426 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



to the court, communicating their 

 proceedings, and proposing further 

 measures tor the court's adoption, 

 as also a draft of a letter referred to 

 in the said report. 



31st Jan. The report of this 

 day's date, with the letters to the 

 parents, &c. and the declaration to 

 be made by them, was approved. 



5th Feb. The court, after con- 

 siderable discussion of the above, 

 confirm the same ; but resolve that 

 the consideration of what is further 

 to be done on the said report be 

 adjourned to the llih of Feb.; 

 when it is resolved, that the com- 

 mittee of patronage be instructed to 

 proceed in the examination of the 

 other members of the court, as they 

 did with themselves. It was then 

 moved, that the declaration pro- 

 posed in the report be upon oath ; 

 on this, the motion of adjournment 

 was carried. 



25th Feb. A report signed by 15 

 directors, approves the declaration, 

 and recommends that the several 

 persons to whom the same is sent, 

 be requested to confirm such decla- 

 ration upon oath. 



Another report on the same day, 

 signed by 12 directors, recommends 

 that no further proceedings be had 

 in this business till the 1st of May. 

 Both the above reports are approv- 

 ed by the court. 



26th Feb. 1800. The right ho- 

 nourable Henry Dundas addressed 

 the court acknowledging the receipt 

 of their minute ; and stating, that 

 be feels it a duty thai he owes both 

 to himself and the court, to omit no 

 means in his power for ascertaining 

 whether any person whom he has 

 obliged through the favour of the 

 court, has presumed to abuse his 

 kindness in so sordid and unwar- 

 rantable a manner. 



Sir Francis Baring dissents from 

 the resolutions to call for the decla- 

 ration on oath. 



The comniitteeof patronage ceas- 

 ing with the direction in April, on 

 18th June, 1800, the court took 

 into consideration the propriety of 

 re-appointing the said committee. 



It being moved, " That a com- 

 mittee of patronage be re-appoint- 

 ed;" an amendment was moved, to 

 leave out all the words after the 

 word "that," and to insert in their 

 room the following, " it does not 

 appear to this court, that any cir- 

 cumstance has been stated to the 

 court, by the committee lately ap- 

 pointed for an inquiry into the dis- 

 posal of patronage, that can induce 

 or would justify the court in adopt- 

 ing the illegal and novel adminis- 

 tration of extra-judicial oaths to a 

 variety of persons not directly con- 

 nected with the East India compa- 

 ny or the management of its affairs, 

 and which, though it would tend to 

 throw a suspicion upon the court 

 at large, whicli no circumstances 

 that have hitherto come to the 

 knowledge of the court can induce 

 themto suppose the members there- 

 of merit, would not, they conceive, 

 be an effectual mode of bringing to 

 light any such practices, even if 

 such in any partial instance should 

 have existed." 



On the question for the amend- 

 ment being put, the votes for, and 

 against, were equal ; when the lot 

 decided for the amendment. 



25th June. The chairman, de- 

 puty chairman, and eight other di- 

 rectors, dissent from the resolution 

 not to re-appoint the committee of 

 patronage. 



24.'th Sept. A motion was made 

 in the court of proprietors, that the 

 above proceedings be read ; they 



were 



I 



