The Express. — London, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

P i I i 1 11 Ii 1 i t 1 „. 1 ' A 1! s 1 l ' ` ~ i ii 1 ° lt i ikli .•' Tfiri IMPERIAL P. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MoNDAT, Jura 18. I, Lord BlooollAll originated a convereation on the tarts of feta paid by esiton in county watts, and ruiner' bill , were fn warded a stage. The house adjourned at ten manatee to 7. HOUSE OF CONIIIONS.—MoNDAT, Jinn 18. _ _ .• - - The boom cast at four o'clock. SEBASTOPOL COMMITTEE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO INQUI RE INTO THE CONDITION OF THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. 11r. ROBBUCH brought up the Report of the Co.. mines to nivel'e into the °audition of the Array beim* Sebastopol. amidst loud cheers. Mr. DiSHAELI moved Unit the Report be read at the tag.. Tile !Wort wu then read at length by Sit D. Ls lass• CHART. " The complieated eater° of this inquiry, the variety of subjects investigated, the numher of witnesses examined, end the frequent icconsistency end contrariety of the evi dence, render it no easy task to present a clear, deficit', and just exposition o f the matters su bmitted to your com mittee. "The difficulty of t h i s task has been enhanced by the im possibility of summoning some persons as w Front the itnesses who might have fern:shed tesportsnt information. sa me cause some persons are left under imputation, to re gard to which your committee regret that they can pro. nounce no conclusive opinion. The fulness of the investi gation has, moreover, been restricted by considerations of state policy, so that in the outset ^f this report your com mtee must admit that they have been coerleted to end an inquiry which they hats hers unable eatisfactorily to coin . plate. " Raving offered this preliminary ezpleattioa, your com mittee will endeavour to state, assbortly as the sehket will allow, the opinions which they have formed in regarl to the following heads of their inquiry, namely: "1. The eon(Wioa of oar army before Sebestopol. "2. The conduct of the departments, hoth at home and &broil, w hose duty it has been to minister to the wants of that army. I. "TIM CONDITION OP 011RAIINT BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. " An army encemned in a hostile country, at a distance of 3,000 miles from England, and eogaged during a severe winter in besieging a fortress which, from want of numbers, it could not invest, wee necessarily placed in • situation where unremitting fatigue and hardship had to be endured. Your committee ars. however, of opinion that this amount of unavoidable suffering has been aggravated by cacaos hereafter enumerated, and which are mainly to be attrib ,ted to dilatory and insufficient arrangements fur the supply of this army with necessaries indispensable to its healthy and effective condition. In arriving at this opinion, they have made allowance for the unexpected severity of the storm on the 16th of November, and thy have not been unmindful of the difficulties which • long period of peace mu,' in. eeitahly produce at the commencement of • campaign. " In otter to obtain an adequate notion of the painful condition of the army, the evidence must be perused ; and your committee will only refer to such details as may be requisite to sustain their opinions. " Fr .m the 16th of September, when the army landed in the Crimea, until the end of October, or, as witnesses state, until about the middle of November, the troops suffered from overwork and f r om dysentery, but wile not, upon the whole, ill-provided with food; oven at this period there was a want of elo hang for the men in health, and a painful de ficiency of all appliances for the proper treatment of the sick and wounded. As the season advanced, the causes of sickness lammed, and the army, with its number of effec tive men deny diminishing, became more and more dtepro portioned t 3 the amount of duty which it had to perform. " From the 'Midi* of November this army was, during a period of many weeks, reduced to a condition which it is melancholy to contemplate, but which was endured both by officers mid men with a fortitude And heroism ussurpassed on the snail of war. They were 'mooed under single canvas to all the sufferings sod inconveniences of cold, rain, mud, and snow, on high ground and in the depth of winter. They suffered from overwork, ezposure, want of clothing, insufficient supplies for the healthy, mid imperfect &mons 'iodation for the sick. "The fatigue necessarily resulted from the inadequacy of the force for the task assigned to it. The British army was a portion of an allied force. The whole scheme of toe siege, the extent of front to be defended, the positions to be main tained, and the works to be undertiken. depended on =S tay cozsiderstiona, and were decided upon in conjunction with our allies. Your committee regard these OtatIODI as beyond the limits of their inquiry. " The other causes of suffering will be reviewed under the following beads: — It " THU CONDUCT OP THE DiPAnTNINTII BOTH AT HOME' AND ABWOAD WllO,ll DUTY IT HAS BAIN TO ADNI NISTAN TO THU WANTS OF THE MOT. "TKO CONDUCT OF TAN 00VIANICaNT AT HOWL , " Tbe respossinility of the expedition to the Crimp; rests epos the House °movement. The Duke of New castle, is his despatch addressed to Lord Reglan on the 10th of April, 18.54, 'directs careful, but secret inquiry' to be IBMs into the present amount and condition of the Ras- Man force in the Crimea, and ' the strength of the fortress of Sebastopol. ' And his grace further observes that, ' before the siege of a fortress so strong can be attempted, it is necessary that information which can be relied on shall be obtained upon many points on which little or nothing is at . present known.' A second despatch, dated the 29th of June, directs that the safety of Constantinople having been moored, whatever might be the movement of the Ramis& forego, so campaign in the Prineipaiities should be and taken, but that measures should be at once concerted for the siege of Sebastopol. ' There is,' it is ad.led, 'no prospect of a safe and honouraliv peace until the forties is reduced, sad the fleet taken or destroyed.' The deeoetch I to Lord Raglan a discretion only ' in ease of some insuperable impediment, such as a want of ample preparation by either ermy, or of the possession by Russia of a force in the Crimea greatly outnumbering that which can be brought against it.' "The Cabinet appear to have been confident of nevem Lord Aberdeen states it to have been their impression that Sebastopol would fall almost immediate y by a coop. de. main. The Duke of Newcastle s Iv, that he expected the army, after capturing Sebastopol, would winter there, or else, atter destroying the fortress, would return to winter on the chores of the Bosphorus. Sir James Graham has the stroageat opinion that the order for the expedition was given at the fight time, and was executed at the right time. " This report shows the results which moored upon the frustration of these expectation'. Your committee have in quired what information the government had obtained which induced them to order this expedition. In regard to this matter, it may be observed that the Duke of Newcastle had, in his despatch of the 10th of April, estimated the Russian forces in the Crimea at 30,000 men, and he believes that when the expedition was ordered no more reliable amounts had been received. Sir James Graham says, hew+ ever, that at a later period, namely, the last week in Joly, he had obtained ' from • Crimean authority • complthe amount of the Crimea, its localities, its harbours, its roads: its productions, and supply of water, and, what was most importance( all, a statement of the force, which was esti,. mated by his informant at 70,090 tees, 8,000 of which were cavalry, 40,000 oonstituten the garrison of Sebastopol, and the rem +gulag 30,000 were dispersed through the Crimea.' Vice. Admiral Daunts, had, on the 10th of May, 1814. written to Lord Raglan • letter, in which, relying upon information which he had obtained, he estimated the Russian forme in the Crimea at 120,000 men. The embassies at St a PiVre-,. burgh and Constantinople were unable to fur information upon these important subjects. " Lord Raglan, in Lis des..atch of the 19th of July, 011.41 that 'the descent on the Crimea is decided upon moan deference to the views of the British Government thin to any information is the possession of the navel and militarA authorities, either as to the silent of the enemy's futon or to their state of preparation.' " The terms of reference do not call upon your eounelltee to pronounce any opinion in regard to the policy of the go , vernment in ordering the