THE NEW SOUTH WALES CORPS. 93 sliilling expense to the Government, if allowed to nominate ^'^^ the officers.*' No action was taken at the time, but on the 23rd of February, 1791, instructions were given to Grose to raise two additional companies. One of them, he was Two informed in a letter from Sir George Yonge, was to be com- companies. manded by a second major, who was to obtain his appoint- ment on condition of contributing five hundred pounds to the expense of the levy. The nomination of the rest of the officers was left to Grose, according to the original con- ditions. Grose thought he saw here a way to promotion. With the addition proposed, the Corps would consist of six companies; and if further increases took place, of which there was every probability, the Corps would before long Groro'a become equal in point of numbers to a regiment of the line, promotioo. Even with a strength of six companies, it should be com- manded, Grose thought, by a colonel, or, at the very least, a lieutenant-colonel. Accordingly, he renewed his proposal to the War Office in this form : — " Should I be promoted to the rank of It. -colonel, I will with- out expence to Government raise both the companies, reserving to myself the nomination of the captain and subaltern officers. Should it be thought expedient to add only a major to the Corps without permitting me to succeed to any additional rank [/ toiU raise the companies on conditions of receiving the levy moneyj nominating the captain and svhaltem officersy and receiving from the captain appointed to a majority Jive hundred potmds.]"* Grose's suggestions were not adopted. The two com- His panics were raised on the conditions laid down by the not adopted. War Office, and although Grose was given a Commission as Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales, he did not obtain, until some time afterwards, the coveted step in military rank, which he would, no doubt, have valued far more highly. On the 31st March, Grose reported to the Secretary at War that the men had been enlisted, and
- HiBiorical Becords, vol. i, part 2, p. 250. The brackets and italics are
Gxoie's.
