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directed me to suggest to you, your being good enough to state, at such greater length as may appear to you expedient, the points you may be desirous of submitting for consideration, and the specific mode in which you would propose to increase the benefit of the Institu tion to the Subscribers, by an appropriation of the present and future Surplus Funds.

They desire me, however, to add, that should you still be of opinion, that the Requisition is sufficiently explicit in its present form, they will have great pleasure in calling a Meeting in compliance with it, at the earliest opportunity.

I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,..

Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed). J. A. DORIN,

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Secretary, Civil Service
Annuity Fund.

SIR, We have had the honor to receive your letter, dated 28th instant, referring us to the 25th Rule of the Begulation of the Civil Annuity Fund, and suggesting, that we should state somewhat more explicitly the objects of the Meeting proposed to be called.

2d.-In reply, we beg to state, that the objects were, we conceive, sufficiently stated in conformity to the Rule in question, in our previoas letter, though, perhaps, we were in error in making mention of any resolutions we were to pro pose as being the objects for consideration.

3d-We wish the Meeting to be free to consider the particular plan for appropriation of the surplus, that the Requisitionists have the intention to propose, as well as any other plan that may be submitted to the Meeting, by any other Member of

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the service. Were we to furnish a statement of our resolutions, as the object for the Meeting to consider, it would preclude any thing being submitted to the Meeting, except these resolutions, and as the me thod and details of appropriation involve questions, upon which there is likely to be much difference of opinion, although all may be agreed as to the advantage of mak ing some appropriation, we think, it would be productive of inconve nience to state our plan more definitely.

4th. We request, therefore, that the Meeting ma be advertized, as called for the purpose of taking in to consideration the expediency and propriety of taking measures for the eventual appropriation of the Surplus Funds of the Institution, arising from the small number of Annuities annually taken by Members of the Service entitled thereto, in case of such surplus being here. after found to accrue.

Sir, we have the honor to be,
Your most obdt. Servants,

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Calcutta, 30th April, 1827. .

Few of the Requisitionists being present, and those who were in attendance having no specific proposition for the consideration of the meeting, the Chairman proceeded to enquire whether any member of the service present, had any motion to bring forward connected with the objects, for which the meeting was called. This not

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appearing to be the case, Mr. Udny informed the meeting, that he had received a letter from Mr. A. Ross, addressed to the Chairman, containing proposals which that gentleman wished to be laid before the meeting.

Mr. Ross being one of the Requisitionists, doubts were entertained, as to the propriety of receiving his letter, it being considered by some of the meeting necessary that Mr. Ross should submit his sentiments in person. Referring, however to the objects, for which the meeting was assembled, it was ultimately decided, that the communication of Mr. Ross should be received and considered. It was accordingly read by Mr. Udny as follows:

To the Chairman of the Special

General Meeting, &c. &c.

SIR,-Being prevented from attending the meeting to-day, I have to request you will submit, for its consideration, the following proposition.

The Civil Annuity Fund was established in the expectation that it would accelerate promotion in the service, by inducing some of

the senior servants to retire annu- 1

ally-It has not hitherto, however, produced the expected effect, nor is it probable that it ever will, if it continue on its present footing; as an annuity of little more than £500 (which is the real value granted by the Fund,) can at no time be sufficient to induce the retirement of servants, holding the highest offices under the Government, and in the receipt of large salaries.

Taking this view of the Institu、 tion, and thinking a modification of the existing Rules necessary to render it effective, I am induced to propose as follows:

That the number of the members of the Institution qualified to become Annuitants, be enlarged, by reducing the qualifying period

of service to twenty years, including a furlough of three years.

That if in any year the number of members desirous of retiring from the service, fall short of the number of Annuities claimable, the sum of money appropriable from the Funds of the Institution towards providing for the Annuities not claimed, be added to the sum appropriable towards the provision of the following nine addi¦ tional Annuities claimable on account of the following year: and in the event of the aggregate of these sums being more than sufficient to provide for an Annuity of £1,000, on the terms prescribed by the existing Rules of the Institution, to each of the members retiring in such following year, that the surplus be divided among those members, either in money, or in the shape of increased Annuities, as may be preferred by them.

The foregoing modification of the Rules of the Institution would, I conceive, be advantageous to all ranks of the service, and as it would not require any additional contribution from, or impose any additional burden upon, the Comof its obtaining the sanction of the pany, we might entertain the hope Court of Directors.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant, (Signed) A. ROSS.

