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214 and in spite of the protest of Sir Charles Napier. 'I have heard,' sneered Sir Charles, 'that Lord Hardinge objected to the assembling of the Indian troops, for fear they should conspire. I confess I cannot see the weight of such an opinion .' Lord Dalhousie's next measure was one in which Sir Charles actively concurred, the raising of Ghúrka or hill regiments — a class of troops which Lord Dalhousie so highly valued, that one of his last acts was to urge their further increase.

Lord Dalhousie's third and, as it proved during the Mutiny of 1857, most important measure, was the creation of a new Irregular Force in the Punjab. This force he placed under a separate system and discipline of its own. Notwithstanding the remonstrances of Sir Charles Napier as Commander-in-Chief, Lord Dalhousie kept it apart from the general army of India, under the direct orders of the Punjab Administration. Lord Dalhousie's fourth measure, or rather series of measures, with a view to maintaining a safe counterpoise to the Regular Native Army, consisted in his protests against the withdrawal of European regiments from India, and his proposals for their still further increase — protests disregarded, and proposals never carried into effect, by the Government in England.