WAITING FOR BETTER TIMES. 177 



court, and on reading a copy of the proceedings I 

 perceived at once that the whole case lay in the 

 correctness of his regimental accounts ; that his 

 being summoned before a court, after suspension 

 from civil and military duty, and after an open 

 invitation (under regimental authority) to all com- 

 plainants in his regiment, was a most unusual ordeal, 

 such as no man could be subjected to without the 

 greatest disadvantage ; and notwithstanding this, 

 the proceedings did not contain a single substantial 

 case against him, provided he could establish the 

 validity of his regimental accounts ; and that he 

 could do this I felt more than confident, 



"The result of Major Taylor's laborious and 

 patient investigation of Lieutenant Hodson's regi- 

 mental accounts has fully justified, but has not 

 at all added to, the confidence that I have throughout 

 maintained in the honour and uprightness of his 

 conduct. It has, however, shown (what I believed, 

 but had not the same means of judging of) how 

 much labour Lieutenant Hodson bestowed in putting 

 the aff'airs of his resjiment in order. Havins; seen a 

 great deal of the manner in which the Guide Corps 

 has been employed, I can well understand how 

 difficult it has been to maintain anything like 

 regularity of office, and how impossible it may be 

 for those who remain quietly in stations with 

 efficient establishments to understand or make 

 allowance for the difficulties and irregularities 

 entailed by rapid movements on service, and 

 want of proper office means in adjusting accounts 

 for which no organised system had been established. 

 The manner in which Lieutenant Hodson has eluci- 

 dated his accounts since he had access to the 



M 



