CHAP. XIII. East India Company's Troops. 269 in force were enacted by the Legislative Council of India in 1861 and 1863.2 As to Euro pean troops of the Com 30. The Company's European troops were first raised with the sanction of Parliament, under the 21st Geo. III., c. 65, sec. 32. Under licence from the Crown, the Company were authorised to enlist men (Her Majesty's pany. subjects) to serve as soldiers in the East Indies, and at liberty to keep, in any part of Her Majesty's dominions in Europe, a depôt of 2000 men in time of war, and of 1000 men in time of peace. They were not authorised to train or discipline these men, nor were the latter subject to any Mutiny Act until their arrival in India. Further powers were therefore needed from Parliament, and were granted by the 39th Geo. III., c. 109. 31. Under this Act the Crown took the enlistment of men for serving in India into its own hands, and on peti- Raised under tion from the Company, transferred recruits to them 39 Geo. III. at an agreed sum per head for the cost of recruiting. Authority was given to the Company to train and exercise recruits, not exceeding 2000, and to appoint officers for that purpose (bearing also Her Majesty's commission) at pay not exceeding the sums stated in the Act. The number which the Crown could hold for transfer to the Company was limited to 3000 men, or such a number as the Mutiny Act for the time being should specify. All the men raised were liable to the Mutiny Act until embarked for India. Subsequent When arrangements 32. These, with some amendments made by later Acts,' were the principal arrangements under which the European Army of the East India Company was raised. in India it was governed by a separate Mutiny Act, perpetual in duration, though re-enacted from time Crown. to time with amendments. The first was the 27 Geo. II., till the force was trans ferred to the c. 9, and the last of these Acts the 20 & 21 Vic., c. 66, which was repealed by 26 & 27 Vic., c. 48. After the Indian Mutiny, all these troops-European and native—were transferred to the service of the Crown by the 21 & 22 Vic., c. 106, but many of the former refused to acknowledge the 1 Act, No. 29. 2 Act, No. 5. 3 Sect. 8. authority of Parliament to make the transfer. They demanded re-engagement and bounty for their transfer, and failing to get the latter, were offered their discharge. In 1860 enlistment for this European force was put a stop to by the 23 & 24 Vic., c. 100, and in 1861 the officers and soldiers comprising it were invited to join, and many of them were transferred to the regular Army under the authority of the 24 & 25 Vic., c. 74. Thus the European Army of the late East India Company-except a small residue, amounting, in 1868, to 2872 officers and 1347 non-commissioned officers and men-became merged into the Military forces of the Crown. As to troops lar Army in India. 33. As to the maintenance, or limit as to numbers, there was no obligation imposed by Parliament on the East of the regu India Company with regard to their own Army until the year 1788, but from that year the Company were bound to maintain an Establishment of 12,200 European, and some portion of the Imperial troops, in India. By the 28 Geo. III., c. 8, the Board of Control could direct a force, not exceeding 8045 officers and men of the Royal Army, to be maintained in India out of the Local revenue, and this number was ultimately increased to 20,000 men. If the Directors required a larger force in India, the Board of Control could sanction such being sent there. All the troops sent to India are placed on the Indian Establishment, and from that time cease to be voted on the Army Estimates, but-subject to the increase of expenditure occasioned by their immediate recall there is no statutory restraint on the power which the Crown has of recalling these troops amounting in 1868 to 56,366 men to this country. - 34. Some mention should perhaps be made of the votes in A.D. 1730. supply first made in this reign to the African Company for the charge they were at in maintaining "forts Africa. and castles with their full complement of men" on the coast of Africa. The Company had borne these expenses from Forts and troops in 153 Geo. III., c. 155, sec. 87. 2 21 Com. Journ., p. 478. CHAP. XIII. Motion for Army Reduction, 1732. 271 1702 to 1729 without aid from the Government, but they appealed to the House of Commons in the year 1730 for a pecuniary grant. An annual estimate for this service was ordered from the Company and presented to the Commons. A vote of about 13,000l. per annum was made in favour of the Company until all the forts and military establishments were vested in the Crown by the 5 Geo. III., c. 44.3 A.D. 1732. Motion for 12,000 men. 35. The first debate of importance during the Reign on the number of the Land forces was raised upon the two estimates for the year 1732,* on the first of which it was proposed to vote 17,709 men (including invalids) for Great reduction to Britain, and on the other 6047 for service abroad. Opposition was, as usual, given to the first estimate, and Lord Morpeth moved to reduce the vote to 12,000 men. Sir Robert Walpole urged the Commons to sanction the larger number for one year, and the estimate was carried by a majority of 241 to 171. A.D. 1738. Motion again renewed. 