expedition to the Crimea I but ft if their duty t' report how far the preparations Made 'Mire • adequate to the preparations which had been ordered! • " The 1 direction of the war was is the has& of the Doke of Newcastle, who, in the spring of 18.54, held the office of Secretary for War and Colonies. Is Job departments were divided, and the duke, being mail; from colonial duties, undertook the immediate congeal, of the war. : " When this important change was effected, it aside Isof appear that any order in council, minute. or ether bear man n woe proposed defining the special duties of Sas War Department. The duke, as secretary of mete, li e a donbtedly, before as well as after the change, ample tj he considered himself officially responsible for all fit der agents under hie control, ano he could issue such - ode se be thought fi t for their guidance. lie states, however, that ' he telt his means to be insufficient for the duo performance of his separate duties as Secretary of State for - With ; lie considered the organisation of all the war depeirtdients and their relation to each other to be in an uosatiefastirythem; bat he felt it to be impossible, coosistently with attentive to pressiag besieges, to attempt their reorganisation. " In making the separation between the Secrelasythipe of War and Colosies, tneetber with the transition:le of Commissariat from the Treasury to the Secretory. isp , Wl as, the C 'billet emsidered that they haul adopted meassame initiatory to other changes which would necessarily idiom. The members of the Cabinet did not, home., i, bold any consultation upon the changes to be made or the best mode of e ff ecting them ; they 'operated, aseltenal, at the p close of the parliamentary session is Aupust a asd,vms were not snessn..ed to a meeting. they did not rot es e in council until the emend week of October. Al a alit period of the year, Lord John Rowell espressedth dietetic faction with the state of the War Department, and suggested Lord Palmerston as the fittest pee ga fecesViapAco of Secretary of War. Hs adduced afste eases where Neisice there had been • want of vigour is the exercise of authority, although tie Cabinet, be added, ' Lad done meth in its recent meetings to repair omissions.' Your segunittee maim with repel that the Cabinet dad nni meet in August or September, when these 01611010111 might have been sooner remedied. Lord John Rusvil aim ob that 'the Rome of Cemememe weld gel, di se laelltfee de liberative, • Ilan : ins Was- ens' Year sole sea an triegi - ef these ea , sad may nib that may have resulted from delay in such armeasesseate a re Uteref-re properly laid to the charge of Ile Oa& . . "At lb* date of tie expedition to the East , ao r eserve nornewided st Mme adequate to the undertaking. Mr. lieseepassbert @teen in hie memorandum of the 27th of Nweolle_, _hee. ' the army i n the East has been created by dia gnosing the future. Every regiment at home, or wrobbesi ithin MN* emi an forming part of that army, has bee n ea aerate it. The deeles of battalions un der Lord' Resin have hen similarly treated." " The pre sent out to reinforce t he army were nonits was had not yet become fit for foreign service. nil On depot , at home were too week to feed the companies a " The seder to attack Sebastopol was seat to Lord ea the 29th of June ; the formation of a reserve was not deterudeed n oon until early in November. at " It will be seen from the eorrespondenes between Lord Jahn Roopell and Lord Aberdeen, that Lord Raglan had re-1 Seelled,leat 'be wished he had been able to place in the paid= of Balaklava, on the 26th of October, a more eon. dideralsle force,' and also,' that on the sth of November the heights of Inkermann were defended by no more than 8,000 British infantry. When the Duke of Newcastle informed Lord Raglan that he had 2,000 recruits to send him he replied that' these last sent were so young and unformed that they fell victims to disease, and were swept away like flies. He preferred to wait.' " In December the power of reinforcing the army with efficient soldiers was so reduced that the government thought it necessary to introduce a Foreign Enlistment Bill for the I purpose of raisins a foreign legion. "Your committee must express their regret that the I formation of a large reserve at home, and also in the proxi mity of the peat of war, was not considered at a much earlier period, and that the government, well knowing the limited number of the British army, the nature of the climate in the 1 Sae, as well as the Power we were about to encounter, did gnat the cornmencearnt of the war take means to augment the Tanks of the army beyond the ordinary recruiting, and also that earlier steps were tot taken to render the militia available both fit the purpose of obtainin g supplies of men, and also, in ease of ascent,, for the relief of regiments et the line stationed in garrisons in the Medit an—mea sure& which they found themselves compeiled to adopt at a later period. "TER exCUTAIT OF !MATZ TOR WAR. ' "On accepting the Secretaryship for War, the Duke of Newcastle found himseli in this disadvantageous position ; be bad no separate office for hie departments ; he bad no do cument prescribing his new duties, no precedents for his gaidance, and his under-secretaries were new to the wbrk. In this situation he undertook the superintendence of numerous departments, with whose internal organisation hawse dissatisfied, and the management of a war urgently requiring prompt and vigorous operations. 'The Duke was imperfectly acquainted with the best mode of exercising his authority over the subordinate departments, and these departments were not officially informed of their relative position, or of their new duties towards the Minister for War. His interference was sought for in matters of de tail, wherein his time should not have been occupied, and he wislets unacquainted with transactions of which he should have received official cognisance. Feelinx his large respon sibilities, he took uric himself to remedy innumerable deft. denies which were brought to his notice, and, in the mean : rims, matters of paremnunt necessity were postponed. el The evidence, moreover, shows that the duke was long l ieli in ignorance, or was misinformed, respecting the peta -1 grim of affairs in the East. He was not, until a late period, Mate acquainted with the state of the hospitals at Scutari, ;and the horrible mode in which the sick and wounded were conveyed from Balekleva to the Bosphorus. Lord Aberdeen irss sienificiantly observed, that the government were left in ofseeremee longer than they ought to have been of the real seals et matters in the East. The minister', he says, were rateoned of the condition of the army from public papers peel private sources long before they beard it officially, and aid bearing it officially, they discredited the rumours around ,tliere. Thus, while the whole country was dismayed hy Viporfs, and was eagerly looking for some gleam of official islellipnce, the cabinet, according to the statement of seeders, was in darkness. I '' 'Harassed by these rumours, and perplexed by the in 'ifiesimet silence of those who should have enlightened him, IMO Doke sent a commission to inquire into the state of the Ilielipleale at Scutari and is the Crimea. The commission wile issued in October. It did not report until April. A form St proceeding suited to redress grievances at barn, or to become a basis for legislativ.llloll B Utel, was ill adapted to relieve the pressing wants of 5,030 men suffering under mis. management and neglect. " With the same benevolent intention, the Duke, through We channel of the Foreign-office, requested Lord Stratford de Redcliffe to take upon himself, in addition to his many Osseous duties, a certain ammint of supervision and assist ance of than hospitals. "The clothing of the troops was not within the province of the Secretary of State ; and, the Duke of Newcastle says, It was extremely doubtfel wnether be had any right to interfere. The foldiers had received the ordinary supply fog the year • yet the neculiar circumstances in which the tWillsDad been placed induced the Duke to recommend t o the - Commander in Chief that an extra supply should be eignished, and in additi di to this, warm clothing should liopeepared to meet the inclemency of the weather. The mess of clothing the army was then, and still is, in a state transition ; whenever the existing contracts cease, the idgthing will be supplied by the Ordnance, or by a cloth leg department. '' "The warm clothing was considered so important that, Ilipme bearing of the limed the Prince steamer, all the mill iner Separtasenie were occupied with this supply. The' Ilepretrry 1 ir War