heaven! this attempt of Lord William Bentinck, or of his adviser already mentioned, was overruled; the earnest representations of the most experienced and competent officers at Madras prevented this last blow from being inflicted on the discipline of the Madras army, and has thus preserved one link of attachment between the sepoy and his officer.

It may not be amiss here to mention another instance of the policy of Lord William Bentinck, which, it is feared, will lower the European character in the eyes of the natives, and lessen the degree of respect which the sepoy should entertain for his officer. Much credit is given to his lordship, by his interested advocates, and those unacquainted with the customs of India, for his liberal conduct in dispensing with the taking off of slippers, and other observances, when receiving natives of distinction at the Government House. The impolicy and mischievous tendency of this regulation will be evident to all those at all acquainted with the customs of India. No native of India ever dreamt of approaching his superior with his slippers on; it would be considered a gross insult, and the offender would be instantly dismissed, if not severely punished, for presuming to make the attempt: it can only be compared to an European foreigner appearing at court, in the presence of his Majesty, with his hat on; with this aggravation, that, from the ideas of caste prevailing in India, and the aversion of the natives to several of our customs, such as drinking wine, and our indiscriminately eating articles of food which they consider unclean, any deviation from the established usage, which lowers us in their estimation, and permits them to approach us as if we were their inferiors, should be carefully guarded against; not on account of the trifling distinction itself, but of our political situation as their rulers.

Having briefly described the general tenour of Lord William Bentinck's policy towards the native army since his first arrival in India, and his inconceivable impolicy in publishing his memorable order of the 24th February 1835, abolishing flogging, which at no distant period is likely to render the native troops more dangerous to their officers and their employers than to their enemies, it remains for me to point out the remedies which I would beg leave to recommend, to avert the direful consequences with which we are so seriously menaced. I am fully aware, that both skill and address will be required in restoring the army to its former state of good feeling, loyalty, and attachment. Still I should hope that this may be accomplished, if the subject is seriously investigated at home, and instant measures adopted to rescue it from its present most dangerous position.

Recent accounts from Madras mention, that the native commissioned and non-commissioned officers have frequently represented to their officers the impossibility of their enforcing military discipline and subordination since the publication of Lord William Bentinck's order, the consequences of which they deplored. This feeling is completely in accordance with the opinion expressed by the Duke of Wellington, in his examination before the Committee of Military Inquiry," That the soldier himself is as much interested as the public in the maintenance of discipline;" and it is incumbent on the home authorities promptly to avail themselves of this favourable disposition.

With this view, Mr. Spry, of the Madras army, has recommended to the Court of Directors the expediency of immediately promulgating to the Indian army a new code of military law, assimilated as far as possible with the present British military law. In this suggestion of Mr. Spry's, I most fully concur; but I entirely differ from him in the opinion, that the punishment of flogging could by this means be again quietly introduced into the Indian army, and that

it would be received without opposition. Such an experiment I consider most hazardous. I also differ from him in the opinion, that the European troops do not concern themselves with the discipline and punishment of the native regiments. On the contrary, I make no doubt that this very order, exempting the native soldier from the punishment of flogging, whilst the European is still liable to it, has been viewed by them with a most jealous feeling, as lowering them still further in their own estimation, and driving many of them to more reckless and desperate acts of dissipation, which involve them in crime, and hasten their career to an untimely grave.

Along with the publication of a new code of military law for the Indian army, I would beg leave to suggest, that a general order should be published, announcing to the native troops the creation of a new rank, as a reward for faithful and approved service. From the nature of our native service, it has been considered dangerous to give to any of the native officers a higher rank than subidar (the senior native officer of a company), with about one-third of the pay of an ensign. Latterly, indeed, we made one of them subidar-major, with a trifling addition to his pay; but certainly not sufficient to excite emulation, nor to induce the native officers to remain on the effective strength, in the expectation of that rank, when, from length of service, they could be transferred to the invalid establishment.

To give a stimulus to the native officers to perform their duty with alacrity and spirit, to excite their hopes, and to hold out an inducement for their remaining on the effective strength, whilst able to perform their duty, I would beg leave to recommend the creation of a new rank to each corps, to be denominated Native Commandant Retired, with the daily pay of seven rupees (the monthly pay of a sepoy), which is considerably less than the pay and allowances of a lieutenant, and a palankeen, to be presented to them by the government: this rank to be conferred on the most deserving subidars, and to be enjoyed by them in honourable retirement, similarly to our colonels of regiments. The sight of these men, living in comparative affluence in their native towns, would, as we are all the children of hope, be a strong inducement to respectable young men of caste to enter our service; and the additional expense of the appointment would be more than counterbalanced by the number of native officers who would remain in the service in expectation of the situation, instead of being transferred to the invalid establishment.

