that what the honourable proprietor had stated was merely a notice.

Mr. PETER MOORE faid, he could not but admire the honourable gentleman's candour in propofing fuch a committee. It was making the minority task-mafters of the majority.

Adjourned at half paft 8 o'clock in the evening.

TURSDAY, Jan. 27, 1801.

This day a General Court of Proprietors of Eaft India Stock was held at the East India House, for the purpofe of determining by ballot the following queftion, viz.

"That Lieutenant Colonel James Oliver, late of the Fort St. George eftablishment, be reftored to the Company's fervice."

In the evening, the ballot being finally clofed, the ferutineers appointed by the general court to examine the number of votes for and against the faid queftion, made their report, "That Lieutenant Colonel Oliver had a large majority of votes for being restored to the Company's fervice;" whereupon the Chairman declared the fame to

Mr. RANDLE JACKSON moved, "That this court doth approve of the principle of the bill, confiding in the wifdom and juftice of his majefty's ministers, and the uniform and zealous attachment

of the court of directors to the interefts and honour of their conftituents; that in carrying the fame into a law, every proper precaution will be obferved for the due maintenance of the rights and privileges of the company."

Mr. ALEXANDER THOMSON feconded the motion. He cbferved that the correfpondence of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman with Mr. Dundas, the explaRations given by them to the court, and the able tpeeches of the learned counfel who had preceded him, rendered it unneceffary to occupy the time of the court with any very particular remarks. Of the political changes propofed by this bill, he did not pretend to be a fufficient judge; but as far as he was able to comprehend the fcope and tendency of them, they met his entire approbation. With refpect to the propofed alteration in the courts of juftice at Madras, he might venture to affirm that there was no proprietor who had turned his thoughts to the fabject, who not only would approve, but had long anticipated the abfolute neceffity of the meafure. The Chairman had himself justly remarked, that the alderman, however refpe&table and upright they might be in their individual capacities, and he did not doubt but they were highly fo, were not well calculated to adminifter justice, in a court of juftice properly conftituted; they neither had the time and leifure, or the legal and profef fional knowledge neceffery to qualify them for fuch a fituation; hefides that, from their mercantile interefts, and extended tranfuctions, they must frequently find thenfelves embarraffed by their private iverets and connexions with the fuitors. It had been remarked by the learned gentleman who preceded him, that differences had exifted betwixt the recorder and the dermen; and that protefts had been feat home. The learned gentleman had

paid a handsome and a well merited compliment to the abilities and integrity of Sir Thomas Strange; and he well knew that thefe differences regarded only the establishment of fees, the fixing of falaries, and framing regulations of the court, but by no means the adminiftration of justice; for he would venture to affert, that their was but one univerfal opinion of approbation of Sir Thomas Strange's upright, pure, and able adminiftration of juftice in India; and he would venture to predict, that, if he either died in the execution of his judicial functions, or fhould be obliged to leave the country from ill health, he would leave the fame im-' preffion in the prefidency of Madras, of his upright and pure discharge of his duty, that he had left in another part of his majefty's dominions, in which he had adminiftered juftice; and he had no doubt in his own mind, but the honourable tef timony which all ranks of men had borne to his able conduct as a judge there, had recommended him to the prefident of the board of controul for his prefent fituation; and that Mr. Dundas, by the appointment of fo able a man, had given us an earnest of the pure choice he meant to make of the perfons intended to adminifter justice at Madras, under the new bill, An honourable proprietor had remarked, that favings had been made at Bengal, in new modelling the court there, which went confiderably to diminish the expence of the prefent eftablishment. He said, he did not know if Sir Thomas Strange had yet tranfmitted the table of fees, rules, and regulations of falaries for the recorder's court at Madras; but when he did, he would venture to affert, from his knowledge of his pure and upright mind, that economy and propriety had been equally confulted there.

The CHAIRMAN here obferved, that Sir Thomas had tranfmitted the rules and regulations alluded to, and that they were every thing the proprietor who was fpeaking, or the court, could with, Mr. Thomfon concluded, after a few more remarks, with giving his hearty affent to the motion before the court.

APPEN

"Head Quarters, Choultry Plain, April 1ft, 1800.

"To JAMES OLiver, Esq. "Late Lieutenant-Colonel on the Madras Establishment.

"SIR,

"I have had the honour to receive your letter of the 27th ultimo. I can eafily form a judgment of the diftressed state of your mind, at this trying moment, when you are about to quit, under the difpleafure of our honourable employers, a fervice in which you have fo long ferved with fo much merit and military reputation, and in which you have confequently acquired the approbation and efteem of all thofe under whom and with whom you have ferved.

"It must be some confolation, however, if fuch a predicament admits of confolation, to you, to perceive that your brother officers in general feel as much regret on the occafion as you yourfelf can feel, and have done all that, under fuch circumftances, they could with propriety do. They have come forward with one accord, to exprefs the high opinion they entertain of you as a foldier, by a voluntary contribution, to enable you, knowing the diftreffed state of your circumftances, to pafs the latter days of a life well spent in the fervice, at leaft free from want, and to enable you to proceed to Europe, to implore the directors to reconfider your cafe.

"Neither you yourself, Sir, nor any one officer of this army, can prefume to arraign the wisdom, and necessary justice, which has guided the councils and dictated the refolutions by which you fuffer--a decifion fo neceflary for various reafons, but, in particular, to fupport the honour and dignity of the Company's govern

ment, that even you, who fuffer by it, must applaud it.

"The only hope, therefore, which now ought to be formed, is, that your general merits may induce a refum; tion of the confideration of your cafe, with a view to the poffibility, that the whole tenor of your character, and a long feries of approved fervices, may be allowed to ope rate as a fet-off for the errors you have fallen into in the cafe in queftion-first, by difobeying the orders of the di rectors in regard to the employment of money in the country; and fecondly, by attempting to juftify the proceeding.

"In the firft, I am forry to fay, you have only done that which was but too generally practifed by others, and I fear, I may add, that which was but too much connived at.

"In the fecond, I am convinced that you acted unfortunately by the advice of lawyers, who, I fhall take the liberty to fay, were of all men the most to be avoided by an officer under fuch circumftances.

"As matters ftood, I do not conceive it poffible for the directors to have acted more wifely than they have done; but having done that which it was fo indifpenfably neceffary for them to do, and that which I truft will effectually put a ftop to a practice which they have fo long willed to put a flop to, let us for a mo ment indulge the hope, that, fatisfied with having made this neceffary example, they may permit your niany merits to recover you from the fatal confequences of thefe errors, and restore you to a fervice that lofes you with fo much regret.

"That this is the cafe is evinced by the fentiments expreffed by your brother offi cers, and the fubfcription they have ehtered into; which, however, is evidently and avowedly fo managed, as to do away the poffibility of a fufpicion of any fpirit