the former class of sugars being charged with a duty of 2s. 4d. in excess of that charged upon the latter. The sugar of India will, for the most part, be subjected to the higher rate of duty, and, the Court submit, unfairly. Mere colour is, as is well known, a very inadequate test of quality,— grain and strength being important elements in estimating the value of the article; and the Court cannot refrain from pointing out, that the grievance with which they conceive India to be threatened will be increased by the fact, that what is called 'brown sugar,' though clayed, is to be admitted at the lower rate of duty, while the sugar of India, if deemed on inspection equal to white clayed, will be chargeable with the higher.

"3. The Court are fully sensible of the advantages which the large reduction of duty contemplated will confer upon those British possessions which engage in the production of sugar; but they submit that the people of India should not, in any degree, be deprived of a fair participation in those advantages, and be placed, by comparison with their fellow-subjects elsewhere, in a worse condition than they are at present.

"4. The objection to the proposed change, so far as it tends to introduce inequality where equality previously existed, rests upon the broad ground of justice; but the Court are satisfied that, should the discriminating duties in question be established, their enforcement will be attended with practical diffi culties, which would tend alike to derange the operations of trade, and to embarrass the officers of customs. Merchants would, in many cases, feel uncertain as to the class in which their sugars would be placed, and those whose duty it would be to classify them would be unable to discharge that duty in a satisfactory manner.

"5. The views of the Court are confirmed by experience. A distinction similar to that now proposed formerly existed, and was relinquished. The same difficulties which formerly prevented its working will always recur, and no amount of benefit to the revenue likely to accrue from the imposition of a higher duty in certain cases can compensate for the evils with which the distinction would inevitably be attended.

"6. The duties upon Muscovado and clayed sugars were not equalised without full consideration, and the results which have followed attest the prudence of the equalisation. The effect has been to give a stimulus to the production of sugar, not only in increased quantity, but of greatly-improved quality; but it cannot be doubted that the course of improvement thus commenced will be seriously checked and impeded by a return to a system which (if the Court are correctly informed) was abandoned from experience of its mischievous consequences.

"7. That India should struggle successfully against the effects of a measure so discouraging to the production of one of the staple articles of her commerce is scarcely to be hoped. India now consumes of the manufactures of Great Britain an amount represented by 6,000,000l. sterling. How is this demand to be continued, if one of the principal commodities with which payment is to be made be subjected to a burden from which the produce of other British possessions will be exempt? India will in this respect not suffer alone, for the interest of the British manufacturer will decline in proportion as the agricul ture of India is discouraged. Independently of this circumstance, India has a claim upon the Government of Great Britain, which no other dependency of the British crown possesses to an equal extent, in the large amount required to be remitted annually to make the home payment. To throw in the way of its

trade an additional impediment, will be equivalent to an increase in the demand upon its resources, which it has ever been the just and wise policy of the home authorities to reduce as far as practicable.

"8. With reference to these circumstances, the Court entertain a hope that, upon reconsideration, her Majesty's Ministers may see fit to abandon a distinction, the maintenance of which will be attended with so much evil to the interests of the people of India, and with so much vexation to those engaged in the sugar trade generally.

"We have, &c.

"The Right Hon. the Earl of Ripon, &c."

"JOHN SHEPHERD. "HENRY WILLOCK.

The Chairman proceeded to say, that he should propose a petition to the House of Commons, which, if adopted, they should request Mr. Astell to present, and call upon Mr. Hogg, who already had a motion upon the paper on the subject, to support its prayer. Sir Robert Peel and the Ministers must be well aware of the claims of India upon the consideration of this country. India paid to the mother country, in the shape of home charges, what must be considered the annual tribute of 3,000,0007. sterling, and daily poured into the lap of the mother country a continual stream of wealth in the shape of private fortunes. He thought, therefore, that a feeling of gratitude, justice, and liberality would induce the Ministers to deal generously with their interests. He concluded by moving the following petition :

"To the Hon. the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled.

"The humble petition of the East-India Company sheweth,― "That your petitioners learn with extreme regret and apprehension that a proposal for changing the mode of levying the duty upon sugar the produce of British possessions has been brought before your hon. House, which, if permitted to acquire the authority of law, cannot fail to operate most injuriously upon the interests of the people of India.