I would, along with this, beg leave to recommend the attaching of a sepoy recruit establishment, similar to that now allowed at the Madras presidency, to each native regiment at the other presidencies; and that the original number of ten boys to each company, as fixed by Sir Archibald Campbell, should be permanently attached to each regiment.

Returns of native officers to be recommended by officers commanding corps for the situation of Native Commandant Retired, and of sepoys who have claims to have their sons placed on the sepoy recruit-establishment, should be sent to the adjutant-general of the army; and, in the mean time, whilst they are being filled up, the new code of military law should be presented to the army, accompanied by a general order, explaining to the troops, that the Court of Directors of the Honourable Company have viewed with concern the alterations made in India, without their concurrence, in the Articles of War established for the better government of their armies, and have deemed it necessary for the preservation of that high state of discipline and subordination which has made the Company's army so celebrated for their valour in the field and their exemplary conduct in garrison, to prepare a new code of military law, which is now

published to the army, and to which all officers and soldiers must yield an unconditional and implicit obedience.

The late orders by the Honourable Court of Directors, granting an honourable retirement to the most deserving of their native officers in each regiment, and a liberal assistance to the old and deserving sepoy in bringing up his family, ought to convince all ranks of the native army of the anxious solicitude of the Honourable Court to afford them their benign protection; and it is now notified to them, that neither of these orders will be altered or cancelled by any authority in India, or without a special order from the Court of Directors in England.

The Honourable Court of Directors, when bestowing these convincing proofs of their benevolence on deserving merit, are anxious that those only should remain in their service, who evince by their good conduct, as faithful and obedient soldiers, their attachment to the government. And it is hereby notified to the native army, that his Excellency the Commander-in-chief, under instructions from the Governor in Council, will grant his discharge to any sepoy, or other person belonging to it, who will, within three days from the publication of this order, express his wish to quit the service on account of re-establishing the lawfulness of flogging by the sentence of a court-martial, as has always been customary in the Company's service. After the expiration of that period, all ranks belonging to the Company's army shall be considered amenable to military law, as prescribed in the new Articles of War.

By adopting measures similar to the above, it is confidently hoped that the danger now impending over the Company's native army will be removed; and that it will, weeded of any discontented subject who may wish to leave it, speedily revert to its former state of discipline and subordination.

Should such happily prove to be the case, I submit to the Honourable the Court of Directors the necessity of immediately revoking the authority vested in the Governors of India, of altering or annulling any part of the military code to be promulgated for the government of the Company's army.

I find I should be encroaching too much on the space of your valuable columns, were I now to offer any remarks on the order, by Sir Charles Metcalfe, granting an uncontrouled freedom of the press. Should these suggestions be thought worthy of publication, I may at a future period offer some remarks on the policy of that measure, which, I think, requires some modification; and, at the same time, submit a few observations on what I conceive to be our true position in India, and the policy we ought to pursue, as the most likely means of restoring to its former prosperity that important appendage to the British empire, which, in the days of its splendour, under the Moghuls, yielded a revenue exceeding that of all Europe.

I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

A COMMANDANT RETIRED.

DRUNKENNESS AMONG THE EUROPEAN TROOPS.

Sir Henry Fane has just issued an order to the army, addressing himself more particularly to the private soldiers than the officers, on the evil effects of inebriety; which, in connection with the remarks on the case of AssistantSurgeon T. Hunter, of the 20th Foot, admirably displays his Excellency's sentiments with regard to that " odious offence." We propose quoting a passage from each order, and then offering a few remarks on drunkenness in the army.

Asial Journ.N.S.VOL.22. No.85.

D

On the case of Dr. Hunter, the Commander-in-chief says, that "he can little wonder that thoughtless private soldiers should give way to the pernicious vice, when such examples (of officers) are set before them ;" and in the case of Private Kenny," the Commander-in-chief warns the soldiers against drawing such an inference;" (that drunkenness "may be successfully pleaded in extenuation of still greater enormities,") "and assures them that such a plea will never weigh with him; but that, on the contrary, when crimes are committed under its influence, he will always consider the drunkenness which leads to them as being an addition to their amount. He greatly deplores the extent to which he finds this vice prevalent in the British regiments in India. Crimes arising solely from it are brought daily to his notice; and in proportion to the regard and affection which long service amongst them, and a knowledge of their many good qualities, lead him to feel for every British soldier, so is his regret to find so many of them here, with their characters tarnished or utterly destroyed, and their services rendered worthless, because no confidence can be placed in a set of drunkards. This detestable propensity leads to their dishonour, both as soldiers and as men, since it is the constant parent of crimes producing their degradation; or perhaps (as is so nearly the case with Kenny) an infamous death."

