The Press. — London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

APRIL 12, 1856• paniment to the landscape, and might with more propriety be called " A Tired Traveller " than pretend to suggest the awful presence of the Son of God. Mr. Woolmer's treatment of his subject resembles one of Mr. Charles Kean's popular "presentations " of Shaltspeare, where the scenery and appointments fairly extinguish the personages of the drama, who, i ns tead of keeping the first place in the interest of the spectator, become only moving, speaking parts of a gorgeous spectacle, and sink into comparative insignificance before what ought to be the mere ac cessories of a stage-representation. Mr. J. J. Wilson has some breezy, refreshing bits of sea, among which " Oil the Hermitage Rocks, Jersey " (No. 18.) is especially to be noticed ; we seem actually to inhale the cool sea-breeze and to feel the spray sprinkling our cheek when looking at its clear, crisp water and gusty sky. There are but few portraits, none, save a cleverly-painted head in No. 84 by the President, full of girlish mischief and fun, and a " charming " (we nse the adjective, hackneyed as it is, in its primitive meaning) lady in a riding-habit, by Mr. Buckner (No. 31.), worthy of especial remark. It would prolong our brief notice unduly, were we to go into the demerits of the water-colour room, including architectural interiors and sculpture. ROYAL PORTRAITS.—Mr. Mitchell has conferred an obligation on all loyal people by the publication of three beautiful lithographic portraits, from paintings by Winterhalter, of the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Princess Royal. The artist has been much more successful in these single figures than in his groups. The likeness in each case is striking, characteristic, and animated. The features are distinct, and the expression conveyed with great skill and fidelity. For their size and style they are the most pleasing portraits of their illustrious originals we have ever seen, and we recommend them to our readers with full confidence that they will thank us for bringing the plates to their notice. The portrait of the Princess Royal will, from its novelty, attract most attention. The face is extremely open, serene, and pleasing. The outline is charmingly round, and the brow broad and clear. In the general look there is "Inch to remind us of both " Papa" and " Mamma," • on the whole the expression is rather, it strikes Teutonic than English. If there be truth in iysiognomy, this pleasing countenance indicates a meet and even temper, a gentle disposition, and a loveable nature. May the destiny of the Princess correspond with her auspicious birth, and -r personal graces. BERANGER'S NEW SONG. Nt'i recently written by Beranger, and addressed ) the Students," has been circulating in mann- Apt in Paris, and appeared in the_ Times on inesday. As it is thus cast broadcast over Europe, concealment or suppression is now out of the ques- We print a tolerably close adaptation of the original ; What? Foolish boys—beliere, once more, You're free to utter Freedom's cry, And fête, beneath the tricolor, Him who again has bid it fly? Yet my poor songs with love you name ? Forget them—l've disowned them too: Had 1 your faith, I'd curse my fame— Ah ! pardon the poor minalrel. do! How do the days you'd reproduce Resemble those I used to sing : I, who ne'er faltered in abuse Of tool, toad, Emperor, Pope, or King? One soldier, yes, I hymned; and why ? His crown was gone, his chain in view. St.. Helene venged our liberty— ! pardon the poor minstrel, do t Nisard, Leverrier, Belmontet, For Victor and for Aragol Accept such substitutes u they— I—Force's unforgiving foe ? There's ONE in Heaven's eternal home 1 Loves He the spy and gaoler crew, Is His the shrine swords guard in Rome? MI! pardon the poor minstrel,clu I Ay, battles, and a coat of blue Thread-bared in fights, Beranger sings, When our Republic's children true Beat, twenty years, a League of Kings. But yon smart Guard, yon watchful spy, Wh4',l stab us for promotion—pooh ! Is he my genial soldier•boy Ah ! pardon (he poor onoutrel, do ! To Poland—ltaly —we owe A debt of blood! The cannons sound! Let's march and pay the debt! Why, no, So near our home there's slippery ground. Take Freedom somewhat more afar— The Turk to taste her charms we'll sue. Nations, a Holy League you are ! Aii ! pardon the pour minstrel, do! SLUILLET BROOKS. THE CRIMEAN BOARD OF INQUIRY. THE Board of General Officers appointed to inves tigate certain statements in the report of the late Crimean Commissioner, met on Monday, in the hall at Chelsea Hospital, for the despatch of business. The hall was very crowded, many ladies, H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, Lord Elcho, General Freeth, being among those present. The members of the board entered the hall at a quarter past eleven, accompanied by the Judge- Advocate-General, Colonel Begot the secretary, dc., all being in full uniform. The Earl of Lucan, upon being first called and desired to state in