difference as to religion, the Christian, the Jew, the Turk, the Pagan, the professors of every, or of no, creed, are equally admissible; there is no impediment as to sex, a woman as well as a man is entitled to the free exercise of her opinion in this assembly; there is no aristocratical bar— the soldier and the sailor, the merchant and the agriculturist, stand on the same footing; and to all this must be added that, to which the elective voice of the British people is fast hastening, the invariable use of the vote by ballot. The qualifications for sitting and voting in this completely liberal senate, are thus regulated— A Proprietor of £500 stock is entitled to a seat. Ditto......... £1,000 ..... to one vote. to two votes. to three votes. four votes. To avoid the possibility of persons purchasing the power of voting at any particular moment, or for a specific emergency, and to prevent collusive transfers of stock, it is provided by the Bye-laws of the Court, that no proprietor can be qualified to vote unless the sum of £1,000 stock be in his or her own right for twelve-months;* and to destroy the tendency to a monopoly of votes, the exercise of which would be injurious to the general weal, if a proprietor possessed one million sterling worth of stock, be would be entitled to no more than four votes. No voting by proxy allowed. Minors are incapable of voting. The Proprietors of East-India stock consist, according to a calculation, of 3,579, who are thus subdivided: * This clause is dispensed with when acquired by marriage, bequest, or settlement. 221 ditto, holding only £500 stock, not qualified to vote, merely to debate. The number of proprietors who possess sufficient stock to vote, but who have not held it long enough are,— In addition to the foregoing, 396 persons hold stock under £500, and are not qualified to vote or speak; 1,519 proprietors reside within four miles of the General Post Office; 165 accounts are in the names of foreigners; and seven proprietors possess each more than £10,000 stock. Classification of the Votes in the Court of Proprietors.* Commoners.-Comprising members of Parliament, private gentry, bankers, merchants, traders, ship- Votes. owners, shop-keepers, &c. Women.-Married, widows, and spinsters 1836 372 222 86 ............ Officers.-In His Majesty's and the Honourable Company's army .... Clergy.-Bishops, rectors, curates, &c. Officers.-Of His Majesty's navy, from admirals to Lieutenants Nobility.-English, Irish, and Scotch Peers .... ..... 28 20 19 Total...... 2,658 • This calculation was made some months ago: it is of course liable to vary, but not materially. The Court is convened regularly four times in every year, in (March, June, September, and December,) and at such other times as may be deemed necessary for special purposes, nine qualified proprietors being empowered to address a requisition in writing to the Court of Directors, to convene a court, which not being summoned within ten days, the aforesaid proprietors may call such meeting on their own requisition, previously affixing notice to that effect at the Royal Exchange. Of late the number of special courts have not been great, as the following table will shew. NUMBER OF GENERAL and SPECIAL COURTS which have taken place at the INDIA-HOUSE since 1814. 1287. Annual average of courts held...... The chairman of the Court of Directors is ex officio the speaker or chairman of this court; his duty is to attend to the summoning and appointing of the quarterly assembly; to convene special courts; to preside at all meetings; to introduce to the notice of the Court all business arising out of any measure which may have been adopted by the Directors; to bring forward all motions which require the sanction of the court, to lay annually before its members accounts, shewing the net proceeds of the Company's sale of goods during the past year, the duties and allowances arising from private trade, the net profits of the Company in Great Britain, and the application and disposition thereof; a general statement per computation of the Company's affairs to the 30th April in each year; such accounts and papers as may from time to time be laid before either House of Parliament by the Court of Directors, and all proceedings in Parliament which in the opinion of the Court of Directors may possibly affect the rights, interests, or privileges of the East-India Company generally, before the same shall have passed into a law. The following powers are vested in the Court. The election of qualified persons to form the Court of Directors; the declaration of dividends on the capital stock of the Company, subject to certain legislative enactments.* The framing, altering, or repealing such bye-laws as may be deemed necessary for the good government of the EastIndia Company, provided such do not interfere with any Acts of Parliament. A general control over any increase to a salary or pension exceeding £200 a year, or over any gratuity beyond £600; over the creation of any new officer at home or abroad with a salary exceeding £200; or over superannuated allowances to officers and servants in England. The Court can confer a tribute of approbation and a pecuniary reward, on any Eastern statesman or warrior whose services may seem to them worthy of such manifestations of popular gratitude; should the donation, however, exceed the sums before-mentioned, it is subject to the confirmation of the Board of Control; it can also demand copies of various public documents to be laid before it for discussion and consideration; but by Act of Parlia ment it is prevented rescinding, suspending, revoking, or varying any order or resolution of the Court of Directors relative to the revenues, or civil or military government, By an Act of Parliament in 1813, the dividend cannot exceed 10 per cent: all profit beyond that is appropriated to territorial and other purposes. The capital stock of the Company is £6,000,000 sterling. † 33d Geo. III. c. 52, passed in 1793. after the same shall have received the approbation of the Board of Control. The manner in which business is transacted in the House of Commons and at the India House is very much alike. All motions except the previous question is liable to amendment; any member may call for a division on a question, and nine members qualified to vote, may demand a division by ballot, but twenty-four hours must elapse after the general court has adjourned before the ballot can be proceeded with; the ballot cannot begin later than twelve, nor close earlier than six o'clock; two or more ballots on the same day must be taken in separate rooms; no lists can be received after the glass is finally sealed up; mistakes in the names of candidates resolved by scrutineers; the glasses examined when opened, and sealed up when the ballot is concluded; questions are decided by a majority, and in case of an equality, a determination is arrived at by the Treasurer drawing a lot. The gallery of the Court is open to the reporters of the public press; and although the daily papers can only afford space for meagre outlines of the proceedings, which the editors think do not come within the desire of their subscribers, yet the fullest account of the debates are regularly published in the Asiatic Journal. As the Court possess the right, and exercises it, of nominating the Directors, they also, of course, have the right to remove them; this extreme of power, has, however, been seldom resorted to, the retiring from office frequently enabling the proprietors to evince their feelings in a less decided, but not less efficacious manner. I allude to this circumstance particularly, because the Right Honourable Mr. Courtenay says, "the Court of Proprietors have really no interest whatever in the concerns of India;" the right honourable gentleman, however, almost immediately qualifies, if indeed he does not negative this statement, by |