of the East India 'Com-
, pany was disposed of in a corruft manner; or that; if
such were unfortunately the case, that the Board of
Directors was disposed to screen any individual, what-
ever his simationefrom the censequenees of such conduct.
The result of this investigation had been, that the whole
of the circumstances of the case were laid before a Jury
in the Court of King's Bench, and Captain Prescott had
by them been hoirobi ably acquitted, .n which that Jury
had certainly but coincided with the ('pinion that had
been formed by the Committee that had been appointed
previously to investigate the matter.
Captain Paascoxr said, that he could .only repeat
what he had befote said—Which was, that he courted
the fullest investigation into his conduct. He had
given away bat eight appointments since he had been •
one of the Directors of the Company. Tile names of
the persons whom he had appointed wete open to
inspection; the persons themselves could be called;
and it would therefore be very easy to ascertain
what were the motives that had actuated- him in
the disposal of a patronage which he had newel
hoarded, as though waiting for persons on whom
he should bestow it. That the public investigation to
which the Honourable D:rectot had alluded had been
made, none was more glad than himself ; but if there
was any thing of which he felt disposed to complain, it •
was that no notice whatever of the Committee bad been.
afforded to him, but that he had been summoned beloit
it on the instant, without any indication being previously
made to him of its purpose.
The Honourable Mr. LINDSAY explained, that with
respect to the formation of the Committee, he had only
known of such being the intention of the Directors nfew
hours previous to its appointment, and that therefore
no opportunity had been afforded him of 'apprising
Captain Prescott of the circumstance.
A PEOPRIETOR observed, that it was evident from
what bad fallen from the Directors behind the Bar 4
that there was some schism existing on the topic ; and
he was therefore glad that the Honourable Director;
(Mr. Lindsay) bad afforded an explanation to the Court
of the motives on which he bad acted, as the Chairman
had presented the papers to the Court without a single
observation.
Captain MAXWELL expressed a wish that the Court
of Pioprietors should be better informed en the subject
of Cadetships in general.
The CHAIRMAN said, that in presenting the pipets to
the Court, be had not thought it necessary to aecop;..
party them with any observations on his part, ai the
opiniot of the Court of Directors on the subject'wai
well known.
The. Hon Mr. LINDSAY obierved, that he had Wei
in hopes that souk Proprietor would base moved that
theft, should be printed, because it was impgs
tilirilt
oprietors bitotn4 acquainted vitt*