Tuesday morning, Į
June 26th, 1827. S

The first proposal made by Mr. Ross not having been seconded, was dropt without further discussion. The second proposition having been seconded by Mr. Best, was put to the vote, and unanimously negatived. Mr. Udny then laid before the meeting the following letter received from Patna and its adjacent Zillahs, signed by nineteen members of the service:

To the Chairman of the Meeting of Subscribers to the Annuity Fund, to be held on the 26th June, 1827.

SIR,-Observing by the papers that there is to be a meeting of the Subscribers to the Annuity Fund, on the 26th of June, to take into consideration how the surplus funds should be applied, we think that it would be a good opportunity to bring to the notice of the Subscribers some other points, which in our opinion would be an improvement, and would render the fund more beneficial to the service. Annuities, according to the present Rules, are payable at the close of the year for the past year, that is, one whole year after the Subscriber has paid up his contribution, and if he should unfortunately die in the interim, the whole amount of his contribution is lost to his family. The accounts of the fund are made up to the 1st of May, which is not the season when persons sail for Europe, and should the number of the Annuities of the preceding year have been taken, so as to preclude the Subscriber from taking the broken portion of that year's Annuity, he has to wait nearly a year and a half after resigning the service, before he can receive a fraction of his Annuity. To enable him to get even that broken portion, the Subscriber must resign before the 1st of July, and there are many circumstances to prevent an individual doing it so long before he can quit the country. There are probably Subscribers at this time, whose period of service would entile them to the Annuity, and who would willingly avail themselves of it, but having saved little more than sufficient to purchase it, they are prevented taking it, having nothing left to support themselves during the interval of their resignation and the receipt of their Annuity. This, in any case, is a hardship, but should bad health be unfortunately the lot of

the individual, the severity of detaining him in this climate is great indeed, as the stay of an addition al year or two may prove fatal, and, we fear that this has often been the case to persons, whose circumstances prevented their going, when there was every probability, that a change of climate would have restored them.

The convenience also to the annuitants of receiving on their arrival in England, or soon after, a portion of their income, which they would do, if the annuity commenced in January, would be very great, and we believe that it is the custom in England, to pay annui. ties half yearly.

We are not aware, that there can be any objection to making up the accounts, and granting the annuities from the 1st of January, instead of the 1st of May, in each year, as the accounts of the fund are kept by our Secretary, totally distinct from any of the accounts of Government, and our subscriptions paid monthly to him, and it is only in the item of interest, payable by Government to the fund, in which they can interfere with each other.

The inconvenience from the change must be very slight, (and we are sure Government would be willing to suffer it for the good of their servants,) as it would make no difference in the amount of their annual payments, and our Secretary would apportion it to the dif ferent years in the accounts of the fund. The Houses of Agency, in this country, make up their ac counts to the 1st of May, and their corresponding Houses in England to the 1st of January, and we hear of no inconvenience, or loss, which they suffer from that circumstance.

With regard to the payment of the annuity in quarterly, or half yearly payments, the only objections that we are aware of, are the loss that would be sustained by the fund, in the interest of the sum for the period, and the chance of the

lapse of the annuity by the death paid in quarterly, or half yearly of the incumbent. instalments.

The chances of the latter advan tage to the fund are so small, as to be hardly worth considering in a pecuniary point of view, for the utmost that could be lost would be occasionally £5000, the first half year's payment; and the subscribers would never object to suffer that loss, when they consider the convenience it will be to themselves hereafter, to be paid half yearly, and the promotion it may occasion in this country, without taking into view, that the possession of that small sum may be an object to the families of the poorer annuitants. The loss of interest, in the first case, would also be trifling, in our opinion, but if it is considered an object of importance to the fund, in what better mode can the surplus, which is now said to exist, and which this Meeting has been summoned to dispose of, be employed, than to counter-balance that loss. The receipt of the annuity in quarterly, or half yearly payments, would be a greater boon to the service in general, than the increase in the amount of it to a few individuals, during the first five or six years of the fund; for it is most probable that, after that period, the whole number of an nuities will be annually taken.