issued orders ; the Secretary at War was eentantly at the Ordnance, crgiag and hastening these pro. endings ; clot Am b assa do rsug also in Austria and in Bwitnerland. , ministers, consuls, agents,were applied to for assistance. Money was profusely espeadeo, Mid at a later period is the winter the troops must have re ligiose a supply far larger than was required for their 're eased numbers. I "VIZ ARCRITART AT WAR. . • "-The duties of the Secretary at War a re shortl y stated ley Mr. Sidney Herbert; they will be found more fully inuentrated in a memorandum which was given in evidence before the Committee on Army and Ordnance Expenditure in 1850. Ile division of the Secretaryship of War and Colonies, though technically it did not alter the position of the Seere, tory at War, yet practically diminished the exercise of his nwer, and tended to limit his functions to the original deities of his office--namely, the financial business of the tinny. Even in these matters the authority of a Secretary of State, when exerted, must necessarily over ride the 'control of a Secretary at War. Mr. Sidney Herbert, as Secretary at War, had no power to originate any thing ; but from praiseworthy motives, and with a view to relieve the Duke of Newcastle, be undertook to do a good deal which was not the business of his office. Thus, in Deeem ' bet, having learnt from private sources the deplorab e con ', dision of the hospitals , be wrote to the commandant, to the ' chief medical officer, and to the purveyor, urging and aathorising to procure whatever might be wanted, 'net mats, Isupplies, or additional building., promising them his appro bation for such outlay, and placing unlimited funds at their 'While expenditure was thus encouraged, some financial regations were still enforced, suited to a time of p eace, inafiplicable in a period of war, and operating unjustly on the soldiers who had been wounded or afflicted with sick• nese in the Crimea. According to these regulations, every soldier ccintog into a hospital is ob'iged to bring with him his kit ; but though the troops, upon landing in the Crimea, had been deprived of their knapsacks, which in many casey sire never restored, yet no order had been issued to furnish *tether set in lien of those articles which the soldier had been compelled to relinquish, and which are essential to his cleanliness and comfort. Again, upon leaving the hospital, men were exposed to a recurrence of sickness from insuffi cient clothing, and no proper arrangement had been made to furnish this supply. "An improvement, involving some outlay, has been sug peed to your committee, which deserves the attention of Iti executive government. The general hospital at Chat Ltd is said to be inconveniently situated, and ill suited tor reception of invalids from the seat of war. Vessels ot large size cannot go there, and consequently the sick and Jpginded have either to be removed to a smaller ship, or gm by other means to the place ot their destination. At same time your committee may remark, that while impitals are provided for the reception of officers in the tipsy returning sick or wou.4ed, no each accommodation piss ter officers of the army. " Your committee may here also express a hope, that the rib which have arsen from allowig toldiers' wives to ac- tsdeepany an army i n the field will n prevent a repetition of error. A memoranduni will be found in. the appendix, • par ing to be by the Duke of Newcastle,' but written by . Sidney limber% in January last. His views upon the mode of constituting the War Department, and giving it an effective control over the subordinate departments MS here explained as far at least as he deems it advisable he introduce change during the pressure of war, which —.es little leisure for re.constituting the military depart. lm ORDNANCE "Your committee deem it ounecesiary to state the 'Various duties of t►e Ordnanee Department, nor need they jotter into detail with the view of proving that upon the lflieieuey of this department the naval sod military services 'depend. In April, 1851, Lord Raglan, the Master-General niche Ordnance, was appointed to the command of the Prices in the n ,Esst, and shortly afterliardll Sir Hew Roes was named Lilffitenent-Geseral of the Ordnance, an effice which bad been fee many years abolished, bat which was now revived. net-Lord Aberdeen, in masinn this appointment, bad to sum eztent in view the abolition of the office of Master general; this subject had sot, however, betu considered by the cabinet, and in the meantime the ministers believed that do - Lieutsauttaiserel would have all the anthlrity of muter• general. r tti.The Liestaniust General does not possess this power; be ~e....i. M only a board 'Meer, and while in reference to military ditties be exertion the authority of Muter-General, yet as ~'garde the civil Auctions of the Ordnance be acts only as a member of *eland. he Maud el Ordnasce, moreover, differ from other n ia thistespect—samely, that, according to the peso ties ont be WM regnlations of the department, the presence of nawbeatigeseirmisistitutte a board. Daring the summei NA maters of Ilik, a baud aloe?, the{Burveyor• 0 I, was also employee. abroad ; e•t that Calor; a period when the pressure of ►asinese was heavier, and when the expenditure 91 this department was larger than in any previous year, TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 19, 1855. A were matte* itaiiipbotoes the meet errs A dmiolistazffieses had We to &spews with in of peen. The Ordeanee.even with its raster constitution, may weak efficiently while under the superintendence of a vigi lant Mcor.e.l.-Oegeral; who has supreme authority, and who b, therefore. justly held responsible for all its proceedings het the substitutes of a Lientenantffieneral d ivi d ed 'wherie system of the office; its duties are tnen ' moon the members of the b iard without any esperviehog authority, and the business commenced by one member IMF be taken up or interrupted by another without unity of pow pew, and without due reeponeibility. "The evils arising from the absence of the Master Ouses Ware abundantly exhibited in the evidence. The states MUSS of Bir T. Hostage, the Comptroller of Storer, and of Moseell, the Clerk of the Ordnance, amply prove the tuteatidaetory state of this department, while It would seem *la the language of Sir He w goes, that he was imperfectiy acquainted with the constitution of the board of which he was a member. " From the evidence it will be Bien that a conflict of authority arose between the members of this board. At a time when urgent businen required their attention, they were eogegod in disputes, in preparing statements, and in making appeals to the Secretary of State for War. Sir Thomas Hastings says that, although he made more than one application informing the Secretary of State that he had important communications to make to him, ha received no answer to his letters. Mr. Monist, when be differed from the other members of his herd, applied to the Secretary of State, who, by I aiding his 'suction to the Clerk of the Ordnance, enabled him to over ule bath bb colleagues, and thus interfered in a matter involving ques tions of military discipline, as well as of departmental sobs ordination. In noticing the unseemly conduct of this board, and the differences which were brought prominently leeward in the evidence , your c ommittee observe with regret that the public service has suffered from tie want of judgment end temper on the part of officers who were en treated, during a critical period, with important public &tier. "Your committee consider that it was detrimental to the public service that the office of SurveyouGeneral should kiwi remained so long vacant, and that the duties attached to that office should have been consequently imposed upon officers of the department who bad already as much upon their hands as they wisps able to pertirm efficiently. "Your committee believ • that Lord Aberdeen would have meted more beneficially for the public service if Ais had appointed another martersg I when Lord Raglan could wo Mager discharge the duties of the office, and they are of =that a vague intention of remodelling the Ordnance fords to justification for the course pursued. If this Ake were deemed to be imperfect, and ill adapted for its hinatlons, there was the more need during its continued eminence of an able man to superintend its proceedings. The Ordnance-office striking:y exemilifies the disordered state into which a department may fall when there is no able hand to guide it. "Alter perusing the evidence, it will excite no surprise to I And that the arrangements attempted by this office in refer once to warm clothing, hate, and