scale and with high hopes, not unmingled with misgiving, on the part of officers; and indeed the prospect of raising a large number of men without charge to the country was sufficiently alluring. None the less the scheme failed completely,[1] as is the common fate of all projects which aspire to obtain a costly article at a trifling outlay.
Beyond this experiment the Government could think of no better plan for augmenting the Army than to encourage young men of means to raise men for rank, or in other words to offer them rank in the Army in proportion to the number of recruits that they could produce. This was an old system which hitherto had been confined chiefly to the raising of independent companies, and had therefore led to no higher rank than that of Captain. Even then it had been vicious and had been repeatedly condemned; and it was no good sign that in 1793 a Lieutenant had advertised in the London papers, offering two thousand guineas to any one who could raise him one hundred recruits in six weeks, and get them passed
- [Footnote: as 450 approved recruits have been raised, there shall be added to
it a Lieutenant-colonel, and a Major.
The Major will pay for his Lieut.-colonelcy £600
The senior Captain will pay for his senior Majority 700
Another Captain " " junior Majority 550
Two Companies thus vacated will sell for 2800
Levy-money of £5 granted by Government for 450 men 2250
Total £6900
Cost of 450 men at £15 (£10 bounty and £5 levy-money)
would be 6750
Balance £150
====
Thus the country is saved all expense but £5 a man levy-money. S.C.L.B. 15th April, 1st and 12th November 1793; 20th January 1794.]
- ↑ S.C.L.B. 9th July 1794.
