HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



229 



against their European officers ! 

 They originated in the measures 

 taken by Sir G. Barlow, governor 

 of Madras, for enforcing a system 

 of economy that had been devised 

 by Sir J. Craddock, which inter- 

 fered with the emoluments to 

 which the army had been accus- 

 tomed. This system consisted in 

 the abolition of the allowance for 

 camp equipage, which, till July, 

 1808, when the measure was 

 adopted by Sir G. Barlow, had 

 been supplied on contract by offi- 

 cers commanding native regiments. 

 In the adoption of this measure 

 the opinion of general Hay Mac- 

 dowall, commander-in-chief of the 

 army, was not consulted. This 

 plan of economy was not only in- 

 jurious to the interest of the offi- 

 cers, but calculated to hurt their 

 feelings as men of honour. The 

 statement of reasons, or the prin- 

 ciple or spirit on which a new ai*- 

 rangement was founded, ran thus : 

 •' Six years' experience of the prac- 

 tical effects of the existing system 

 of the camp equipage equipment 

 of the native army has afforded 

 means of forming a judgment re- 

 lative to its advantages and effi- 

 ciency, which were not possessed 

 by the persons who proposed its 

 introduction, and an attentive ex- 

 amination of its operation during 

 that period the following observa- 

 tions regarding it. — The granting 

 the same allowance in peace and 

 war for the equipment of native 

 corps, while the expences inci- 

 dental to that charge are unavoid- 

 ably much greater in war than in 

 peace, places the interest and duty 

 of officers commanding native 

 corps in direct opposition to one 



another. It makes it their inte- 

 rest that their corps should not be 

 in a state of efficiency fit for field 

 service ; and therefore furnishes 

 strong inducements to neglect 

 their most important duties." 



The discontent and indignation 

 of the European officers, command- 

 ing native corps, was raised into a 

 flame. The civil and military go- 

 vernment of Madras were in a state 

 of opposition to each other. Lieut.- 

 col. Munro, quarter-master general, 

 who had drawn up the offensive me- 

 moir, on the strength of which Sir 

 G. Barlow proceeded in his deter- 

 mination to abolish the tent con- 

 tract by orders of the commander- 

 in-chief, was put under arrest. 

 Colonel Capper and major Boles, 

 who had complied with the orders 

 of the commander-in-chief in pub- 

 lishing a general order in the end 

 of January, 1809, reflecting on 

 the Madras government, were sus- 

 pended by the government of Ma- 

 dras from the service of the com- 

 pany.* From this strong and arbi- 

 trarj' step, and others of the same 

 nature relating to many other in- 

 dividuals, the officers were led to 

 the humiliating conclusion, that 

 their commissions were held merely 

 at the caprice of an individual. 

 The alarm produced an unanimity 

 of sentiment throughout the army, 

 and a confederacy for the purpose 

 of mutual preservation. A charge 

 drawn up against colonel Munro 

 was signed by thirty-two out of 

 fifty-four officers, and the remainder 

 would have signed the charge also 

 if they had not been at too 

 great a distance. The govern- 

 ment of Madras, in opposition 

 to the conciliating system recom- 

 mended 



" The commander-in-chief after publishing this order took leave of the army, 

 •letermined to come home. The governor removed him from his command after 

 his embarkation. 