what parts of the report he consi dered his conduct animadverted upon, endeavoured to obtain a specific statement from the board that his case should be taken separately, and separately adjudicated on before any other case should be investigated. After some discussion and considera tion, the board refused to promise anything more than that each case should be separately reported on to the Crown, but that they would willingly grant Lord Lucan twenty-four hours to prepare himself under these circumstances. This the noble earl declined for the present, reserving to himself the right of future application. Lord Lucan then addressed the board at great length. Pealing first with the statement of the commissioners relative to the deaths in the cavalry from October, 1654, to March, 1855, the noble earl pointed out the general incorrectness of their figures, as they bad included every horse killed in action as if dying from disease, and that, therefore, the percentage of deaths from disease was manifestly much underrated. They had stated the deaths in the light cavalry to be 47, and in the heavy brigade to be 38 per cent., while the actual rate was upwards of 50 and 65 per cent. Again, the comparison of the losses of the trans port animals and the cavalry he considered most unjust, as the transport stock was constantly reple nished by fresh importations of animals up to March ; and of all the animals in the camp, upon Mr. Filder's own admission, those of the transport were the first and best fed as long as there was anything to eat, and yet, with all this care and all these fresh impor tations, it appeared by the actual returns that thirty per cent. of the animals died by the middle of January. fhe returns of the posi ive number of fresh animals received were so incomplete that it was impossible to draw a fair comparison between the two forces. Two facts were prominent, that on the one hand the original force of cavalry was never recruited from the day it landed in the Crimea, while, on the other, the transport service was constantly replenished by shiploads of animals daily landed, which, in spite of all Mr. Filder's care, it was notorious died off so rapidly that the cavalry at last were compelled to do transport duty. With respect to the hutting of the cavalry, which the commissioners stated in their report " was in no case commenced before the end of January or the beginning of February, 11+35," Lord Lucan read a divisional order, issued by himself immediately on the removal of the cavalry from the heights to their winter quarters on the sth of December, 1554, " Head quarters, Cavalry Division, Sadikoi " ordering the assemblage on the morrow of all t he 355 baggage animals for the purpose of bringing up the butting materials from Balaklava. The next day the baggage animals were despatched to Balaklava; when they arrived the commanding officer was told nothing could be done, "as his proceedings were irregular!" Lord Lucan, upon this, wrote to the quartermaster-general, desiring that a discretionary power should be given him to obtain these stores. This he was told would be irregular, till at length, after some delays, and, in fact, only on the arrival of Major Hall at the port, was the timber issued. Then, as soon as the hutting was obtained, a further delay was occasioned by want of nails, and many days elapsed before the cargo of nails arrived from/ Constantinople. Now, from the sickness of the cavalry division it was impossible to build stabling without assistance. Lord Lucan applied to the quartermaster-general for Turks. Atter some delay about 150 Turks were sent, but they were shortly withdrawn for other fatigue duties, whereupon Lord Lucas addressed a letter to the quartermaster-gene ral, pointing out that, in consequence of the with drawal of all Turkish assistance, the erection of the stables would be seriously delayed. On the 12th Dec., Lord Raglan called upon the cavalry division to supply five hundred horses for the transport service, thus, at one blow, putting a stop to the carriage of hutting up from Balaklava and the erection of stabling, and employing the cavalry upon a most severe service and one totally foreign to their duties. On the 16th, Lord Lucas issued a divi sional order, entreating commanding officers to use every effort to make stabling for themselves, to drain the earth in front of the horses, and to pave under their feet so as to keep them dry. After a short time the position of the cavalry be came so precarious that Lord Lucas addressed repeated letters to the quartermaster-general, calling attention to the lamentable state of disorganisation into which the cavalry was rapidly falling, - and the miserable plight of the horses, owing to the severity of the service upon which they were employed ; but, no relief being obtained, on the 17th Jan. Lord Lucan addressed the following letter to Lord Raglan : Cavalry Camp, Kadikoi, Jan. 17, 18.55. Sir,—lt is with much regret that 1 hod myself again compelled to represent the fearful consequences to the cavalry of having