abuse them. Some of the regiments are overwhelmed with debt; and yet burdened with bankers, and with all sorts of tomfoolery in dress. In short, there is little system, and no uniformity in the service. One regiment wear kettles on their heads, others wear cocked hats. Few wear their own sensible turbans that will stop a swordcut and keep their faces cool. An inspector is wanted ; not an old Royal dragoon officer, but a first-rate Irregular officer-a Jacob, a Chamberlain, an Anderson, a Daly, or a Malcolm. A man, in short, who will go on common sense principles, keep the men out of debt, insist on rational uniform and rational treatment. Such as the Irregulars are, there are very few instances of their misconduct, and then only when greatly over-matched ; indeed, unfairly tried. They are a most valuable arm and deserve every consideration. With such an arrangement as above proposed, and five rupees added to the pay of the men, a noble body of horsemen might be secured to the Government, and fitting employment offered to the numerous broken-down families, now muttering curses against us, in the streets of every large city in Upper India. Lord Gough, Sir Charles Napier, and almost all Irregular Cavalry officers, recommend the increase, even on the terms of reduction of strength of regiments. If thirty rupees is necessary for the Scinde Horse and for the Hyderabad (in the Deccan*) Cavalry, twenty-five is surely so for the whole body. In scarce times the Irregulars have not bread. In war time they must plunder for subsistence. Charles Napier thought they must do so in peace. What more need be said? If more be required, let us add that each of these horsemen is a soldier gained from the enemy's ranks.

Sir

Until lately the Hyderabad Ca- pany's rupecs a month.—H. M. L. valry received thirty-three Com

ARMY REFORM.

[WRITTEN IN 1856.]

OUR last essay abruptly closed with some meagre mention of the cavalry. We propose now to continue our rough notes on the most urgent wants of the army, especially on those which most easily admit of remedy to tell of all its wants would require a goodly volume. It is, however, consolatory to think that the most glaring defects are not only on the surface, but can be removed without difficulty. Their remedy only requires the exercise of ordinary common sense, in the appliance of materials ready at hand, and a very slight pull at the purse-strings; indeed proportionately a less pull than would be required to insure the life of a healthy soldier. An expenditure of three or four per cent. on the present eleven millions, and placing the right man in the right place, would do all that is required-would convert a discontented into a contented army; an immoveable into a moveable one; would put it beyond the power of any section of the military community to beard the Government; perhaps to destroy it.

We pretend to no panacea for all military evils, to chalk out no military Utopia, but simply to bring before the public, in very brief form, the experience of all ages in all departments; to show that men of like creeds, influenced by like motives, and moving under like con

ditions, will combine; that they have always done so in every clime. Further, that creed and colour are to be greatly nullified by slightly-varied conditions. Above all, that every man, whatever be his country, creed, or colour, has his particular ambition, and that such ambition varies, not only with general creed, colour, and country, but with individual temperament, constitution, and circumstances. That the ambition of very few European soldiers is limited, in their old age, to abundance of cheap grog at Chunar, Cuddalore, or Dapoulee. That, though many sepoys would delight to retire and smoke their hubble-bubbles under the shade of their village trees, yet that their ranks contain many fit for higher destinies, panting for them, and sullen at their non-obtainment. Such are the objects of our past and present essays. To help the Government by helping its servants; to induce the former to effect the usual insurance on its property, and prepare the fire-engines before the house is on fire; to urge on each individual his own particular duty. Some of our readers will doubtless remark, that we are propounding mere truisms which everybody knows. Everybody does know; but what authority does act on the knowledge of the foregoing facts? Are the right men everywhere in the right places? Is the army as efficient as it might be? Is it in any rank contented? A dozen more such questions might be answered by all honest men, in the negative. If such be the case, we request attention to what we have said in the preceding essay, as also to the following Temarks. We are quite aware that they are loosely, perhaps illogically arranged. Our facts, however, are beyond question; and we feel that our inferences are not strained. We accordingly propose to hammer both facts and inferences into the public, in our own rough way, until they have at least a trial.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE SENIORITY SYSTEM. 415

In military matters the Government of India starts on wrong principles. Strict seniority never secured efficiency in any department, in any country. It has only been by superseding the seniors, after the first bungling campaign of each war, that the British army has escaped great disaster. To a less extent the example has been followed in India, where the remedy was much more wanted. Why not prevent war by preparations? Si vis pacem para bellum. Muskets and accoutrements, cannon and munitions are all prepared during peace. It would be considered a crying shame for arms to be kept unpolished, belts uncleaned, lines, barracks, and magazines to be slovenly and dirty; but what is all this to having at the heads of armies, divisions, brigades, and regiments, men less efficient than nine-tenths of those under them? To have age and comparative inefficiency in all posts of authority. To drive the Cromwells and Washingtons from our ranks, and in lieu of them, to place the Whitelockes, Englands, and Elphinstones in command!

That this parallel is not exaggerated, every man with an eye to see and an ear to hear can ascertain for himself. He may discover, as we have done, a corps of Light horse in which nearly every trooper is close on fifty years of age. The old gentlemen paint and dye to such an extent, and are so well set up, that casual observers might easily mistake a "boodha" for a "puckha juwan." He may talk to subadars and jemadars, sixty and even seventy years old. He may perhaps, have served under a commander-in-chief who could not mount or sit upon a horse; perhaps his own commanding officer can do neither. When he has thus cast his eye around, he may contemplate the Jacobs, Chamberlaines, Maynes, Malcolms, Taylors, Edwardeses, Lumsdens, Cokes, Nicholsons, and others, who, however,

favoured above those of their own standing, still chafe at their positions, still feel that they have not their fitting places, and that a seniority service is not the service for them. With regard to the many Singhs and Khans, Syuds, Begs and Tewaries, who, with even more reason, -because their attainable position is much more subordinate-pine in the ranks of the army, such men, one after another, leave its service. A lieutenant-colonelcy would have retained Washington in the British service. An accident detained Cromwell in England. Men of kindred spirit are not so easily obtained that, when found, they should be scorned, or lightly set aside. Clive conquered and saved India. Individuals have, probably several times since preserved the country.* An individual may also, any day, bring it to the verge of ruin; nevertheless scores of individuals, not one of whom would have been intrusted in his youth, health, and strength with the charge of a mill, by a sensible. cotton-spinner, during a disturbance, are now placed in commands, where their incompetence may any day blow a spark into a flame that may cost hundreds of lives and millions of money. We might go even further, and show that some of these men have, at every stage of their career, proved their incompetence. That as young or middle-aged men, they have been set aside or superseded, to have, in their old age, commands thrust upon them, and to be pushed into authority, even on the frontier, to the hinderance of distinguished officers. Such men also are frequently supported by commandants of regiments of kindred spirit and physique. The latter, of course, recommend, for promotion to commissions, the oldest Native soldiers, the grounds of election

Forty years ago Metcalfe wrote, "Often has the fate of India depended on a single army; often

again may the fate of a great part of India depend on a single army." He lived to verify his words.