Note 302 — Chapter XIII

[Footnote 302: It should be remarked that the arrangement originally carried out awoke among the European troops of the Company so deep and general a spirit of discontent as at one time threatened to break out in open mutiny; the ground of their dissatisfaction being "the transfer of their services in virtue of an act of Parliament, but without their consent." Accordingly, "on the announcement of the proclamation transferring the possessions of the East India Company to the crown, some of the soldiers of the Company's European force set up a claim for a free discharge or a bounty on re-enlistment." Lord Clyde's recommendation "that a concession should be made" was overruled by the government of India, and "pronounced inadmissible by the law-officers of the crown" in England. The dissatisfaction was allayed for the time by the judicious measures, equally conciliatory and firm, adopted by Lord Clyde, in whom all ranks of both armies felt equal confidence; but eventually the government became convinced of the necessity of granting discharges to every man who wished for one, provided he had not misconducted himself.—Shadwell's Life of Lord Clyde, ii., 407-416.]