ments, &c. LAWS. dency according United Company in India on their civil establishment, to their appoint- and preventing all undue supercessions, be it further enacted, that all the civil servants of the said United Company in India, under the rank or degree of members of council, shall have and be entitled to precedence in the service of the said Company, at their respective stations, according to their seniority of appointment; and no such civil servant or servants shall be capable of being advanced or promoted to any higher station, rank or degree therein, than he or they shall be respectively entitled to according to the length of his or their service respectively; any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding. Servants of the Company may he appointed to boards, courts, or other official establishments, though they do not take prece (28) And whereas by the said act of the Parliament of Great Britain of the thirty-third year of his present Majesty's reign, it is enacted, that all the civil servants of the said United Company in India, under the rank or degree of meinber of council, shall have and be entitled to precedence in the service of the said Company dence according at their respective stations according to the seniority of to seniority of services. their appointment; and whereas the several governments of the said Company are often prevented from appointing meritorious servants of the said Company to be members of courts, boards and other official establishments, where offices or employments are exercised by several servants of the said Company collectively, lest by such appointment one or more members of such court, board or other establishment should be superseded; be it therefore enacted, that it shall and may be lawful for any governorgeneral or governor in council of the said Company, if he shall think proper, upon application in writing for that purpose by any civil servant of the said Company desirous of being appointed a member of any such court, board or other establishment, by special order to direct that such servant of the said Company, on being appointed to any office or employment in any such court, board, or other establishment, shall take precedence at or in such court, board, or other establishment, according to the seniority of his appointment as a member of such court, board or other establishment, although such civil servant in respect of whom such order shall be made may thereby not take precedence at or in such court, board or other establishment, according to the seniority of his appointment to the service of the said Com and such civil servant shall thereupon take precedence at such court, board or other establishment accordingly, the said act or any other matter or thing to the contrary notwithstanding. No governor Trade. No Governor-General, &c. to trade. (29) And be it further enacted, that it shall not be general, &c. to lawful for any governor-general, or governor, or any trade, except on account of the member of council of the said presidencies in India, to Company. No be concerned in any trade or traffic whatever, except on 1793. 33 Geo. 3, c. 52, $56. 1813. 53 Geo. 3, c. 155, $86. 1793. 33 Geo. 3, c. 52, $ 137. LAWS. 1793. 33 Geo. 3, c. 52, § 137. $95. $ 60. the inland trade in salt, &c., except with the Company's per on account of the said Company, nor for any collector, judge to be con- Civil Servants may act as Consignees. Civil servants of the Company, or licensed persons in India, may act as consignees, &c. (30) And be it further enacted, that it shall and may be lawful for any persons residing in India, in the civil service of the said Company, or by their leave or license, not being restricted by their covenants with the said Company, or otherwise specially prohibited by them or their governments in India from so doing, and not being in any judicial or military capacity, to act as commercial agents, managers or consignees, on the behalf of such persons as shall think fit to employ them, as well in the disposal of any export goods, not hereby prohibited from being exported by individuals, as in providing such other kinds of goods as may by law be imported by individuals into Great Britain on their private account, without incurring any penalty or forfeiture in respect thereof, any law or statute to the contrary notwithstanding. WRITERS AND CADETS shall Writers and ca(31) And be it further enacted, that no person dets to be of cer be capable of acting, or being appointed or sent to tain ages, &c. India in the capacity of writer or cadet, whose age shall be under fifteen years, or shall exceed twenty-two years, nor until the person proposed or intended to be so appointed shall have delivered to the said Court of Directors a certificate of his age, under the the hand of the minister of the parish in which he was baptized, or keeper of the registry of baptism of such parish; and if no such registry can be found, an affidavit of that circumstance shall be made by the party himself, with his information and belief that his age is not under fifteen years and doth not exceed twenty-two years; provided, nevertheless, that the said restriction shall not extend to prevent the said Court of Directors from appointing any person to be a cadet who shall have been, for the space of one year at least, a commissioned officer in his Majesty's service, or in the militia or fencible men when embodied, and hath been called into actual service, or from the company of cadets in the royal regiment of artillery, and whose age shall not exceed twenty-five years. No person to be appointed a writer, unless he Writers to keep four Terms at College. 