66 66 LAWS. thereby to put under his orders and directions all our land forces, as well as the military force in the service of the said United Company which may be employed in those parts: Now, know ye, that we, reposing especial trust and confidence in the prudence, courage, " and loyalty of the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, have made, "constituted, and appointed, and do by these presents make, consti"tute, and appoint the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, our captaingeneral and commander-in-chief of all and singular our land forces "employed or to be employed in our service within any of the British "territories in India, and in all parts within the limits of the exclu"sive trade of the said United Company, during our pleasure, to order, "do, and perform all things whatsoever, which do or ought to belong "to the office of our captain-general, and commander-in-chief of our land forces, within the parts aforesaid, and generally to order, do, and perform all, and whatsoever for us, and in our name ought "to be done, in the command, order, and direction of our said forces, " and also of all military forces whatsoever in the parts aforesaid "which the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, is not authorized and "empowered to order, do, and perform by force and virtue of the "said commissions, from the said United Company, it being our "gracious will and intention by this our commission, to give to the "said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, full power and authority to order, "direct, and control all military forces employed, or to be employed, "in the territories and parts aforesaid, in all cases to which the "commissions so granted by the said United Company to the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, cannot extend for want of powers in "the said Company for that purpose; and we do hereby command "all our officers and soldiers who are, or shall be employed in our land service within any of the territories and parts aforesaid, to " acknowledge and obey the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, as "their captain-general and commander-in-chief; but, nevertheless, "we do strictly enjoin and command the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, in the exercise of the powers and authorities given "to him by these presents, to observe and obey all such instructions, orders, and directions, from time to time, as the said "Richard, Marquis Wellesley, shall receive from the first commis"sioner for the affairs of India, or from any of our principal "secretaries of state; provided always, and our will and pleasure "is, that if the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, shall cease to "be governor-general of the presidency of the British territories in Bengal as aforesaid, then and from thenceforth all and every the "powers and authorities hereby given to the said Richard, Marquis Wellesley, cease, determine, and become void; any thing herein"contained to the contrary notwithstanding. In witness whereof, "we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness "ourself at Westminster, the seventh day of August, in the fortieth "year of our reign. 66 August 1800. COMMITTEES. THE charter of King William provides, that sub-committees may be appointed for the despatch of business. The term subcommittee arose from the meeting of the twenty-four Directors of the old or LONDON COMPANY having been designated, anterior to the projected union of the two companies in 1702, a Court of Committees. The practice which appears to have prevailed before the union, of choosing the several sub-committees immediately after the annual election, was followed when that union was completed in 1708. After the first annual election, which took place in April 1709, the several committees were chosen; they consisted of the Committee of Accounts-Buying-CorrespondenceLaw Suits-Shipping-Treasury-Warehouses-and Private Trade. In April 1771, the Committee for the Management and Application of the Military, or Lord Clive's Fund, was added; and, in 1781, the Committee for Government Troops and Stores, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions contained in the 17th and 24th sections of the act of the 21st Geo. III, cap. 65. In 1784, by the 16th section of the 24th Geo. III, cap. 25, the Court of Directors were required to appoint a Secret Committee, to consist of three of their members, who by the 26th Geo. III, cap. 16, were required to take the oath therein prescribed. The existing committees for conducting the Affairs of the East-India Company may be divided into four heads: 1st. The standing Committees of the Court of Directors. 2d. The Committee of Secrecy appointed by the act of Parliament. 3d. The Secret Commercial Committee. 4th. The Committee of By-Laws. The The first class of committees consists of The Committee of Correspondence, Law Suits, Military Fund, Civil College, The members composing these committees are the chairman and deputy-chairman and the nine senior Directors. The chairman and deputy-chairman are members of all committees. The business assigned to the Committee of CORRESPONDENCE is by far the most extensive. The whole of the advices from India in the public, political, military, revenue, judicial, law, separate and ecclesiastical departments, come under their review and consideration; as also the replies to such despatches before they are submitted for the approbation of the Court of Directors. The Committee of Correspondence report the number of civil, military, and medical servants necessary for keeping up the establishments abroad, and on the applications of all such servants for leave of absence, or for permission to return to their respective presidencies. All representations and applications for redress of grievances or pecuniary demands from the Company's servants are, in the first instance, decided by this committee, and likewise the various subjects growing out of the employment of the royal navy, and of his Majesty's troops in India. The recruiting department is under the Committee of Correspondence, to whom it also belongs to submit such appointments as may be necessary in the secretary's, examiner's, auditor's, military secretary's, military fund, and treasury departments, to the decision of the Court of Directors, as well as the stationing of the several ships for their respective voyages. It belongs to the Committee of Correspondence to issue the secret instructions to the commanders of the Company's ships as to the course they are to proceed on the voyage to and from India and China, and in the time of war to apply to the Admiralty for convoys, and for devising and taking such precautions as the committee may deem necessary for their safety with regard to signals and otherwise. The Committee of LAW SUITS directs prosecutions and defences in all suits in which the Company are parties, and also takes cognizance of whatever becomes the subject of litigation either abroad or at home, communicating with the other committee in whose department the subject litigated may originate. All bills of law charges are examined and reported on by the committee of Law Suits to the court. The Committee for the Management and Application of the MILITARY FUND was appointed to carry into effect a deed of agreement entered into between the Company and the first Lord Clive on the 6th April 1770. The sum given by his Lordship was £62,833. The Nabob of Bengal added £37,700, which sums, together with the further sum of £24, 128, being the interest due by the Company on the cash notes granted on account of the two first-mentioned sums, formed the original capital with interest on the whole at the rate of eight per cent. The fund was established for the relief of European officers and soldiers, invalids, or superannuated, their widows, and the widows of officers and soldiers dying in the service. The Court of Directors, for the time being, are trustees for the due application of the proceeds, which are to be distributed, as nearly as possible, under regulations similar to those for paying Chelsea pensioners. Every commissioned officer is to take an oath, before he is admitted, that he is not possessed of, or entitled to, real and personal estate: All commissioned staff or warrant officers have half the ordinary stated pay they enjoyed whilst in service; sergeants of horse artillery, 9d. per day, and such as have lost a limb, 1s.: privates of the artillery, 6d, and such as have lost a limb, 9d. Other non-commissioned officers and privates, 43d. per day. All pensions commence from the time of their respective debarkations in England. The The widows to bring evidence that their husbands did not die possessed of the sums beforementioned: the pensions to be paid during widowhood. If parties are insane, the pension to be paid to the churchwardens of the parish towards the pensioner's subsistence. In the event of the Company having no military force in India in their actual pay or service, then the fund is to be applied in the same manner to the support of the invalided marine servants or their widows; and if the Company should cease to employ troops or marine, then the sum out of which the fund originally arose reverts to the representatives of the donor. The Committee of TREASURY provides, agreeably to the order of Court, for the payment of dividends and of the interest on bonds, and negotiates whatever loans the Company's credit may at any time require. They also purchase when required all bullion for exportation, and arrange the sale of such specie as may be sent home from India. They affix the Company's seal to the counterparts of charter-parties, supracargoes', factors' and writers' covenants-to any bonds given at the Custom-House, and to whatever bonds or deeds the Court may order. They examine the state of the Company's cash, and judge on all applications on the loss of bonds or any other money transactions. The Committee of Civil COLLEGE has the superintendence of the regulations for the government of that institution, and reports on the nomination of the professors and students to the college, and to the fitness of the latter for appointment as writers. The second class of committees comprehends The Committee of Buying and Warehouses, |