brother officers. with the principles upon which the Government appeared to act, that he, although bearing a good character, should be degraded from his office and removed from the presidency, in order to make way for a person who would probably speak to Colonel Munro. Previous to his departure, however, he made a modest appeal to Government, in which he stated as follows: "I trust, I shall be excused for expressing a considerable degree of "anxiety, at the displeasure of Government, as evinced in my removal from office, "and that a jealousy respecting my cha"racter as a servant of the company, will "be considered to proceed from motives, "honorable to myself, and consistent with "the relation in which I stand to my honor"able employers, after passing eighteen "years in their service."

It was therefore consistent

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"The serious reduction of salary must necessarily produce considerable incon"venience to me; but the loss of salary "is a secondary consideration; I never

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indulged the hope of attaining that exal"tation which riches give; I looked only "for the humble honors of a respectable "character, and I appeal to the justice of

"Government to excuse the earnestness "with which I solicit to be informed, in "what part of my conduct I have given cause for the severe measure, which, what

ever be the effect, is evidently calculated "to deprive me of my good name, in the "absence of which, no wealth could make 66 me rich."

The appeal was however vain; it was treated with contemptuous silence; and no reason has even yet been assigned for the removal of Captain Marshall from Madras. This event, which, in ordinary times, would not be considered of any general moment, acquired, at this period, great importance, for it tended to confirm the general belief, that Government were resolved to pursue to the utmost, every individual who had become obnoxious to Colonel Munro, without regard to general character, length of service, or other qualification, which is usually considered to confer upon individuals a right to the protection of Government. Even the most moderate among the officers, and those who had been desirous to divert the attention of the public from the immediate causes of complaint, could no longer discover any chance of preserving the most

respectable part of the army from arbitrary prosecution and cruel punishment, while things continued to be administered according to a system, which was not to be controlled by the laws of the land, or by any appeal to the ordinary dictates of reason, equity, or justice. Of this disposition an ample illustration is thought to be afforded, in the orders respecting Messrs. Roebuck and Maitland. The whole particulars of this extraordinary transaction would of themselves form an interesting detail. They are, however, only partly connected with the present subject; and it will be sufficient to notice that these gentlemen were acknowledged creditors of the Nabob of the Carnatic to a very large amount, and knowing that bonds had been forged to an enormous extent, and that the security of their property would be injured, in proportion as the forged bonds were admitted, they instituted, in the Supreme Court, at Madras, various suits against persons supposed to be concerned in forging sundry of these bonds. They had already obtained two verdicts from the several juries, and although the Advocate and Solicitor of the Company defended the persons who were con

acquaintance with the gentleman in question, they conceived they were justified in the measures they had taken, in consequence of which they (18 officers) were sent to their corps by the following general orders:

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"Fort St. George, 18th, February, 1809.

"G. O. by Government:

"The Commander in Chief having brought under the attention of "the Honourable the Governor in Council, "the recent irregular conduct of the fol"lowing officers of the junior class of the

Military Institution, the Governorin Coun"cil directs that they do join their corps "without delay.'

[Here follow the names of 18 officers.]

Although the name of the Commander in Chief appears in the foregoing order, it was in a few days discovered, that he had not even been made acquainted with the circumstances; at least so he declared, on the occasion of a reference that was made to him by some of the young men. vious to the publication of the foregoing order, a communication was made to the gentlemen of the Institution, by a Field officer, purporting, that if they would pro

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mise to go to the next entertainment at the Government House, the proceedings against them would be discontinued; but, otherwise, that they might expect to be severely punished. They however declined complying with these terms. Trifling as this occurrence must appear, in the general view of the great events which this period teems with, it deserves particular notice on account of the consequences it produced, and the inferences which may be drawn from it. It affords incontestible proof, that the feeling of discontent and dissatisfaction towards the Government was not confined to a few. In such a case it is impossible to suppose, that out of nineteen young men, attached to a corps that is under the especial patronage of the Governor and the Quarter Master General, only one person would go to a public entertainment given at the Government House; or that the others, if the feeling was not general, should venture to mark their disapprobation in the decided manner they did. This transaction also serves to shew, that the appeal of the officers to the regulations of the service, as established by Earl Cornwallis, was totally disregarded; and that officers in the army were liable to

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