1813. c. 155, § 46. (32) And be it further enacted, that it shall not be lawful for the said Court of Directors to nominate, 53 Geo. 3, shall have kept appoint, or send to the presidencies of Fort William, four terms at the Fort St. George, or Bombay, any person in the capacollege, and shall produce a certifi- city of a writer, unless such person shall have been cate of conformi- duly entered at such college, and have resided there ty to the rules. four terms, according to the rules and regulations thereof; and shall also produce to the said Court of Directors a certificate, under the hand of the principal of the said college, testifying that he has, for the space of four terms, been a member of and duly conformed himself to the rules and regulations of the said college. Preamble. May be appointed without going to the College. (33) Whereas by an act passed in the fifty-third year of the reign of his late Majesty King George III, it was among other things enacted, that it should not be lawful for the Court of Directors of the United Company of Merchants of England trading to the East-Indies, to nominate, appoint, or send to the presidencies of Fort William, Fort St. George, or Bombay, any person in the capacity of a writer, unless such person should have been duly entered at the college of the said Company in England, and have resided there four terms according to the rules and regulations thereof, and should also produce to the said Court of Directors a certificate, under the hand of the principal of the said college, testifying that he has for the space of four terms been a member of and duly conformed himself to the rules and regulations of the said college: Persons may be (34) And whereas there is not a sufficient number sent to India as of persons qualified, according to the provisions of the writers, on producing testimo. said act, to be appointed writers to fill the vacancies nials of character which exist, and which are likely to occur in the civil establishments of the said presidencies in the EastIndies; be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Ma and conduct. 1826. 7 Geo. 4, C. $ 1. $ 2. LAWS. jesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and 7 Geo. 4, by the authority of the same, that at any time within three years from 1826, the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the Court of Directors of the said United Company to nominate and appoint, and to send to the presidencies of Fort William, Fort St. George or Bombay, in the capacity of a writer, any person who shall produce such testimonials of his character and conduct, and pass such an examination as, by rules and regulations, to be framed and established as hereinafter is mentioned, shall be required. Directors may, with approbation of Board of Con trol, establish rules and regu lations. (35) And be it further enacted, that the said Court of Directors shall, and they are hereby required, with all convenient speed, by and with the consent and approbation of the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India, to frame and establish proper rules and regulations respecting the due and necessary qualifications of writers; and that it shall and may be lawful for the said Court of Directors, with the consent and approbation of the said Board of Commissioners, to alter and vary such rules and regulations from time to time as circumstances may appear to require, and that the rules and regulations so altered and varied shall be of the same force and effect as the original rules and regulations. SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE COMPANY. IT has already been observed under the head of "Parliament,” that in the year 1805 a committee of the House of Commons was appointed to take into consideration the account between the public and the Company, arising out of various expeditions undertaken against the French Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Danish settlements in India, &c. The committee reported that £2,200,000 was owing to the Company, and recommended that £1,000,000 should be provided in the supplies of the year, to be voted to the Company. In the following year another £1,000,000 was voted. In 1808, the further sum of £1,500,000 was voted to the Company on account of expenses incurred by them in the public service. In 1810, a loan of £1,500,000 was advanced by Parliament to the Company, to be repaid on or before January 1812. In the month of February in that year an act was passed, authorizing all sums allowed by the Lords of the Treasury on account of expenses incurred by the Company for the public to be carried to the credit of the Company in repayment of the loan of 1810. In 1812, Parliament granted a loan of £2,500,000 to the Company. In 1821, the final adjustment of the account between the public and the Company became matter of discussion between the First Lord of the Treasury and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Court of Directors of the East-India Company. In the month of July, Viscount Lowther, Sir |