As for extortion, corrupting of witnesses, and intimidating prosecutors, their power in these respects is almost unlimited, and they have not hesitated in some instances to employ even torture to gain their ends. It is only of late years that the existence of "torture" under the English government has been discovered, though it has undoubtedly been continuously practised in secret, as it was the general and open custom of native governments, and remains in use in those native states which still exist. So much was this the case, that it has become recognised by the universal rule of right, namely, mamool (custom). A ryut once said to Mr. Lushington, an able servant of the Company: "I brought the money for my rent, but as no violence was used I did not pay it ;" and it is well known that the villagers will often bring the whole amount of their dues, wrapped up in the folds of their clothing, and only pay as much as they are compelled to. A native looks upon all demands for money, whether just or unjust, in much the same light, and will generally only pay if he is forced to. This state of things would excuse torture in the eyes of the most enlightened and merciful native rulers, but would form no excuse for its employment under an English government. Accordingly, in the very thorough investigation which took place in India a few years ago, not one Englishman was implicated directly or indirectly. All the instances were found in places remote from the residences of European officials. In a few cases only it would appear that complaint had been made to the English magistrates. In most of such instances the offender had been summarily punished. The great mass of the magistrates had never even suspected the existence of such doings by their subordinates. The whole investigation proved two things. First, how entirely unreliable are native officials, and how unscrupulous they are in the employment of any means for their own advantage; secondly, how utterly insufficient is the number of European officials to exercise the necessary supervision over the actions of their subordinates. In Bengal, as I have said, each magistrate with his deputies, has, on the average, jurisdiction over a million of men. In Madras, where the abuses spoken of are the greatest, there is a district

where there is only one European official to half a million of souls, and four other districts where the population averages over 300,000. How is it possible for a European to exercise an adequate supervision over so vast a territory? Even had he the most honest and efficient subordinates, it would be almost impossible to oversee their acts. But the case is infinitely worse, where, as in India, the magistrate is surrounded by subordinates universally venal, tyrannical, and directly interested in misgovernment, and in concealing the truth from their superior. With such agents as those, who can wonder if he fails in the government of a million of people, prone to vice, given to crimes unknown in Europe, and with powers of lying and deception which are absolutely unfathomable. Besides the executive government of this multitude, he is expected to administer justice in a foreign language, and according to codes the most various and contradictory, and the provisions of which are often absurd and unintelligible; and that too with a set of assistants who are every one of them venal rascals, from the door-keeper, who will exclude a witness for a bribe, and always demands a fee to admit a petitioner, to the magistrate's clerk, who takes down depositions and alters them as he is paid for it, or the interpreters of native law, who vary the readings for a consideration. Everybody bribes in these courts: those who are in the wrong that they may appear right; and those who are right, lest they should be made to appear wrong.

The magistrates are aware of this state of things, but they can do nothing. The work is such that they must have native assistants, and one man of this class is as bad as another. Bribing is the universal rule all over India. It is mamoolrecognised custom; and if one set of corrupt subordinates are discharged, their successors will certainly be as bad, and may be worse. The only possible remedy is in a great increase of European officials. It is not too much to say that it would require a hundred men to perform thoroughly the work now assigned to a single magistrate. At present, the English government, though the magistrates are men of the highest character, and actuated by the best intentions, is quite inade

quate to the thorough administration of justice and prevention of the abuses which spring up in frightful profusion and virulence wherever natives are left without supervision or control. The small quantity of European energy is lost in the immensity of native indifference and apathy, and the purity of the magistrate can do but little to remedy the corruption of his thousand abandoned subordinates.

If such is the state of things under English rule, one may imagine what it is under a native government, where the abuses of the inferiors are surpassed by the cruelty and extor tion of the highest magistrates, where shameless bribery extends to all, and where truth and justice are systematically ignored, and any improvement is impossible, from the absolute corruption of the whole body politic, from the weakest member up to the very head itself.

