Star.
London, England, 1828-03-20 00:00:00

INDIA HOUSE.

A Quarterly General Meeting of the Holders of East
India Stock was held yesterday, at the India House,
Sir HUGH LINDSAY in the Chair. The minutes of the
last Meeting having been-confirmed, the Chairman laid
before the Meeting the Account of the Stock of tht
Company, which should have been submitted at the
last Meeting, and communicated the several Accounts
directed by the Acts of Parliament for the regulation of
the Company.
The Resolution confirming the grant of a pension of
SOW. per annum to Captain THOMAS BUCHANAN, the
Superintendant of the Bombay Marine, was then put
from the Chair.

To this an Amendment was put and carried, that the'
pension should be for .6 so long as he shall remain out
of emploment::
Mr. Sastum. Dixon asked, whether it was intended
that a pension such as this should continue after an
event which was possible—he meant the death of the
Company.?
The CHAIRMAN hoped the Company would never
die. lie apprehended that, if it should die, the pension
trust die with it. _ _

Sit ROBERT WIORAM (one of the Directors) said,
that as this was a chartered Company, all its acts must
expire with its charter, whenever that event took place.
Mr. POTNDER, after some conversation as to the se•
gularity of putting a que.tinn in the present stage of
the pt. ceedirss, on a subject r f considerable import
:ince (it was understood to relate to the burning of
Hindoo widows), against which Captain Maximus,
ColOrtel STANHOPE, and Mr. Dixon protested, consented
to postpone his questii n.
DISMISSAL Of MR. COURTINAT SMITH.
The Secretary haying read the following motion, of
• /I ch notice- had been given by Colonel S anhope,
" That this Court of Proprietors has heard with regret that
Mr. Courtenay Smith, Chief Judge of the Supreme Native Court
in Bengal, has ',evil suspended from his office for having expressed
the following opinion, namely—' that as suits appealed to the Au-
thorities in England are decided by them after many years, and as
the period of the Honourable Company's Charter will shortly ex-
pire, and a., "after the expiration of the present Charter, It uncer-
tain whether it will be renewed, as the government of the country
will be assumed by his Nlajesty, in my opinion, the security of the
Government is such as cannot be accepted. But as this is an un-
common circumstance* requires the concurrence of another judge."
The CHAIRMAN rose and said, that in answer to the
Gallant Offieei's motion, he had to inform the Court,
that the writers of tie East India House had been exa-
mined, and chat no information had been received on
the ruhject.
Colonel STANHOPE thought that if there was no in-
formation received on this subject, there had been great
remissness on the part of the Government in India. The
subject had been before Parliament, and was the topic
of general conversation in this country for five or six
months past. As the Indian Government bad not trans-
mitted any information on the subject, perhaps the
Court would accept some information even from so
humble an individual as himself. The fact was, that
Mr. Courtenay Smith had been dismissed by the Indian
Government for giving a conscientious opinion in his
judicial capacity, on a case which came before him be-
ta een a subject and the Government. Colonel Stan•
hope was proceeding to read a printed Report of the
case alluded to, when
The CHAIRMAN interposed, and hoped the Hon.
Proprietor would suspend his motion until the Court of
Directors had received some information on the subject.
Colonel STANIrrs said, that the ci.cumstance was
-.stated in Parliament by Mr. Brougham, and not denied.
The CHAIRMAN said, Mr. Brougham had pottpnned
his motion in Parliament, on the very ground be had
now taken the liberty to suggest to the Gallant Colonel.
Colonel STANHOPE, after a few words, consented to
postpone his. motion.
• CARNATIC COMMISSION.

Captain MARSISI.D brought forward a motion re-
specting the Cal natic Commission. He stated that the
Commission had been in existence for twenty-three years,
and had cost upwards of two millions of money. The
whole amount of claims which the Commission was
appointed to. inquire into was about 50,000,000. of
which the Commissioners decided absolutely and pro-
visionally for claims to about two millions and a half,
and against claims amounting to 27,000,000.
The CHAIRMAN begged to refer the Hon. Proprietor
to the Report before the House of Commons, by the
Commissioners, on the 10th of this month, and after that
he would put it to the Hon. Proprietor whether he
would not withdraw his motion.
The Report having been read, Captain MAR/IRLD
expressed himself satisfied, and withdrew his motion.
STAMP ACT.

Colonel STAWHOIon said, that the motion which he
had now to offer to the Court was relative to a measure
which certainly souaded ominous to the ear, for a Stamp
Act it was that lost to this country British America.—
The Stamp Act in India was alike unjust and impolitic,
and dangerous. This Act was secretly canvassed by
the Board at Calcutta, and secretly sent over to this
Court; where it was also secretly discussed and sent
to the Board of Coutroul ; where it was again secretly
considered, and sent once again to Calcutta as a law,
binding those who were wholly ignorant of every thing
about it until it had been finally adopted.
The Craittamas here interfered, and said that in a
motion for the production of papers relating to the
Stamp Act, it was not in order to di►cuss the measure
itself.
A long discussion here took place, which was at
length terminated by Colonel STANHOPeS consenting
to withdraw his motion for the present, and giving no-
tice for the nest Court day of a motion, which would
bring the details fully before the Meeting.
SALE Of PATRONAGE.

The CHAIRMAN now said, that he had to inform the
Meeting, that a prosecution had been instituted against
certain persons for conspiring to unlawfully dispose of
the patronage of the Company, and that a trial had
taken place, the short hand notes of which he was then
prepared to lay before them.
Captain PRRtCOTT—I have served the Company,
man and boy, for forty-eight or forty-nine years, and I
am now happy to appear again before the Company,
after an absence of nine months, without a stain upon
my character— (Hear.) I beg, Gentlemen, that you'
will read over those papers; you cannot oblige me
more. Without your confidence, be assured of it. lam
not the man who will ever sit behind this bar—(Hear).
Some further bailie's, of no public importance, then
took place, after which the. Court adjourned.

A numerous Meeting of the Subscribers of Lloyd'.
Coffee House took place yesterday, WatiAK Townson, Seq. M.P.
in the Chair, who stated the result of the communications the Com-
mittee had with the CMANCRIIOII of the 'itemise:as to lessen the
duties on Marine Insurances, and to which the Chancellor had re-
plied, that however desirable such a reduction would be, for the
prewar. at least, it was not
possible.
The Chairman also adverted
to thit new regulations at the Pone) 01lice, relative to the payments
of the stamp duties being made at Somerset House, instead of
Lombard-street, and the ineonvadenee which would rank from
such a measure ; the QUM:AOC had, in consequence, consented to
receive the payment at the Bank of England fur the future, which
was deemed satisfattory.

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