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Commanders, we noticed the little regard which has been shown to that fundamental principle of Orders of Knighthood, that there should be no other precedency in the Order than seniority of nomination, but it is still more flagrantly violated with respect to the Companions. They were ordered by the Gazette of the 16th of September," to take rank amongst themselves according to their commissions in the Navy and Army respectively;" we therefore infer, that those who, when nominated, were Majors, on obtaining Lieutenant Colonelcies, precede all the Companions who continue Majors, and so in every other instance; and that the officers who have been subsequently appointed, precede all the original Companions of inferior rank in the Navy or Army.

The effects of the third class of the Order being termed "Companions," instead of "Knights," may be thus briefly summed up:

1stly, The Order itself is degraded below every other Order in Europe; 2dly, The title is an anomaly in the constitution of an Order of Knighthood; 3dly, An appellation both contradictory and inconsistent has been bestowed on them; and 4thly, Offence has been given to the most important class of society in England, the country gentlemen.

The same anomalies which are displayed in almost every other way connected with the enlargement of the Order of the Bath extended even to the Principal Knight Grand Cross, the late lamented Duke of York, who was told, that he was the " Acting Grand Master," and which title is appended to his Royal Highness's name in his own hand-writing, in the letter of which the following is a copy, though it was notorious to every other person but his Royal Highness's sagacious advisers, that no Great Master has ever existed since the death of the Duke of Montagu, in 1749; and the King's warrant for each installation was addressed to the Principal Knight Companion merely, and not to any acting Grand Master. From the violation of grammar which this letter betrays, though it does not exceed five lines, it may be attributed to the same pen that drew up the equally ungrammatical Gazette of the 2nd of the preceding January.

"Horse Guards, 19th September, 1815. "SIR,-I have the Prince Regent's commands to transmit to you herewith the Ribbon and Badge of a Companion of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, with his Royal Highness's gracious permission, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, that you shall wear the same.

"I am, Sir, yours,

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There can be no doubt, that it was his Majesty's gracious in

tention, on enlarging the Order, that the third class should be conferred on commissioned officers of every rank, and that when they became lieutenant-colonels or post captains, future services should be rewarded by their advancement to the second class; a principle as wise as it was just. We have seen that that class has always been confined to field officers of the army and commanders of the navy, or to those of higher rank, whilst the second class is now exclusively reserved for general officers and admirals; and so strictly is this adhered to, that no captain of the navy, who served at Algiers or Navarino, who was previously a Companion of the Bath (and the remark applies, mutatis mutandis, to the army), has received any additional reward whatever. One more anecdote respecting the intention with which the Order was enlarged will conclude our account of the mistakes committed on the occasion; and we shall then allude to what we fear merits a very different name. It may be known to some of our readers, that during the late war the captains of the navy and the officers commanding regiments, who were present in general actions, or who otherwise particularly signalized themselves, were honoured with gold medals, which bore the officers' names, and of the battles for their services in which those medals were conferred. These the possessors were desired to resign, on their appointment to the Order of the Bath, but not one of them complied with the request; for they naturally attached a higher value to such personal and individual marks of honour, than to the new Order, where their names stood among hundreds of others.

We must now describe the circumstances to which, in former numbers of this work, we have merely alluded; and whatever may be our reluctance to give the name of the party chiefly concerned, we have no option, since it was impossible to withhold the documents necessary for the elucidation of our remarks, to some of which it is attached. Our regret at being the instrument of this exposure is, however, lessened by a conviction, that nothing short of publicity would have any effect; for four months have now elapsed since we signified our intention of laying the facts before the world, if some decisive measures were not in the mean time publicly taken on the subject. In the 14th article of the London Gazette of the 2nd of January, 1815, it is stated, "that there shall also be affixed, in the cathedral church of St. Peter, Westminster, escutcheons and banners of the arms of each Knight Commander, under which the name and title of such Knight Commander, with the date of his nomination, shall be inscribed;" and as by the 19th clause the said Knights Commanders and Companions were to be governed by the rules and regulations which the Prince Regent

"hath been graciously pleased to make, ordain, and enjoin for them;" it was of course necessary that they should be furnished with, and, also as a matter of course, that they should pay for, them. Accordingly, the following letters were immediately addressed to each Knight Commander, whence, as well as from the letter to the Companions, it appears that other honours were intended for them besides those mentioned in the Gazettes.

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College of Arms, London, 9th Jan. 1815. "SIR,-His Royal Highness the Prince Regent having been pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, to nominate you a Knight Commander of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, I have it in command to inform you, that the fees on your knighthood are not to be defrayed by you, and that the following are the only fees to be paid by you to the Officer of Arms attendant upon the Order, agreeably to the rules and ordinances appertaining to the Knights Commanders.

"For the escocheon, or plate of your armorial ensigns, to
be affixed to Westminster Abbey

"For the banner of your arms emblazoned on silk, to be
placed over the said escocheon or plate
"For recording the pedigree of your family, your coat-
armour, and statement of military services, in the books
appropriated to the Knights Commanders
"For a copy of the Rules and Ordinances

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£. s. d.

