required that they should be supported, for a time at least, at the public expence. 4. It was also an object of great political importance, to deprive the enemy of the services of a body of men by whom their armies were trained to the practice of regular discipline and military subordination, and might in time have been rendered little inferior in the field to the native troops employed in the service of the Honourable Company. 5. Under these considerations, the Governor General in Council judged it to be expedient to issue a proclamation on the 29th of August 1803 (of which a copy is annexed to this dispatch) requiring all British subjects holding employment in the service of Dowlut Rao Scindia or the Rajah of Berar, or of any power or state confederated with them, forthwith to relinquish the service of such chief, power, or state, and promising to all who should retire in obedience to the proclamation, a provision (to continue during the continuance of the war, and so long as the parties entitled to it should be employed in the service of the Honourable Company) equal to the amount of the fixed pay and allowances which such British subjects might have received in the service of the chiefs, powers, or states, by whom they might have been entertained. 6. The benefits extended by this proclamation to British subjects were also offered, from obvious motives of policy, to the subjects of France, or of any other foreign, European, or American state, holding employments in the service of Dowlut Rao Scindia and the Rajah of Berar, or of any state confederated with either of them; and it was at the same time publicly notified, that all British subjects who should bear arms against the British government would be considered to have forfeited all right and claim to the protection of the British government, and would be treated accordingly. 7. On the 16th September 1803, a second second proclamation was published, with the advice of the law officers of the Honourable Company; by which it was declared, That all British subjects holding commissions, or bearing arms in the service of the enemy during the existence of the war, or in any manner adhering to them or partaking of their councils, did thereby incur the guilt of high treason. It was at the same time further proclaimed, That all British subjects in the service of the enemy, who should not, on or before the 1st of November 1803, claim the benefit of the proclamation issued on the 29th of August, would be excluded from the benefit of that proclamation, and would be deemed to have remained wilfully in the service of the enemy, and be subjected accordingly to strict prosecution for their respective offences. A copy of the procla mation of the 16th of September is annexed for the information of your Honourable Committee. 8. The number of British subjects and of foreigners who have claimed the benefit of the proclamation is considerable, and the details of the arrangements which may be made with respect to those persons will be communicated hereafter to your Honour able Committee, or to the Honourable the Court of Directors. 9. The policy of the measure, by by which the enemy has been deprived of the services of a valuable body of European officers, cannot be more strongly exemplified than by reference to the events of the present glorious campaign in Hindustan and in the Deccan. The obstinate resistance experienced by our gallant troops in the several brilliant victories obtained over the enemy, must be ascribed to the military spirit acquired by their infantry, from the habits of discipline and of subordination to which they have been accustomed since the introduction of European officers into the Mahratta service, and their future improvement in military tactics would necessarily have been progressive. The conduct of the The conduct of the Mahratta cavalry, which has never been under the orders of Eugopean officers, has, on every occasion, been entirely different from the regular infantry. 10. In consequence of the operation of the proclamation pub lished by the Governor General in Council, and of the success of our arms, the enemy has been deprived of the services of nearly the whole body of his European officers, and the conduct of those who bave claimed the benefit of the proclamation will necessarily impair the confidence of all the native powers in the fidelity of European officers. On the conclusion of peace, it will probably be practis cable to establish such an arrangement with the Mahratta states, as shall preclude the introduction of any European into their service, without the express concurrence of the British go yernment; and the wisdom of your honourable Committee will duly appreciate the security which the public interests will derive from the exclusion of the subjects of a rival and hostile state from the service of the only powers by which the tranquillity of the possessions of Great Britain in India can be disturbed. 11. The expence which will be incurred in carrying into effect the stipulations of the proclamation cannot at present be ascertained. It must, however, be counterbalanced by the important benefits which have accrued from the operation of that measure. 12. With the view of distressing the enemy, the Governor General in Council considered it to be proper to issue a proclamation, under date the 29th of August 1803, (of which a transcript is inclosed) requiring all non-commissioned officers and Sepoys, formerly in the service of the Honourable Company, or of his Excellency the Nabob Vizier, to quit the service of the enemy; and engaging, that they should either be received into the service of the Company, or otherwise they should obtain a provision equal to the amount of their pay and allowances from the enemy, and would be entitled to every indul gence consistent with the principles and regulations of the British government. 