ll think his
conduct a _most material_ feature in the future consideration of my
case."--India-House-Papers, p. 362.

Another instance of Major Hart's sinister attack is, where Major-general
Macaulay has replied to it, saying, "There remains a farther slanderous
insinuation of Major Hart's, that I think myself bound to notice. He has
charged upon me, as a leading motive in the censure of his conduct, a
settled design of placing myself in the command of the fortress of
Palamcottah, and of the forces in the field in Tinnevelly, to his
exclusion! This strange charge he more than once gave distinct hints of
to myself. But he made it directly in the course of his last visit to
me, in June 1815, when he behaved so coarsely. It will, I have little
doubt, seem somewhat strange, even to your Lordship, (Harris, the
commander-in-chief,) but so it is, that to this hour I do not know to
whom I owe that command. _I not only never made application directly or
indirectly for it, but the idea of applying for it never once entered my
mind._--Papers, p. 388.

But Major-general Macaulay scarce needed this reply, since it is Major
Hart himself who can affirm his own error. The Major says, "I shall not
however pretend to defend the act _acknowledged_ of my having carried to
the field a quantity of private grain.[A] No, my Lord, (Harris,) most
deeply and sensibly do I feel and deplore the _error_ of my
conduct.--Papers, p. 352.

[A] It will be maintained in the body of this Report, that Major
Hart did never carry to the field a quantity of private grain.

And yet, notwithstanding this _pretended_ acknowledgment of _real_
error, it is the Board of Controul which, in order to allow Major Hart
to hold private grain, must set aside the very regulation upon this
subject. The 39th Regulation says, "it being the principle of the
present system, by liberal and avowed allowances, to place this
department upon so respectable a footing as to leave no temptation to
seek for unauthorized advantages, the Commissary of Grain is not on any
account, directly or indirectly, to derive any other advantage or
emolument from this situation than the _salary_ fixed by Government. The
strictest economy is, therefore, to be observed in every expense
attending this department; and the disbursements and accounts of the
Commissary are to be attested on honour, as prescribed in the forms
annexed to these Regulations.--Papers, p. 17.

And the mighty Board of