to continue in the discharge of transport duties, and to make another appeal in their behalf to tLe Seld•marshal. Th.: horses continue dying fast ; the discipline aid economical management of the regiments deteriorate • feel ings of disappointment and dissatisfaction are felt by tl.e officers commanding brigades, regiments, and others ;and, in addition, this army is losing a cavalry it will be difficult to replace, while the country is suffering an enormous and, in my opinion, needless pecuniary loss. Since the 12th of December, when the cavalry were first made to give commissariat transport, no less than 426 horses have died, many daily sinking under their load, and then left helplessly by the way to perish. The mortality and sickness are, indeed, so great that, unless the rep ments are relieved quickly of these (louts, a sufficiency of horses will not survive to forage for the sick and weakly, and the whole mast starve or be destroyed; while a cessa tion of these duties, with great care and nursing, night yet, in my opinion, save 400 or 500, or more. When the commissariat duties were first given to the cavalry I in dulged in the conident expectation that it was an extreme temporary measure to meet an extraordinary unforeseen difficulty in provisioning the infantry, not likely to last beyond a few days; but it has now continued above five weeks, and, however bad the state of the roads and weather, without the intermission of a single day, and sometimes when the provisions carried were not for immediate use, but taken to the front to be stored, and during this time baggage animals have been landed 200 or 300 at a time, to an aggregate amount, I should suppose, of thousands, a ith out any apparent intention of relieving the cavalry of these onerous duties. Independent of the loss to the army of so important a branch of the service, the pecuniary loss to the country from the destruction of so many horses is enormous. Much above 4110 are gone already; as many more may be expected to go ; SO(.1 horses will have been worth 50,0001., and I wish to direct the attention of the field-marshal to the fact that whereas a troop-horse is worth 751., baggrge.ponies can be procured in Asia Minor and elsewhere at 51. a head t o a n y amount; and as the pony carries on a pack-saddle two bags of biscuit, a load requiring four troop-horses, two to ride and two to carry, the pony costing 51. is equal to a train- port. power from troop-horses of 3001. The saddlery, from improper use, constant exposure to the weather, without the means or time fur giving it proper care, is suffering severely ; the discipline and economical arrange ments of the regiments are suffering from the fact that the men, leaving camp early in the morning, and only returnir g late in the afternoon, are scarcely ever seen by their trool. officers ; the whole of the messing ii deranged ; and it is found impossible to hold any parades, or have any inspec - lions whatever ; and further, from the great number i f men employed in this way and in foraging. it is not possi ble to make much progress in the butting of the horses, by which they again have to suffer ; fur I cannot doubt that, but for this constant occupation of the cavalry, the hutting would ere this have been completed and the horses all under cover. Two days after the receipt of this letter Lord Raglan relieved the cavalry from transport duties. This letter the noble earl read with the view of proving that the transport duty, besides depriving the cavalry tun p Prince attent pleasi brow 1 much but or us, T , physit sweet most Prior, ber pi A so " To script Toes more tion. origin A THE PRESS. 4mustments, &t. ADELPIII.—A new drama, Like and Unlike, adapted from the French piece, Thkese, ou L'Anye et Demon, by Messrs. Langford and Sorell, was produced this week at this theatre with great success. From un avoidable circumstances we are compelled to post pone any lengthened criticism till next week. It is sufficient to say that the piece has been adapted to the Adelphi stage and actors with such admirable tact as to afford the specialiti of Mr. Wright, Mr. Webster, Miss Wyndham, Mr. Paul Bedford, and Madame Celeste full scope. The piece is highly successful. Her Majesty honoured the theatre lag night with her presence, having specially commanded the new drama to be repeated. Mn. ANL MADAME GOLDSCHMIDT will resume their concerts in town, when they return from their tour in their provinces. We can assure our readers that the rumour, set afloat by some unaccountable ma lignity, that Madame Goldschmidt's fortune has been impaired, is totally unfounded. Added to the popularity she enjoys, Madame Goldschmidt is most happy in all the domestic relations of her life. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—MT. Costa's Eli will be again performed at Exeter-hall on the 25th inst., with the following powerful cast :—Madame Clara Novell°, Mr. Sims Reeves, Herr Formes, and Madame Viardot Garcia, who will arrive from Paris to sustain the character of Samuel, as at Birmingham.