ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENT, CALCUTTA GAZETTE, 29TH NOVEMBER 1798. The following Extract from a letter from the Hon'ble Court of Directors, dated the 25th of May 1798, is published for general information. By order of the Right Hon'ble the Governor General in Council, (sd.) D. CAMPBELL, Sub-Secretary. "Para. 105.-You will have observed by our despatches from time to time, that we have invariably manifested, as the occasion required, our disposition for the encouragement of Indian Literature. We understand it has been of late years a frequent practice among our servants, especially in Bengal, to make collections of Oriental Manuscripts, many of which have afterwards been brought into this country, these remaining in private hands, and being likely in a course of time to pass into others, in which probably no use can be made of them. They are in danger of being neglected, and at length in a great measure lost to Europe as well as to India. We think this issue a matter of greater regret, because we apprehend that since the decline of the Mogul Empire, the encouragement formerly given in it to Persian literature has ceased; that hardly any new works of celebrity appear, and that few copies of books of established character are now made, so that there being by the accidents of time, and the exportation of many of the best manuscripts, a progressive diminution of the original stock, Hindoostan may at length be much thinned of its literary stores without greatly enriching Europe. To prevent in part this injury to letters, we have thought that the Institution of a Public Repository in this country for Oriental writings would be useful, and that a thing professedly of this kind is still a bibliothecal desideratum here. It is not our meaning that the Company should go into any considerable expense in forming a collection of Eastern books, but we think the India House might with particular propriety be the centre of an ample accumulation of that nature; and conceiving also that gentlemen might choose to lodge valuable compositions, where they could be safely preserved and become useful to the public, we therefore desire it to be made known that we are willing to allot a suitable apartment for the purpose of an Oriental Repository, in the additional buildings now erecting in Leadenhall Street; and that all Eastern Manuscripts transmitted to that Repository will be carefully preserved and registered there. "106. By such a collection the literature of Persia and Mahomedan India may be preserved in this country, after perhaps it shall, from further changes and the further declension of taste for it, be partly lost in its original seats. "107. Nor would we confine this collection to Persian and Arabian Manuscripts. The Sanscrit writings, from the long subjection of the Hindoos to a foreign Government, from the discouragements their literature in consequence experienced, and from the ravages of time, must have suffered greatly; we should be glad, therefore, that copies of all the valuable books which remain in that language, or in any ancient Dialects of the Hindoos, might, through the industry of individuals, at length be placed in safety in this Island, and form a part of the proposed collection." (A true Extract) D. CAMPBELL, THE 13TH DECEMBER 1798. The Right Hon'ble the Governor General having appointed Monday, the 17th instant, for the celebration of His Majesty's Birthday, there will be a Ball and Supper at the Theatre on the occasion, at which His Lordship desires the favor of the company of all the Gentlemen belonging to the Civil and Military service of His Majesty, and of the Hon'ble the East India Company. December 6th, 1798. (Sd.) R. DAVIES, Aide-de-Camp. THE 13TH DECEMBER 1798. Extract from a letter from the Hon'ble Court of Directors, dated the 6th June 1776. 114. We shall conclude with some remarks on the very extraordinary conduct of several of our Officers, in their address to you on the new arrangement of the 8th January 1796. 115. When we consider the liberal principles of that arrangement, framed as it was in concert with His Majesty's Ministers, and who united with us in endeavoring to remove every reasonable cause of complaint; when we recollect that in many instances indulgences were granted by it which had not been asked, and which could not have been expected; when we advert to the pecuniary sacrifice made by the Company to promote the comfort and happiness of the whole of our Indian Army: We must repeat in the terms of the concluding part of our separate letter of the 8th January 1796, that we had the most sanguine expectations that all discontent would be done away; that our Military servants would feel duly impressed with a sense of the protection extended to them, and the great regard shown to their interest; and that they would consider with candour the important duration made in the service in general, in credit, emoluments, and respectability, however some few individuals might not feel their perfect situations exactly what they wished. 