of the same date, conferred the situation

on Colonel Bryce.

The Chairman moved "That the court do approve of the resolution of the court of directors of the 28th of August 1816."

The hon. W. F. Elphinstone begged to observe, in anticipation of any observation which might be made on this motion, that the salary was by far too small, it was by no means commensurate with the extent of the service which the military assistant was called on to perform.(Hear! hear!) The gentleman who filled the situation acquired a most excellent character abroad, and he had conducted himself much to the benefit and satisfaction of the Company at home.-(Hear! hear!)

The Chairman" From the situation I had the honour of holding in the last, and that which I fill in the present year, it is more peculiarly in my power to speak of the merits and services of this gentleman; and I must, in justice, mention him in terms of the highest approbation, as a diligent servant of the Company, and one who is extremely useful in his situation."(Hear! hear!)

Mr. Hume did not rise to object to the situation itself, nor to the appointment of Colonel Byrce, whom he believed to be a very able man. But he wished the court to look a little farther than the appointment of that particular individual. Those who were not aware of the situation in which the court was placed, would be good enough to refer to the resolution of the 29th of March 1809, and the amendment proposed thereto. On that day, an innovation on the rules of the Company's establishment was made, by the appointment of individuals to situations in that house, which they had not been regularly reared, within those walls, to fill. Those individuals, who were not brought up in the line of service to which they were appointed, were called on to do duties which had previously been performed by men regularly educated in the Company's service for that purpose. An hon. director (Mr. Grant) whom he then saw in his place, and who filled the chair at the time, coincided in the amendment then proposed, in order to prevent this deviation from their ordinary rules being drawn into precedent, and the court unanimously agreed to the resolution, as amended, to prevent the farther encouragement of a system, from which much mischief was to be apprehended. He did not think that the highly-qualified individual, who was brought forward on this occasion, would be, in any degree, the means of producing the mischief that was dreaded, so far as he was personally concerned. But, he was of opinion, that the present

resolution ought not to be agreed to, until that to which he had alluded was read, in order to shew, that the Company were anxious to preserve the interests and protect the rights of those who were bred up in their service from an early period of life, and that they would not suffer them to be rooted out, on account of any undue preference.

The resolution and amendment were then read by the clerk as follow:

"At a general court of proprietors, held on Friday, the 7th of April 1899, it was moved:

"That this court do confirm the resolution of the general court, of the 29th of March last, approving of the appoint ment of two assistants in the military department, with a salary of £300 a year." To which the following amendment was proposed. "That this court, relying on the discretion of the court of directors, and being fully sensible of the weight of the observations contained in the report from the military secretary, recommending that two assistant secretaries be appointed in the auditor's office, agree in the said recommendation. this court desires also to express its anxiety to continue the protection of the East India Company to those who havé performed long and meritorious services : and the court also desire to state, that, if the executive body find it necessary to appoint to those situations persons not regularly bred in this house, such proceeding shall not be drawn into a precedent hereafter."

But

Mr. Hume continued. He had requested that this should be read, in order to shew to those now in the Company's service, that the court was always most anxious to guard against any proceeding which appeared to be opposed to their interests, or to militate against their just claims. He called on the proprietors to recollect the solemn pledge that was here given. It was the first court that he attended after his return to this country, and he was much gratified when he saw the proprietors unanimously agreeing to the proposition. He felt, at the time, most strongly, the reasons stated in the report on which the resolution of the court of directors was founded, and he admitted also the justice of the observations made upon that occasion by an hon. director, to whom he had before alluded. That hon. director stated, that the increase of the Company's military affairs abroad, and the immediate necessity which existed, in consequence, for additional assistants in the military department, compelled the executive body to nominate persons not reared in the house. But he (Mr. Hume) understood, that this was to be the first and last deviation from the established rule. It was