We are convinced, that if the subject was brought to the notice of the Court of Directors, they would, with their usual liberality, agree to the change, and grant this indulgence to their servants. We therefore request, should the subject not be proposed by any individual at the ensuing Meeting, that this letter be submitted for the consideration of the subscribers present, and the service in general, for their opinion and vote, whether a petition should not be forwarded, by the Managers of the Fund, to the Court of Directors, for their sanction to the annuities hereafter commencing on the 1st of January, in each year, and to their being

We have honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient Servants

(Signed)

W. M. Fleming,

J. E. Wilkinson,
W. Brown,

E. L. Campbell,
T. J. Dashwood,
W. A. Pringle, it
L. Kennedy,
T. B. Beale,
H. Armstrong,
Richard Walker,
G. T. Bayley,
H. Douglas,
J. B. Elliott,
P. Y. Lindsay,
C. D'Oyly.
R. W. Smith,
J. Shum,
Robert Neave,
J. F. Ellerton.

1.-Mr. H. T. Prinsep threw into the following form, the pro posals contained in the above letter, which were submitted to the Meeting.

That in the event of any surplus being found to arise from the non-appropriation of annuities, or from the interest arising therefrom, such portion of the amount so accruing, as may be required for the purpose, shall be appropriated, first to the annuitants, by an anticipation of the period when the annuities are made payable in modification of the 5th Rule of the Institution; and secondly by pro viding the difference of value from the payments being made half yearly, or quarterly.

2. That in the event of the above principle being adopted, the resolution be submitted to the service at large, with a view to a final determination being taken at the next annual general Meeting, preparatory to an application to the Court of Directors, in the usual form.

After some discussion regarding the proposals contained in the

above letter, Mr. Molony, seconded by Mr. H. Lushington, moved as an amendment,

That it is the opinion of this Meeting that, although the full number of Pensions contemplated by the Hon'ble Court of Directors, to be taken annually, has not hitherto been accepted, the experience of two years only, is insufficient to justify the conclusion, that the aggregate number of Pensions which will fall due at the end of five or ten years, or any other given period, during the first 25 years of the Fund, will not be demanded.

That, as it appears from legal advice taken by the Managers, that the Pensions applied for in one year, may be assigned from the unappropriated Pensions of preceding years, so far as they will go, it is possible, that after the Fund has been a few years longer in operation, the number of applicants will be sufficiently large to absorb all the unappropriated Pensions of preceding years; and that under the possibility of such, the appropriation of the surplus Funds now existing, either by increasing the scale of Pensions, or in any other manner not provided for by the rules at present in force, is premature and inexpedi

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Mr. Paxton here requested permission to read the 63d para. of the Hon'ble Court's dispatch, by which he was of opinion, that the contingency of a surplus was provided for; after which the above amendment was put to the vote, and carried by a large majority.

Mr. Dampier then remarked, that in consequence of the indistinct manner in which the objects for which the Meeting had been called, were set forth in the notice published in the Government Gazette, and the consequent inability of the service at large to ascertain what modifications of the present system were in contemplation, he considered it his duty to move,

that "no Resolution of this Meeting shall be considered final, till it has been circulated for the consideration of the service at large, and has received the approbation of the prescribed majority. The motion being seconded by Mr. H. T. Prinsep, was put to the sense of the Meeting, and carried by a large majority.

It was afterwards agreed, that the proceedings of the Meeting being printed in the Government Gazette in the usual manner, would sufficiently apprize the Members of the Fund of the intent of the foregoing resolutions.

Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting adjourned.

(Signed) R. WALPOLE, Chairman.

Calcutta, 26th June, 1827.

[Govt. Gaz. July 5.

On Thursday morning, the Honourable J. Harington left town, under the salute due to his rank as Member of Council, to embark on board the H. C. Ship Repulse, for England via China.-John Bull, July 7.

We noticed in our last, the elevation of Mookt Rao to the princi pality of Gwalior, by the title of Jankojee Sindhia; and we are now enabled to offer some further account of the occurrence.

The adoption of a son by the late Dowlut Rao Sindhia, was a measure often proposed by him during his life, but deferred from time to time by the conflicting claims of different candidates, and the opposing influence of the Maharaja's confidential advisers, His known intention, however, and the necessities of the state, imposed the performance of this act upon the widow, who, agreeably to the principles of Hindu law, is empowered to adopt for her husband after his decease, if in previous possession of his authority

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