Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/111

 THB 3nsW SOtTH WALES COEPS. 91 the bonnty money^ and was also allowed to nomiirate some of tlie officers. The Corps^ in the first instance^ consisted of constitution f omr companies^ each company of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and sixty-seven privates. In the letter of service sent by the Secretary at War (Sir George Tonge) to Major Grose, on the 8th June, 1789, he was informed; — " Yourself and the three captains now to be appointed by his Majesty will each be required to raise a coniplete company (viz., three sergeants, three coFporaI% two drummers, and sixty-seven « private men), in aid of the expenses of which you will be allowed to name the lieutenant and ensign of your respective companies, &nd to receive &om the public three guineas for every recruit approved at the head-quarters of the corps by a general or field officer appointed for that purpose.""^ The bonnty offered to recruits varied according to cir- Rocruitinfir cnmstances. The normal amount was forty shulings. It timee. was so in Shakespeare's time, and the same bonnty was com- monly paid in the Eighteenth Century; but in time of war, when it was necessary to obtain considerable numbers of men as rapidly as possible, very much larger bounties had to be paid.f When Grose received his instructions to raise the New South Wales Corps, England was at peace with the world, and it was not necessary to tempt men by offering very large bounties. It is probable, therefore, that out of the three guineas per head allowed by the War Office, Grose -^.^^^^^w received a fair sum as a recompense for his services in raising »y8t«m. t " With regard to the amount of bounty, it it curious to nonce the long continuance of 408. as the Bum given by the Crown to the recruit on enlist- toent. In 1697, when Shakespeare wrote the ffrst part of Henry IV, he puts it into Falstaff's mouth to Bay that he had ^mituied the King's Press, and) ' got in exchange of 150 soldiers three hundred and odd pounds.' Upon the iacrease of the Army to meet the Bebellion of 1715, the inducement neld oBt was 40s. ' for ereiy man who shall Ust himself in any of the regiments of foot.' In later years the same sum will be found mentioned in the Statute Book ; and it was not until after Mr. Burke's Act [passed in 1783] had been in operation for some years, and the cost of recruiting had been transferred to t£e public, that the amount of bounty was raised to the exceseiTe prices thai in recent wan were demanded for muitaiy sernee." — Qode, Milituy Farces of the Crown, roL u^ pp. 4, 6.
 * Historical Becords, vol. i, part 2, p. 240.