said, in extenuation of it, that there being no person in the house capable of going through the details of the military auditor's duties, and the business pressing heavily on Mr. Wright, it was necessary to look elsewhere for individuals suitably qualified for the situation. When this statement was made, it was suggested, (to prevent the occurrence of such a circumstance again), that gentlemen should be trained up, who might succeed to any vacancy that might happen to take place, in the event of the death or resignation of any of the individuals then appointed, instead of having no person ju the office calculated to enter on the performance of the duties attached to it. He was sorry to say, that, as far as he could learn, this had not been done. He understood there was not any gentleman in this office, who, by experience and observation, would be able to proceed with the business transacted by Col. Bryce, if there were a necessity for it. If that gentleman resigned to-morrow, there would be a fresh necessity for introducing another person to the situation, who had not been regularly trained up to the discharge of its duties. He did not object to the appointment of Col. Bryce; but he objected strongly to the manner in which it had taken place, and to the want of foresight that gave rise to it. The Company had now four departments connected with their military system: those of Mr. Wright, Colonel Salmon, Colonel Bryce, and Mr. Addison; for each of these gentlemen had distinct duties to perform. Now, he conceived, that if, for instance, Colonel Salmon's business became so burdensome as to require an assistant, that a gentleman should be placed under Col. Salmon, and should perform his duties under the eye of his principal in the office: he would thus be ready, by daily intercourse with Col. Salmon, to step in his place, if a vacancy occurred. This would render it quite unnecessary to seek out of the house for efficient persons. He did not, by any means, like the system of forming new offices. When this was done, it always appeared to him, that they were going to turn out an old servant. In the present instance, a new office being formed, Colonel Bryce must be considered as placed at once at the head of a department; a thing which was evidently not only not intended, but not thought of, when the first innovation took place. He doubted very much whether the affairs of the Company would be so well managed now they were placed in so many different hauds, as they used to be, when they were transacted by a few. In confirmation of what he said, on the subject of old servants being sometimes thrown into the back-ground, in consequence of the introduction of new ones, he begged to refer to the case of a

gentleman who had been introduced, with a salary of £600 a-year, to the office of the Examiner of Indian correspondence. His salary had since been raised to £1200 per ann.; and by the death of one of the oldest and ablest servants the Company ever had (Mr. Hudson), a vacancy took place, and that individual, who, it was never contemplated would have so suddenly been exalted, was called to the situation. They could not now prevent him from ultimately holding one of the highest offices in the house, though he had not been educated in it. The great mischief was, the not having a number of persons in training, ready to take different important situations, in succession, instead of being compelled to promote those who had been but a short time in the Company's service. The death or resignation of any of the gentlemen who filled situa tions of the most vital importance to the Company, placed them, in consequence of this neglect, in a very awkward predicament: it compelled them to look out of doors for succession. The death or resignation of the military secretary, as they were now situated, would place them in those disagreeable circumstances, which they ought to endeavour to avoid. Were either of these events to take place, they had no person in the house ready to fill the situation. But, by pursuing the course he recommended, they would always be prepared with efficient persons. Men possessed of ordinary abilities, but subjected to a regular and progressive training, would be able to go through a greater portion of business, than persons who boasted of more splendid talents could perform. He doubted extremely, whether it was necessary that Colonel Bryce should act separately from Colonel Salmon and Mr. Wright. Appointing him to a separate department, with a salary of £300 a-year, appeared to him (Mr. Hume) to be an insult. Either he had to perform a duty worth an infinitely greater reward, or the business which he had to execute was of a trivial nature, and ought to become a minor department in the office of Colonel Salmon or Mr. Wright. But, in his opinion, a little time would show, that though Colonel Bryce was ostensibly an assistant to Mr. Wright, yet that he had, in fact, an office completely separate and distinct from that gentleman. It was merely a name, he believed, and nothing more. He considered that an auditor-general for India had more to do than any human being could perform perfectly; therefore he would remove every thing that prevented an individual from performing the duties of that office in the best manner, and he would afford him every possible assistance. The question then was, whether the making Colonel Bryce's situation a complete and distinct

