East India House.
The Times, 1824-02-12T00:00:00

Yesterday a Special Cou'rt ' ~ hlda,heT~ India Hoes1e, for the purpose of tIa1PIPM-Wileaddat :aveslu; tnor- "That application be mvde to P~rliamnent in tebee~tin- e sion, for the repeal of the 48th cLause of the act of the'O3'd or GMo III., cap. 155, by, which thsc Court of Directors: is .p-olibiteel frora sendling to India, in the capacity of a w-riter, aav~ pe-ison who sball not have resided during four terms at the flailey6ury College ; and for introducing into the said acta claseap~poin;tinga public exanu. nationi, at such times, and under such -reguations, as the Court of Directors, with the approbation Of the .Iord of -Control. may tit rect ; to which examination all persons shall submnit their acqtuii, ments atnd qualifications for approval, previous to their being adi .mitted to proceed in the c8pacity of wrTiters to. either of the petzii.. den des of Fort William, Fort St. George, or Bomba " The resolution was formally read by the officer of Ise Court. CALUUJ;Y tflON; THE MrAaQUIS ovF HASTINGS. -Sir-Joseri DoXYLE said, that before the Court went into the resa,' lar business of the day, he had to soliclt their attentioll for one inso. meat to a different su'bject. The Clhairman (ILA WIOGtAX, Esq., M1. P.) gaid thathf, was sorry to interrupt the gallant 'General ,but the Court bqting ?t for.special business, could not in point of order e(iter upon any thi- else, in the first instance.hin Mlr. DouGr.As KT-xNAJstD conicurred in what had fallen fromn eh hon. Chairman on the peint of order-; but theta the practice alis courtesy always *as, to all-ow any question to he put by a mnember of the N~urt, before or after the reg-ular busiress was discussed., The CseAitRMAx repeated, that the Court being specially cotiven. ed, ought not to allow any interruption to the regular businiess. Mr. Ii tIME adinitted the force of the point of order, but positivel insisted on the equal validlity of the practice in all assemblies of -l lowing a quesuion to be put, and giving the courtes3 of adi answer. Suppiose, for instance, thait the gallant General behindl him had to put suchn a quiestion as tbis-whether one of the highes4t, most dignified and honouurable officers, whichi that Company cojuld look np to, bhs4 or hadi not beeni, by their authority. impugned for an embezziement or' their property to the amount of' 300,0001 or 400,0001., and whether they did not threaten hiim with an imipeachment for such an act-. Surely, supposhig such a question to be put, the Chaiiman would feel thie justice and necessity ot'giv-ing art answer, ay or nio. (Hear,' hear.) As mnen of honour andl justice, they would'feel the force of the appeal, and inore particularly when the individual said to be irr.. culpated had in no other place an equtal opportunity of obtaining tbe saine prompt and decisive redress. Hle (IMr. Hlume), on a late occa. si.on, took a hostile view Of thie motioni for presenting a large pecu.. niar rant to tIme M1arquis of Hastings ; but thie same motives of- ubli duty which then promnpted hiis conduct, wouldI now, if the~ Chiairmnan persevered in hiis silence, compel him to regret the. day he had ever entered into that Court, if the in. terposition of strict order and formal rule were suffered to operate againtst the administration of fair,open,and substantial justice.(Hear, hecar.) By the answer, or indeed the silence of tleir it C nan, would deliend the view taken by the country of the irrputati, which had been publicly inisinuated againist the Marquis of' Hastings. If' thejmpuutation were countenance-d by the Court ofDIirectors,t!htn let the public knowv the faLct ; ii tdiscountenianced, -let the denial be equally explicit. (Hlear., hear.) If the imnputation were altogether ftalse, then let the consequences fall upon the head of thto ralumisnia- tor. (Ilear, hear.) TIhat Court were the miasters of their own pro.. reeing, ad led he owe ofposponngany business whicrl thley had revousy mae secil, t' tey leaed.It was cruel to the highindvidal gaist wom he h~tge ad been insinuated, to let it pss n slene ;it as lliera totheselves, and, if perseve'red in, theonl ac o ihibealiy hatlie(.lr.Homre) could charge thiei beeis, were laso an opposite charatr(er,hr. Mr. SAMUL eox, was quite satifethtteCarnwa right on telpinto order, and he submittedwhtethglan