"All sugar the produce of British possessions, and not refined, is now subject to one amount of duty. It is proposed to effect a considerable reduction in that amount, and for this change your petitioners would feel deeply grateful were the people of India to be admitted to the full measure of the benefit. But of this they will be deprived, should the sanction of Parliament be extended to so much of the proposed scale of discriminating duties as subjects white clayed sugar, and sugar which by any process has been rendered equal to white clayed, to a charge of 2s. 4d. per cwt. beyond the amount proposed to be levied on brown sugar, being Muscovado or clayed, and all other sugars not being equal to white clayed. The greater part of the sugar of India will fall under the denomination of 'equal to white clayed,' and will consequently be subject to the higher rate of duty, while by far the largest portion of the produce of other British possessions will be liable only to the lower rate of duty. A distinction will thus virtually be made to the prejudice of India; its produce will, to a certain extent, be treated as foreign, and will be precluded from entering the markets of the United Kingdom in fair competition with that of other dependencies of the British Crown.

"Your petitioners respectfully submit to the consideration of your honourable House, that the proposed differential duty is not justified by any corresponding difference in the quality of the commodity to which it is to apply. Mere colour

is no test of the quality of sugar, as is well known to all engaged in its production and sale. Strength and grain are the chief qualities which confer supe riority, and in these respects the sugar of India does not excel.

"Your petitioners humbly submit that her Majesty's subjects in British India should, in ordinary justice, be placed in a situation of perfect equality in respect of privileges of trade with their fellow-subjects elsewhere; that the peculiar circumstances of their situation even entitle them to peculiar indulgence, inasmuch as large remittances from India to this country are annually made to meet home charges of various kinds. These remittances must be provided for; and, if cultivation in India be discouraged, and the trade of that country be embarrassed by the imposition of burdens not affecting those with whom its agriculturists and merchants have to compete, the people of India will have reason to complain. The distance from Great Britain, and various local circumstances, place India in a position of some disadvantage as compared with other British settlements. Your petitioners do not advert to this as a reason for granting to India any extraordinary indulgence, but they do rely upon it as an argument against subjecting it to any extraordinary discouragement.

“In addition to the other claims to consideration, the people of India are large and increasing consumers of British manufactures. But their capacity for thus consuming will be diminished in proportion to the disadvantages to which they may be subjected in providing the means of payment. Sugar is one of the staple commodities, and its cultivation might by due encouragement be greatly extended; but, if the principle of a discriminating duty disadvantageous to India be adopted, your petitioners apprehend that cultivation relatively with that in the West Indies will be seriously diminished. Such a result would be not less injurious to the British manufacturer than to the Indian cultivator.

"Your petitioners beg further to represent, that, on general principles, the proposed discriminating duty is impolitic, as its tendency is to check the production of the better class of sugars, and to encourage the production of those of coarse and inferior appearance; and, lastly, that the practical difficulties of such an arrangement will be altogether insurmountable-that uncertainty, dissatisfaction, disputes, and in many cases gross injustice, will inevitably result from the attempt to discriminate where no fixed and trustworthy rules of judgment can be laid down. Your petitioners desire to remind your hon. House that such an attempt has previously been made, and abandoned, as your petitioners believe, from experience of its futility; and that in regard, not to sugar only, but to other articles, it has been found expedient to impose one rate of duty upon all descriptions, in order to avoid the inconveniences and vexations which are inseparable from the contrary course.

"Your petitioners, therefore, pray, that your hon. House will be pleased to withhold your authority from the grant of such discriminating duty in the case of sugar, and to subject all sugar the produce of British possessions into which the importation of foreign sugar is forbidden (not being refined) to an uniform duty of 14s. per cwt. ; and thus extend to the people of India the benefit to be derived from the large and liberal reduction proposed to be made from the amount of the existing duty.

"And your petitioners will ever pray."

The Chairman then moved, that the company's seal be affixed to it, and that Mr. Astell be requested to present it to the House of Commons.

The Deputy Chairman (Sir Henry Willock) seconded the motion.

Mr. Weeding also approved of it. He thought it of extreme importance that the poorer classes should have an opportunity of purchasing a good article at a low price.

The motion having been carried,

Mr. Astell said he should have great pleasure in presenting the petition. After the statements they had heard read, it was unnecessary for him to trouble them with any remarks on the subject. He could assure them that the directors, whether in or out of Parliament, were at all times fully alive to the interests of the proprietors. The hon. member for Beverley had given notice of a motion on the subject, and which would very shortly be brought forward. Mr. Twining congratulated the Court on having placed a petition of such importance in the hands of a gentleman who had so frequently and so ably adyocated their interests in his place in Parliament. He highly approved of the petition, and confidently trusted that the prayer of it would be granted. The Court then adjourned.

March 19.