department from Mr. Wright's office, is the proper and effectual way of granting assistance? This he would say, that where they had military servants to provide for, they ought to be placed in that line in which their house servants could not come into competition with, or be effected by them. He objected greatly to Colonel Bryce's appointment being made a separate one, and he would submit to the executive body, whether it would not be much better to have two gentlemen in one office; one having under his superintendance the foreign, and the other the European branch of military affairs? Having a daily intercourse with each other, they would both have a perfect knowledge of the business to be transacted; and, in case of the death or resignation of one, there would be no difficulty in procuring a successor. He wished the court of directors to attend seriously to what he said on this subject, for every account from India complained of the unavoidable delay (unavoidable under the existing system) which marked their correspondence. It was impossible for the correspondence to be correctly attended to without proper assistance, and they all knew that delay produced the most mischievous consequences. It created trouble, it engendered discontent and dissatisfaction. Major Keeble's case, which was before them now, was occasioned by delay. His promotion had been retarded by it. There was another individual, whose rank had been superseded from the same cause, but he believed it had been restored to him. If the regulations adopted on this subject, in 1796, were not attended to, their officers had no settled point to look to. After five or six years efforts, Colonel Macgregor's business was adjusted; but, in consequence of the delay, he did not now possess the rank which he ought to hold. If Colonel Bryce be (and he believed he was) that able and intelligent officer whose services would be useful to the Company, he ought to be placed in that department, where he might fairly look forward to the succession as the reward of his exertions. It would be much better to do this, than to have the business transacted in different offices. By this means, if an individual wanted information, he would know where to look for it at once, instead of being perhaps obliged to visit, one after the other, the offices of Mr. Wright, Colonel Salmon, and Mr. Bryce, before he could attain his object. In his opinion this appointment, which was in violation of the resolution of 1809, would not do the Company any credit or service whatever.

Mr. Reid." I think the hon. proprietor has not adverted to the express condition on which this appointment has been made. The report, recommending

the appointment, states, that it shall be made so as not to interfere with the regular succession in the auditor's office. This comports, in every degree, with the resolution of 1809, which has been quoted. Another point it is also necessary to refer to. Mr. Baker was snatched away by the hand of heaven. He was next in succession to Mr. Wright, which rendered it still more necessary to look for some person capable of succeeding him. It is said, that Colonel Bryce is not allowed enough.. For my own part, I conceived that he ought to have a larger salary; but the answer was, if his services really demand more, the Company will be very glad to grant an increased allowance."

Mr. S. Dixon understood, that, in 1809, a motion was made, appointing some new officers, and to that an amendment was proposed, expressive of the reliance of the court on the good sense of the directors of that day, not to deviate, without just cause, from an established rule. Now, after hearing all that had been said on this subject, he felt the most perfect reliance on the propriety of the conduct pursued by the court of directors in the case now before them. The auditor-general reported that he wanted asssistance. The executive body turned round, and found a man who had served the Company for a considerable period, in another line, and who also came extremely well recommended. They appointed him to the situation, no other person presenting himself who was qualified to fill it. The court of directors could not, he conceiv ed, under these circumstances, have acted more wisely or fairly than they did.

Mr. Rigby had only to say, with reference to the question now before the court, that it was admitted on all hands, even by the hon. proprietor near him (Mr. Hume) that a necessity existed for granting additional assistance in the military department, and that the directors, in the exercise of a sound discretion, had selected this gentleman, he had not the smallest doubt. But it struck him, that the salary was infinitely inadequate, when compared with the extent of those civil and military duties which he was called to perform. Such were the observations that occurred to him on this occasion. It certainly appeared that the nomination of Colonel Bryce was an exception to the general rule, which the Company, in all practical cases, were anxious to follow; but circumstances might occur which would render a deviation from that rule necessary and praiseworthy. He approved of the resolution which the hon. proprietor had caused to be read; and, if he had any thing to suggest to the court of directors, it would be this, whether it would not be a very serviceable thing for the Company, if the hou. proprietor were

appointed joint auditor-general? laugh!)