offic-er hRd not better postpone his question until teseilbsns was disposed of, upon the understandiing that heshudtehaen opportunity of putting it. Sir Jodee'~ DoYLE said, that if the lioiiourable Chairnian liad per. mitted himi to have had the hionour oft proceeding wlhen he first ad. dressed him, and heard tile little which lie liad to say, he telt confident that the kniowmi sense of lionour slid justice wrhich lie knew the Chairman possessed, would not hav-e ref'used an ainswer to the plain question which lie wae about to put. Indeed, he felt confident thiat ani appeal to the honour and juistice of' suich a maan could never be made in vaiii. H-ad his question related to an.y ordi. iiary buisiliess, it would doubtless hiave been ,vrong for him to have, tresspassed for onie moment upon the special affairs of the dlay,: had it arisen out orI the mere suggestion of any anonymoub writer, stating his own. opinion of' any puiblic man, or of any public act, he should have tl'eri left the opinion to feel its owvn way, or treated it, if he knew it to be false and, caluminious, with proper contempt; but the opisiion expressed in the mnanner lie alluded to was of iio suchi cha. racter ; it iimporte:d to be an account of whiat lied actually- pazsed in thie C-ourt of Directors, and whiat was furthier rantemiplated by thAt he-iourable and respectable budy. (Hear. liter.) He felt himiself, thierefore, justifiedi in calling for an explanation fromn the Clhairman, as the best and niost conclusive authority to which he could resort oni thie matter of' fact, inasmiuch) as no proceedling of' the Court could take place withiout his knowlethuge. Thel questions, then,whieh lie had to put resolved theniselves substantively into these :-Ist, XIVhetber aniy emibezzienient or deficit by the Marquis of Hastings,of 300,0001., or any other sumi, had been discoveredl by time Court of Directors? 2d, Whether the C .-it of Directors., is consequLene of sucli disco. very, hiad already negatived a grant to him of 8,0001. per annum ? and 3d, W'hether die Coutot'c0 Direotors, in consequence of sichi discovery, had any purpose of orocu ring the imnpeachmert of the M1arquis of Hastings ?" Sir Johii Doyle conicludled by saying, " In the preseiite of this Court., and in the face of our commiion country, to whiichi we are all respoiisible, I call upon the liotiouirable Chair. mian to give a plain and distinct answer to these questions. I know I anm addres%sing a man of honourT and a friencd of justice, and I fLel Lthat I caninot mnake tliis appeal in vain." (Lioud cries of Hiear.") M5r. LoWsNDES rose amid louttcries of "-Chair ," aaJ4said that he also waucted an explanation about this 30,0001. The CHAiRINAN.-- Wiithl Cevery disposition to giVe any aniswer to any question propoundcd by any imemuber of tlieCourt of ~Propne. tOrs, I ami undler the necessity of remnindinic y-ou chat I sic bere in ani official capacil::, andt ain plasced under the inipossibility of giving any anewver to suchi questions as have beeii put, withiout the autlhority, of tie Court of Directors, whose orgaii I ala.1 h lave no instructions from the Court of Directors on tile swbject, and carnot, thterefore, grive any answer." Sir JoirN-i DoY7LE replied, that if lie lied called upon the Chair- man to speiak the sentiments of the. Court of Directors, or even to give his own opiniion, inuch less theirs, upon ally poinit of plicy or coniduct, thlen lie could undlerstand thiat, the Chairinan e'oszlrbe !as. tiltedI in mieeting the question withi silence bitt it was niot the ex- pres:sion of any.point of' opinioa lie sought to knmow'; he lied asked about a plain nlstter of fact (hear, hear)-h'or whitat else was it, to to;k whiethier it was true or not that the Court of' Directors had dIsco. vered such ani embezzlemient, and contemplated certaimi coaist. quences arising theretrom? ' Ifinot true, then it became honest mien to say no (Hear.) It' on the contrary,it was true, that such a discovert- ha~d been made, then let it be brou~gbt forward in a bold, honest, asa mianly shiape (loud cries of "He-ar");I anld hot dealt withi clandestinie. I v, to be hanidled by ally iiean and anionymnous panderer to scandal, w~ho, whiile he wl;i5pered away an honest man's; character, pretectidid to deprecate the tmisc',tef of whichhle was hiiimself the