APPENDIX tothe GHRONICLE. 429 



The oath taken by the directors 

 seems as effectual as any thing which 

 can be devised for the purpose of 

 guarding against corruption, so far 

 as the directors themselves are im- 

 mediately concerned ; and your 

 committee have already remarked, 

 that no one case of corruption or 

 abuse which has been before them, 

 affects any member of that court. 

 It is, in the passing through several 

 hands, which happens frequently 

 with regard to the more numerous 

 and less valuable appointments of 

 cadets, that opportunities for this 

 sort of negociation are presented, 

 which, without a greater degree of 

 vigilance and strictness on the part 

 of each director, at the time of 

 making such nomination, it will 

 be impracticable to prevent in fu- 

 ture. 



Your committee may perhaps be 

 exceeding the limits of their pro- 

 vince, in the further considerations 

 to which this subject leads; but as 

 they decline recommending any 

 special legislative enactment, their 

 view of the proper remedy for these 

 abuses may be incomplete, unless 

 they proceed to suggest some other 

 observations. 



The unpleasant duty of increased 

 vigilance is not likely to be per- 

 formed without some incitement of 

 benefit or disadvantage, attendant 

 upon the exercise, or negiect of it ; 

 and it is equally conformable to ex- 

 perience to presume, that patronage 

 will continue to be abused, so long 

 as no inconvenience is felt by the 

 person primarily giving, or by the 

 person ultimately receiving it. 



Where strict examination is a 

 duty, any species of negligence can- 

 not be wholly blameless; and it ap- 

 pears not unreasonable to curtail in 

 some degree, the patronage of those 



who have either not been sufficient- 

 ly watchful in the disposal of it, or 

 whose diligence hasbeen unsuccess- 

 ful in preventing the abuses which 

 are complained of. As an addi- 

 tional check against those who are ' 

 inclined to purchase such appoint- 

 ments, it may be expedient that a 

 bond should be given by the pa- 

 rent, guardian, or friend of every 

 person receiving a nomination, con- 

 taining a penalty to be paid to the 

 East India company, upon proof 

 being made at any subsequent pe- 

 riod, that any valuable considera- 

 tion was given for such appoint- 

 ment ; that species of proof being 

 deemed sufficient to levy the penal- 

 ty, upon which the court of direc- 

 tors may think themselves autho- 

 rized to vacate the appointment. 



The practices which are develop- 

 ed in the present report, and other 

 transactions which this House has 

 recently had under its cognizance, 

 are sufficient to demonstrate, that 

 patronage of various descriptions 

 has, in several instances, become an 

 article of traffic ; that an opinion of 

 the generality of such practices has 

 been prevalent to a still greater ex- 

 tent ; and that fraudulent agents 

 have availed themselves of this be- 

 lief, to the injury of the credulous 

 and unwary, and to the discredit of 

 those in whose hands the disposi- 

 tion of offices is lodged. It will 

 depend upon the steps which may 

 be taken in consequence of these 

 inquiries, whether such abuses shall 

 receive a permanent check, or a vir- 

 tual encouragement. 



Attack on Martinique. — Intelli- 

 gence has been received by the 

 Ham, arrived at Liverpool from 

 Barbadoes, which she left on the 



Hth 