Minis rifles were imper feet onddilitary. Huts were ordered at Constantinopie and at Trieste, as well as in this country. The first order here was issued on the 17th of November. Woen the huts at length arrived at Balaklava, the exhausted transport service was unable to convey them to the camp. It avows from the evidence of Sir J. Burgoyne and Sir F. Smith Shoal( canvas bad been sent for doubling the tents, aped planks for flooring, effectual shelter for the troops would have been provided at a much earlier periodond at a smaller eat. It is impossible not to believe by then means the 'sickness and suffering of the troops would have been dint- Usher'. " Your committee must express their dissatisfaction with the administration of the contract system under this depart ment, and they consider that no change will be effective which does not lead to • revisal and amendment ot this branch of the office. " The tools supplied to the army are stated to be of but quality. Under a recent order, the ordnance furnish all tools. The pioneers' tools were beretdfore supplied by the colonels of regiments. For this last supply the Ordnance is not responsible. The officers examined almost uniformly describe the tools supplied to the army ar unserviceable. Sir Thomas Hastings, on the other hand, states that ' he believes the great mass of the tools were go A, but thinks that many have been ill-treated, and that good tools in the hands of men who do not understand them may be readilly destroyed.' There is, however, no doubt, that upon primly ous occasions, as well as in the present csmpsign, these articles of field equipment have been condemned. In this country, under a proper system of contract and inspection, there can be no difficulty in obtaining tools of the best quality. The supply of inferi it tools must be ascribed to carelessness or dishonesty on the part of the persons re sponsible for their supply. Your committee cusnot too forcibly express their opinion of the importance of plariog in the hands of the soldiers the very best articles that can be provided. " While the committee base felt it their duty to make the observations on the inadequate and disordered state of this department, and its failure in some imp vtant functions, they feel bound, at the same time to mention the admirable equipment of the corps of artillery attached to the army, and the testimony generally given to the efficient armament provided for the navy. "VII TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AT 1101111. "The sea transport between this country and the seat of war has been conducted by the Board of Admiralty, under the immediate superintendence it Captain Mihte, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. This business was formerly trans acted by a Transport Board, which was abolished many years since. During the past year requisitions for transport were sent to the Admiralty from I cliff. rent quarten ; the inconvenience of this system was ea great that Sir James Graham says be deemed it indispensable, with a view to regularity and promptitude, to bring these requi sitions to one common centre, from which the Admiral . y might receive orders. This change had not, however, been completed before he left office. The Duke of Newcastle says that no system will work well until the sea transport , is placed under the management of the Minister of War. Such a course Sir J. Graham and Captain Milne consider objectionable; it would, they say, divide authority, incre use nerrespondence, end lead to confusion; whereas now the whole service afloat is united together in one link of re- " Sir J. Graben was, however, induced to reconstitute, the Transport Board, for the reasons which will be found in his evidence. The mode is which ships were taken up is stated by Cap- , twin Milne, and, considering the urgent MOUT, of the 'public service, this business appears to have been ably con ducted. In pronouncing this opinion, your committee 'advert to the magnitude et the operations executed. Within • year somewhen ~bout 160,000 men, and above 7,000 bones were con%eyed principally by steam, • large country;ortio al them to a point 3,000 miles distant from this besides which, vessels had to be provided for stores to an enormous amount, for the purposes of war, for the suite stance of both army and navy, and for the (fleetly' main tenance of a steam fleet. Sudden requisitions for huts and ether urgent necessaries had also to be met. " There is, it is said, an obvious error in comoaring the (transport service between England and the Crimea to • mercantile arrangement for the conveyance end delivery of a given amount of tonnage. The transports, when seat to the Crimes, could not deliver toeir stores and return ; a large number were permanently detained, from military considerations, and many others were kept at Selektive, because there were no warehouses on shore to receive their CITIIOII. " Mazy complaints were made to your committee of the mode in which stores were sent to the But. The undo to l which stores were sent depended on the nature of the re lquisition. Navel stores were apparently seat under a saris. factory system. When the Ordnance Board apply, a vessel is placed at their disposal, provided they require it ; sad latterly a similar genus bas been adopted with the Iradical department. The chief complaints have arisen in I nference to mixed cargoes. The captai ns of the vessels, according to the Admiralty instructions, have charge of the cargo; but it is admitted that when large !passenger steamers were employed in this service the cap ! tains were often unaccustomed to these duties, and in such 1 eases the appointment of a supercargo would have been beneficial. Until December it appears that a cargo book ' was not regularly kept. A Treasury minute, dated 12th ' December, 1854, state,. that some articles sent out to the d a t k ta p e b n at b i:j a eitnt other o t h at hi:l Crimea g e l u ad , i wb n ehf t eo h r, the ee atthaom:7: vessels ves sels, the army, it has been three or four had' been received by the commissariat. which part of the cargo was destined, the position of that Part of the cargo waituoknowe, and the ship bed to pro ceed on her voyage, carrying with her things that ought to have been delivered at tho intermediate pert. Much suffer ing was the consequente of this hull mode of proceeding, the sick at Scutari being in need of scores, which, in conse quence of bad arrangements, were carried to Belaklvva. " The unnecessary sufferings of the soldiers directly re ferable to this neglect form one of the must painful por tions of the evidence; but on what department the blame aCbirivimnn'eptasehdruaewesdmihbeei brought onore al etel so th;twht s nai i tyhut loaded that on arriving should rest, whether on the office of the Commander-in- Chief, or of the Secretary at-War, or of the Secretary of State for War, your committee are unable to decide. 14 Me. Soria had also, in a report to Major Sillery, the ussunastisest, dated the 7th of August, directed attentioa to des subject. . No steps having apparently been taken in pursuance of Shie suggestion, or that of Dr. A. Smith to the Military Beeretary, on the 25th of May, 1834, Sir J. 0-ahem, on the kith of October, at the instigation of the Duke of New castle, wrote a private letter to Vice-Admiral Druid e, re lquesting him, after conferring with Lord Right°, to have two large steamers fitted fur this service. Oa the receipt of this letter, Admiral Dunces did not, as he states, sot, be ano everyone expected to be in Bebestopul in a few days, assn wlereireer be did not consider the transports to be under lie deuce. a Theta it appears that the preparation of ships for the con veyance of the sick and wounded was at first forgotten, and subsequently neglected. When it is remembered . Ihat opt et the limited number of the British army, 13.800 were re moved sick or wounded between the Nth of September mid the 17th of February, the dreauful consequences of this neglect may be imagined. No forelight, it is said, could' have provided for this large number. Snot ships should, Waverer, here been spireially fitted for a senior which it Wait have been known the casualties of war would sender .