Creator. (Hear, hear.) Suppose time Chairman were not, as he kniew he -was, a toss of honour, what wouild be thii corollary, drawn respecting thie plaia niatter of fact, fromi the- silence of the only authority competent to answer the question e ,II ist it not be (always excepting tha,t a moss of the Chairman's chiaricter could for all instanit intend it so, or tdeserve such an iinpression), etiter that the Chairumian believed the ch~arge,;atd in i-licacv would tie: nowy admi t that to be publicly kLinowo els thiat f'or sonic siniister purpose, hegave, by his silence, knw'g tile cliarge to be failse, his ai. n counaenance to the cs. luminy ? (H-ear. hiear.) Hie (Sir John Doyle) liad guarded himiself against mueanmrg so to imiplicae either the hon. Chairmian or his colleatgues in the direction : but he repeated that such wrould be the corollary to be drawn from such silence, if commiitted by less ho. ziourable men.' Again he inipiloredI an aniswer to his quetsions. (Hear, hear.) -Mr. Lo1VxNDEs renaewed very veciferouslv liis demand for an ex- planatiois about the 300,0001.; lie knew not until he entered the couil that the charge was directed to the Mlarquis of Hastings. Mr. DoUGLr.AS KINxAicAur said that no_greater libel couldi be st- cached to the character of thie Marquis of Hastings than by a perst. verance in this silence. He could inet believe that the Chairman had consulted his own deliberate judgment, and he still trusted that lie wouldt feel,for the sake of liis OwnN honlou'r, the necessity of giving a plain and explicit answer, andl not let sudls a chiarge rest by impli cation as Iveli grouned i t'tknew himself that it was a gross and base calumny. (Hear, hear.) It was rathier too much that they should altbw this caluniny, it'it were such, to, rest upon the heedl ef a distinguished public officer, long employed in their service, and whiom ithey hiad, in hins opinion, as yet ill requited. hutt whomi th public wouild at length comTpel them to requite in a v'ery differen mananer. To hear a whisper of' calu`mhY agifi'st such & Mtn, machi less a plain statement, was, enough at least to call for the explanatle, which, commiion candour and justice entitled any man to expect.I would not be credited to-morrow, when the reports in the newspaper first cormmxnicated to the British public the proceedines of tite day that such a quiestioni was got rid--of in silenice, Englishmen woul( ncitiser believe nor suffer sculs conduct. (Hear, bear,) That Coot could not consenit to sacrifice,in so summitary a imanner, -he charactei and hotiovr of their public servants. (Reart,hear.) TherAstb an answver, or else he should feel it his duty to move an a-djoiff5ment Ile would, in die plain mianner qf an Englishmans;tell the Cliaihiuna that there were no tricks by wh-iichi fair public discutssion could bi prevented among Englislhmen---:no Point Of form would dio, whiel offered to im-pede public justice. (Rlear, hear.) Hie would ask an3 gentleman who heard hlim, whether-ifsa question were put to himt w,hether anothier man in his employment had gross%ly betrayed hi trust, had been guilty of an uct wmhich, if tinie, must comisipa hi name to infamy-and whtther, that question being lin In hionest confidezice of innocence by the itian against wOm it wea mnade, he couldi darc to refuse sayning Ay" or'" No" to the appeal (Loud cris of " Hear.") In the history of domestic life, couldl the~ venture to act so, even to a menial servant, without being liablet Sn action for the refusal ? Thecn, in thec face 1' tIme Chiairman and e that Couitt, lie- would tell biun that lie'dared hot say "1yes" to dli qusi.ltion. Moreover, hie would foretell, that if he "entured upon cit afimaie, bc~ bewoulti sools hiave cause to regret ihse desperate nsistaLt lie lied conimitted. WVas the clharacter of the Marquis of Hastings who lhad so loug served as G3overnor-General of their Intlian Ema pia, no part 01 tile pUDIIC property of ttat Court? (Hear, bear, A fig for their own character, if such a otion coulil for a nionier prevail among them-that beiag once avowed, That Governor General, fit tor the trast, v uld ever emibark his character in an common cause withl them ? That Court wecre the legitimate pro tectors of tle public character of their servants, and it was an insul to theni to reluse to answer suci a question; there waS no