In 1885, in the First Congress, Mr.
P. Rangiah Naidu pointed out that military expenditure had been
L1,463,000 in 1857 and had risen to L16,975,750 in 1884. Mr. D.E. Wacha
ascribed the growth to the amalgamation scheme of 1859, and remarked
that the Company in 1856 had an army of 254,000 men at a cost of 11-1/2
millions, while in 1884 the Crown had an army of only 181,000 men at a
cost of 17 millions. The rise was largely due to the increased cost of
the European regiments, overland transport service, stores, pensions,
furlough allowances, and the like, most of them imposed despite the
resistance of the Government of India, which complained that the changes
were "made entirely, it may be said, from Imperial considerations, in
which Indian interests have not been consulted or advanced." India paid
nearly, L700,000 a year, for instance, for "Home Depots"--Home being
England of course--in which lived some 20,000 to 22,000 British
soldiers, on the plea that their regiments, not they, were serving in
India. I cannot follow out the many increases cited by Mr.
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