- - 0 viz vaailistoww - warifiew sw van ht.acw sta. " The evidence readily's marked e•nat ty . of opinion es to th e responsibility for the transport undo to the Black See. Sir James Liras= said that t h e naval comma , devia- chief, Vise-Admiral Dud's, had, under the Queen's regu lations. authority user the whole of the transports, and us cited, in confirmation of this statement, standey esthetes of the Board of Admiralty; and he added that Lord Region bad a coucuennt authority over this service. Vise-Admiral Dundee, on the contrary, alleged that he had nothing to do with the transports. Accordiag ta his statement they were entirely under the management of Lord Raglan, Rear-Admiral Bus r, and Captain Christie. " Captain Milne, the member of the Board of Admiralty who had the superintendeace of the transport department, stated, that the admiral commanding in the Black Sea was responsible for the transport service in that sea. A supreme power was, however, given t, Lord who had a veto over the movement of all the transports., and a cuscurrent authority with the naval commander-in-chief. " The difficulties of performing various services connected with the army ere ascribed to the want of sea transport; while the evidence of Captain Milne shows that no applies tion was made to the Admiralty for additional transports in the Black Sea. Numerous witnesses testily to the want of arrangement in the harbour of B alaklava and to the dis order of the sh ire trues the want of any sufficient landing places and wharves " In Balaklava there was a division of authority; the transports were under the immediate direction of Captain Christie; the hob tur was under the management of another naval officer, and the shore was subject to military authority. Absence of regularity and gement on the those or in harbour necessarily delayed the service of the transports; in such cases it was not easy to ascertain on which of these three authorities the blame should rest. " The narrow limits of the harbour, which is described by Ailmiral Dundee as • mere ditch, reudered it, under the best system of gement, an inconvenient place for landing the vast quantities of stores required for the army, including "guns, ammunition, engineer north, fascists, ominous, camp equipsg,, Quartermaster General's stores, and commissariat supplies. " The want of system which prevailed on the shore is gene- • rally admitted: the harbour was not g d with the authority tweets ry for the mint-mance of order, and the transports were compelled to anchor outside the harbour, an anchorage which naval men justly considered to be unease. "THE TRANSPORT SERVICE IN THE BOSPHORCII. "All transports, upon their arrival in the Bosphorus, were plsced under the o' dens of Rear-Admiral Bon T. This odium had been it:easily selected for this duty by Sir James Graham, on account of his protessi teal character and ceps rience in matters connected with the embarkation and dis embarkation of troop*. He was plseed, in the first instance, ander the orders of Vice-Admiral Dundee ; but a sep.rate power was afterwards given to him within the limits of the Bosphorus, subject al wile to his :sporting to the naval com mander-in chief. " Aa early as the Bth of September, Bear Admiral Bone " applied for a ship to be attached to himself, with an expe rienced minter, three good warrant office..., and a small gang of artificers and mt chunks. A compliance with this "request would, he said, obviate delay and unnecessary en. pease in works which could otherwise only be executed by I hired artific-rs. To this application the Botha of Admiralty I replied, that the service being temporary, they were n ot I prepared to send out a receiving ship, with its establish " ment.' On the 20th of November he re p . ated his applica ' tion, but before it had been received, the board had recon sidered its decision, and had ordered a vessel, the Melampu., le be got ready for this service. The Melampus accordingly sailed in December. Sir James Graham says he regrets that the first application was not acceded to ; and when the hurricane of the 14th of November, with all its disastrous leo n sequences, is remembered, it is o bvious that this 'thieve nate decision may have increased the difficulties of tb et deple ted' ell , * and me, have subjected Rear-Admiral Boxer to some of the charges brought against him " It must be observed however, that Rear-Admiral Boxer bad permitted Commander Borba*, on accnuut of his know ledge in gunnery, to join the forces in the Crimes , at hough this o ffi cer, hosi ng been for three years in the Turkish service, had been specially chosen to assist him. The Rear- Admiral thus Inst the peresn best fitted to communicate with the Turkish authorities, at a timo when his assistance would have been most useful. " Under such disadvantages he was reqaired to repair the damages of the hurricane, and to forward to the Crimea supplies of every kind In lieu of those which had been lost. Dopaty Commissary• General Smith, anxious to fulfil the duties of his office, thought that vessels were delayed for coaling and watering, and that they were left in positions where the loading was rendered uonecessarily difficult. This mitmenagement he ascribed to Admiral Boxer; hence differences arose between them, and both Lord Raglan sad Mr. Commissary-General Folder were eventually applied to on the master " Your committee are of opinion that there was some un necessary detention of transports at Constantinople, and that the arrangements for coaling were very deficient; but, as they have not been able to examine Admiral Boxer, thi cannot nronounce an opinion as to his share of responsibi lity. His letters in the appendix show that he exerted him self strenuously to discharge duties for which it is admitted that his means were inadequate, and, if he failed under thew diffieulties, his subsequent endeavour in the harbour of Balaklava appeared to have been successful. "THE ColllairMAßlAT DEPARTMENT AT HOME. " The Commissariat has been, during many years, a sub ordinate deparment of the Treasury; and although nomi nally transferred to the Secretary of War in the summer of 1854, it was not placed under his immediate control until the 22d of last December, when • Treasury minute was issued authorising this arrangement. " Up to that period Sir C. Trevelyas, the Assistant- Secretary either Treasury, was practically the head of that department. He stated that the forms of the Commissaeist h d been improved and simplified some years ago, and that although persons might misunderstand any regulations, yet be did not believe these forms were to be blamed. He would willingly submit them to any practised accountant for his opinion. Deputy-Commissary-General Smith says, that as long as regulations are required, none could be made of a more simple form than those applicable to the Commissariat; and he had beard say complaints arising out of the observances of these foram " THE COMMISSARIAT IN THE EAST. " It is the duty it the commiasariat to furnish the when in the field, with provisions for the men, forage far the animate, and land transport. " Commissary General Filder was appointed by the Trea sury to superintend the establishment of the commissariat in tne East. He was selected, it is said, on account of his experience and special fitness too the charge; and authority was given to Lim to provide such persons as might be re quired for the service ; ample funds were also placed at his disposal, and ships were provided and ordered to act under his exclusive directions. ' " With these large powers, heavy duties were imposed open him accordicg to au gement which appears to have been injudiciously adcpted at the commencement of {be campaign. It was determined that there should be cal, ISO store department with the army, and that this should be under the care of the commissariat. From this decision It followed as a consequence that the Commissariat was ',eructed to make good the deficienles of many distinct I " departments. All the miscellaneous articles of equipment which come under the head of Quartermaster-General's "stores were given in charge to the Commissariat, and, in addition to these extraneous duties, this department was required not only to keeps large amount of Ordnance stores, but also to purchase materials and tools in the East for the purposes of the siege. • " The military system in this country affords the Com missariat no opportunity of becoming acquainted with tbs army, or of ministering to its wants; so that in a campaign the officers of this department find themselves called upon to tarnish supplies, in regard to which they may have hat no experience, while the titillates and men, being often ignorant of the proper duties of the Commis sariat, consider this department responsible for everything they may require. " LAND TRANSPORT. " From the first the oysters of the land transport was found to be imperfect. No adequate measures were adopted for its improvement, so that the army, when encamped ' before Sebastopol, depended for all its supplies upon a service defective in its organisation and in its superin tendence. " The army landed in the Crimea without the animals Metnesary for the conveyance