The Deputy-Chairman." The hon. proprietor (Mr. Hume) has stood forward as the champion of the servants of this house, and I beg to state my gratitude to him for his good intentions. But I must take leave to inform the hon. proprietor, that the servants of this house have fourand twenty champions behind this bar, who are jealous of their rights, and who anxiously oppose any thing that can attack their interests. (Hear! hear!) And it is only when those abilities are sought for, which they cannot find in the house, that the rule alluded to by the hon. proprietor is departed from. The hon. proprietor has touched on the appointment of the gentleman, whose name is now immediately before the court; and I am happy to find, from what has fallen from the two gentlemen who followed him, that they approve of that particular appointment, and that they place perfect confidence in the good sense and integrity of the executive body, for exercising the discretionary power vested in them. It will, I am sure, be sufficient to exculpate them from blame, when they declare, upon their honour, as men and as directors, that, when they sought for individuals out of doors, to fill particular offices, it was only because they could not procure the necessary ability within. This, I hope, will be found sufficiently satisfactory."—(Hear! hear!)

The resolution was then unanimously

carried.

FUND FOR THE HOME ESTABLISH

MENT.

The Chairman." I beg leave to acquaint the court, that the plan for a fund for the officers and servants of the home establishment not being completed, the directors have come to a resolution, not to make any statement on the subject, till certain sources of supply have been examined, and the whole, when in a matured state, will be submitted to the general

court.

"On account of the intervention of the holidays, a difficulty exists, with respect to holding a second court in a fortnight; I shall therefore propose, that on this day three weeks, the 7th of Jan. a court be convened, for the purpose of confirming the resolutions approved of this day."

INDIAN ARMY.

Mr. Hume." Before the court adjourns, I feel it to be my duty to make one or two observations on a subject of the greatest interest to the Company and the empire at large. The state of our army abroad is one of the utmost importance in every point of view. A few days ago, the

number of cadets and assistant-surgeons was stated, and it appeared to me to be entirely too small. I confess, for one, though I am unwilling to increase the expenses of the Company, that I wish a much larger number to be sent out to India.

[Here the hon. proprietor stated some very strong observations on this subject, very proper, doubtless, for the contemplation of the court of directors, but as one of the greatest political delicacy not necessary for general publication, he then resumed.]

"I therefore do submit, that it is a matter of the utmost importance to the prosperity of this country, to the security of our empire abroad, and to the well-being of our interests at home, that this subject should undergo the most prompt and serious decision.

[Here the hon. proprietor made further observations.]

Mr. S. Dixon." I speak to order. I ask, if this statement be well-founded, tigation?" is it the proper place and time for inves

Mr. Hume." I am extremely anxious to state my opinion on this subject, because there is a degree of delicacy within the bar, which probably prevents gentle, men from acting as they would do, were they differently situated. If they made a proposition of this kind, perhaps it would be said, that they only looked for an exincrease of our establishment, called for tension of patronage; and, therefore, any by them, might be cavilled at in this

court."

[The hon. proprietor concluded by again recommending his measure in the most energetic language.]

The Chairman." I am sure the good sense of the court will lead them to think, that it would be very improper to enter into details on such a subject: but it may be stated and relied upon that our court, as the executive ministers of your affairs, are perfectly alive to the interests of In dia; and, in another place, those with whom it is necessary we should enter into discussions on this subject, are equally alive to its importance."—(Hear! hear !) The court then adjourned to the 7th of January.

East-India House, Jan. 7, 1818. A general court of proprietors of EastIndia stock was this day held at the Company's house in Leadenhall-street, for the purpose of confirming the resolutious of the general court of the 17th ult. approving of certain resolutions of the court of directors, agreed to at different periods, and granting to various individuals, pensions, partly derived from the Company's cash, and partly from the fee-fund.

The routine business having been gone through.