pretenc for saying that any public danger couli result from any answer, an no motivc upon earth for withholding it. Mr. ELrP5'UsToNE here -rosc to order, and said, that as th Clairman had thouht proper to decline answering the question, h (Gr. Elphinstone) felt it his duty, although an individual directo and of course only empowered to exfress his own opinion, to gin an explicit answer. (wear, hear.) rhe honouiable director the: read 'the questions as put by Sir John Doyle (for wvhich seetir John' speech), and answvered then in the negative: lie said such a thia was neverthought of by the Court of Directors-never suspected b theta ; and the imputation agaipst the Mllarquis of Hastiir was from beginning to ced uifoutided and untrue, -(Loud cries 0 SiU J.omN -oDDYitxaid, ?hat'he xegretted the Chairman,to wlsi he haa)iit hiis 4uestions had declined giving himo-- plairnanswer hewvas, however, entirelvsatisfiedwith itelpianly nan explicitr phly of the honourable and highly respectable director who had :ja Spoleen. (Hear, hear.) '-But hy the organ of the Court hadlti held the Caine explanation, w?as'ehat., upon his owvn (the Chairaau 5 account, he felt and regretted. If, indeee., he had a6ked uhim~ abstuse juivatiols upa &vooiovered qoiut ov qu~b1ipclcy5 WI~ Alaigibt Involve inclividual conduct, then hie could' bave underst0oo 5omereason why silence ought to betreeerVed ; but asking him; as hebeh, dune, a plain queation upon a plain matter, of fact, he was9 nStonished. to see a Tisnf of such honour and integrty shelter himself behinda mere form, obstinately barring himself out from answerin ,z under the paltry and sh-allowv pretence of a point of ordar-a mere unworthy tec.hnicality, and that where high individual character was at stake. He (Sir jobhif,though reared in the field,bad from his infancY -been :alvavs taught to believe that,a British merchant was the high- est chgazacer among the high -which sustained the Tnational repu.- tetion ;but if it could be paltered with in this manner, then should he be compelled to say with Buonaparee, that they had ce-sedi to exIist na -high.nminded class, and had degenerated into a set of sordid and grova11ing shopkeepers (Loud cries of "hbear.") The CSAIR.MA-NT beg-gedl to explain. Th7e gallant officer, in first putting his quiettion, had addressed hiim personally, forgetting that he -as not there acting in his individual capacity, and governed by his own personal opinion, but as Chairman of the Court of Directors. (Bdeer hear.) He had not sheltered himself under any pOint Of form, biut merely stated, clhat uninstructed he could deliver no opi- nion upon the subject. -When he spoke there, he must be uLnder. todas delFverini the collec-tive opinion of the body to which he beogd n that diew he had said he wast without Instructiosks; anld ligrostbe permitted to a-dd, that the answers of hiis honoumable frienLd (Mr. Elphinstone) were not specifically given to the same que!stions as had been put to the Chair. Sir J. DOYLE hoped, th at if by any acdn hCairman ham) Mnisconceived hiim, he shiould be alwedI to set the matter righIt. Nose sotar rommeanng o pt th qustio totheChlairmnan in his ffiialcapcit, h thugh hehadexpessy garded himself nainatemploing te ter er oficioin an way.It wast ini his indiidul caaciy hejiu thequetion an in ~ctaccomrpanied it mshereaon,tha teputit o Im, because he, as Chairman, snus kno th fhc frhi hs ststaionat the mneetinjgs of the Di. The CHAIRMtAN denied the right of any Proprietor to selchi individually, more than any other Director, to answer particular questions. llc repeated, that atteRding there as the organ of the~ Uourt of Directors, he couild oniy spea k from their instructions. Mr. LoirsDgSa gain reiterated his desire for further explanation. The DgPIT've CHAtIRMAN (Mr. A-stell, M.P.) justified the-con- duct of tie Chairman, who could not, without a breach of duty, adopt ant other couirse tlhan be had done : the consequence of tle.. pattilng f~rorm it was visible in.eh.e-isorderly discussion which-had ariseen, and was protracted. Wiith relf&ence to what might be the in. mention of anybody, whichi was involved in one of the questions,who could answer SO vae-ue an interrogatory ? If an.y explanation were requxired, let it be sought for in the uisual manner, and not by inci-, dental discussion upon a suibject for the first timne, the inconveniencn of wh-ich wasinever nnre apparent than at present. (Hear.)