I am favoured with your note of this day's date. In reply to which I
have to state, that I had no communications with the officers of the
Madras European regiment on the subject of reducing the corps. But when
Lieutenant Spankie waited upon me, to receive the Commander-in-Chief's
letter, I intimated to him, on his refusing to accept of the
quarter-mastership, proffered to him by General Gowdie, that if he did
so, it was the General's intention to bring him to a general court
martial. I at the same time conjured him to accept of the situation
offered to him, as on the conduct of the officers of the regiment much
depended, on this occasion; for if they persisted in the unwarrantable
conduct they were now pursuing, the regiment would be reduced, and all
those not on the staff put upon the half-pay of their rank. I then
told Lieutenant S., that other plans, of a much more pleasant nature,
were in contemplation for the regiment, which the officers seemed
determined to put a stop to. I therefore begged and entreated that he
and his friends would maturely and deliberately consider of existing
circumstances, and study their own interest, and that of the public, by
acceding to the General's wishes; which nothing upon earth could have
induced me to make known to Lieutenant S. but the extreme desire I had
to preserve order and tranquillity, in order to promote the benefit of
the regiment and the public service. My letter from the General was a
_private_ one; but, I conceived, couched in such terms, as to authorize
my making use of the information it contained, to check the irritation
that existed in the corps.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) J. INNES.
_Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel_ INNES _to Lieutenant-Colonel_ MALCOLM.