Page 524 - INDIANNAVYV1

492 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NA\T.
we might with justice use a stronger epithet, but we will adopt
the euphemism made famous by "ancient Pistol"—nearly a lac
of rupees, the salary of their hard-worked and inadequately-
rewarded servants of the Bombay Marine. The Service, being
unaware of the liberality of the Court, bore the injustice with-
out appealing ; and, writes a deceased officer, to whose unpub-
lished jottings of the history of the Service we have had access,
"it was only while compiling these papers that it came to my
notice, when examining the report of the Finance Committee,
appointed by Lord William Bentinck, where all is openly and
officially stated. Even that Committee was ignorant of the
officers not receiving the pay offered by the Court, for though
they recommended the reduction of the number of the officers,
yet they did not touch the amount of pay, which was not, even
in their most clipping mood, thought by them too much."
How different was such treatment to that conceded to
their powerful Civil and Military services. Had the Court
granted an increase of pay to these branches of the public
service, it would have been quickly published in Orders, or
have come to their knowledge through some friend in the Court,
but the Bombay Marine was unintluential and unrepresented
in Leadenhall Street. It siujply did its duty, and did it well,
as all allowed, but not for it were the sweets of "interest" or
the honours of the Bath, and when it was awarded a boon in the
shape of increased pay, this was withheld from it, while, on the
other hand, the reduction of the senior ranks was strictly
carried out in the terms of the Order.
In addition to the reduction of one commodore, seven senior
captains, three junior captains, and six lieutenants, it was
ordered that no officer was to hold a shore appointment, with
the exception of three or four posts, which were specified, with-
out retiring from the Service. The Bouibay Government found
it necessary to add two captains to the number authorised by
the Court, and, in writing home, stated that the commanders
were insufficient ; the result was that the captain's list stood at
seven, being still five less than were authorised in 1824, and, in
the following year, the commanders were increased, by orders
of the Court, to twelve. In other grades the numbers remained
unaltered until the year 1838 The pecuniary value of the
Court's boon, in granting the four senior captains pensions of
<£80() per annum, may be made apparent in a few Avords. The
commodore and master-attendant were entitled to =£450 each,
and the two senior captains to .£l3(iO each, making a total of
£1,620, so that the increase amounted to .£1,580. But by the
reduction of one commodore and five captains. Government
saved 5,000 rupees a month, or .£6,000 a year, besides the
d£7,000 per annum of pay sanctioned by the Court, but with-
held by the Government.