of the b scene', or for the re- Weal of the sick and wounded ; much inconvenience and suffering resulted from this deficiency ; but if, as stated to year committee, every available vessel was employed for other purposes, the Commissariat cannot be held responsible. " When the arms had encamped before Sebastopol, mules and baggage animals were brought over from Varna. Oa the sth of October, Commissary-General Filch r asserted that he had transport sufficient for all the purposes of the army, and subrait.ed to Lard Raglan • 'cheme for disposi .g of above 2,000 animals, which were at Varna, and which he said were not wanted, and would only be an incunthrance to the Crimea. Daring this same period, Sir Edmund Lyons writes that the transport animals, though in fair Sondition, were not sufficient io number. " Oa the Bth of November the Commissary I was informed that he must prepare for wintering in the Crimea. At this period he still possessed • large number of baggage anthills, and a considerable amount of hay and forage, on board ships, in or near the harbour of Balaklava. "About this period the Commissary-G e I became alarmed, forming that the conveyance of guns and anima- When for the siege and for the defence of our position, the removal of the Pick and wounded, the distribution of rations, of forage, of clothing, of fuel, of medicines, and of medical comforts, besides numerous other supplies, which, in the position of the army, were scarcely less important, would all be imperilled by a failure in the land transport; while the service was itself sertortely endangered from the want of shelter and forage for the animals during the ap proaching winter. and from the bed condition of the roads adoptedb•t.Yee r f ß o committee aB ala klava theskpTr protection t l d i e o t h n n e o o t th i e ; a wa re animals that ae yn. from s t e h r e es Le l r e e . ' mem of the season; Sir John Burgoyne thinks there was a great wait of care, and that in • few instances, where the animals were sunnied to, they were preserved. The drivers were inefficient; and, being without proper super in made nee, lost or indolently neglected the animals entrusted to their charge. " THE ROAD. " SI much of the suffering of we troops bat been ascribed to the wretched—or, as some witnesses state, the allaolt impassable condition°, the seven. miles bones*. Belsklava and the camp, that your committee endeneured is neer tain who was respoositil4 for the oraititenaticsof the roads, rd what insuperable obstacles tin %err Repair: "V, hen thi way reached • tit igUsApie, Elebasteßol. they found two principal roa na t ukijige to Bana -1 topol : one the fin government road ; the other fur ther to the left, a useful farm road. The army held the Woronoff road up to the time of the battle of Balaclava, in October. Immediately after that Wigs steamers should be told off for the special it became necessary to draw in the outposts, which supplies. lost to the army the use of that road ; the other road, bow- Your committee have not been ever, remained, and was available for all purposes until the missary-General littler or Rear•Admi rainseneameneed. cannot therefore decide upon whom thi " Oa th s 13 th of November Commiseary- General Fader " Beth these officers were apparent', wrote to the Qoaetermuter-General, expressing hie transport system in the Black Sea he apprehension, and calling attention to this important sub- Whether, however, the vessels had ewe talend sa store depots by the commissariat, " The duty of making end maintaining roads for the employed in other services by the Ades-- army falls upon the department of the Quartermaster- nople, are questions which your - General. This officer was about this time disabled by faetorily answer. These arrange illness. Sir J. Burgoyne, the chief engineer officer on the priety, have been reviewed by the staff, and other military authorities, state that the soldiers authorities. They alone had the could not be withdrawn from the trenches for the repair of differences, and of enforcing suck , the road. The men were already overtarked by military secure the conveyance of supplies duties ; they were growing weaker from day to day, while despatch. their difficulties were increasing. An attempt was made to "Before closing their observations employ Turkish troops on this work, but it was soon aban- department in the te atimon E est, your whist me doned. sure the willing yc " From the 14th of November , th e date of the hurricsne, borne to the seal and energy which the land transport wee gradually reduced in strength. until of the Commissariat displayed in p it almost ceased to exist. The C ommissar y -General writes:— relieving, as tar as they were able, The men and beasts perished, owing to the fatigue they during a period of trying exigencies. underwent in struggling through the deep mud with sup- " THE MEDICAL DEPARTMI plies, and from exposure to wet and cold.' To repair there " The medical department of to losses, recourse was had to the &pit at Constantinople ; but under a director-general, who ha. the waste and consumption of animals exceeded the sup's!), in his multifarious duties. Dr. Smith, and the service of the land transport could no longer be per- states that he was under the ininiedi formed by the Commissariat. different superiors—the Commander-ii "The horses of the cavalry were then employed. and of State for War, the Secretary at thus violable asimals, trained for the duties of the cavalry of the Ordnance, and the Board and artillery, were used and w o r ked to death in services states that, upon the sepses ico which should have been performed by an imals p urchased War and Colonies, be received no for about 51. or 71. each. him to correspond directly with the "The broken road, and the want of land transport, in- Duke of Newcastle says that in August Witte bi stse d creased the confusi mof the harbour. Sir E. Lyons ascribes Dr. Smith that the Secretary of State terµ err vu ha the crowded state of the harbour , and its attendant incon- sod only master. Had s uc h a n rrangesient lu ta veuiencies, to the delay in removing cargoes fro m the shi p s ado p ted Dr. Smith says it would h are u to the camp. blur, while the service would have lo n % "As fir as the information obtained enables your corm efficiently conducted. The DirectonGroend shin t: mittee to form an opinion, it appears to them that in this when be first heard of the probability that matter there was a want of due foresight and decision. would be scut to Turkey , he Mewed t h at three Early in November, when the probable necessity of winter- cal officers should be sent to make inquiries Which ali b i , ing in the Crimea was contemplated, energetic means should benefirial to the troops. The magi:e'en was adoeti6 have been taken to provide and maintain an effective eons- always selected surgeons to be atta , hid to regimeni; munication between the camp and Balsklava. The road gave them dir ections for their guidance. R e „ emu ': had then already been injured by the traffic, and its condi- that ambulances should be prepared, ar i d an tion had meted the apprehensions of the Commissary- corps appointed. For this purpose be advisee that es General, who had called attention to the subject; if a bodied soldiers should be selected. Lad Bight ted . ,l military force could root be spared, measures should have Harding' objected to taking from the rooks dueset d . ' been taken to obtain other labour in the East, or application ing men, and pensioners were employed instead. DriSel should have been made to the home government, who might remonstrated in vain. have sent labourers from England. Such precautions would " The entire failure of this corps and tee comerp ultd have saved much loss of time and many valuable lives, and ferings of the army are abundantly proved. would have contributed to maintsin the land transport see- "In eiay, 1854, Dr. Smith addressed a lettere, ft, ee Tice in an effective condition. The probable failure of the tary secretary of the Commanderee-Chet, remora si' com munication was not, however, brought to the notice of that, 'in the event of the hospitals being estebilm..l, l the Duke of Newcastle until too late to enable him to take distance from the Army, ships should be fitted for th e tea measures in England to prevent the serious calamities which port of the sick and wounded.' Th is upplicatice vu e su b se quently arose. attended to. "DEPOTS IM THE EAST. " Before the army left England the most merino The consequence resulting from the failure of the purveyors were aseembled by the order of tee Secrete transport service would have been in some d e g ree obviated War, rind, after consultation with the Directorehterl