The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-30 00:00:00

BANQUET OF THE OFFICERS.

Those of the officers who were engaged in the combat of
Balaklava celebrated the anniversary by dining together at
Willis's Rooms, King street. St James's, when covers were
laid for forty persons. General the Earl of Lucian, G. C. 8.,
presided, supported by Lieutenant-General Lord George
Paget, K. C 8., Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Hodge,
KC. 8., Major-General Sir Thomas MATahon, K. C. 8.,
Major. General Clarke, C. 8., Major. General Wardlaw,
CB, Colonel Portal, Colonel Hunt, Colonel Swinfen,
Lord Tredegar, Lord Bingham, lion. H. IL Jelliffe,
Sir George Wombwell, Colonel Alexander Elliot, Colonel
White, CD., Colonel Mussenden, Colonel Fellowes,
Colonel Grylls, Lieutenant-Colonel Sandeman, Colonel Sir
Wiliam Gordon, Major C. M'Donnel, Major Elnasell Mejer
clowes, Captain Goad, M .jor Wilkird, M .jor 11Creagh,
Major Jervis, M dor Ferguson, M tjor Duberly, Major
Manley, M tjor Pendergast, Major King, Captain Gole,
Captain Sc It, Captain Brigstock, Captain Hunt, Surgeon-
General Mouat, C. 8., Assistant Commissary Sutlicrland.
Assistant Comptroller Mnrray, Mr. E. Pepys, Mr. J.
Pick worth. Mr. H. Harrison, &c. After the customary
loyal toasts had been given by the President and cordially
responded to,
Lord George Paget rose and proposed the toast of the
evening, "The Health of the Chairman." He said :—" It
is a very gocd cestom, and one that has been generally
observed, that the `toasts proposed should not be accompanied
by speeches. (Hear, hear.) I don't with to break through
this rule in Riving to you the health ef your gallant and
reqiected chairman, Lord Lucan, and I am sure you
will share with me in my best wishes that he will
long continue in that good health which he no* evidently
enjoys, (hear), and now I must ask you to permit me for
once to break through the rule which has been generally
observed, and to touch on a matter which to a certaip
extent may be considered perhaps to affect myself. You
are all willing, I am sure, to do honour to the part
witch the Light Cavalry Brigade took in the charge—the
never-to-be-forgotten charge—at Balaklava, and I wish to
state here the reasons that have prevented us from being
present at the banquet given in their honour at the Alex-
andra Palace. It was a matter of fair question why the
officers of the Heavy Brigade were not included in the invi-
tation to that banquet. 'fills is not the place, and lam not
the proper person, to dwell on the gallant deeds of the two
brigades on that day. Suffice it to Fay that the services the
two Brigades were so associated that I could not reconcile it
to my feelings to take any part in the commemoration of
the gallant doings of that day from which the Heavy
Brigade were excluded_ But because there was this
exclusiveness, it did not prevent me from sending my
contribution towards the enjoyment of the gallant fellows
mpeting elsewhere to day. Although, I must repeat that
I did not expect that the banquet would have assumed the
character it did,—and I am not quite sure that the presence
of fficera on such an occasion and in such a place is quite in
keeping with that whieli should have marked the occasion.
—I hope it will never be supposed that I have not the
warmest sympathy with all who took part in the action on
that glorious day and I am quite sure that no officer
present who belonged to the Heavy or the Light Brigade
does not share this feeling with me. I have nothing more to
say than that I most cordially propose the health of your
gallant chairman, and let us drink it with three times three.
These cheers were enthusiastically given.
General Lord Lucan, in responding to the toast, said,—l
cordially thank you, Lord George Paset, for the very kind
manner in which you have proposed my health, and also
for the way in whicri the toast has been generally received.
I can assure you it affords me the greatest pleasure to
meet my comrades of something like fifty years' stand-
ing With regard to the Alexandra Banquet, I may say
that I heard nothing of it until I came to London from
Ireland a few days since. I had nothing to do with it as
far as its arrangement was concerned, but I at once
observed that the object was to bring together and give
honour to the Light Brigade alone, and I felt this more
particularly, admiring the Light Brigade as I do, and feel-
ing also that their achievements on the great day we are now
celebrating can never be surpassed, that one branch of
the service had been neglected. It is well that feats of
that kind, occuring 21 years ago, should be commemorated
to-day. I have no hesitation in saying that it was
Impossible for any body of soldiers to conduct them-
selves more nobly, more splendidly, than did the
Heavy Brigade, in connection with the Charge of Bala-
klava it is probable that they were not brought im-
mediately into action as were the Light Brigade, but had it
not been for the position which they took, and the bravery
they displayed, the enemy would have been able to burn our
,ships and inflict incalculable injury. It is, therefore, I feel
that their efforts should have been acknowledged, and I now,
therefore, take the opportunity of bearing my testimony to
their gallantry.

Lord Lucan retired from the chair shortly after
eleven o'clock.