The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-18 00:00:00

SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS IN A ME-
TROPOLITAN RIFLE CORPS.

On Saturday night one of the most extraordinary prleeed-
inn which has taken place since the formation of the vs on.
or movement occurred to the Havelock, or 48th Middlesex
Rifle Volunteers, commanded by Liett-rolonei Crukshank,
in the summary dismissal or fourteen officers and tile resig-
nation of others. The circumstances which have to to this
„proceeding ore stated to be these :
Fog ening time past there has been a large amount of
dissatiefaction in all ranks of the 48th Middlesex. it
was said that its commanding officer from his great
age was incompetent to the duties of that position, and
that in consequence the corps wherever it went was
the subj set of ridicule. Deputations from the non-
commissioned officers had waited upon him to ask him
to resign, and he had promised to do no if they would
bear with him a while. Similar applications were also
made by the commissioned officers. but equally with.
out result. The two ffiajuno, Pillow and Saunders,
then resigned, and fourteen out of the nineteen re-
maining officers forwarded to the Lord-Lieutenant a
memorial through the poet, instead of through their
commanding officer, calling attention to the case, and
in the interest of the regiment asking for an investiga-
tion. The loor l•Lientenant forwarded this ineorn 'al
to the War-office, whereupon an order was at once
issued to cashier every one of the fourteen officers who
had signed the document. On Saturday evening the
colonel, G. Cruickshank, summoned an assembly of
all the commissioned officer., in uniform, at the head-
quarters, Cook's-court, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and then
and there read the condemnation of the culprits in
question. Captain Smith, although not one of the
memorialists, at once gave notice of his resignation,
and the corps is now left with but five officers, four of
whom are stated to be mere boys. The officers com-
plain bitterly that they should be dismissed without
any inquiry.

" One of the Fourteen Officers" has written the fol-
lowing to the papers :

There can be but one opinion that discipline must be main-
tained in the volunteer force as well as In the regular army,
but little did we think at the time, more than three months
ago, when we signet! a requisition to the lord-lieutenant,
praying for an inquiry and asking his advice, that in our
ignorance of red tapeihni in not forwarding it through the
commanding officer, we should be summarily dismissed. It
Is not our desire at present to enter into the case, as we
intent memorialising the secretay of state for War to
rescind hia Judgments on the ground that we acted In entgre
ignorance of military etiquette ; all we ask for is a thorodgh
investigation and inquiry, and I feel satisfied, that when
our case comes before tile public, not only shall we get
their Sympathy, but also that of every volunteer in the
kingdom.

Our grievances are not of days, or months, but of years
for, as frequently as the commissioned officers have peti-
tioned the colonel to resign and take the honorary coloneloy,
so have the non-commissioned ottioers and men at his own
private residence and in the orderly room his answer
ha. invariably been—. Bear with me a little longer' We
have been jor.lears the laughing-stock of the volunteer
force. • "

•
At all our council meetings, when an officer is speaking,
and the colonel does not concur, he commands him to sit
down, and shakes, his clenched list In his face. This is
merely one of the many insults we quietly had to bear with,
and yet, wihout giving us a chance of inquiry, which we
most earnestly desire, her Most Gracious Majesty has
been pleased to dispense with our services. There are now
only four officers remaining in the regiment two have
Joined since the requisition was signed, the others were not
asked.