The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-10 00:00:00

ME ARMY IN INDIA.

GENERAL ORDERS BY THE MOST NOBLE THE GOVERNOR-
GENERAL OF INDIA IN COUNCIL.
"Fort Williarn, Oct. 28, 1853.
"The Most Noble the Governor-General of India in
Council, having had under consideration the improve-
ment of the rations supplied by the Commissariat De-
partment to European troops, is pleased to direct the
following rules, to take effect as soon as the necessary
arrangements can be made by the Commissariat Depart-
ment :

"1. The Government General Orders Nos. 80 and
87 (f the 6th of February, 1852, are hereby cancelled,
and the daily ration of a European shall in future consist
of 11b. of bread, 11b. of meat, 4oz. of rice, 21oz. of
sugar, 5-7th oz. of tea, loz, of salt, Boz. of vegetables,
and 31b. of firewood.
" 2. The meat will be cut up into joints, and such por-
tions of the animal (such as the ribs and upper joints of
the forelegs) as are more than two-thirds bone will be
excluded from' the ration.
"3. The rations of vegetables will consist of such de-
scriptions as may be procurable at the several stations
of the army during the different seasons of the year.
"4. The following rules contained in Government Gene-
ral Order No. 232, of the 9th of August, 1843, will con-
tinue in force :—The bread issued in the rations of a
soldier is to be of the best quality, and equal to that pro-
vided for hospital /diet. Mutton will be issued twice a
week in lieu- of be 4 and in the same quantity, whenever
circumstances may admit. Coffee may be substituted
for tea in the proportion of 21b. of the former to 11b. of
the latter, whenever tea is not procurable or coffee may
be preferred and is at hand.
" 5. The ordinary tea ration will consist of one third
of green and two-thirds of black tea, whenever circum-
stances may admit of the issue of both kinds.
"6. The Government General Order No. 85 of the
25th of February, 1848, is cancelled, and the following
course is in futu're to be pursued with respect to all de-
scriptions of provisions tendered by the Commissariat or
its contractors for_the use of the soldier in health or in
sickness.
" 7. Whenever any portion of the rations or diet
tendered for a corps or hospital is deemed objectionable,
the option of changing them is not to be allowed to the
contractor, but the commanding officer should imme-
diately assemble a regimental committee for the pur-
pose of inspecting them.
" 8. The committee will be composed of a field-officer
or captain as president, with an officer commanding a
troop or company, and a medical officer as members.
" 9. The decision of the regimental committee shall
be final, and their report should be at once forwarded
for the guidance of the executive Commissariat officer at
the station.
committee " 10.
I
reportsall cases h
should
dm
uf
dc condemnation ahteitohn of e
rt
he provisions,
articles
t the
are
deemed of inferior quality only, or decidedly unwhole-
some ; and when pronounced positively unwholesome
the provisions are instantly to be destroyed in the pre-
sence of the committee.
" 11. Except in the instances hereafter specified when
provisions have been condemned as of inferior quality,
the contractor Will be allowed to substitute fresh rations,
and, in the event of his failing to do so within a reason-
able time, the • Commissariat officer will supply the
deficiency at the cost of the contractor.
" 12. In cases of the condemnation of meat, the cost
to the Government of the rejected rations (which, if not
absolutely unwholesome, will be returned to the con-
tractor), together with the amount of the fine that may
be levied upon the contractor, will be paid by the Com-
missariat to the regiment, and expended, under the direc-
tion of the officers commanding troops and companies,
in the purchase of food.
" 13. In the event of the rejection of bread, and a
fresh supply not being immediately procurable, flour or
soojee, at the option of the soldier, will be issued as an
equivalent, with a supply of firewood, at the cost of the
contractor, to whom the rejected bread, if not unwhole-
some, will be returned; 21b. of flour or soojee and 11b.
uf firewood to be the allowance of each man.
"14. Under the operation of these rules it will de-
pend solely and entirely upon regimental committees to
raise the quality or the rations issued to the proper stan
(lard, and to maintain that standard.
" 15. The executive Commissariat officers of divisions
have been directed by the Commissary-General to make
a report periodically to their departmental superiors of
their having at uncertain intervals personally attended
the issue of rations ; and his Excellency the Commander-
in-Chief will be requested to cause similar reports to be
made to the military authorities by officers commanding
regiments, impressing upon them at the same time that
it is only by the commissioned officers of regiments
being themselves particular in examining rations, and
forming their own judgment as to the quality of the
articles, without the intervention of subordinate officials,
whether regimental or departmental, that the object of
Government for the supply of really good provisions can
be secured.
"16. This order is to be considered applicable to the
three presidencies."