36. No reduction having been made in the first estimate, and the other having been increased to 9187 men, the House of Commons in the year 1738 strove but failed to obtain a reduction to 12,000 men in Great Britain. A very decided opposition was made to the vote, and the same reduction was moved in the House of Lords on the second reading of the Mutiny Bill. The speakers in both Houses in favour of reduction were the leading Statesmen of that period; and these debates, which even at the present time repay the trouble of perusal, evidence the very strong feeling entertained in the country against the establishment of a Standing Army in time of peace. The motion was lost in the Commons by a majority of 249 against 164, and in the Lords by 99 to 36 votes. In the following year the opposition was renewed in the House of Commons by Mr. Shippen," but without any successful result. 121 Com. Journ., p. 486. 2 Ib., p. 522. 23 Geo. II., c. 31; 25 Geo. II., c. 40; 4 Geo. III., c. 20; 5 Geo. III., c. 44; Smith's Wealth of Nations,' vol. iii., p. 233. 421 Com. Journ., p. 775; 8 Parl. Hist., pp. 882-916. 523 Com. Journ., p. 12; 10 Parl. Hist., Debate in House of Commons, pp. 375-467; Debate in the House of Lords, pp. 479-561. 623 Com. Journ, p. 224, and 10 Parl. Hist., p. 1334. A.D. 1740. Augmenta 37. The augmentation for the year 1740' gave rise to much opposition, not only as to the augmentation itself, but as to the manner in which the Army should be tion opposed. increased, whether by adding New or by increasing the strength of Existing Regiments. The political aspect of the Army, and the abuse alleged to be made of the patronage, furnished the chief grounds of objection to Augmentation by Regiments; but the Ministers were supported by Parliament, and the Army in Great Britain was raised to 28,852 Immediate men. These augmentations continued until the Army Estimates for the year 17482 showed 49,939 for Great Britain, and 15,627 men for the Plantations and abroad. The War was, however, brought to a close, and the estimates of the following year show an immediate reduction of the Forces to 18,857 men for Great Britain, and 9542 for the Plantations. A.D. 1749. reduction on peace. Augmenta tion in 1755, 3 4 38. The Augmentation of the year 1755 was supported by both Houses of Parliament, until the numbers of men and reduction accumulated to 67,776 for the year 1762 in Great in 1763. Britain and Germany, and to 37,397 in the Plantations. and garrisons abroad. Then came the Peace, and in the estimates for the year 17635 the numbers were reduced to 17,536 men in Great Britain, and 28,406 men in the Plantations and garrisons abroad. Augmenta 39. With the exception of the vote for 5000 men for one year-1770-on the apprehension of war with Spain, tion in 1779. no great increase in the Standing Army was made; but the numbers were gradually increased to 20,057 men for Great Britain in the year 1778. The recognition of the Independence of America by France involved a war with the latter country, and the estimates for the service of 1779 were for 30,346 men in Great Britain, for 47,038 men, and 5360 from the Irish Establishment in the Plantations-for 14,440 men in augmentation, and, lastly, for 24,039 foreigners, and 786 6 3 Ib., 123 Com. Journ., pp. 388, 413; 11 Parl. Hist., pp. 248, 894-928. See the Petitions against the Standing Army, 12 Parl. Hist., pp. 417 to 427, and the Debate on Grievances, p. 428. 2 25 Com. Journ., pp. 440, 441. p. 671. 6 37 Com. Journ., p. 20. 4 29 Com. Journ., p. 29. 5 Ib., pp. 503-5. CHAP. XIII. Augmentation in 1787-8. foreign artillery serving abroad under treaties in the Great Britain. 40. In 17831 the troops in Great Britain were increased to 54,678 men, and were voted for 121 days, ending the Reduction in 24th April, 1783. Then came the Peace, and the esti- 1784. mate for the year 17842 provided for only 17,483 men in Great Britain, 950 foreign troops, 12,247 men in the Plantations, and (as a new vote) 6,366 men for India. Therefore with the war the expenses of the war ceased. Separate establishments for particular places or services were not continued on foot, but absolutely abandoned, after the places had been ceded, or the services for which they had been originally formed had been fulfilled. 3 tation in Opposed in 41. This Establishment was not altered until the year 1787-8, when the expense of the garrisons at home Augmen was diminished by the reduction of the Guards (at the 1787-9. expressed wish of the King), and of the force in the Plantations increased by 3,064 men. The augmentation was opposed, and the continuance of so large a force in arms raised a debate in 1790,4 which was the occasion Mr. Burke. of the rupture in political association and friendship between Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke. In the year 1792 a small reduction was proposed to Parliament.5 1790 by Mr. Fox, and ap proved by 12,000 Hes 42. In the year 1787 the Crown gained by treaty with Hesse Cassel, and an annual subsidy of 36,000l., the Treaty for succour of 12,000 Hessian troops to serve in the pay sian troops. of Great Britain in Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland, in case their services were called for under the treaty. The Commons did not grant the subsidy without debate; but Mr. Burke supported the ministry, and the vote was taken without a division." 1815. 43. Before any reduction could be made, it became necessary to increase the strength of the Army for the year A.D. 17941794, and to continue it until the close of the Belgian Campaign in 1815. At the outbreak of the War the tion." Defensive Forces of the three kingdoms were put in array to 139 Com. Journ., p. 242. 2 Ib., p. 746. Augmenta 3 26 Parl. Hist., p. 1282. 28 Parl. Hist., p. 370. 5 29 Parl. Hist., p. 811. 626 Parl. Hist., pp. 1258-1278. VOL. I. T |