each of the French missions have a good
engineer and draughtsman attached to them;
and can you tell me why?—At any rate we
might take the hint from them. It would
make some new appointments!

THE GWALIOR JANISSARIES.

THE last India mail brought accounts of a
scene at Gwalior somewhat similar in
character to Sultan Mahmoud's destruction of
the Janissaries, or to Mehemet Ali's slaughter
of the Mamelukes; not, indeed, so merciless
or so deadly; but having the same object,
namely, the release of an Oriental state from
the Pretorian Bands which controlled the
power of the sovereign and eat up the
revenues of the country. Over the Gwalior
"transaction," the British Resident at that
Court seems to have presided; superintending,
if not directing and originating one branch of
the Rajah's troops in cutting and firing down
another. At first sight this appears strange;
a slight retrospect of the later history of the
Gwalior state will, however, show that
desperate necessity originated the measure,
and almost justifies it.

Dowlat Row Scindiah, the determined
enemy of British power in Central India,
when in the vigour of his youth, died our
friend and ally in one thousand eight hundred
and twenty-seven. His dominions, extending
over a great part of Malwa, were scattered
and divided. His subjects were united by no
common interest or feeling; but were kept
together by an army neither composed of nor
commanded by persons bearing natural
allegiance to him. His territories were very
much mixed up with our own, and with those
of our dependents and tributaries. Scindiah's
country was, and is, consequently one of great
interest and importance, from position, to us.
Well governed, prosperous, and friendly, it
must be an element of strength: misruled
and turbulent, it can only be a source of
danger, anxiety, and expense.

On the whole, Scindiah's government was
creditable. Although he maintained too
large an army he was a prudent prince, and
left a flourishing country, and an overflowing
treasury behind him. Unfortunately he died
childless. Lord Amherst, however, at once
recognised the boy whom his favourite wife
adopted after his death; and, assuming the
name Junkeyjee Row Scindiah, the lad
became Maharajah of Gwalior. The young
prince being a great invalid, his reign was
feeble; and the power of the army over the
state greatly increased. The condition of
the country was gradually retrograding,
when, in the beginning of one thousand
eight hundred and forty-three, Junkeyjee
Row Scindiah died at the early age of twenty-
seven. He, too, left no heirs, nor any adopted
son. The government of Gwalior, therefore,
fell nominally into the hands of his widow
—herself a child scarcely ten years old. A
boy almost as old as herself was adopted, and
he ascended the Raj of Gwalior as Jyagee
Row Scindiah.

Troubles and difficulties immediately
followed. At the head of the State were two
children; one, a self-willed, impetuous girl;
the other, an uneducated boy. Power was
placed in the hands of a regent, incompetent
to restrain and reduce to subordination thirty
thousand disorderly and turbulent soldiers;
and he sought to maintain his power by marrying
Scindiah to his own niece. This proceeding
roused the jealousy of the girlish Ranee; she
dismissed the regent, whom the British
Government had recognised, her court became
a scene of disorder, the great army was
prepared for any mischief, and Lord Ellenborough
had really scarcely any alternative but
interference.

How the battle of Maharajpoor followed,
will be in general recollection. It effectually
chastised and humbled Scindiah's army, and
gave Lord Ellenborough an opportunity of
revising our relations with the Gwalior state.
That he did by the treaty of the thirteenth of
January, one thousand eight hundred and
forty-four. By it the Gwalior army must
never exceed nine thousand men of all arms;
and, for the payment of the British
contingent of eight thousand four hundred
additional men, districts, worth one hundred
and eighty thousand pounds, are assigned.
The treaty further fixed the majority of the
youthful Rajah at eighteen; and, in January
last, he entered into the full enjoyment of
his rights as sovereign of Gwalior.

Though reduced in numbers the Gwalior
army seems to have altered little in character.
The old spirit of insubordination still lingered
in the ranks, particularly in a division of the
Silladar Horse; the commanders of which
number kept up, on paper, a force which,
although not in existence, they drew pay for.
They robbed the treasury, were insolent to
their Prince, and especially disliked Major
Malcolm the British Resident. On Scindiah
coming of age, the first thing he resolved
was to release himself and his country from
the audacity of these Janissaries; and in
this resolution he was cordially supported by
Major Malcolm. Its disbandment having
been determined on, service in other regiments
was offered the men. The offer was refused.
Young Scindiah was, however, firm; the
Silladars expostulated, threatened, and
positively refused to lay down their arms. After
all other means had failed, the extreme
measure of reducing the body by force, was
resorted to on the third of April last.
Happily, the other troops supported Scindiah;
nor was any great amount of violence needed,
for the Silladar chiefs had filled up their
ranks with their servants and menials instead
of fighting men, and a round or two of shot
brought the entire body to its senses.

By this act of spirit young Scindiah has
got rid of an army which was mischievous to