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496 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
that the Superintendent should have the rank of major-general,
with "all the honours due to the rank."
Sir Cluirles IMalcolm entered upon his duties under the
hap])iest auspices. His brother, Sir John Malcolm, was
Governor, and, without exception, the officers of the Service
were favourabl,y inclined towards him, and Avere gratified that
an officer of the British Navy of his name and distinction
should be placed at their head. Sir Charles was a kind-hearted
man, with abilities far above the average, and he was a gentle-
man in every sense of the word ; he also vigorously prosecuted
the surveys which were inaugurated by the enlightened policy
of the late Governor, Mr. Mountstuart Elphinstone. He took
a M'arm interest in the welfare of the young officers, sought to
elevate the moral tone among them, and stopped the allowance
of ship's grog they hitherto received, substituting wine instead.
Though his motive—a desire to prevent drunkenness— was
laudable, he insisted on the youngsters having wine, and,
moreover, buying it at a particular firm and at a fixed price.
This wine system ceased in 1832. Equally arbitrary, though
well-intentioned, was his choosing the agents to whom the
midshipmen should entrust their savings, with the unfortunate
result that the house failed in 1838 ; had he restricted his
interference to the circular letter he issued to the commanding
officers, recommending the midshipmen to their care, and
advising the latter to deposit their savings in an agency, instead
of spending them, he would have shown more discretion. On
the whole, however, it may be said that his public conduct, like
his private character, was always blameless, and that he was a
good administrator and wise Superintendent.
One of the first acts of Sir Charles jMalcolm was to imiprove
the discipline of the Service, which had deteriorated, owing to
the anomalous position occupied by the officers, and the want
of a code of laws, by which the will of the Governor and
Superintendent were paramount. Thus, in former years,
though a Court of Inquiry was held, it was not at all unusual
for the verdict of the Court, which acted more as a jury, to be
set aside by Government, who would decide and punish as
seemed to them best. Mr. Elphinstone, on becoming acquainted
w-ith this system, provided a remedy, so far as lay in his power,
by creating a penal code from the Naval articles of war, and
the ofiicers comprising the Court not only found a verdict, but
pronounced judgment, the Government only exercising an
approving power, and in no case after was that power employed
except on the side of mercy. This system, introduci'd in 1825,
had just begun to be felt and appreciated, and Mr, Elphinstone
had made strong appeals to the Court to procure martial
law for the Service, when he quitted the country and gave
place to the new Governor, Sir John Malcolm. At length