- M1r. PATTI$ ON Said, thlat al a Director he could not followr the example set by, their Chainmalii, but, as an honest straight.fitrward mnan, would at once give his opinion. ([lear, hear.) He saw n0 obscurity, or doubt, or equivocation, in the mode in which- ttaWL questionDs had been puit. 'Thiey struck hiim to be FLs clear 'rI as easy of reply as if tite were askedi " Does the sun- shine, is that a man, that a book, or that a chair ?" They wver-c palpable questions capable of being answeredI " Yes," or No. (ticar. hear.) The lion. Director then read Ithe questions in the -words in which they- were originally put;- and at the end of eachi, si,"Ianswer distinctlyI No.' " He added, that hie took utpon himself the responlsibility of'irving these ex-plicit and distinct an- swers: and wouild to God !Ot the sake of the Court of Directors, the Chairmian hiad overeome hiis sense of the imiperative value of, fortm, and given the samec answers promptly. (Hlear, hear.) The! questimin was not. whiether thie M1arquis of l-astings might or might! noct have commnitted a mistake-.whether he mighit or miaht not have embarked, in ex-pensive wars, and added miill ions to their reve- nueq: but the quiestion in plain commnon Sense was, was the Mlar- ques of Hastings a thief or a pickpocket? (Hear, lhear.) Or ouglit any prolprietor he suiffered to leave tliatGouirt without anv doubt upon suh'n Imputation That the Court of Directors hail refused thie vote of 5A10001. a year waLs a fact ; buit not "1in consequence of the discorreev" Of ai'y einbezzlenmetit of 1300,0001., or even one ru- pee. In consequence of' the discovery" was the burdeni of the sOng of the calumny: it wax. to use a vulgar phrase, the frl de rol in? of the verse. (A lauigi.) The very idea of such a charge, or an impneachnment for it, was just as' far from any idea of the C-tirt of Directors-, as any exVectati* i that they would be favouredl in their chamiber withi a visit froni the comet. (Hiear, hear.) It Was never thiought of, never glancedI at, never even. inuendoed at (to coin a word.) lie had said.. 1 No, no, no," to the three questions : as an honest man, he felt hiimself bouindi to give' this comnplete and mnrmevllabic reply. (Hfear, hecar.)I Mlr. TIA N T tilougltt ihe Chairman had acted conformablv to his I duts- in niot lhastily, replyving to the qluestion. It was not becoming to,call upon him 'at tdie inoioenit to reply to every rumour which minght be RhOatL - -Mr. D)oi: G As KIN NAl RD congratulated the Court of Proprie- to.s upon the chance they lhad, of Speedily hiaving in the direction thie horn. gentleman who spoke last, a'nd who twas non' actively engaced in his canivass, for tha't ranik. It would be most gratifying, for themn to havle within the bar, a gentleman of hiis exquisite sensi. bilit-.% and generosity of sentimient, andl who migrht on a future oc casion till their chair' with suich advantage to the dlignity of their chartacter. I A leughi.I It was pure, and generous,and honest, to sit in 'silen,ce, ant] liear a nmeritorious' and tdlatinguislied public servant robbed of his character as wvell as hiis rma-ard, by those wliose decla. ratiornimighit, if candidly given, hiave silenc~d tuie calumniator. (llear.) Air. Lo-ws nrs again appcared, and his appearance was the stgual for tumulttuou's interruption. He Said that thicre was now tuse in inter- riaptine him, for he wouldI be heard. Hie wanted some explanation about this, 3Q4()01.Odlwho was the diefaulter, or whiere was the ntis- take ? It was now clear that it was not the 'lIa:quis of lHastings, the dark cloudi whichi overcast hiis chiaracter was dissipated. The Marquis belonged to a country wlhose habits were of an opposite tendency from the comuitissiot,i of mean, and paltry, and pettifog- ging fra~ud. Thev- were, whether right or wrong, open and franik fel- low-. (A latueh.j pistol to pistol wvas their coursAe-not this dirty (ork. " Where is the error, I Say ?" exclaimied Mr. Lowndei, weith Vio,lent vociferation, " is it a miercanitile error F tIC'tte the u',uoar became so deafening, that he was obliged to sit Mr. TRAN T complained of the personal attack which had been, mTacde upon hint, and repeated hiis conscientious opittion that thec C hairmian hadl done