they keep in subjection; one false step is almost certain ruin. And for a handful of men, belonging to the ruling caste, resorting to the country by their own choice, not to make it their home, but in order that they may extract from it wherewith to enjoy ease and luxury in their own country, to set an example of discontent and dissatisfaction with the local administration, to vaunt the benefits of institutions which cannot be transplanted in such a soil as India now is, and to endeavour to inoculate its people with notions which, until their minds are better prepared for such changes, will only render them unhappy in themselves and hostile towards us, does exhibit a picture, of perversity which it is not easy to account for without recourse to hypotheses not at all complimentary to the motives of the malcontents. There is one consolation, indeed, furnished by the Calcutta press itself for those who apprehend evil from these movements on the part of the European community of that city, namely, that "the representations of the good people of Calcutta to England are remarkable for nothing so much as for having never succeeded." MAHOMMEDAN SUPERSTITION. "The day I was at Booranpoor was that, on which the termination of the world had been foretold by some learned Seer of Germany, and which prophecy had travelled through the land till it had reached even an obscure village of the Deccan. Of course, many persons derided this prediction; others on the contrary believed in its possibility, although not exactly in its probability, and awaited the event with some anxiety; while a third party, fully believing that the last hour was at hand, could hardly control their emotion, but prayed, cried, and sobbed aloud. The day was near its close when I entered the area of the Mausoleum. A vast crowd of Mussulmans were there collected, some from fear, others only in curiosity. The sky to the northwest had become darkened, the sun appeared like blood, and the dust came rolling up in the distance before the breeze in vast eddying circles-forked lightning ran vividly through the gloom, the thunder crashed-on, on it came in furious whirlwind. The populace were perfectly aghast in terror:-some shouted, some wept, while others fell on their faces on the ground, mourning audibly. At this moment arose the Muezzin's cry, like that of some charmed spirit, from the pinnacle of the Mausoleum, and every voice was hushed. On, on came the sweeping storm, and, as the gale reached the spot whereon we stood, the whole of the vast crowd fell prostrate in prayer to Heaven and their prophet Mahomed. The rain now fell in torrents, the thunder rolled away, the storm passed onward on its course, and the frightened creatures began to breathe again in hope. A giant meteor, bright and beautiful, illuminating the whole heaven, burst on their astonished gaze. It was accepted as a good omen, and, as the crowd once more sprang to their feet, the solemn shout'Alla ho acbar, Alla ho'-sweeping along the night breeze, resounded afar. The prophecy, that the world was to end, was not fulfilled, and the multitude returned to their respective homes."* "Recollections of the Deccan," a series of amusing papers in the East Indian United Service Journal for July. THE INDIAN ARMY. ABOLITION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE NATIVE Army. TO THE EDITOR. SIR :-Your January journal contained a letter from a Retired Commandant, censuring, in very severe terms, the policy of Lord Wm. Bentinck in India. Lord William's measures require no defence, certainly not by an humble individual like myself; but I have had the honour to serve with the native army in India, and feel myself bound, by an affectionate regard to my old comrades, to offer a few words in justification of that truly wise measure, the abolition of corporal punishment. In performing this duty (as I consider it), I mean nothing offensive to the Commandant; his motive in writing being, no doubt, the same with that I profess, namely, the good of the service. In the first place, the constitution of the Indian army is so essentially different from that of the British army, that the Commandant's reference to the discussions in Parliament, relative to the latter, is in a great measure inapplicable. He also errs, as I conceive, in making no distinction between changes evidently for the benefit of the army, and those of an offensive nature; particularly, as he admits the sipahees are very sensible of kindness done them. The opinion quoted in support of corporal punishment, appears to me as favourable to one description of minor punishment as to another. Let us see. "The necessity of all minor punishment being supported by the fear of some final and more severe infliction,"-" to induce submission to those lesser corrections, by which recourse to the greater can alone be avoided." What are the minor punishments? and what are the lesser corrections? Are they drill, extra-guard, solitary or other confinement, and flogging the final and more severe infliction? Or, is it meant that flogging is the minor punishment, and death the final infliction? This may be explained in what precedes or follows; but if the quotation be correctly given, it is very inconclusive. In introducing the transcendant genius of Clive, the Duke of Wellington, and other celebrated military characters, does the Commandant mean, that the noble actions performed by the Indian army, under the command of these great men, were solely to be attributed to the infliction, or power of inflicting, corporal punishment? Can he seriously and deliberately affirm, that the fidelity and attachment of the native soldiery is obtained and secured by subjecting them to the scourge? Has he not heard instances to the contrary, even among our own countrymen? Leaving this, however, to his memory, I am constrained to observe, that his ignorance or disregard of the abhorrence in which flogging is held among all classes in India, is very surprising. Now, I have heard the most respectable among the natives say, that the only objection the best among them would have to enter our service, was, that very same identical