800

5 10 0

7 8 0

1 1 0

£.21 19 0

"And in the event of your family pedigree not being already entered in the College of Arms, the fee of 3!. 18s. 8d. is also to be paid to the Officer of Arms who shall record the same.

"To Sir

"I have the honour to be, Sir,

"Your most obedient humble servant,
"WM. WOODS,

"Secretary to the Knights Commanders
and Companions.

Knight Commander of the most

honourable Military Order of the Bath."

"College of Arms, London, 9th Jan. 1815.

"SIR,-His Royal Highness the Prince Regent having been pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, to nominate

This phrase would have been very proper in a letter from one of the King's Principal Secretaries of State, conveying the royal command; but it is High Life belowe Stairs from the pen of a Secretary of the second and third classes of the Order of the Bath!

you a Knight Commander of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, it becomes my duty to transmit the enclosed paper, which I request you will fill up with a statement of your military services, agreeably to the regulations announced in the Gazette of the 4th of January instant.

"I have also to request that you will, at the same time, transmit to me an account of your family pedigree, as far as you are enabled to furnish, together with a sketch or impression of the armorial ensigns used by you, in order that I may cause the banner and plate of your arms to be prepared and placed in Westminster Abbey; and that you will address the same to me, under cover to the Secretary at War 2, London.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your most obedient humble servant,

"GEORGE NAYLER,

"York Herald, Genealogist of the Bath."

And on the 20th of September the subjoined letter was addressed to each of the Companions.

"College of Arms, London, 20th Sept. 1815. "SIR,-His Royal Highness the Prince Regent having been pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, to nominate you a Companion of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, it becomes my duty to transmit the enclosed paper, which I have to request you will fill up with a statement of your military services, agreeably to the regulations announced in the Gazette of the 4th of January last, and that you will address the same to me, under cover, to the Secretary at War 2, London.

"I beg leave to annex, for your information, a statement of the fees to be paid to me, as Officer of Arms attendant upon the Order, agreeably to the Rules and Ordinances appertaining to the Companions.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,

"Your most obedient humble servant,

"GEORGE NAYLER,

Genealogist of the Bath, and Officer of Arms attendant upon the Knights Commanders and Companions.

The paper here referred to is to contain, in addition to a statement of the military services of the Knight, a description of rank, whether Cornet or Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, or Lieutenant-Colonel,-in what corps,-number of years' service,together with an account "where employed, specifying the period of each service; the names of any siege, battle, or considerable action, where personally present; the periods, if on half pay, regimental and other leave of absence, modern foreign languages acquainted with."

2 Or" to the Secretary of the Admiralty," if the Knight Commander was an officer of the Navy.

"For the escocheon or plate of your name and style to
be affixed in Westminster Abbey

"For recording the statement of your military services
in the books appropriated to the Companions
"For a copy of the Rules and Ordinances

£. s. d.

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300

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2 16 8

. 1 1 0

£.6 17 8"

Notwithstanding that more than thirteen years have elapsed since the date of the first two of these letters, and twelve years and four months since the date of the last, and that the fees thereby ordered to be paid were, with very few exceptions, immediately paid to the Secretary to the Knights Commanders and Companions," or his principal the Officer Attendant

"

No escutcheon or plate of the armorial ensigns of a Knight Commander, for which each of them was called on to pay 81., has been affixed in Westminster Abbey or elsewhere.

No banner of the arms of a Knight Commander, emblazoned on silk, or on any thing else, has been placed in Westminster Abbey, for which each of them was called on to pay 51. 10s.

No copy of the Rules and Ordinances, for which each Knight Commander and each Companion paid 17. 1s., has been issued, notwithstanding that the Gazette expressly stated that the Prince Regent had then ordained them'.

No escutcheon or plate of the name and style of a Companion, for which each of them was required to pay 31. has been affixed in Westminster Abbey or elsewhere.

In explanation of these facts, it has been said that there is no room in Westminster Abbey for the proposed banners and plates, and that the Dean and Chapter have made difficulties on the subject. We ask in reply, 1st, For proof of this assertion. 2nd, Why this was not ascertained before the regulation was enacted and the fees received: still more, if it be true, why the fees are still demanded upon every new nomination? 4thly, Are all the banners and plates which have been so many years paid for ready, as well of the deceased as of the living members of the Order? 5th, What has this circumstance to do with the statutes?

If Westminster Abbey be found inconvenient for the purpose, we would suggest that there is ample room in St. Pauls;

We happen to know that a Companion of the Bath civilly inquired some time since for the copy of the statutes, for which he had paid twelve years before; and he was told in a manner not quite so respectful as might have been expected from the officer attendant upon him, that his guinea would be returned to him if he wished it. We inquired, but could not discover, whether an offer was made to return him the remaining sum of 54. 16s. 8d. which he paid on the same occasion.

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