In looking for an explanation of the low morality of the Hindoo character, we find its causes, first, in their religion, next in their education. The influence of the horrible superstitions of India has already been dwelt upon, and diffuses itself throughout the whole education of the child. As to the education, it is not only in the schools, where the ordinary reading-books are obscene legends of the various Hindoo deities, but much more in the family that the character is formed. Now what can be expected of a man, brought up from his youth to join in the foul ceremonies of the Hindoo religion; whose tongue was taught to lisp, as its first utterances, the impure hymns sung in the worship of the gods; who sees his mother considered as an upper servant, of infinitely less importance than himself; whose mind, from his earliest youth, was bent into the most abject reliance upon the Brahmuns, about whom it is said, "respect is due to a wicked Brahmun, but not to a Soodra, even if virtuous; is not a vicious cow better than an amiable cat ?" and who practises as his religious devotions, the worship of the lowest animals -nay, even of the bench he sits on, or the spade with which he digs ?

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE ARMY OF INDIA.

Its Strength-Different Classes of Troops-English and Native Officers-Enlistment purely Voluntary-Pay-Madras Army-Bombay Army-Low-Caste Men-An Army of Gentlemen-Truckling to Caste--Tame Tigers-Salaries of Officers-StaffService.

THE army of India comprises troops of three classes: First, the Queen's army, consisting of royal regiments stationed in India, and paid, while there, by the Honourable Company. Secondly, the Company's European troops, comprising three regiments of infantry, and the European artillery. The whole European force probably never exceeded 30,000 men. Thirdly, the native soldiers, or sepoys, who were divided into three armies, belonging respectively to the three Presidencies, and having independent, though similar organizations. There is a commander-in-chief over the army of each Presidency; but the supreme command of the whole military force in India is vested in the commander-in-chief of the Bengal army, who must always be a general in the Queen's service. The entire strength of the native armies may be reckoned at 270,000, two-thirds of which belonged to the Presidency of Bengal. The aggregate number of troops in India, was, therefore, before the recent great mutiny, probably about 300,000.

The European troops were under English officers exclusively; but the sepoy forces were commanded partly by English officers, partly by natives. The colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, six captains, ten lieutenants, and five ensigns, compose the full complement of European officers for each sepoy regiment. The native commissioned officers are, ten soobahdárs, and ten jemadárs, who rank with captains and lieuten

ants respectively. All the non-commissioned officers are, of course, natives. Their titles are havildár and naik, answering to sergeant and corporal.

The army is recruited entirely by voluntary enlistment, and the advantages which it presents are so great that there has never been any necessity for establishing recruiting stations, or using any of the means found necessary, in England and this country, to encourage enlistment.

The pay of the sepoys varies from 7 to 9 rupees a month. Against this must be set off the cost of the uniform, and their food, both of which are furnished by government at fixed rates. These expenses amount on the average to about four rupees a month, so that most of the soldiers save thirty-six rupees a year, which they remit to their families through the hands of government. After fifteen years of service the sepoys retire with pensions of from four rupees upwards. The pay of the native officers is—the naik 12 rupees; the havildár 14 rupees; the jemadár, 40 rupees; the soobahdár, 60 rupees per month. The eagerness which the natives show to enter the Company's service is easily understood when we reflect that the lowest pay of a sepoy is nearly double what the same man could make at other occupations, and that, in the army, he is put beyond the reach of bad seasons, want of work, or any of the other eventualities which diminish or render uncertain the small wages of three or four rupees a month which is all that most kinds of labour can earn in India.

The Madras army is recruited among the inhabitants of that Presidency, and admits men of all castes, as does also the Bombay army. The soldiers for the latter, were, however, partly obtained in Oude, by means of recruiting agents. These low-caste men make much the best soldiers. Their caste does not prevent their serving beyond the seas; they can eat, if necessary, the food left cold from the day before; and they will not refuse any reasonable task. The only drawback is their appearance and height, which are not equal to those of the high-caste Rajpoots, who formed the Bengal army.

The army of Bengal was, in appearance, by far the best of the three: superior in stature, and equal in drill to most of