hat board. He therefore begged to propose, that a cadetship should be placed at is disposal, for the fulfilment of the pronise given by his predecessor. The Directors said to have been present on this occasion were fourteen, exclusive of the Chairman. Out of deference to the chair, very few observations were made on the proposition submitted to them, but looks spoke very eloquently the prevalent feeling; and on putting it to the vote, the numbers were-ten against, and four for, the proposition of the Chairman. A laugh from the victorious party followed the declaration of the votes, and it is said that the exultation of some of them at the result has led them, in an unguarded moment, to whisper the secret to profane ears.-Times, Nov. 12.

On Wednesday a paragraph appeared in a morning paper, under the head of "East-India Direction," purporting to give an account of a transaction "said to have occurred at the India-House during one of the secret meetings of the Court of Directors." The substance of it was, that the "Chairman informed the court, that during the recent prosecution of a member of that court, charged with employing his patronage for corrupt purposes, one very important witness was only prevailed on to give his evidence, by the promise of an appointment for a near relation," and that he (the Chairman) proposed that, to redeem the promise given by his predecessor, a cadetship should be placed at his disposal! The prosecution alluded to is that of Mr. Prescott and others, for negociating the sale of a cadetship, and the person designated as the important witness" is Dr. Back, who was to have purchased it. The imputation which this paragraph conveys is (to use the very words of the paper), that "suborned evidence was brought forward on the trial, that Dr. Back had been wicked enough to demand the price of his testimony before he entered the box, and that of two chairmen of the East-India direction, one had engaged to satisfy the demand, and the other proposed to fulfil it." By whom this transaction was "said to have occurred at the India-House," we know not; but that he must have been a director is evident; and he knows that he has not only outraged his duty as such, in reporting the transaction at all, but that he has been guilty of a still heavier offence in having misrepresented it.

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No such promise as is stated was ever given to Dr. Back-none such was ever required by him-but he came forward as voluntary and disinterested a witness as ever gave evidence in a court of justice. That the late chairman gave no promise the paper of to-day reluctantly admits, and slides from its former asser

tion into an insinuation, that although the charge was unjust as against the predecessor, it may still be applicable to a predecessor in the chair, or to some director on his behalf. We wish that the paper, or rather the person by whom "the transaction was said to have occurred," and whom the paper lauds as "very little to be distrusted," would condescend to be rather more circumstantial. We wish that he would tell us (and in his own proper name) who this predecessor may be, or even whom he suspects. Until he does so, we beg to assure him of our belief that no chairman whatever made such a promise, and that the present chairman did not call upon the directors to fulfil such a promise at the meeting alluded to. We know that Sir George Robinson did write a letter to induce Dr. Back to come forward as a witness, and that Mr. Astell made a proposal to confer a cadetship on his family; but the letter contained no pledge to Dr. Back, and the proposal was made without reference to it.

The facts are these:-Dr. Back is dead, and his family are left not above the necessity of assistance. The son, who was deprived of a cadetship by the prosecution, which succeeded only by the efforts and evidence of his father, was superannuated when it was ended; and the Chairman proposed to confer a cadetship upon the second son, in consideration of the circumstances of the family. So far from the proposal being made in consequence of a corrupt arrangement with Dr. Back, it was made in consequence of the material service he had rendered the Company and the public, in the prevention and punishment of such arrangements on the part of others.- Courier, Nov. 15.

We readily give insertion to the above article, because it bears, or professes to bear, the stamp of authority; and shall willingly do the same for whatever relates to this very important subject, on which our only desire is to elicit the truth and the whole truth. What is known, then, let us ask, up to the present moment? In the first instance, we stated a version which had got abroad of certain proceedings in a secret Court of Directors at the India House; it was shown at the same time, that if true, they involved a great sacrifice of character, and called therefore for the most prompt and unqualified contradiction. After a lapse of two days, however, we obtain merely a denial that any promise of an appointment was ever given by the late chairman, in reference to the evidence to support a recent trial for a corrupt disposal of patronage. Why not have put forth a denial at once, if any notice was to be taken of it, of the whole proceeding as described in our paper of the 12th? In the next place appears the statement

statement above given, which may be tried, assuming it to come from authority, on its own internal evidence. After what had occurred, it was a piece of great indiscretion, to say the least of it, unless a previous promise had been given, to bestow an appointment on the son of a man who was placed in the late Dr. Back's peculiar situation. We believe, too, that it is quite at variance with the uniform practice of the Court of Directors, who, whenever appointments have been improperly obtained, have taken most scrupulous care to exclude all concerned, whether innocent or guilty, from the benefit of them. It will also strike every one at all conversant with the affairs of the India-House, as very extraordinary, if the above is literally the state of the case, that the chairman of the court, on making the proposition to bestow such appointment, should find it negatived by ten votes to four, and that those who voted against it should betray their exultation at the event out of doors, as at a triumph gained. We have no other desire, we repeat, than to draw forth the truth, and may add, that our original notice of the affair is so far from having arisen out of any feeling of disrespect towards the Court of Directors, that we were induced to mention it solely by a desire to uphold its very high character.-Times, Nov. 17.

