23. Aug. 1812

Evidence Introd

Introd

Ch. 15 Preappointed Offices

'. Obstacles

False Muster

[...?] or far as to a man in his [...?] any thing other than undistorted repose can be an object

'. Swindling how sanctioned in military officers by lawyer-led legislators - False musters

Among military men it continues still a point of honour if not to abstain from lying, at any rate not to endure the imputation of it. To the man of law, not speak of the priest it was no small object, to corrupt the morals of the military man and plant in his mind if possible the love of falshood, at any rate an indifference to truth.

In the military profession [...?] of the point of honour, a practice and craft of applying falshood in the character of an instrument for the extraction of sinister profit. Money was received on false pretences the pretence was the existence of a certain number of men in a body of troops in which no such men were to be found. False musters were the denomination by which depredation in this shape had come to be designated

In the purpose of a cloak as usual, some of the money thus diverted had been applied to a public purpose. The purpose having been found useful, advantage was taken of this circumstance by the lovers of fraud, and instead of employing honest means they lent the sanction of government to these dishonest ones: as if government had no better means of getting money than by encouraging one set of its servants to turn swindlers tell lies, and in this way pilfer it from another. from their public servants in another office by setting one part of its servants to steal it from another.

A sanction was accordingly given to it, by the hand of the legislator? in what form? considering by what sort of hands the legislator is in this country habitually and unavoidably led, the form may be imagined.

The sanction was applied - not to the form /purpose/ only but to the instrument. the fraud itself was legalised.

Extracts from [...?] Index to the Statutes, with Soldiers

44. Penalties on persons making false certificates to excuse from Musters

IV G.3.C.3. '.10.

45. And [...?] Offices making false musters, IV G.3.C.3. '.11, 21.

48. Fictitious names where allowed in a muster, G.3.c.3 C.3. '.12 This was the Mutiny Act of the year in which this Index was printed Mutiny Act and Index.