LETTER FROM SIR DONALD M'LEOD.

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DONALD F. M'LEOD, Civil Service, to Colonel KEITH YOUNG. DHURMSÂLA, 16th December.

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MY DEAR KEITH YOUNG,-Mr Frere has sent me the enclosed pamphlet for transmission to you; my being up here instead of at Lahore, as he supposed, has somewhat delayed it, but I trust it will reach you in good time. I have read it with great interest, and although I think Brigadier Jacob somewhat ultra in his opinions, and consider some of them as impracticable, yet it contains much that I quite agree with, even to supplying the Civil Service entirely from the Army, a measure which I have long advocated myself, although I think he has been injudicious in making the suggestion here, seeing that the question is a separate one, and that for the present the reorganisation of the army is the great point in which the strength and energies of all should be concentrated. The conviction that all posts connected with Native regiments must in future be filled by selected officers, and be in fact Staff appointments, so that a man who secures one of these shall regard it as the fulfilment of his aims, and not, as at present, be longing to get away from his corps, appears to be now becoming very general; and I for one very sincerely hope that this principle will be adopted. It is not, however, for a moment to be supposed that Government can consent to a large proportion of officers remaining unemployed, and this portion of Brigadier Jacob's scheme appears to me altogether crude.

Another scheme, however, which I heard Sir John Lawrence broach many months ago, and which I have since seen suggested in one of the Home papers, appears to me to attain the same object, without being open to animadversion-namely, that our European regiments, of which we must ever have a large number in future, be made the magazine, so to speak, from which to select officers for Native corps, the number assigned to each of the latter being but four or five as in Irregular corps at present, and that the places of the officers so selected shall be immediately filled up in the European corps, the transfer to the Native branch being regarded as permanent when once effected.

It would be useless my entering with you on Indian politics,

* This pamphlet is not printed here.

310

ROUT OF THE GWALIOR MUTINEERS.

as it is from your quarter that we have to look for intelligence. We have just learned of intelligence having been received, through Sindhia, of the Gwalior contingent having been very thoroughly smashed.

There is indeed occasion for the deepest thankfulness, and how loud a call is there on us all for the most humble and heartfelt gratitude for the change which has come over the state of affairs generally, through the loving mercy of our Heavenly Father, who, though He has seen fit to try and chasten us severely-as severely as any nation, except, perhaps, the Jews, was ever chastened-has not yet allowed us to be overwhelmed, but has shown us a way out of all our troubles. May we all lay deeply and solemnly to heart the solemn lessons which have been taught to us by the mysterious and tremendous events of the past few months.