MR. WYNN'S PRIZE WRITERSHIPS.

Oxford, Oct. 3.-In a convocation holden this afternoon, the honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred on George Cotes, scholar of Trinity College, the successful candidate for a writership in India, given by the Right Hon. C. W. W. Wynn, as a prize for competition among the junior members of the university.

Mr. Wynn having offered another writership as a similar prize for competition among the junior members, it was unanimously agreed in the same convocation, that the thanks of the University be returned to Mr. Wynn for this additional mark of his liberal attention, and that his offer of the writership be accepted.

EAST-INDIA HOUSE.

The Court of Directors have given notice that the transfer books of the Company's stock will be shut on the 4th Dec. at three o'clock, and opened again on the 15th Jan. following; and that the dividend warrants on the said stock due on the 5th Jan. next, will be ready to be delivered on the 15th of the same month.

The Court have also given notice that a quarterly General Court will be held on the 17th Dec. next, for the purpose of declaring a dividend from Midsummer last to Christmas next.

NETHERLANDS INDIA.

he Second Chamber of the States

General yesterday, a project of law was presented for raising an additional loan of fifteen millions of florins for the EastIndia Colonies, to be guaranteed by the State, in the same manner as the preceding loan of twenty millions. -Brussels Paper, Nov. 5.

DINNER TO THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL.

A splendid private dinner was given by the Court of Directors, on the 12th Nov. to Lord Ellenborough, the President of the Board of Control, at which were present the Duke of Wellington, Mr. Peel, and others of his Majesty's Ministers.

The speeches delivered on this occasion are of such importance, that we have taken measures to procure an authentic report of them; on which account we are compelled to defer particulars till next month.

THE HINDOSTAN WRECK.

Messrs. Bell are going on successfully in weighing the effects lost in the Hindostan Indiaman, twenty years ago, off the Reculvers; they have already recovered 3,000 dollars, and about sixty tons of copper.

We understand the East-In

dia Company have authorized them to appropriate to their own use all they can, rescue from the deep.-Kent Herald.

PROMOTIONS AND CHANGES IN THE BRITISH ARMY.

(SERVING IN THE EAST.)

13th L.Drags. Cornet R. Gethin to be lieut. by purch., v. Strange prom., and R. S. Forlong to be cornet by purch., v. Gethin (both 21 Nov. 28).

3d Foct. Surg.Alex. Macqueen, from Ceyl. Regt., to be surg., v. Ivory dec. (4 Sept).

6th Foot. W. F. Jekyll to be ens. by purch, v. Dillon prom. in 60th F. (28 Aug).

30th Foot. Surg. W. P. O'Reilly, from 56th F., to be surg, v. R. Pearce, who rets. on h. p. (11 Sept. 28).

58th Foot. Lieut. R. Hutton, from h. p. 6th W.I. Regt., to be lieut., v. R. T. Fletcher, who exch. (21 Nov.).

59th Foot. Assist. Surg. R. Lawder, from 98th F., to be surg. v. Hume dec. (21 Nov.)

97th Foot. Assist. Surg. W. Austin to be surg., v. J. Freer, who rets. on h. p. (21 Nov.)

Ceylon Regt. Alexander Johnstone to be 2d-. lieut., v. Woodford dec. (25 Sept.); Staff Assist. surg. W. H. Young to be surg., v. Macqueen prom. in 3d F. (4 Sept.)

INDIA SHIPPING.

Arrivals.

Oct. 26. Eclipse, Duncan, from South Seas and Mauritius; at Gravesend.-27. Timor, Ford, from South Seas and Cape of Good Hope; at Deal.Nov. 4. Zephyr, Fleming, from Batavia 9th June; off Portsmouth (for Antwerp).-6. Lion, M'Leod, from N. S. Wales 31st May; at Deal.-14. H.M.S. Champion, Delme, from Penang 16th June, and Mauritius 10th Aug. ; at Portsmouth.-14. Norfolk, Redman, from Bengal 8th June; at Portsmouth. -17. Bolivar, Winder, from Bombay 2d July; at Liverpool.-17. Candian, Reed, from Bengal 9th July; off Portsmouth.-17. Cape Packet, Dixon, from N. S. Wales 30th May; at Liverpool.-17. Hindostan, Rimmer, from Singapore 22d Jure, and Batavia 19th July; off Portsmouth.-17. Fanny, Kemp, from South Seas and Cape of Good Hope 8th Aug.; at Deal.-18. General

Palmer