bis dutv. .'lr. Low,, nxs again succeeiled in oit-tvociferating those whio were dlisiniclinied to hear himn, and we could only catels hiis delivery! of~ the disticii Sitranige su,ch disputes Should be, Tuixt tweedle-duini and tweedle-dee." (Lostd laughter.) M r. I)o-c i.,ss I SKIN AI hoped the worthy Proprietor would be A-vle.,j,nt for one imomelt. whlile lie showed tha te ept Chairm'an waLs enitirelY mistakett whien he insinuated that the subject! involved in the gueStions met hi' silence on the part of the Chairman. vas, for the tirst' titus, introduced to the notice of the Court of Di- r-ectors A written applicationi hadc been made to them on the 30th of J~anuarv, and( an answee receivecd, whiich lie would now read thiey were Ls tollows: "Montague.square, Jan. 30. Sir.-? tier leave to call your attentionl to a paragraph which appeared in the suoido,1 7'inmes, of the 25th instant, a copy, of which I enclose. 'YOU will pe;rceive thzat it contains in substance a dlirectI chargze against Lord Hastings of' having embezzled 300,0001. of tehee monimes of the lInourable Co-Ipany, or of having been party to an: embe'zzlcmen.t.b whiich a deficit to thlis amount hias been iticurred. It furthier suates, that in consequence of suchi mvalversation, which had been recentlyvdiscovered, the Court of Directors hiail ne-' gratived a proposAl to) giant to him a' pension of 6,0001. per annum,i and finally, that it is in the contemplation of that body to tafct hi, impeachnient- The generail slanders of an anonymotis libeller i-t may be well to treat w"ith contempt ; but a particular charge, deep.- ly- affecting the puiblic character of an individual, however distin- guished. muss be Specifically repelled. Under this impression, I have the honour of addressinig my,self to you as Chairman of tlie (Court of Directors, in the full conhfdence that you will enable meat onice to give that distinct and authoritative contrAdiction to these falsehoods, which thie forin, theyv have assumned demands. anti which i sso impran ote oor of thie noble lordi should no longer e a With this view, as every question that arises ino the Cor ~Directors must be officiallv k-nown to you in vomir capacity of'Chairman, I hare to request that youi would be ga 'od enough to give mne ans-ers to the followingz queries: I st- Whether the Court of Directors have made any dliscovery, or have received any information, or have reason to sutisect, that the' Ma`1rqUis Of Hla-tirigs haks embezzled, or been party- or privy to the embezzlemtent of. anyv nionies, or to the creation of any deficit,to the amour.t of: 300.0031.,$or of any, other sum -2d. Wlhether the Court of Directors kave tlireatened, or intend, to imPeach the Alarquis of Ha%tings for embezzlemient, or for any supposed d6cict of nioney. or otherwise? 3d. Whether the Couirt of Diretr hae ncneuneo n such Supposedl etmbezlemient or teeficit, already negatived a miotio'n to gtant a p'nision of S,0J01Lper annunm to the Alarquxis of Hastings ? the I ampesaded that your own highi Sense of what is due to honou30r and character uf a public man, wtll sufficiently account to you for the anxietv of thle noble lord's friends to lose no time in ;-ir.dicating him fruom these foul charges, whichi have 'already attain- ed extraordinary circulation, and be mny apology, at the Same time, for pressing the subject upon you as a mAtter of immediate impor. titnet as it is by- yoti alone, from your official situiation, that, wmith. out nurous de'lay, the mean-, of effective contradliction can be fur- nihi.In prelerring. thlerefore, the above request, I feel a%sured -that I Qhall be only mneeting your desire of doing ~the earliest justice ,to the, chnracter of-thle Marquiis of Hfasting%, which;, in the paragcraphl in question, has been so wantonly assailed ; un'l that I shall be fa- voured withi an answer to thle queies' at your earliest conventience. "I have the honour to he, Sir, y-our obedtF't humble servant, "W. l'tiigram, Esq." "F. HAIH'INGS DOYLE."1 "1 East TIndia.liouase, Feb. 6, 1824. Sir.