We must ever admire the high feelings that have dictated and pervade these orders; and we sincerely trust that they will lead to reflection in the minds of the erring, and produce early amendment. But we consider that the private soldier should not be left to himself in his attempts to repel temptation; he should be actively led from, instead of being tacitly encouraged to, intemperance; or all the good wishes of his officers will be fruitless. Spirituous liquors should be removed from his grasp, instead of being thrust upon him, or placed in such a situation that he has merely to "stretch forth his hand and take;" and we must consider that, so long as canteens are in existence, general sobriety cannot be even hoped for. Why have the government opened canteens but for us to go to them?" is often asked by the men; and instances might be adduced, of a prisoner defending himself against a charge of drunkenness, by alleging that he procured the spirits at the government liquorshop. How pitiable it is, thus to behold government persisting in ruining the character of the European soldiery for the sake of filthy lucre! "He commits the crime, who does not endeavour to prevent it," says the lawgiver; and it is to be considered, whether the excessive drunkenness in the army is not mainly attributable to government, who, so far from attempting to restrict the issue of spirits, promote it by the canteen-system.

The increased facility of procuring spirits must, as a natural consequence, be accompanied by increased intoxication in the confirmed drunkard; and, to explain this, we will allude to the ancient practices and to the present. When the old commissariat regulations were in force, each man had several ways of disposing of his ration liquor.

He might drink it neat at the tub;

He might take it away when diluted with an equal quantity of water;

He might transfer it to a comrade; or

He might spill it on the ground.

The latter case was of such rare occurrence, and that immediately preceding being bound by the same rules as are prescribed for the man himself, no further remark on them is called for. Our business is with the case of liquor taken away from the tub; that being the means by which drunkenness was fostered. The ostensible purpose of the removal was to drink at another

time; but in many cases the real one was to sell for money, or exchange for articles of necessaries; four annas being the price of each dram, and two drams the equivalent for a shirt, jacket, or pair of trousers.

It thus stands to reason that a man, who received but three rupees as the balance of his month's pay, could procure but twelve drams for them, which, at the most, would not keep him drunk beyond the second day. To go on with the career of intoxication, he must next have recourse to his clothing, or sell his forthcoming liquor, for which he would receive at the rate of two annas per dram, from those who would re-sell it at four. But we have it from pretty good authority, that the determined scuffler never sold his liquor in anticipation; we have heard of men of this description, who have been reduced to the clothes in which they stood, not even a cot or a quilt to lie upon being left them: every thing had gone in the indulgence of their inordinate love of spirits, yet their liquor they would not sell! When the race of inebriety could be ran no longer, the man perforce stopped, and as he was before the most drunken, he then became the steadiest, of the men. He would swear-alas! how often are such oaths broken!-that he would refrain from liquor for a certain time: this, in barrack-phraseology, is styled "cagging;" and the breach of the obligation is emphatically described as bursting the hoops." Two days would give four drams, which he sold for a rupee, with which he purchased four days' liquor from another who was on the go," and could raise money in no other way. Thus the receipt and sale was increased in a double ratio, until, at the end of six weeks or two months, the naked bird was in full plumage; and thus he would continue till he re-commenced hard drinking, when every thing went the way it came, perhaps to be retrieved and sold, over and over again.

By these means, it appears that a man, after a fit of ebriosity, had the means of recovering himself again; but the institution of the canteens prevents him from doing so now: his money gone and his clothes sold, he has no ability to regain them. He has no remedy but to apply to the pay-sergeant for equipments, which, perhaps, are made away with before a week has elapsed; nay, instances have occurred of men getting clothes from the pay-sergeant, for the sole purpose of selling them, at half price, a few minutes after their receipt.

Now, as the canteens issue rum at the rate of one anna per dram, it gives to the drunkard forty-eight drams for his clearance of three rupees, instead of the twelve he obtained in the barrack-room,-just quadruple the quantity; which either entails a similarly extended period of intoxication, or the liquor is hurriedly swallowed in such quantities, as to have fatal effects, either immediate or consequential; and of the first having been the case, in many instances, in one corps, during a few months, we have certain information; for example: Two men were found in a senseless state from the effects of liquor, one in the canteen, the other in the barracks, and were removed to the hospital, to die in a few hours.

A third, having been reported as absent for three days (he was last seen reeling home from the canteen in a horrid state of intoxication), was found in a well, into which he had fallen in the dark and been drowned.

A fourth was picked up, on the road from the canteen, in a senseless condition, and carried to his cot, where he was found the next morning-dead! suffocated by the liquor he had swallowed, which had rendered him unable to turn and eject it from his stomach.

A fifth was removed to the hospital in a senseless condition, from excess in