i by the formation of devote in the neighbourhood of the the Medical Department, they drew up a report it rue camp, or between the camp and Balakleva. to the stores required for the medical iceman% ef - t1 "The establishment of depots is a duty specially noticed troops. in the commissariat regulations. Sir C. Trevelyan states " Dr. Smith states that he issued orders to the drue. that in October Commissary-General Filler was engaged in fin a supply of rced.cir ea t he made ri qvieuri te u • I the formation of a det it sear the camp, in order that he Ordnacce for the hospital scorer., sod through We Oie ua might be secure sgainet the contingencies of weather; but to the Admiralty for the supply of medical co:afore titer the action cf Balaklava the commissariat chest was system pursued es to medical comforts was 'lent aft ordered on board ship, and the transports were sent out of September, when Dr. Smite provided this supply. Rep, the harbour. At this time the abandonment of Selektive ing the hospital stores Dr. Smith says, that when be k was contemplated. Atter this followed the battle of Laker- made his requisition on the Ordnance his duty ended, mains, when the transport service was occupied in bringing office bad no further information on toe subject; tei up ammunition, and a few clays later came ' the burn- occasionally applied or sent to ascerta o what bad a cane and catastrophe.' From this time forward all the done, but this was outstepping the facetious of his are available animals were employed for the daily require- meat. meats of the army, sud the establishment of deplits was " The strict economy enforced dories a long pHiai relinquished, peace, by means of is rigid seethe of swat sea secoliser "At Constantinople, Deputy-Commissary-Ganeral Smith einibtleea, at the first outbreak of war, haw stalker: established extensive magazines. He states that the supplies Dr. Smith, as well as other public servants, eh. din( under his charge were sufficient, and the arrangements for to incur re'ponsibility for any expenditure, hoe/mutt the custody and delivery of stores unobjectionable. In which was not guarded by all the forms sod duties August, or early in September, he entered into contracts for usually required. An excess of canti u, in the a sugply of fuel, and could have procured enough for the stance, led probably to some evils, welch a Irish iii army throughout the winter, but he was not able to obtain could not afterwards repair. The letters of the Soiree transports for its conveyance; at the same time: the quan- at-War, read by him in his evidence, forcibly i lame tity that did reach Balaklava was more than could be car- observation. In many cases iestruciioes no this mg tied to the camp. might have been useful to public servants whoa newt "He tried to hire native vessels for the service, but after was wholly founded on the methods rightly ioihted sp the hurricane the ma•ters of these vessels could riot be in- during peace. duced to attempt the voyage. According to his evsdeoce it " TEE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT IN THE nit would appear that at Constantinople be had in store all the " The army, when sent to the East, had a restates! supplies which the army could require. No blame can of medical men in proportion to the limber of ths ma justly be attached to Deputy Commissary-General Smith, than ever before accompanied s British army, sad tete nor can he be held responsible for the difficulties and die- nesse' generally concur in testifying to their zeal tress which occurred in the Crimea. ciency ; many of these were, however, disabled by adz " COMMISSARIAT SUPPLIES —FOOD FOR THE MEN. before the descent on the Crimea, so that alter rue alt "The Commewsrist department obtained an abundant actions at Alma and inkermann, some regiments haggis supply of salt meat, biscuit, and rum from England. This requisite number of medical mere lee ambitassehre was tarnished by the victualling department of the Admi- conveyance of the sick and wounded 'trz toe hady,ri ratty, on requisition from the Treasury, and the duty of the adapted for their purpcse. Commissariat, as to these supplies, consisted merely in keep "The treatment of the sick and wounded id Mew ing the account and in arranging the distribution. Fresh Balaklava and at Scutari has already formed the Meet meat was chiefly procured from Eupatoria, from Constan- a lengthened report by commesioners 'peal spa: tinople, and from Smyrna. Deputy Commissary General for this purpose; furtaer information ups tea pow Smith stated thot he had at Constantinople 4,000 bead of be found in the evidence already p ed to the es cattle during the winter ready far the consumption of the The condition of the ten*-12 , apitale, as described M t army, besides 2,000 at Smyrna, and that if he could have Parker, chaplain to the First Division, was, hitt at:: obtained sea transport, he thinks he could have sent a regu- of November to the 23rd of January, the period Obit lit supply to the army. in the Crimes, so wretched lied painful to hue the " The witnesses are not agreed as to the quality of frail committee gladly avoid repestiog these defile*. ow the • of the dictribu- The medical men, it is said, were indefaiigaele in 'N'.! meat supplied to the army ; regularity u..._ bon depended partly on the seal and energy of the se 1 Commissariat officers, and also on the position occupied by the troops. Until the end of October the ration', it is said, were furnished with regularity, and consisted of teeth meat twice or thrice in the week. Mr. Parker, chaplain to the First Division from the 28th of November till the 23rd of January, stater, that during this period the hospitals were supplied with fresh meat almost every day ; but the troops did not receive it, he thinks, above once a week ; he never knew them, however, to be without rations. Other wit nesses say that the soldiers, during the winter months, suf fered occasionally f,om want of their rations, sad more fre quently from the irregularity of their issue. In th 3 ap pendix a statement by a board of officers will be found, is which it is affirmi-ei that the men for days and weeks together went to the trenches with an insufficient meal, and oftentimes with none at all, save a little biscuit and rum. Any result derived from an ge of ra , ions issued is delusive, because privation one day is not compensated by superfluity on another. Even when the men received a sufficient meal, the proportion of salt meat without an accompanying supply of vegetables was greater than wee consistent with the health of the troops. This deficiency of fresh meat, the most wholesome as well as the cheapest food, is ascribed to the failure of the sca-transport, the ships having been disabled by storms, and then delayed by repairs ; in one instance all the cattle oa board perished from the inclemency of the weather, or from the violence of the waves. " Vegetable., which, acthreling to the intentions of the government, should have been issued gratuitou-ly, were very scantily supplied; indeed several wit assert that none were ever MR in the camp. One shipload of vegetables was detained in the harbour until the cargo was decayed; and at Eupatoria, it is said, there was an im mense store of onions lying on the wharf, while disease, from want of -eertablee, was spreading through the camp. The Deputy Commissary-0e 1 states that he had an abundant stock of rice at Constantinople during the time when it was wanted even for the hospitals in the Crimea. Preserved potatoes were, it is said, early in the autumn offered to the soldiers, but rejected ; later in the winter, when the supply of vegetables was essential, it does not appear that the offer was repeated. Coffee, which had been ordered as an extra ration, was distributed to the troops in a green state, and (there being no means of roasting it) was of little use. The explanation offered to your committee on this point is not satisfactory. The more immediate comfort of the troops appears to have been overlooked, while ingenious arguments on the volatile aroma of the berry, and on the Turkish mode of packing coffee, were passing backwards and forwards between Com missary•Geaeral Fader and the Treasury. " FORAM " When the army first encamped before Sebastopol stacks of forage were found in the neighbourhood ; these were soon consumed, and henceforward there appears to have been much difficulty in obtaining fodder for the horses. His Royal Highness the Dike of Cambridge, who left the heights on the 7th of November, said that his baggage animals were frequently without food, sad that on one occa sion he was obliged to kill 24 ammunition ponies, which he had not the means of feeding. The