'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎436] (455/622)

436
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
on the 22nd of May, 1858, assumed command of the pennant-
vessel 6 Calcutta,' and of the Indian Naval Brigade in Bengal,
suitable official quarters being provided in Fort William for his
office and staff, to which Mr. Purser R. Mignon was appointed
as Paymaster of the Brigade.
The above proceedings, having been reported in due course
by Captain Campbell to Commodore Wellesley at Bombay,
were confirmed, but strong representations were made to the
Supreme Government by the Commander-in-chief of the Indian
Navy, through the Bombay Government, regarding the diffi
culty of preserving discipline amongst large bodies of seamen
landed from their ships for service on shore for long periods, and
Captain Campbell was called upon to define more clearly the
footing on which the Indian Naval Brigade in Bengal would be
placed, and the legal powder by which its internal disci
pline was to be maintained. For this purpose he met the
Military Member of the Supreme Council, General Sir John
Low, and the Military Secretary to the Government of India,
Colonel R. Birch, and pointed out that it was requisite that
the Brigade should not be regarded as forming part of the
Military force under the orders of the Commander-in-chief, but
as simply landed under urgent requisitions from the civil
power for the protection of the various localities and public
property, and co-operating with the military forces as required
from time to time by the local civil authorities, for whose
assistance they were sent, and that when thus employed on
shore, "on active service and full pay," they were clearly
amenable to the 34th Article of War, for "Mutiny," De
sertion," and "Disobedience of orders of their Commanding
Officers." Captain Campbell was quite aware that by thus
considering the Brigade as under civil requisition, it would
possibly debar the services of the officers and men from
being mentioned in military despatches, but he considered it
desirable that the force should not be made amenable to
the military regulations, and subject to all the autho
rities under whom the officers of the Brigade might be
placed at distant stations, where sooner or later affairs were
liable to come to a dead lock between military and naval
martial law. Commodore Wellesley was very naturally strongly
opposed to the continued withdrawal of so large a body of
gineer. The Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. had appointed them " for the special purpose of
reporting upon the boats which are in actual use, and which are found to be best
adapted for the navigation of rapid and shallow waters in Europe." In further
ance of this object, the Committee visited the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Danube,
Sa6ne, and Seine, and carefully compared their personal investigations witn
published reports of the navigation of American rivers, and of the Tigris ana
Euphrates. The nature of their inquiries, and the conclusions to which tney
led, were clearly stated by the Commissioners in a Report which was printed by
direction of the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. , and some valuable practical suggestions were
offered regarding the best class of boats for navigating the rivers of India.