The Chairman (John Bebb, Esq.) moved, "That the court do confirm the resolution of the general court, of the 17th ult., approving of the resolutions of the court of directors, of the 3d of April 1807, granting to Mr. George Dominicus, late Company's ship husband, a pension of £650, £150 from the Company's cash, and £500 from the fee-fund."

The Deputy-Chairman (John Pattison, Esq.) seconded the motion.

Humphrey Howorth, Esq. M. P. rose and said, that not having been in the court at the last meeting, he would take the present opportunity to make a few observations on the matters connected with the grants then introduced to their notice, and which they were now called on to legalize. With respect to the system of exacting fees, he most highly disapproved of it. No defence, save its antiquity, which was undoubtedly acknow. ledged, could be offered for it; but the long existence of an evil was but a poor argument in support of its perpetuation. He knew not whether the author of the Beggar's Opera, in writing any part of that celebrated work, had an eye to the affairs of the Company, but certainly one of his songs applied most pertinently to that part of their system which admitted fees to be received for the performance of particular duties. In an admirable strain of satire, that author said (and he appeared to speak almost prophetically of the course pursued by the Company.)

"If you at an office solicit your due,

And would not have matters neglected, You must quicken the clerk with the perquisite too,

To do what his duty directed." This, Mr. Howorth observed, was a just and complete sarcasm on what daily took place, through a custom which was no less unfair than it was impolitic. With respect to the grant proposed to be made to the fund for the relief of the widows and children of servants connected with the house, he could not see why any distinction should be made between the sources from which the money was to be derived for the payment of the same pension. As the fee-fund was now recoguized, he conceived that both sums might be taken from it. And of this he was well assured, that if the widows' fund was properly supported and administered, the Company would not only receive the thanks and blessings of the individuals relieved, but they would also derive benefits, as far as their real interests were concerned, of the most important nature, from it.(Hear! hear!)

Mr. Hume (after a short pause) said, he did not mean, originally, to have trou

bled the court, because he was in expectation that some answer would have been given, by the gentlemen behind the bar, to the remarks offered by his hon. friend, with respect to those grants. On two former occasions, he (Mr. Hume) had pressed this point on the attention of the court, and he felt extremely unwilling to come forward in any thing like an officious manner. At the time when he first introduced the subject of granting money from the fee-fund, without the consent of the proprietors, to the notice of the court, he thought it was not necessary to apply to their counsel for his opinion on the matter, since it manifestly appeared to be illegal. The making any grant above £600 was illegal; and if the court of directors acceded to it without informing the proprietors, they were, in his opinion, liable to all the consequences which resulted from an infraction of the law. Such a grant, though not to an individual, was, it appeared, contemplated. Now, he felt, that the acceding to such a grant, without laying it before the proprietors, was, in the first instance, illegal; and next it struck him that the omission threw on the proprietors a species of insult, although he did not suppose it was intended by the directors. The conduct of the executive body, in withholding the information from the court of proprietors, seemed to imply a doubt, whether the latter would or would not sanction their proposition. If, however, the directors did not think it proper to submit a grant of this kind, intended for a charitable purpose, to the proprietors, he, as a member of that court, would feel it to be his duty to call the attention of the committee of by-laws to this question. With respect to the antiquity of the fee-system, that circumstance did not afford a justification of it. Many of the fees they were in the habit of collecting were in themselves bad; and although he would spare them from the application of the lines quoted by his hon. friend from the Beggar's Opera, this he would say, that the taking of fees did prevent men from making those exertions, without additional reward, which they were bound to do when they accepted of any office. The fees were not now given to any individual certainly, but that did not cure the evil. And he sincerely hoped, . that every thing which tended to clog and load their commercial transactions, public or private, would, ere long, be completely removed.

The Chairman said, he should not enter on the question which had been introduced, namely, whether the directors were warranted or not, iu appropriating sums of money to objects of the nature that had been alluded to. But he would put it to the good sense of the court to say, whether, on occasions which required