-l ami commnanded by the Court of Dlirectoes of the East india CompanY to acquaint yout, that the Chiairman' has laid before them n rrur letter of the 30th of January, addressed to him upon the subjct f aparcreh 0' wichyouencosea copy, wliieb is statedI so aveaneard o te 2th f hatmonh,in a newspaper calked the ueimiyTim-5,assilig te caraterof the Marquis of Ilast- ing, ad wth efeenc towhih yu hveframed certain interro- gatins wichyomsreqest he hairan,as the organ of thie Cotirt T he Cbogrt d7g1lyr regre the attack wbich has been thus made upon die chaatrfta, distinguished noblemnan : they cannot, howcvcr, but feel that it would be highly inexpedient for them to engage in any corresponilence arising out of thte vague charges of anonymous write." ; andl they are persuaded thiat yost will vdulrself ucr'cesvon a review of your'letter, the inconvenience of psftting to a colctv body, a-nd the impossibility of their answering, questions of t1he nature proposed by you. - I have the honour to be, Sii, Y" Your most obedient humble servant, "J. DART,Sceay Colonel Francis Hastings Doyie, &c." He (Mr. K innaird> pitied tIme man who, in his official capacity, was obliged to sign such a letter: but after such a letter had been written, he was utter y astonished at what fell fronm the Deputy Cbairman. that the question came upon tliens unawares, and wa, now for the firsttime put. (Hear, hear.) Thd letter of' Colonel Doyle, they indeed might not have answered-tliey ?usight have denied the Mar- ui of Hatings jusutceC: but ill doing so, they would have disgraced tieelves. (Hear.) In that Caurt, liowever, they would filid no su'iterfuiee available.-thev nust, iwhcax called upon, do justice to the oSmcs whom they cinpl6yed, or say why thiy withheld it. (Hear.) Infamvy must attach to one party or the other, in suchi a charge: there was no way cf shaking oft the dileimma. Silence would not do;- frtsehood might, as well be propagated by silencs as by open asser- tion indeed the former was the more base, and became the nsore lainOus) by its being the more timorous and niore cowardly con- doert. (Bear,hbear.) Englishmen iwhen they read the newspapers of o eve the, representation of their conduct w-h~h t5atbdictated. That anyvman should have been so treated by tuCh a bcdy, would Aot be bE3ievet1; b.t it would be abholuttly incredible of suclh a rimkt1 as the MIarquis of Hastings, 'who had high claims on their gratitude, which history would record thev had overlooked. The rublic would judge between the Directors and their late Goverpor-General; and so ungrateful bad bee3 the former, that the Vourt of Proptietors were at this very moment bound to take the noble Miarquis's cause into their own hands ; it oaght not to be trusted, after what had passed, in those of the Court of Di- rectors-they had to review and negative their proceedings. The Mllasquis of -lastings dared the Court of Directors to examine his conduct -he challenged their strictest investigation: tbough left un- rewarded, he was determined to go nncalumniated. (llear, hear.) He (0r. Kinnaird), after what he had seen in this business, did not value the opinion of the Court of Directors a pin's end,-they were disqualified from passing judgment upon the merrts of the Mfarquis of Hastings : he challenged their competency to decidle upon his character, and they (the Di- rectors), rather than the noble marqui., ought to be put upon trial as calumniators. The indignant feeling of Englishmen would get the better of theni, and the public would pronounce upon their inijustice. He had no private motive for speaking thus warmly; he never was .n company with the Marquis of Hastings b'ut twice since he came from India, and once before he went out; and would have been as ready to condemn him, if just grounds were sustairied as he now felt in defending him from calumnv, wlhen he found him made the object of it. (Hear, hear.) Air. LOWnDES male another burst, buti The CUAINRSAsN interposed, and read the order of the day for the discussion upon Ilaileybury College. Alr. HUUE rose, and asked whether, after the violent effer-. vescence of temper which hed unfortunately arisen, thev were in a condition to enter into the calm and dispassionate consideration re- specting Haileybury CoUege- He should propose, as an amendment, that that question be adjourned for a fortnieht. This amendment, after some remarks against the conduct nf the Chairman by General Thornton, and some general conversation, waS Ogreed to. The Court waS craited to excess.and there was agreater assemblage of strangers than we remem'er to nave seen on any former occasion. - XAST INDIA HOUSE.