for consolidating the two regiments into one had been generally complained of by the officers of the European corps in all the presidencies, and had been the subject of memorial from the Madras and Bombay regiments. In 1838 these were replied to in the following General Orders by Government :—

General Orders, by the Right Honourable the Governor in Council.

"Simla, 29th June, 1838.

"The Right Honourable the Governor-General directs the publication of the following paragraph of a letter from the Honourable Court of Directors, in the military department to the address of the Governor-General in India, No. 3, of 1838, dated the 11th of April last.

"The Government of Madras has forwarded to us several memorials from officers of the European regiment at that presidency, bringing to our notice the consequences entailed upon them as to rank and certain pecuniary advantages, by the arrangement of the year 1829, under which the two regiments of European Infantry of five companies each were incorporated into one regiment of eight companies, but the officers still remained for the purposes of promotion, as they stood before the incorporation, viz., in two separate corps or wings.

"A memorial on the same subject was preferred to us, by officers of the Bombay European regiment, in the year 1832, to which we replied on the

24th of October, 1832, through the Government of Bengal, in the following terms :—

"We conceive in opinion with the GovernorGeneral, as expressed in his minute of the 7th of November, 1831, that no supercession, properly so called, has been the result of the new form given to the European regiments by the orders of your Government of the 2d of November, 1829; and that no argument can be founded upon a fortuitous irregularity of promotion among the officers attached to the two wings of those regiments, for setting aside an arrangement which has reduced the expence and improved the efficiency of these corps.'

"We still adhere to these sentiments; but we are of opinion that for the satisfaction and contentment of the officers, measures should be taken which will have the effect of obviating prospectively the supercession in regimental duties of one officer by another in the same regiment.

"With this view we now direct that officers of the European regiments, hereafter promoted in any one wing, shall not be entitled to regimental rank in virtue of such promotion, unless they were previously the senior of their rank in the regiment; but so long as they serve with the regiment their rank so obtained shall be brevet only, and not regimental; they will notwithstanding be entitled to the pay and allowances of their advanced rank, and to its full advantages for line promotion.

"With a view to the adoption of an eventual

arrangement by which all such questions shall be obviated, we further direct that no vacancies amongst the ensigns, in one of the wings, either the right or the left, as you may think most expedient, be hereafter filled up; but that as vacancies for ensigns occur in it, appointments of an equal number be made to the remaining wing. When all the ensigns now attached to the wing to be reduced shall have been promoted, future vacancies of lieutenants in it will not be filled in that wing but by promotions in the wing which is retained, and so on in the other ranks. The establishment of the officers in the European regiment will thus eventually be two lieutenant-colonels, two majors, ten captains, sixteen lieutenants, and eight ensigns, with one colonel; the number of colonels in the infantry branch of the service calculated as including two for the European regiment, to remain as at present, the junior being unattached.

"The number of companies may in future be fixed at ten instead of eight, with sixty-five privates in each.

"The arrangements detailed in the foregoing paragraphs will be adopted simultaneously at the three presidencies on the 1st of September next, from which date, effect will be given to the Honourable Court's Orders, in regard to the commissioned officers of the Company's European Infantry Regiments; those of the left wings of regiments, respectively, being gradually absorbed in the manner pre

scribed by the Court, as casualties shall hereafter occur in that wing.

"From the same date, the regiments above specified will be formed of ten companies each, of four sergeants, four corporals, two drummers, and sixtyfive privates per company."

"18th of September, 1838, No. 159.-With reference to G. O. G., No. 127, dated 31st of July, 1838, the following revision of the establishment of the Madras European Regiment to have effect from the 1st instant; and all ranks in excess of the number herein laid down, to become supernumeraries until vacancies occur to bring them on the established strength :"

REVISED ESTABLISHMENT.

One colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors, ten captains, sixteen lieutenants, eight ensigns, two surgeons, two assistant-surgeons, one sergeant-major, one quarter-master-sergeant, one schoolmaster-sergeant, forty sergeants, forty corporals, twenty drummers, and 650 privates; non-effective, one adjutant, one quarter-master, ten colour-sergeants, two drum and fife-majors, one drill-sergeant, and one drill-corporal.

On the addition to the army, by Government Orders of the 16th of August, 1839, of another European regiment, a detail of non-commissioned officers, drummers, and corporals, was transferred from the regiment, and marched from Kamptee in September, en route to Arnee, where the new 2d

European Light Infantry Regiment was directed to be embodied (from the 16th of October), when the old corps was again designated the 1st Madras European Regiment.

On the 31st of December the A and B companies of the regiment marched from Kamptee, under command of Major Howden, en route to Kurnool to relieve two companies of H. M.'s 39th Regiment; but their destination was afterwards changed, and they were ordered to Secunderabad, where they arrived on the 11th of February, 1840, the same day on which the E. G. and H. companies marched from Kamptee, under command of Captain Weir, and relieved H. M.'s 55th at Secunderabad on the 16th of March.

On the 28th February, new colours were presented to the head-quarters of the regiment at Kamptee, by Major-general John Woulfe, commanding the Nagpore Subsidiary Force, and on the 7th March, the regiment having been relieved by H. M.'s 39th regiment, marched under command of Major Kerr, and arrived at Secunderabad on the 10th of April. With the exception of the 1st Bombay European Regiment, which, before its transfer to the East India Company on the 23rd September 1668, had been raised by Charles II. in 1661, and sent out the following year to occupy the island of Bombay, H. M.'s 39th was the first regiment in the royal army which landed in India. Aldercorn's regiment, the present 39th, first landed at