Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/112

 92 THE NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS, 1''^ the force. The plan was a convenient one for the War Office. By paying a fixed sum for each recruit, and giving the officer the right to nominate the subalterns, the cost of raising the force could be estimated to a penny, and all trouble avoided. The Government supplied the money, and Major Grose found the men. The arrangement was simplicity itself, but it was open to abuse. The practice does not now exist in the British army. Nominating Groso was also allowcd the privilege, whatever it may have been worth, of nominating the Adjutant, Quarter-master, and Chaplain. It may be remarked here, that the detach- ment of marines sent out with the First Fleet had no Chaplain. It was only a detachment, not a regiment, and the desirable- ness of appointing someone to look after the spiritual wel- fare of the soldiers does not seem to have been recognised by the authorities. The circumstances under which the cha lain ^^^' Richard Johnson was appointed Chaplain of the settle- ment have already been alluded to.* In sending out the New South Wales Corps, the appointment of a Chaplain was a feature in the arrangements. In a letter of the 8th June, 1789, the Secretary at War informed Major Grose that the Chaplain ^' must positively engage to embark with, the Corps, and remain with it while abroad,'' and, he added, that certificates of character must be furnished before the appointment was proposed to the King.f The Corps, three hundred strong, was raised and ready for Augme^ inspection in September, but the propriety of increasing the Corps. number was soon under consideration. Writing on the 8tli October to the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Major Grose stated that he had heard of the proposed augmen- tation of the force, and intimated that he was ''ready to raise either one or any number of companies without a • See Vol. i, pp. 54 (note). t The gentlomaa appointed was the Ber. James Bain. He returned to Bngland with Grose in December, 1794, and although the Corps was subee- quently greaUj increased in numbers, no successor wss appointed.