flogging, which, they observed, no one could be certain to avoid, and the idea of which made them shudder. Is raising the character of the native army by every practicable means, of no importance? Is it of no avail to the stability of the British Government in India, that men of the highest classes and birth should serve voluntarily in its armies ? I, for my part, give no very implicit credit to the statement respecting the disorganization of the Indian army; and, wheresoever derived, it is not, I apprehend, to be taken au pied de la lettre. In India, I believe, it will be found, that the highest castes or classes make the best soldiers; but, after disputing this, which is a fair question for discussion, the Commandant goes very near to confute himself. That I may not misstate him, I will here give a few of his own words : "No respectable man of any of these castes (Brahman, Rajpoot, &c.) ever contemplates the chance of his suffering corporal punishment, when entering our service." Is this one of his reasons for endeavouring to perpetuate this degrading system? Again :-" Officers, who have commanded sepoy corps, know that when the men are treated with kindness," they can be kept in the strictest discipline, without there being any necessity for having recourse to the lash." These words deserve to be written in letters of gold, for more than one reason; but the Commandant, fearful of committing himself by too much praise, however well-merited, adds, sotto voce, "except on very extraordinary occasions." The whole of the army is to be subjected to the cat-o'-nine-tails,— —an infinitely greater degradation of the service than of the individual,-because, forsooth, it is required, in the opinion of the Commandant, on very extraordinary occasions." 66 Every one who has served in India can testify, that the men composing the majority of the native battalions are so sober and orderly, that with good commanding officers, corporal punishment is scarcely ever heard of; indeed, it has been almost abolished, in the best regulated portions of the service, long since. I trust the Commandant will excuse the liberty I have taken. I can, at present, follow him no farther; but the discipline, fidelity, and bravery of the native troops, if not improved, will I am satisfied suffer no deterioration, notwithstanding the abolition of corporal punishment, the opinions of the three military commissions, and though last, not least, the prophecies of the Commandant Retired. January 26th, 1837. I remain, Sir, Your most obedient servant, A. B. RETIRING FUND FOR FIELD OFFICERS OF INFANTRY OF THE BOMBAY ARMY. (Prepared by a Major of that Establishment.) Curnin's Military Retiring Fund having been rejected by the Court, the following plan is submitted with confidence, as one which, from its simplicity, the authorities in England cannot possibly object to, the Court of Directors having, in their sanction of the Medical Funds at Madras, subsequently at Bombay, and recently in Bengal, fully approved of the basis of the scheme. If it be sincerely the wish of the army to accelerate promotion on fair and equitable principles, the only facile one that presents itself to view, fulfilling the object, is to create vacancies in the grade of lieutenant-colonel, and in this only by offering inducements to the officers of this rank, in such proportions as may ensure a frequent and regular return of the line staff to every regiment, in a certain given time. Another part of this plan is, to revive the retired list for the senior colonels of the army, so that relief may be afforded to the senior lieutenant-colonels, whose promotion in late years has been so much retarded. The object of this retiring fund now proposed, is to purchase the value of the retirement of one full colonel annually, and to offer a bonus of Rs. 27,000 to three lieut, colonels who may be disposed to retire, which is the estimated value of an annuity of £300 a year, to be remitted to England if required at 2s. For this purpose, it is intended we should solicit the Honourable Court to make a senior list, for such colonels who have either served their full time in India on the staff, and are thus precluded from serving again, or from those colonels to whom it is a matter of indifference whether they continue on the effective or on the senior list. The colonel so placed on the senior list to continue, of course, in receipt of his pay and off-reckonings, as before; but the difference between the newly-promoted colonel and lieut.-colonel's pay to be paid to the Honourable Court by the Retiring Fund. The expense to the subscribers will be as follows: One Colonel-difference between the value of the lieut.-colonel and colonel's £720 8,100 Thus an annual sum of Rs. 90,000 will be required to cover this amount, which must be raised by donation and subscription :— Donation. Colonels on promotion, considering the great advantages derived by them from accelerated promotion, pay a year's difference of pay and allowances between colonel and lieut.-colonel, and their subscription to cease altogether. Lieut.-colonels on promotion, pay seven months' difference of pay and allowances between lieut.-colonel and major. Majors on promotion pay four months' difference of pay and allowances between major and captain. Captains on promotion pay two months' difference of pay and allowances between captain and lieutenant. Lieutenants on promotion pay one months' difference of pay and allowances between lieutenant and ensign. Thus there will be no donation required from any individual until promotion. The vacancies that will be occasioned by the Fund and casualties may be taken annually as follows:: It, perhaps, may be as well to shew what sum an officer will have to pay from the time of entering the service to that of attaining the rank of Lieute nant-colonel : : This, though in point of service not very favourable, is still much under Mr. Cabell's Tables, in the military proceedings taken before Parliament, on the renewal of the Charter in 1830-33, which acceleration will be the result of the Fund, and will reduce the time of attaining the rank of Colonel |