A Quarterly General Court of the Proprietors of East-India Stock was held, at which a proprietor had given notice of his intention to call the attention of the Court to the following papers respecting the case of the ex-Rajah of Sattara :

Papers relating to the commission of inquiry held at Sattara in October, 1836, printed in conformity with a resolution of a General Court on the 21st of December, 1842.

Papers ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, 9th of August, 1844.

SUGAR DUTIES.

The Chairman (Capt. Shepherd) acquainted the Court that the Company's seal had been affixed to the petition to the House of Commons, agreed to at the last General Court, relative to the discriminating duties on sugar, and that the petition had been presented to the house by Mr. Astell; and he had the gratification of stating, that the House of Commons had modified its resolution on that subject, so as to embrace, to some extent at least, the object the Court had in view in presenting that petition, and the increased duties would, That was of imin future, be regulated by the quality as well as the colour. portance; and, although they had not gained all they sought, they had gained something.

THE RAJAH OF SATTARA.

Mr. G. Thompson then rose to bring forward his promised motion relative to the case of the Rajah of Sattara. He said he had brought with him all the papers mentioned in his notice of motion, from which it was his intention to read certain extracts for the information of the proprietors, commenting upon them as he proceeded, and to conclude with a motion on the subject. Some of those papers deeply affected the honour and veracity of one of the public That servants of the Company, who was now on his way to this country. officer was accused of having given false testimony in the proceedings which had led to the dethronement of the Rajah of Sattara. The papers also had reference to the confiscation of the private property of the Rajah, in violation The papers exof the written pledge which had been given to the contrary. tended over a period from 1820 to 1842. They had been furnished piecemeal, but had since been put in proper form. It would be quite impossible for any one fully to understand the case of the late Rajah of Sattara without bestowing

the time and trouble necessary to enable him to master the contents of those papers; but every one who read them carefully would be, he was sure, fully convinced thereby that the Rajah was not guilty of any one of the charges that had been brought against him, and that, on the contrary, he had been made the victim of plots of the most abominable description, got up by certain friends of the British Government, and who he yet hoped would meet with that punishment which their infamous conduct most justly merited. On a former occasion, when this question was before the Court, the proprietors were told that they were incapable of forming an opinion on the subject, as they had not the whole of the documents before them, and had only heard one side of the case. Such was not the case now. The papers on both sides had been printed. The hon. proprietor here briefly reviewed the former proceedings of the Court with reference to this case, and then said, that although he, and the friends who acted with him, had often been defeated on this question, still they felt that the principles which they advocated would outlive the malice of the enemies of the Rajah, and by unremitting perseverance they did not despair of seeing something like justice done to the Rajah even at the eleventh hour, although they were aware that no adequate compensation could be made to him for the loss and injury which he had sustained. He (Mr. Thompson) had devoted several months to the investigation of the whole case of the Rajah. In so doing he had acted from the most pure and disinterested motives, his sole anxiety being to elicit the truth, and to forward the ends of justice. The result of that investigation was, that he was convinced of the entire innocence of the Rajah, and he had also obtained some insight into the nature and extent of the plots by which he had been dethroned. He was convinced that there was no ground even for suspicion that the Rajah had been guilty of the offences imputed to him; and now that all the evidence was before the proprietors, he trusted that they would be induced to reconsider the matter. If they did so, he was prepared to move that the report of the commissioners was not warranted by the evidence before them. He had to complain that, when this subject was formerly before the Court, the chairman, in contravention of those rules by which all public meetings ought to be governed, had moved an adjournment of the Court in order to stifle all inquiry, and that that motion was carried. Mr. Fielder.Why the debate was kept up until two o'clock in the morning.

Mr. Thompson-That was on the question of adjournment, not on the merits of the case. He would admit that he made a very long speech on that occasion; but the proprietors who remained in Court did not do so in order to hear his arguments, but for the purpose of voting against him.

The Chairman said, he was sure the hon. proprietor did not wish to give any false colouring to the facts by the statement which he was making, but he must surely know that there did not exist on the part of the Court any wish to strangle a full discussion of the present question. On the contrary, it had, on one occasion, in July, 1811, occupied the Court no less than five days.

Mr. Thompson would repeat, that there had been a most reprehensible attempt to strangle the discussion of the question, Mr. Weeding rose to order. was, that the discussion took

The assertion was totally unfounded. True it place on the motion for an adjournment, but the hon. proprietor was allowed, and he availed himself of the permission, to go into the whole case. He was now fighting for straws.

Asiat.Journ.N.S. VOL.IV.No.24,

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