Earl of Lucan, corn mandi g the Cavalry Division, complained repeatedly, from the 29th of September to the date of his departure, of the coedit', n to which the horses were reduced from want of food. Lord Cardigan mentions the same difficulties, but did not find the pressure so severe until after the sth of November, when his brigade was posted on the heights. After the bunkum, the supply of forage failed, aad, under the combined effects of work, exposure, and insufficient food, the cavalry gradually ceased to exist as an effective force. " To what extent the Commissariat is responsible for the deficiency in all these supplies is a question to which it is not easy to give a definite answer. " Sir C. Trevelyan, speaking as the head of the Commis. mist, and desirous of relining the department from respon sibility, affirms their conduct throughout to have been irreproachable, and ascribes blame to other persons. Ac cording to hie opinion the Quartermaster -O I, for whose good intentions he made full allowance, ought to bear the chief responsibility. This officer,' he says, 'is responsible for the road to the camp, and for the road along the border of the harbour at Balaklava. By him also buildings should have been appropriated for magssini e, and stables for the baggage animals should have been provided.' " Sir C. Trevelyaa also states that the endeavours of the Commissariat were frustrated by the mismanagement of the transports, that there was a want of proper arrangements in the harbour of Balaklava, and still worse disorder at Con stantinople. ` Rear-Admiral Boxer did not,' he says, pos sess the administrative qualifications requisite for that im portant station, and he delayed the transports in the Bos phorus or appropriated them to other services.' In confir mation of this statement be mentioned the Health& tran sport and the Jason, which last, he said, had been detained three weeks at Constantinople. Some letters from Hear- Admiral Boxer will be found in the appendix, denying this merlon. Admiral Boxer also, it appears, in December, ,remonstrated against tne irregular system pursued by the Comeslesariat in the Crimea, and requested the intelfe! renew of the Commander of the Forces. He suggested that some of the largest transports should be strongly moored in Balaklava harbour as Mating depots, and that the smaller tentions ; but so great was the want of the zit i.! necesthries, even of bedding, as well as of medlc.:.• medical comforts, that they sorrowfully admitted Mc: e. vices to be of little avail. "The hospital at Balsklava bad an advantage, as it was nearer to the limited supplies which in» board ship; hat the uncertainty whether or not Ht. 1.3 could be retained, dithonc.rted the arrat gement' ti hospital, and upon one occasion the patiecu were !iv . In regard to its subsequent condition, there it s dims of opinion, depending prob thly upon the dos 'several visits; but the prevailing testimony is te their' that this hospital was for many weeks in a distur..... l "Allowanco must be made for the circumstances low; the continued possession of Balaklava was held, saw: difficulty of establishing a hospital in such beadier eel found there. The want of proper orderlies, the itutti? of medicines, especially of opium ; f medical condotti...: of which were essential to the health of the mu, ath great went of purveyor's stores, have been so full szl y et is in the report of the commiss ioners, that your fai deem it supetfluous to adduce further evidence • Wl' ration of their statements. They will, thereon, Mee observe upon " THZ HOSPITALS AT SCUTARI. " When the army arrived in the Ea" varicielPlo' r suggested for hospitals, but Scutari was eventsally&" 'Mon as fittest for the purpose. The system of regimental hospitals was adopted first instance, and the General Hospital was notostiii i until the army moved to Vans. "The Duke of Newcastle says that he did not Ow! instructions as to hospitals; he left that to be MCP.' the Medical Board. Dr. Smith, the DirectooGetre• the Medical Department of the army, says that nothing to do with these h.wpitale, and that his Wei could only have caused confusion. lie selected men for the hospitals, and he sent to the °thous *Rion to provide hospital furniture proportion:l amount of force, and there his duties ended. " Your committee, miter h aring e videcce affivi• disgraceful state of the hospitals at Scowl, cilium». ascertain by whom the chief authority wu eseruso.i l. whom the responsibility must rest. " Major Sillery was commandant, sod bad sole z»: , charge of the hospitals. Dr. Menzies was supereto of all the hospitals, having immediat e che ctl'viot the Tri.e Hospital, with Dr. id• Gregor under his order s, the Barrack Hospital. Dr. Menzies was appoiene l **: Raglan, en the recommendation of Dr. Baer/41111 Hall, and remained superintendent from the ' 6ch O 1854, to 2nd of January, WS. He alleges that ew e . ,; portion of this time he was placed in se sectoe,r.. tion, by the arrival, en the 4th oi Noretabm 0 : I Cummieg, his superior OflloPr, who had twin we' I Eogland as member of the Commission of leis"!' rt l l c to om stize is r s e i s o d n e h h a i d m bee in n b h r is ou ol u c t e o r clemnethe ing.saY, " When the expedition sailed for the Cri m es. wif w gave instructions Dr. Heinle s, in putout Ir., of directions through Rear-Admiral Boxer, frol t J o % lof Newcastle, repeated by Lieutenant•Of Brown, to report on the accommodation that tool, vided is the hospitals for the stck and wounded "4 be expected from the first operations of the ..°4; Menzies' report, dated the l'tn of August, im ll,ll _, w the evidence. Dr. Menzies in this report local military authorities, as Dr. A. Smith hal ke'7 4 , in his letter to the Military Secretary at the 1 10 1 0 0 the necessity of providing fit transports IS: Nl S ''' . of the sick end wounded. " Dr. Hall, the Inspector• General of the .41 0 1 , ,,, by Lord Raglan to inspect the hospitals i a Odte7 oo remained at Scutari about three weeks, Ise them to be in as good a state se e r . aid be pre as , prated.' Dr. Mettles reported podically to his official chief, Dr. Meozes, although cage; I t opinion of Dr. Hall, appears subeequtwilY sl iqe' I appeals to the commandant and to the p means of improving the condition of the holiefLe either no measures, or no efficient and adecoste I seem to have been adopted foe the parrot' .011 " In justice to Dr. M en zies, it must be 11"e' r ,„ 0 ,0 Iluti mus ted engaged in alldiinffiicnucletasant and surgical w onerou s cases, he e duties ps i / lellrious operations himself. His time was wwMpie validing men. holding hoards, making moothil " -- 00 quarterly returns, daily repor's and weekly/et:01.; os to Dr. Hall, who was satisfied with the hoofelefiod to Dr. Smith, ho could not interfere ; relew" 7-4 1 of Newcastle, who was never informed of the .d 1 things. Amid all these la:.onrs he h.d ocit uty ime i er."o which should have been hie principal d--"" superintendence of these hospitals. 4 1, 0 40' " Dr. Menzies states ' that he was Wi wi. wotk of three deputy- inspectors when be gave tipts;,o ' his health being then broken down: T i eleLdl is con fi rmed by Dr. Deerffireck, who, be*lle_,,l Mansit's evidence, says, " the clashing of , I MI I and confusion that stilted in the adminirteautsl7.ol pitala wss not creditable to our system w e 1 7, p ie/ .i fallen into • state of inanition ; we had we, t P lii ,op" Orderlies, no hospitel corps. Dr. Metsies 1 '' special duty of co on en able to exuelas hdmieal Boxer sq., ex this blame should gratis convict e d th : a had been gi. o4 d . id been iOißdi giug .• • omieslriet, or he Admiral at r coalmine* aloft Remains mieb. *it o high naval led e means of deeSsli gt :It a ayate 4 dies with regal / 4 ;y A 10134 OR the Co rn • . oIRMiIAteL4tC• nab licit mine witnesses eh some subordinate procuriast 'applies, sy e, the distress the des. OTMENT AT Romp . the Arley and (m u .. las an MIMIC tp 144 smith, the wss etop ,,,„ immediate ante nw i - T.' tiler-in Chief, t h e . g - at War, th e 11., t ,, 6 1 of Ordnan ce. Ile 1,;!:• of the tiro deptetteev, 00 eoMmuoic.twe erdt. Secretary for W ir Auvust lest 5..,- • b ee n ale We s old Tb • conflict binePeu War. ies' altooy . • T of . • WU* bootee 44 YO blooms port co t h a t to ag mator com ma 11 w jaspre • reline • at • 1- Sicily once 44 that broug• gau Dr. 13 sad t ' delay evils prenr disco gAdio select' moon . an in , stores than insu '1 if no • l eap° For inset • bad Beer' try will been &nth. The weio tinct *too. mew sent as • "Rico ter - the meta fro. QOM acti floc feet the • the for. Wit the for tba ser the pn , tre an. ate ew fro a• tit to tie Pe I. dr of or th ai. •• 2, ti a • 0 • • - • Il 15.