13. The expence which may be incurred in carrying these stipulations into effect must be inconsiderable; as it is proba ble, that nearly all who may claim the benefit of the pro clamation will be introduced into the service of the Company, to complete vacancies into the mili tary establishment in the several ranks of the native army, corres 182 ponding WHEREAS the Governor General in Council has deemed it to be necessary to provide effectual security for the defence of the British possessions against the designs of Dowlut Rao Scindia, and of the Rajah of Berar : of the said chiefs,powers, or states, in obedience to any proclamation issued by the said commanding officers, or in obedience to this proclamation, who shall have been or shall be admitted by the said commanding officers to the pro teçtion of the British government, shall receive from the Honourable Company a provision equal to the amount of the fixed pay and allowances which such British subjects have received in the service of the said chiefs, powers, or states respectively; the said provision to continue during the continuance of hostilities between any of the said chiefs, powers, or states, and the British government, and so long as such British subjects shall be employed in the service of the Honourable Company; and all such British subjects, after having quitted the service of the Honour, able Company, shall receive a reasonable remuneration, and every indulgence which their respective situations may appear to require, and which may be consistent with the principles and regu His Excellency ip Council hereby requires all British subjects holding employment in the military service of Dowlut Rao Scindia or of the Rajah of Berat, or of any Mahratta chief, or other power or state, confederated with Dowlut Rao Scindia or with the Rajah of Berar, forthwith to relinquish the service of such chief, power or state respectively and to repair to such places as shall have been appointed by the officers commanding the British forces in Hindustan and the Deccan, for the purpose of receiving all such British subjects as shall retire from the service of the said chiefs, powers, or states, in obedience to such proclamations or or ders as may have been issued by the said commanding officers, in conformity to the instructions of the Governor General in Council, or in obedience to this proclama-lations of the British government. tion. And the Governor Gene ral in Council is hereby further pleased to declare, That all Brifish subjects who have retired, or who may retire from the service And the Governor General in Council further declares, That all British subjects who shall remain in the service of Dowlut Rao Scindia or of the Rajah of Бегаг, Berar, or of any Mahratta chief, or other power or state confederated with Dowlut Rao Scindia or with the Rajah of Berar, and all British subjects who shall bear ams against the British government, shall be considered to have forfeited all right and claim to the protection of the British government, and shall be treated accord ingly. The subjects of France, or of any other foreign European or American state, holding employ ments in the military service of Dowlut Rao Scindia, or of the Rajah of Berar, or of any Mahfatta chief, or of any power or state confederated with Dowlut Rao Scindia or with the Rajah of Berar, who may be disposed to relinquish the service of the chiefs, powers, or states, and to repair to such places as shall have been appointed by the officers commanding the British forcès in Hindustan and the Deccan, for the purpose of receiving such British subjects as shall retire from the service of the said chiefs, powers, or states, shall be admitted to the benefits extended by this proclamation to all British' subjects. By command of his Excellency The Governor General in (Signed) J. LUMSDEN, Fort William, INCLOSURE (B.) Proclamation of the Governor General in Council. WHEREAS Open war exists between the British and its allies on the one part, and Dowlut Rao Scindia and the Rajah of Berar, and their respective allies, on the other, the Governor General in Council hereby declares, That all British subjects holding commissions or bearing arms under Dowlut Rao Scindia or the Rajah of Berar, or their respective allies, during the existence of the war between the said powers and the British government, or in any manner partaking in the councils of the said powers, or aiding or adhering to them during the said war, do thereby incur the guilt of high treason. And his Excellency in Couneil hereby further declares, That all British subjects in the service of the said powers, who shall not on or before the 1st day of November next ensuing, claim the benefit of a proclamation issued by his Excellency in Council on the 29th day of August last, will be excluded from the benefit of that proclamation, and will be deemed by his Excellency in Council to have remained wilfully in the service of the said powers, and be subjected accordingly to strict prosecution for their respective offences. By command of his Excellency The Governor General in (Signed) J. LUMSDEN, Fort William, INCLOSURE (C.) Proclamation of the Governor General in Council. IT is hereby signified to all noncommissioned officers and Sepoys, formerly in the service of the Honourable Company, or of his Excellency the Nawaub Vizier, and to all other persons natives of the British territories in India, or of the territories of his Excellency the Nawaub Vizier, holding employment in the military service of Dowlut Rao Scindia or of the Rajah of Berar, or of any Mahratta chiefs or other powers or states confederated with Dowlut Rao Scindia or with the Rajab of Berar, That they are required to quit the service of those chiefs, powers, or states, and that on repairing to such places as shall have been appointed by the officers commanding the British forces in Hindustan and the Deccan, for the express purpose of receiving all persons of the above description who shall retire from the service of the chiefs, powers, or states, they will be received into the service of the Honourable Company, or otherwise will ob tain a provision equal to the amount of their pay and allowances in the service of the said chiefs, powers, or states, and will be entitled to every indulgence consistent with the principles and regulations of the British government. Such persons will be required to produce to the officer stationed at the places appointed for the express purpose of receiving them, authentic proofs of their having quitted the service of the said chiefs, powers, or states in consequence of this proclamation, previously to their being considered to be entitled to the benefits tendered to their acceptance by the terms of this proclamation. By command of his Excellency The Governor General in (Signed) J. LUMSDEN, Fort William, Extract of a Letter from the Governor General in Council to the Para. 9. The circumstances which have produced the present war with Dowlut Rao Scindia and the Rajah of Berar, and the hostile disposition manifested by those powers towards the British government, have been detailed in our separate dispatches to your Honourable Committee. It is sufficient in this place to remark, that the existence of a considerable military force, commanded by French officers in the service of Dowlut Rao Scindia, on the frontier of Oude, furnished a powerful argument for the restoration of the British army in India to a state of preparation for war. 10. It was also necessary to make provision for the mainte nance |