116. To these sentiments on the most mature deliberation we adhered, and we are convinced every ingenuous, every reasonable mind will concur in them. What, therefore, must have been our surprise and indignation to find these our well founded expectations disappointed, and to learn that some of our Officers, instead of receiving the material benefits and advantage held out to them by the new Army Regulations, with gratitude and respect, had presumed to arraign those regulations in a style of disrespect and intemperance highly unbecoming the situation in which they stand to those who had prescribed them; that some had even dared to insinuate that we had been actuated by unworthy motives in forming some part of the regulations, and that other parts, the most beneficial to their happiness and interest, had been treated with contempt or indifference; in short, in their unfounded animadversions they have totally lost sight of subordination and submission, and even betrayed symptoms of disaffection to our service! 117. When we examine the situation of those who thus, forgetful of their duty, have annexed their signature to addresses of this complexion, we are concerned to find amongst them several whose immediate advantage must follow the carrying into effect the arrangement determined; and while, on the other hand, young men who had just entered the service have presumed to call in question the principles of regulations, which it was scarcely possible they could comprehend. 118. It is, nevertheless, some consolation to us to observe, that the number of Officers to whom these remarks immediately apply is comparatively small, and we are still willing to persuade ourselves, that on more mature reflection, impressed with a conviction of the substantial benefits of the new arrangements, even those few will see the impropriety of their conduct and return to a just sense of their duty; so to adopt the language of the Governor General in his Minutes of Council of the 25th June 1796, we doubt not that experience will prove to the Officers of the Bengal Army, that their collective interests have been more consulted in the arrangements, than they appear at present to understand. 119. From these considerations we are induced to draw a veil over the past conduct of those Officers whose addresses have been the subject of the foregoing animadversions; but, necessary as it is for us to preserve that respect and subordination which is so much our due from them in every view, and to deter our Military servants from such proceedings in future, we hereby direct that if any of our Officers hereafter presume to address themselves to our Government in an offensive, intemperate, or disrespectful style, upon the subject of orders received from us, such Officers, whatever be their rank and service, will be immediately dismissed from our employ and sent to England. SUPPLEMENT TO THE CALCUTTA GAZETTE, 20TH DECEMBER 1798. Fort William, Public Department, 12th December 1798. Notice is hereby given that the supra cargoes at Canton have been authorized to receive fifteen lakhs of Rupees into their treasury in specie, and to grant Bills upon the Governor General in Council for the amount payable in Bengal, in cash, upon the following terms, viz. : The first 5 lakhs, at the exchange of 39 Head Dollars per 100 current Rupees, payable thirty days after sight. The second 5 lakhs, at the exchange of 40 Head Dollars per 100 current Rupees, payable forty-five days after sight. The third 5 lakhs, at the exchange of 41 Head Dollars per 100 current Rupees, payable sixty days after sight. Published by order of the Right Hon'ble the Governor General in Council, (Sd.) G. H. BARLOW, Secretary to the Government. SUPPLEMENT TO THE CALCUTTA GAZETTE, 20TH DECEMBER 1798. Fort William, Public Department, 13th December 1798. Notice is hereby given that the Right Hon'ble the Governor General in Council has thought proper to authorize the Mint Master to receive, until further notice, all the Gold Bullion which may be tendered to him, and to grant certificates for the net amount thereof, after deducting the established duties, as soon as its value shall have been ascertained by Assay, which certificates will be payable at the General Treasury in cash thirty days after date, or at the option of the proprietors, receivable at par, in payment of opium advertised for sale on the 20th instant, whenever they may be tendered for that purpose. Published by order of the Right Hon'ble the Governor General in Council, (Sd.) D. CAMPBELL, Sub-Secretary. THE 27TH DECEMBER 1898. Fort William, Public Department, 25th December 1798. The Right Hon'ble the Governor General having determined to proceed to Fort St. George, His Lordship has been pleased to nominate His Excellency the Hon'ble the Lieutenant General Sir Alured Clarke, K. B., Vice-President and Deputy Governor of Fort William. Published by order of the Vice-President in Council, |